Handbook For New Puppy Owners Print

Handbook
For
New Puppy Owners
THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR YOUR NEW PUPPY
BY L. E. SCHWARZ
Copyright © 2008 by L.E. Schwarz. 39214-SCHW
ISBN: (not assigned) 978-1-4257-8272-6
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, in-
cluding photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright
owner.
This book was printed in the United States of America.
Layout Designer: L. E. Schwarz
This book was first printed off the Schwarz Kennels Copy machine to save money,
time and .B.S. for all of us, and was first distributed in May 2009. One book was
mailed to ourselves to protect our copy write.
Edited by: Jane Denny and Jennifer Stoeckl

To order additional copies of this book, contact:
Schwarz Kennels
1-541-830-0571
schwarzkennels@aol.com
www.rarek9.com
www.rareknine.com
www.schwarzkennels.com
Handbook for
New Puppy Owners
By L.E. Schwarz
Table of Contents
FORWARD ................................................................................................................................................. 12
A Few Notes Before We Get Started ........................................................................................................... 14
ACT ONE: ALL ABOUT YOU ........................................................................................................................ 16
Your Acting Career............................................................................................................................................. 21
Your Anger ......................................................................................................................................................... 22
The Animal Trainer ............................................................................................................................................ 22
ACT TWO: DISCRIPTIONS OF PERSONALITIES IN CANINES .......................................................................... 23
Individual Characteristics .................................................................................................................................. 23
The Dominate Over-Bearing Pup................................................................................................................... 23
The Dependent Pup ....................................................................................................................................... 24
The Eager or Hyperactive Pup ....................................................................................................................... 25
The Independent Pup .................................................................................................................................... 26
The Shy Pup ................................................................................................................................................... 26
The Excitable or Hyper Pup ........................................................................................................................... 27
Socialization....................................................................................................................................................... 27
ACT THREE: GOING TO THE AIRPORT TO GET YOUR NEW PUPPY ............................................................... 28
Several Days Before the Arrival of your new puppy ......................................................................................... 28
The Day Before your Pup Arrives ...................................................................................................................... 29
The Day the Plane Arrives ................................................................................................................................. 29
Your Puppy’s New Home ................................................................................................................................... 30
Your New Puppy’s Schedule .............................................................................................................................. 30
Your Puppy’s Attire ................................................................................................................................... 31
Head Collars or the Halty Lead .......................................................................................................................... 31
Chain Slip Collars or The choke chain ................................................................................................................ 32
Locking the choke chain ................................................................................................................................ 36
Learning to use the choke chain collar correctly........................................................................................... 36
The Prong Collar ................................................................................................................................................ 37
Martingale Collars ............................................................................................................................................. 38
Everyday Collars (flat or rolled) ......................................................................................................................... 38
Break-Away Collars............................................................................................................................................ 38
Harnesses .......................................................................................................................................................... 38
Dog Show Collars ............................................................................................................................................... 38
Warning on usage of collars .......................................................................................................................... 39
ACT FOUR: YOUR FIRST COMPANION DOG ............................................................................................... 39
What is a Companion Dog? ............................................................................................................................... 39
The Genes .......................................................................................................................................................... 40
Environmental Conditioning.............................................................................................................................. 40
Molding or Training by Accident ....................................................................................................................... 41
ACT FIVE: UNDERSTANDING CANINE BEHAVIOR........................................................................................ 42
Critical periods in a dog’s life ............................................................................................................................ 42
Conception to Birth ....................................................................................................................................... 42
The nutrition of the mother dog ................................................................................................................... 43
Embryonic life ................................................................................................................................................ 44
Birth ............................................................................................................................................................... 44
Mother dog’s imprint on her pups ................................................................................................................ 46
Newborns ...................................................................................................................................................... 46
Neonatal period............................................................................................................................................. 46
One day old ................................................................................................................................................... 47
Four days old ................................................................................................................................................. 47
Ten to Thirteen days...................................................................................................................................... 47
Transitional period ........................................................................................................................................ 47
Awareness period .......................................................................................................................................... 48
Three weeks old ............................................................................................................................................ 48
Four weeks old .............................................................................................................................................. 48
Five weeks old ............................................................................................................................................... 49
Six weeks old ................................................................................................................................................. 49
Seven weeks .................................................................................................................................................. 49
Eight weeks.................................................................................................................................................... 49
Twelve to Sixteen weeks old ......................................................................................................................... 50
Seventeen weeks to Eight months old .......................................................................................................... 50
Six months to One year old ........................................................................................................................... 51
ACT SIX: GROOMING YOUR PUPPY ........................................................................................................... 52
Grooming Tools ................................................................................................................................................. 52
The fundamentals of Dog Grooming ................................................................................................................. 53
Training your dog for his grooming session ...................................................................................................... 56
ACT SEVEN: HOW DOGS LEARN ................................................................................................................ 57
UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE™ ................................................................................................................................. 57
Influences on learning ....................................................................................................................................... 61
Touch insensitive dogs (hard dogs) ............................................................................................................... 61
Sight sensitive dogs ....................................................................................................................................... 61
Sound sensitive dogs ..................................................................................................................................... 61
Mentally sensitive dogs ................................................................................................................................. 61
Place Association ........................................................................................................................................... 62
Routine .......................................................................................................................................................... 62
Nutrition ........................................................................................................................................................ 62
ACT EIGHT: DISCIPLINE ............................................................................................................................. 62
Verbal reprimand .............................................................................................................................................. 62
The Whirl Wind ................................................................................................................................................. 62
The Firm Shake .................................................................................................................................................. 62
Eye contact ........................................................................................................................................................ 63
Stepping on his feet........................................................................................................................................... 63
The Rolled up Newspaper ................................................................................................................................. 63
Smacking a dog on the muzzle .......................................................................................................................... 64
Timing ................................................................................................................................................................ 64
ACT NINE: OWNERS BOOT CAMP.............................................................................................................. 67
Lap Therapy ....................................................................................................................................................... 67
Rewarding Animals ............................................................................................................................................ 67
How to look at your dog .................................................................................................................................... 67
How to stand and carry yourself ....................................................................................................................... 68
How to talk to your dog..................................................................................................................................... 69
How to hold your dog back ............................................................................................................................... 69
How to carry a pup ............................................................................................................................................ 69
How to pet your dog ......................................................................................................................................... 69
How to interact with a shy ‘sensitive’ dog ........................................................................................................ 70
How to play with your dog ................................................................................................................................ 72
How to walk with your dog ............................................................................................................................... 72
OWNERS HOMEWORK ...................................................................................................................................... 75
Seven to Eight Week old puppies ...................................................................................................................... 75
For three-month-old puppies:........................................................................................................................... 76
For eight to twelve week old puppies: .............................................................................................................. 77
For all four-month-old puppies: ........................................................................................................................ 78
From sixteen to twenty-four weeks old puppies: ............................................................................................. 78
TRAINING A SIX WEEK OLD PUP ........................................................................................................................ 79
ACT TEN: POTTY TRAINING ....................................................................................................................... 83
SIX WEEKS OLD .................................................................................................................................................. 83
EIGHT WEEKS OLD ............................................................................................................................................. 83
SIXTEEN WEEKS OLD.......................................................................................................................................... 84
Genetic problems .............................................................................................................................................. 86
ACT ELEVEN: Training Equipment ............................................................................................................. 87
Collars ................................................................................................................................................................ 88
Leashes, ropes or directional devices ............................................................................................................... 88
Cages or containment ....................................................................................................................................... 88
ACT TWELVE: BASIC DOG OBEDIENCE ....................................................................................................... 89
Rules and the Training Brain Mode ................................................................................................................... 89
Crate training..................................................................................................................................................... 89
Feeding and Exercise Program .......................................................................................................................... 90
“Go potty” on Command................................................................................................................................... 91
“Watch me” ....................................................................................................................................................... 91
Training Eight Month Old Carlitta (the story of) .......................................................................................... 92
Training your dog Commands at an Early Age .................................................................................................. 96
“COME” AND “SIT” ........................................................................................................................................ 96
SIT .................................................................................................................................................................. 96
COME ............................................................................................................................................................. 97
DOWN............................................................................................................................................................ 97
STAY ............................................................................................................................................................... 98
WAIT UNTIL I CALL YOU ................................................................................................................................. 99
HEEL ............................................................................................................................................................... 99
Leash Training.............................................................................................................................................. 100
The Jerk and Release ................................................................................................................................... 102
ACT THIRTEEN: DOG CLASSES ................................................................................................................. 103
Description of classes ...................................................................................................................................... 104
SIX-WEEK COURSE AGENDA ........................................................................................................................ 105
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS .................................................................................................................... 107
Homework Assignment #1 ....................................................................................................................... 107
THE FORMAL HEELING GAME ......................................................................................................................... 107
The Sit Stay Dance ........................................................................................................................................... 115
TEST #1. ..................................................................................................................................................... 121
TEST #2 ........................................................................................................................................................ 122
TEST #3 ........................................................................................................................................................ 126
The Sit in Front ................................................................................................................................................ 129
Homework Assignment #6 ...................................................................................................................... 130
Wait There ................................................................................................................................................... 130
The Down Command ................................................................................................................................... 132
Beginning ‘Down on a Heel’ ........................................................................................................................ 133
DOWN IN FRONT ......................................................................................................................................... 135
SIT FROM A DOWN AT A DISTANCE ............................................................................................................ 135
‘DOWN IN FRONT’ FROM A DISTANCE ....................................................................................................... 136
Rrrround ...................................................................................................................................................... 138
Go Round ..................................................................................................................................................... 138
Go Out ......................................................................................................................................................... 139
‘Go Out’ or ‘Back’ ........................................................................................................................................ 143
GO AROUND ................................................................................................................................................ 144
Homework Assignment #10 ..................................................................................................................... 145
The Stand Stay ............................................................................................................................................. 145
The Finish..................................................................................................................................................... 150
The Recall .................................................................................................................................................... 151
“Hup” or “Over” .......................................................................................................................................... 161
Teaching your dog to retrieve ..................................................................................................................... 161
The Crowded Recall ..................................................................................................................................... 162
Homework Assignment #16 ............................................................................................................................ 162
Find It ........................................................................................................................................................... 162
Training your Livestock Protection Puppy/Dog ......................................................................................... 163
Information on Working Dogs .................................................................................................................. 164
ACT FOURTEEN: BAD HABITS AND HOW TO CORRECT THEM .................................................................... 165
Aggression- ...................................................................................................................................................... 165
The Fear Biter .................................................................................................................................................. 165
The Aggressive dog .......................................................................................................................................... 165
Whining ........................................................................................................................................................... 166
Barking............................................................................................................................................................. 167
Digging ............................................................................................................................................................. 170
Jumping on you ............................................................................................................................................... 170
Jumping over Fences ....................................................................................................................................... 171
Getting into the trash ...................................................................................................................................... 171
Biting your fingers ........................................................................................................................................... 171
Bringing a baby or new dogs into the home ................................................................................................... 171
ACT FIFTEEN: HOW TO TAKE PHOTOS OF YOUR PET ................................................................................ 173
Dogs Only ........................................................................................................................................................ 173
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ..................................................................................................................... 176
IAADP International Association of Assistance Dog Partners ................................................................... 177
IAADP Minimum Training Standards for Public Access ................................................................................... 177
IAADP Minimum Training Standards for Public Access ................................................................................... 177
PUBLIC ACCESS TEST........................................................................................................................................ 177
DEFINITIONS............................................................................................................................................ 179
What is a Physical Task? .................................................................................................................................. 179
What is meant by "individually trained"? ....................................................................................................... 179
What is NOT an individually trained task? ...................................................................................................... 179
Why are individually trained Tasks so important? .......................................................................................... 179
Test and Scores ....................................................................................................................................... 180
LETTERS TO ME CONCERNING TRIANINGS and BREEDINGS ....................................................................... 181
DEDICATION
This book was written for all the folks like:

Mark, Kathy, their ten-year-old son Luke and in my opinion,
the most important decision in their life, Esta Von Der Schwarz!
Esta (Mark and Kathy’s dog) and Eva the American Alsatian F-2 out-crosses of 2006.
FORWARD
Thank you for purchasing this handbook. I would like to introduce myself to you, my name is
Lois Schwarz and I am not a writer. Let me repeat that so it is perfectly clear ‘I AM NOT A WRITER’.
I breed and train dogs. I have observed dogs (and people with dogs) my entire life. I am over fifty
years old now and all I do is ‘dogs’. I use to play the political dog games, but as fast as I got in, I got
out! I am not in competition with anyone to see if I know more than the next person does. I think most competi-
tion is not a very good thing, not if it means a fake smile or having to belong to the ‘Jet Set’ . . . you know, the ‘In
Crowd’.
I (like thousands of plain Joes and Jane’s) have seen and felt the pain of all those doggy people who think they
know it all. I do not wish to join their ranks. The people that I choose to have in my life are everyday pet owners
throughout the United States and over the internet who are genuinely nice and courteous. I have gone into the
rings and I have won ribbons and gathered up points and then I stepped out. In and out I went. I kept thinking
that this was what I wanted to do but every time I joined a dog club or an activity I would run into the politics of
the games and some very unfriendly folk’s. I just could not associate with such. I do not need to prove who I am
as I am sound in the notion of what I am capable of, so I do not feel inclined to participate in the games played on
and off the dog circuit. I could adorn my walls with certificates of achievement that would stare back at me as if
to say, “Look at what you have achieved” but I do not need anyone’s approval.
So who am I and why should I be allowed to write a book on dogs? My answer is that I have been breeding
dogs for over fifty years and my experience, dedication, drive and education in the field has allowed me to be the
best at what I do. I breed dogs. I breed the best dogs in the world. I have studied all breeds and have researched
what the public really wants. I have not wasted my days playing games. I have created a new breed of dog that
has taken me over twenty years to perfect. I sell my puppies throughout the United States and Canada. The many
folks who know me want to know more about the breed and how to train them. Since I am writing this particular
book for all my puppy buyers, why not for everyone? And so we move on . . .
Welcome to my world: In my living room, I have two end tables next to my couch that are dog containers,
kennels or crates if you will, being used as end tables. One of these tables has an open door the other has a cage
door. Both are about four foot long and they come a tad bit further out (forward) than the couch. Both are about
three feet tall or as high as the couch arms. Since I am very tall, our couch is higher than most. There are also
multitudes of leashes attached to the walls or the furniture. At 5:00 PM I make two dinners, my husbands and the
dogs. The mud room has a chest freezer that holds fresh meat from the butcher. I cut up about five pounds of
meat and boil rice to mix into the kibbles. I have a cupboard which is four-foot by five-feet that holds all of the
first aid supplies and medicines that I might need. I have a few grooming tools and a grooming station in the gar-
age plus a cookie jar that is always full of doggy cookies. Beside each of the doors leading to the outside of our
home, I have about ten pegs attached to the walls and there hang all my leashes and collars. Beside each door
are shoes that I can slip right into so that I can trudge through the mud or snow to reach the dogs at any time and
the pick-up truck is always ready to go with its two matching kennels in the truck bed.
The Barn was turned into a kennel and our five acres are fenced off for all the dogs. So you see; my life is all
about the dogs.
I started breeding animals when I was seven years old. Let me explain that better . . . I was not a normal seven
year-old child who bred animals. I was totally fascinated with what God gave me each time I bred one animal to
another and so I took notes. I had a notebook with a page for each animal and I wrote down what the babies
looked like. I also took pictures but I wasn’t so good at filing them all back then. I remember that with my guinea
pigs, some pigs had large ears and some pigs had small ears. What would the baby pig’s ears look like? If you look
closely at a guinea pig you will see another characteristic. Some may have tiny eyes and some may have large
eyes. Of course, we could get into the coat, coat texture, the lay of the coat or the color of the pigs, but that is
the easy stuff. I also remember when I took over the Homing pigeons, some came out (shall we say) ‘not right’.
I remember one pigeon I named Herman and I trained this little guy. He would perch on my shoulder and just
hang out there. He was my pal. I thought that maybe Herman couldn’t fly because he never wanted to leave my
shoulder, so one day I thought I should teach Herman how to fly. He did not like this new idea and was scared.
He was shaking a bit as I lifted him up into the air. On the third lift upward, I let him go and Herman flew. Yep,
right up, over the fence and away. Herman made it a couple of blocks in a glided downward fashion. I waited for
him to fly back as I couldn’t go around the block to search for him because I was too young and the street he
headed for was too busy. He never did come home. There was something really wrong with that bird.
I also bred rats and mice and I took some of them to school in my jacket pocket to show my friends. I had pet
ducks. One in particular was named Henry. Henry was a Peking or white duck. He was rather big as I fed him a
lot. I would walk Henry with a cat leash and collar down the block and over to the park. There Henry would pud-
dle off into the stream and eat polliwogs and guppies. I tried to teach Henry to sit upon a branch in a low tree,
but he didn’t think that was such a good idea. I had a chicken and tried to hatch the unfertile eggs underneath my
pillow. I had fish and guppies, turtles and frogs. Then when I got older, I got my first dog. Our family had a family
dog so when the boxer jumped over the fence for the last time, mom refused to go and rescue him, well that
opened the back yard up for us kids to bring a dog home.
Of course, I trained my dogs. Dogs you say? Yes, sometimes one of the dogs I chose to bring home didn’t work
out. Some of the dogs and puppies my mom said I couldn’t keep. It wasn’t long after that when I got my own
apartment and yes, another dog. I trained this dog rather well and when the property owners found out that I
had the dog well, then I had to find him another home. I sold him to a man who wanted a trained protection dog.
I would list all the breeds of dogs I have had over my fifty years here on earth, but it would take up a page and
a half so let’s just say, I had lots of dogs.
If I were to guess at how many puppies that I have watched or helped come into this world my guess would
have to be about a thousand, probably more.
I owned a few grooming shops and I have taught night courses in veterinarian assistance, grooming, breeding,
and training. I have groomed between 20 and 30 dogs a day starting at seven in the morning and sometimes not
closing up shop until after ten. I have never gone to school to learn how to write and once again, I am not a writ-
er.
I do not care much about the politically correct or ‘the right way to do something’. I figure if it works, then it
works.
When I write these words here at my desk over-looking the farm and dogs, I am writing to you. I am thinking
that you might have a cup of coffee and we are just sitting here chatting and that is how I write.
The necessity of this book has come about because of the many of you that have written to me and those who
have purchased my special puppies. It is for you and because of you that I write this book.
So, as you read the words in this book I want you to read them as I am talking with you. That is the reason I
may skip two lines, go italics, bold, or write in the middle of the page. I want you to feel my words the way I am
speaking them. If you pay very close attention, you might even hear the accent in my voice. You may also notice
that I reiterate or that I say something over again a few paragraphs further down the page. This is because I want
you to ‘get it’. I will also go over one command and then go on to the next then back to the first command. There
is a reason to my madness. Just follow along and do not get ahead of me while you are training.
I tell you this because my editor wants to make this book politically correct. She knows how it should be writ-
ten so that the scholars of the day will approve. Ha ha. Those of you who know me are laughing right now!
Once again, I AM NOT A WRITER; I AM AN ANIMAL BEHAVIORIAL SPECIALIST an Educated Artistic BREEDER of
the AMERICAN ALSATIAN as well as the BREED FOUNDER of the National American Alsatian Club (NAAC). I don’t
care much about how correct this book is but what I do care about is if you ‘get it’. Are you listening? Do you
hear my words? So I ask you to pay attention to how I am writing for then you will see me, hear me and ‘get’ the
message.
I truly hope you like this book. Write to me and let me know if you enjoyed COMING OVER TO MY HOUSE.
A Few Notes Before We Get Started
Not all dogs train alike. A professional handler gauges the dog
and figures out what to do next by the reaction of the dog. This is
one reason why no book can tell you how to train your dog.
How long will it take you to train your dog? Well, let me start by
telling you that it would take me three days to teach your dog:
come, sit, down, stay, heel (right turns, left turns, about turns, fast,
slow and auto sits) as well as the recall. Next my job would be to
make sure the dog will do what he has learned with distractions of
all kinds. That will take me about a week. But… that is all I do. I
begin my day at 6:00 am and go to bed at 10:00 pm. A dog would
get trained at: 7, 10, 2, 4, 6 and 8. That would give the dog six small
trainings per day.
I need to tell you that I begin a dog’s training at four weeks

old. At four weeks old I do not expect the dog to do anything; I just
speak commands and place the dog in the appropriate position. It is so freaking easy at that age. This four week
old pup of mine would learn ‘stand stay’ for his grooming in two days without me even training him. Just with his
grooming sessions and photo taking sessions alone. The go potty command is used EVERY SINGLE TIME the dog
goes to the bathroom. Do you realize how many times a young pup can go pee?
Now let’s talk about you. You can take a year to train your dog or you can take a month to train your dog.
Most everyday dog/puppy owners take over a year to train their dogs. Why? Because no one has told them that
the dog doesn't need to play his life away. You do not have to allow the dog to be an un-educated dog. It is not
going to make you a mean ugly person if you REQUIRE your dog to act a certain way.
When you come to my house you will not see my dogs walking around my house. This is my house not theirs.
Every one of my dogs has a place that they may lay down in, or… they may go back outside to the kennels. None
of my dogs may walk around the house or down the hall way, they are also not allowed in the kitchen. To do this I
needed to teach the dogs (all of them one at a time) placement and my rules. At first they needed to be chained
up to the wall with a bolt. As they learned not to walk around my house, then they did not need a chain any
longer. So when you come over they come inside the house and go straight to their place in the living room by
the fireplace.
Chains, bolts, leashes, pinch collars, choke collars, ropes, walking sticks and remote devices are all tools that
help me accomplish my objective. I use whatever I need in able to get to my objective. How long that takes me
is NOW. How long that takes you, is for you to decide. You do not need to beat a dog to get him to do what you
want. All it takes is unbroken rules, truths from you and repetition. Last but not least, getting the dog to under-
stand what is going on or as I say to ‘get it’.
Way too many dog trainers today have been influenced by animal right groups and the ‘humane ways’ to train
a pet. I am NOT advocating that you harm your dog! But you do not have to be so soft that you pussy-foot
around and let your dog do whatever it is HE wants to do. I know way too many of you guys who think it is so
wrong to not allow your puppy to be a puppy. You really believe that it is the best thing to do for your pup to al-
low him to run all over the house, play, tug and chew things. You believe that they are animals and puppies need
to do what they do. You believe that this is LOVE of the dog.
They can be puppies and have manners and they can begin using their brains at a young age. What do you
think I am doing with your puppy here on the farm? Your puppy begins to learn at two weeks old. Believe me
when I tell you that I am training him and expanding his mind every single day just so that when you get him, he is
already the nicest puppy you ever had, and soooo smart! He DOES NOT get to roam around the house. He has a
15x6 foot mud room that is all his and his littermates. When I leave the room, I point my finger and tell them to
‘stay in there’. Of course they cannot get out, but the commands are important for them to hear.
They may only Pee on the newspapers so that your puppy is newspaper trained when you get him. It is not my
fault that you allow him to venture all over your home. He cannot become a bad dog if he is not placed in a situa-
tion to where he will get into things. All my puppies are CRATE trained. Crates keep animals safe. Young pup-
pies do not get to ride in my car without a crate. When they get older and have learned how to behave, then they
may get into the back seat. They are not allowed in the front seat.
Oh how cruel am I ! I can hear you all now. Poor puppy! I invite you over to my house to meet my dogs at
any time. They will not bother you, sniff you, jump on you or act crazy. You will be amazed at how they react
when I speak. There is no ‘let me think about it’ going on in their minds.
Something else to think about: If you get a pet bird (just one bird) and you don’t have any other birds around.
That bird doesn't have another bird to show him he is a bird. This is a fact about training animals. The fact is that
it is easier to train an animal that doesn't have any bad habits or other animals around to teach him how to act
when you are not around.
Ok, so now let’s get on with it! First you must be informed and educated so your homework is to read…. Read
every word without judgment, just soak it in by osmosis while I take you on an adventure, a journey, through the
time you have chosen to give up for what I have to offer, my time both past and present.
ACT ONE: ALL ABOUT YOU
_________________________________________
Ninety-Eight percent of the problems in most animal

behavior issues are manifested because a human (the
owners) did not know how to communicate with an ani-
mal. The other two percent is that the Breed of dog
which was chosen did not fit the personality and temper-
ament of the owners.
Most humans hold misrepresented information that

has been given out to the public about animals, which
has made for a world of unruly (spoiled and bratty) pets
who have been unknowingly trained by their owners to
misbehave.
It is the unawareness or the lack of knowledge on the
part of an owner that creates the temperament of the dog. Not many Animal Behavioral Specialists (or dog train-
ers) who support themselves by ‘training dogs’ will tell the owners this. Most Dog Trainers are very careful with
their words because they do not wish to offend the pet owner as the pet owner is paying the bill. I have known
(and still do know) many folks who will not and do not believe that it is them who made the dog a wild and dan-
gerous animal. Who else could it be? Because humans tend to place blame on anything but themselves, then it
must be the dog or the breed of dog that was chosen that is at fault.
Sometimes the pet already knows the words and the corresponding actions taught to them as a young pup
when I am called to correct the unwanted behavior. For the most part, the animal is trained and understands
what you want of him, yet the unruly pet has learned that he doesn’t have to do anything if he doesn’t want to.
The pup/dog has learned that he can get away with pushing the owner just sooooooooo far . . . I jokingly call that
‘counting’ as they wait until about the third time they are told to do something before they do it.
In some of my puppy training classes I could actually see the animal waiting (counting) until the owner really
meant what he was saying. I then explained it to the owner, so that the owner could ‘see’ that when he told the
pet to sit, the pet did not sit until the owner had told the pet to sit for the third time. “Why don’t you just take
away the first and second times that you ask Fido to sit and go directly to the third time that you ask him to sit?”
The problem lies in the owner who loves that pet so much that the pet does whatever it is that he or she wants
to do. When this happens, the dog has claimed the top dog position without the owner’s intent or awareness.
When an animal is brought to me, and we meet for the very first time, that animal reads me (as I read him) in
the form of body language. I talk to these animals (sometimes with words but always with body language) so that
they will get to know me and perhaps feel more comfortable around me. In other words, I introduce myself.
Then a bonding goes on for about twelve hours depending on the animal’s acceptance of me. Sometimes it
takes less bonding, sometimes it takes more as this depends on the animal.
Most times an animal who has not bonded (or who doesn’t know the trainer) is frightened and unsure of what
to do. That is a good thing, the animal is looking for someone to step on up to the plate if you will, or for some-
one to be declared ‘Top Dog’. If I back down or tell the animal that I am afraid or a wimp, then the dog steps up
to the batter’s box and becomes the ‘boss’.
If the animal is really frightened and extremely dangerous it may be placed in a cage with only enough room
to stand up, turn around and lay down. The cage is then placed in the room where I am working and placed close
enough to me for the animal to get my scent. This way the animal gets use to me, my sounds and the way I move
around. Because I know this I may make a bunch of different sounds or make more noise than usual, so that the
animal gets accustom to being frightened and not having any harm come to him. That kind of numbs him.
After a short while, the animal will be let out and a leash will be used to keep the animal close to me. I will
immediately go for a walk with this dog as moving around gets his attention off biting me and on to the surround-
ings that confront him. This walking of the dog on a leash establishes me as the ‘Top Dog’. The dog must walk
with me wherever I am going because he is on a leash. Even if the dog protests, it doesn't matter, we walk. Dur-
ing this walk the dog will sneak a sniff of me and will eventually become less tensed. I will see the body of the dog
loosen up or relax. This is advancement and we are moving forward in our relationship.
He will be offered water, petted and then may go back into the cage. Know that a frightened animal will not
drink any water nor will he eat. Eventually he will eat, but he may go a day or two without drinking, especially if
you are watching or if you are too close to him in his mind.
Every two hours he is let out, walked and offered water. This will go on for about a day or so. With this repeti-
tion comes a relaxation of the animal’s consciousness.
When the animal finally does drink, he will get a verbal reward and then be placed in my lap for what I call
‘lap therapy’. Lap therapy is a form of bonding. The animal gets to be as close as one can get. He gets to smell
and touch me and this is the beginning of getting the animal to bond with me. It all takes time and repetition but
with all this comes the dogs acceptance of me as the pack leader.
After about three days, the animal is truly bonded and one can see the animals muscles have relaxed. The
food is offered from my hand not a dish, and if the animal is hungry enough, he will finally eat. When that hap-
pens is when the animal has accepted the role of ‘me master, you pet’. Of course, he has no choice. He will soon
find out that I am not all that bad. I have had many frightened animals and have just waited them out. No push-
ing or prodding is necessary; they will come around in their own time. Some come around sooner than others do.
When they finally do decide to take the food from my hands, it is a wonderful event. Now training and communi-
cating can really begin! I use food as a motivation and a reward.
Being in a cage is a ‘secret training tool’ that many handlers and trainers understand. The average person is
usually taught that cages are cruel and inhumane. The average person has no idea how an animal feels in a cage
or what the consequences of being in a cage can do to the animal. Do not think that putting a human in a cage is
the same thing as putting an animal in a cage, it is not.
Limiting an animal’s escape or freedom calms an animal and after a while, the animal looks only to its own-
er/handler for companionship. Sometimes too much freedom keeps an animal afraid and excited. Too much
freedom may terrify the animal so much, that they may hurt themselves. Sometimes a cage or kennel is neces-
sary to calm the animal down. Animals do not know what is good for them and what is not. Humans are the only
so called animals that have the ability to reason, judge and figure out stuff such as this.
Food, water, and verbal communication are just being accepted by this animal and the animal cannot flee
when and if it is afraid or confused. This ‘problem animal’ must then confront its fears and/or become familiar
with its circumstances of routine head on. It is we humans, who have the understanding capacity and who were
given the dominion over all creatures because we were created different from them, on a different brain level.
Our minds, souls, and total being can and do tame the savage beasts while learning and educating ourselves as we
grow. Many human beings who do not understand an animal’s fear and stress levels misunderstand some of the
tools that professional trainers use such as the “cage” or “enclosure.” Most humans think only in “human
thoughts” in which their only knowledge about cages may have come from teachers or parents who believe that
their ‘compassion and love’ of animals must be the right way to treat all animals. Surely, the animal in a cage
must be terrified to be in such a small enclosure. Certainly, that animal must feel like he is in prison! Wouldn’t
we?
For one thing, animals do not know what a jail is, nor do they think as humans do. If you try to put human
thoughts into animal thoughts, you will for-ever-more be on the wrong page when it comes to training, condition-
ing or educating animals. Animals are not humans. They are animals. Animals do not even come close to acting
like humans.
All animals live in the ‘now’, they do not look at a broken leg as we do, nor do they think such thoughts as:
“My, I have a broken leg” and they certainly do not know how to fix it. Animals do whatever feels good to them
and they do it in the ‘NOW’ tomorrow never comes for them. They have no goals in life.
A den or enclosure is protection to them and it gives them a feeling of being safe. If they have no den or cage
they will use a lap or they may hide under an object. Animals run off inherited fears, feelings of fright and feelings
of safety when they are in tight enclosed or hidden sanctuaries. Those so called ‘feelings’ are really only ‘in-
stincts’.
Animal thoughts are not really thoughts at all. Animals have lived for millions of years with direct hereditary
impulses where no thoughts were even formed in their minds. Everything is impulsive. Oh, animals can and do
learn! They learn by their everyday experiences, repetition and whatever gets them what they desire (or long for)
which makes them feel satisfied or complete.
Animals in the wild inherited into their genes the character and temperament to be quick in their nervousness.
They learn the sounds of the earth and nature itself. They are nature.
Animals adapt to their environment and make the most out of whatever situations they are faced with. They
do not figure stuff out with a complex thought process. The way they think is based on what it is they want which
is usually food, sex and to be in a familiar environment. They will be inquisitive and they will venture away from
their familiar places but when threatened, all they have is what they are familiar with. They learn “action = reac-
tion.”
As an animal grows older, the animal that has been trained or educated has a brain that develops along with
his age. The dog that has not been educated . . . well, his brain is stagnate and all he learns is what he does day in
and day out while here in his ‘Earth Time’. He will learn the everyday occurrences that fall into his earthly path
(where he resides) and he will smell those smells and hear those sounds that affect him and that is all.
When training another person’s animal, I may bring this untrained and confused dog into my world slowly with
that three day bonding depending on the animal’s temperament. If the animal is really a threat and acting crazy,
in the cage it goes. When the behavior is correct and the animal has calmed down, then I will take the animal out.
The animal will begin to see himself as a member of this new pack (my world) and he would see me as the domi-
nate pack leader. This unruly ‘wild’ animal will come to find out that I mean what I say as we get to know one an-
other. He will also find out that I can be ‘trusted’ or that my words are truths and not lies. This animal learns
these things by reading my body language and listening to my vocal sounds. He will find out that “action = reac-
tion” and it will come quickly as I am consistent. He can tell that I am a pack leader by the way I move and sound
to him. My movements are confident and slow as well as easy and relaxed.
As we bond, the situation and the space is calm. The animal is rewarded, petted and praised when he is acting
in an acceptable manner. We spend a lot of time together and life is a bowl of cherries. My rules are black and
white and are simple to understand. I do not jabber a lot and when I do speak, I use specific words.
I tell these animals my rules by the way I introduce each step that the pup takes while he is in my world. When
he is in his cage, he can be his self but when he is interacting within my world, he will be molded into an animal
that behaves as I wish.
Animals do that. They mold to their environment and that is why the dog is man’s best friend. They fit like a
glove into our world. They mold without you even having to think about how it is done, it just is.
I have learned that my rules must be consistent, always the same . . . the words I use correspond with my
body language and the animal begins “reading me.” What this does is it makes life for the animal predictable.
There are no surprises in that animal’s life. I am consistent and the animal knows exactly what to expect of me.
This gives the animal a feeling of safety in itself, a security and a peace of mind. The way I have my rules set in
stone makes the animal know me and respect me even if I seem tough when one of the rules is challenged. The
animal then knows who I really am and knows that a reward is EMANATE even if he is to be scolded.
What I have come to find out in this . . . ‘my world of animals and humans’… is that many inexperienced dog
owners do not know what rules they should give a dog. They do not know because they have never experienced a
dog before or they have had a dog, but it was when they were young and it was the family pet. Maybe they were
too young and didn’t get a hand in the training of the dog.
Many folks that have never had a dog before, kind of try to relate to a dog within the humans way of rules and
justice and maybe even relate training a dog to child rearing. So, I am going to try to help you by giving you my
rules. The animal can then have rules to go by and will not be so confused. This will make the animal more secure
in life and happy in that security. Without rules, a dog challenges the humans in his life and then creates his own
rules. When you have rules, an animal understands that you are the rule giver and top dog.
I would tell you that you could change “my rules” to fit you, but I am afraid your rules might not work and will
‘cause a dog to become more hyper because you do not have the experience. So, if you do change the rules, think
about them real well first and own up to them when things don’t work out. With the next dog that you get, you
will understand more the reasoning behind my rules.
If you have had dogs before and are not going to have any trouble communicating and getting along with your
pup/dog, then you may just want to use the diagrams in this handbook as your training guide. Perhaps if you read
this book with an open mind, you might even come away with a different point of view on something, ya never
know!
Here are the rules that I have come to find work for me:
1. No whining or barking . . . Any animal will give a warning that a stranger is approaching so this does not
need to be learned or reinforced. Therefore, the rule is absolutely no whining, no talking, and no barking. If we
allow any of the above, then the rule is not black or white. The animal now figures out that “Sometimes I can talk
and my owner laughs, sometimes they tell me to shut up” . . . this is confusing. This then becomes a ‘wishy-
washy’ you. You cannot be trusted to be consistent and you do not mean what you say. Once the dog knows this
about you, you are in trouble.
If you would like to teach your dog to “speak” on command, that is fine, but . . . it is done on command and you
can laugh up a storm . . .
If you allow your dog to bark and whine whenever he wants to . . . you will find that your neighbors will not
wave ‘Hi’ to you, nor will you be included in any neighborhood get-togethers. You may also find that unpleasant
words are being spoken of you and your barking dogs. You may get letters in the mail or snobby looks and you
may not realize that it is the noises your dogs are making that are driving your neighbors up a wall.
Noisy barking dogs are the number one major nuisance and complaint to the Animal Control
Offices throughout the U.S.
A scared dog is a barker. A watchdog is a “watcher” and may bite with or without a sound. An
untrained dog is a barker. A trained protection dog gives only a warning. A growl should be more
feared than a bark.
2. No playing or running in the house . . . I try to train a young animal to walk, to go softly, to slow down or
to mellow out . . . this rule helps the animal to do that. When animals pay attention or ‘slow down’ then they see
more . . . they hear more, they learn more. The outside is the outside; the inside of the house is my domain.
There is a place for my dogs and they are not to go anywhere in my house but to their place. If you give a dog free
roam of the house, then they can and do get into things when you are not watching. This leads to bad behavior
and once learned may continue. I do not give a dog the time or space to do something that I disapprove of. I AL-
WAYS keep my dogs in my sight. The older dogs I can trust to go out of my site for short periods of time, but if
anything should happen to one of my dogs because they were not in my sight, it would be my fault and I wouldn’t
want to live with that. The only time they can be out of my sight is when they are in their kennels behind the
barn. I placed the kennels within eye sight of my office.
3. No jumping up on anything . . . unless I command it. The word for up is “hup.”

4. Sit when I tell you to and do not move or deviate from that position until I give another command
like “ok” . . .
Please don’t forget the “ok” or “it’s over” or “we are done now” ‘cause if you do forget . . . then ‘sit’ doesn’t
mean ‘sit’, it means ‘sit’ right now and a second later you can get up (or whenever).
The dog that makes up his/her own mind to ‘not sit any longer’ is in control of ‘when enough sitting is
enough.’ YOU MUST NOT FORGET TO RELEASE THE DOG FROM A COM-
MAND.
My friend with the misbehaved dog never releases her dog from a command therefore the dog has learned that it
can and must do for itself and it does.
5. Be still and stop moving around . . . When still, the dog receives praise always. I pay attention to my dogs
and when they are still and quiet, they get rewards . . . yes, for nothing. However, they understand that I approve
of them being still, your pup will also.
6. Don’t bug me or anyone else . . . In other words, “mind your own business.” Nobody likes to have a cold
nose come up behind them and press against their legs or a tongue that licks them, yuck! Moreover, some folks
don’t even like dogs. Some people do not like the dog hair that clings to their clothes. So be a polite neighbor
and human being . . . teach your dog to just be with you, to sit beside you. He can lick your face and put his dog
hairs all over you and not everyone else he meets.
7. Don’t sniff stuff . . . ‘That is none of your business.’ I know dogs really like to sniff . . . they sniff everything!
When they are out for a romp in your backyard, they can sniff all they want but when in someone else’s yard they
must not sniff. It is impolite unless you know your neighbor and your neighbor likes dogs. Now mind you, some
neighbors will say, “sure we love dogs” but that does not mean that they want your dog in their flowerbed and up
the bird feeder! My dogs are not allowed to leave my side but for short periods. For the most part, no . . . they
are to stay beside me, that’s what I got them for, a companion dog and they have a job to do.
8. “You are here because I wanted you to be a part of my life and to be a joy in my world. If you are not
a joy in my life, then we will find out how to make it so or you will be gone.” I have learned that life is too short
and there are too many cute puppies out there who would love to take a hyperactive dog’s place! A dog that will
not stop barking is a nuisance and a law suit, or may lead to an upset neighbor. I need and want my neighbors to
be friendly with me. I do not care to live my life with my neighbor but we have to be on speaking terms. Life is
just too short to walk this road so miserable!
I am responsible for my own happiness. This attitude works. Now I can take on the responsibility for a noisy dog
and do something about it. I can accept that I got the wrong breed of dog for me and I can find the dog another
home or I can train the dog to not bark, move into the country or visit a vet and get the dog fixed so that he will
not bark so loud. There are many other options that may make me miserable but that may “work” in my life if
one does the research. It is the same in life for anything we humans undertake. It is ultimately up to you. You
have choices to make.
I personally do not own a barking dog. I never have and never will. Nor have I ever surgically de-barked any of
my dogs. So how do I keep all my dogs quiet? I breed for it and I simply tell them to be ‘quiet’. If they do not
stop barking I go get them and I may shake their neck or place my hand around their muzzle or even smack them
with a rolled up newspaper. I may even throw a set of noisy keys at them to scare them. Once their attention is
off whatever it was that made them bark, I have been obeyed. Now that the behavior is correct as the dog is not
barking and I have counted to three… then the dog is rewarded. If overly rewarded, the anxiety you just created
by over rewarding may make the dog bark once again. Shame on you. Become calm yourself please and show
the dog what is acceptable. Once you get it, reward, but this time make it a small easy reward.
I have over forty-five years of experience with all kinds of animals and I say to you, it is not worth all the hassle,
misery, money and time to put up with a genetically loud, timid or even a hyperactive dog. Some folks may be
able to handle all that in their lives however, my life is my own and I must be able to survive without a nervous
breakdown. I know how much I can handle so I don’t get a terrier. I could not put up with one and I would not
want to spend that much time trying to modify its behavior to fit me. Therefore, I do not purchase puppies from
anyone else. I raise my own mild-mannered easy to train dogs. If I have a litter and I find a loud mouth or a hy-
peractive puppy, I put an advertisement in the newspaper and let the callers know why I am selling this pup so
cheap.
Some folks have the time and patience to handle those kinds of dogs. I know my limits. Do you know yours? I
suggest you spend a lot of time researching the many different breeds of dogs and get the right breed! If you get
a mutt, you will not know that dogs character and temperament because there is no linage that you can judge him
from.
Should you get a puppy or not? My suggestion is “yes.” Do you want to know why I say this? Because learn-
ing to teach, train and handle a dog goes hand in hand with raising children and learning to accept others in your
own life. Raising and training animals has improved my patience, understanding, and acceptance of the world I
live in.
Training animals (and teaching others to do so) has made me tolerant of other human beings and it has helped
me to communicate with the special needs people in my life. My first child had some autistic tendencies and my
second daughter has two autistic boys. Each of their autism or ‘problem behavior’ is unique. None of them are
the same in the way they learn or comprehend the world. Each autistic child is so different yet similar. Communi-
cating and teaching animals has made it possible for me to teach and train my grandchildren.
So go ahead and get a puppy, teach it, train it, and find out so much more than you ever knew you would or
could. You will carry those precious moments with you forever.
Your Acting Career ™

“The whole world is but a stage and we are all but actors”. Someone told me that Shakespeare wrote that. I
don’t know if he did, but it is true for me and for my world in training animals. While training animals I begin with
the mind-set of the actor. I take myself ‘out’ of the human being and or any political correctness that might have
been pounded into my life such as 1. The proper way to be a human 2. To cry when a person dies. 3. To be up-
set or to go ‘mind blank’ when I see blood.
As a trainer; I think… I use my brain. I can fall apart later when no one is watching but when on the stage as a
trainer or as the God of my animal, then I must ACT the part in order to get what I want from my student or pet.
This book is about training, acting is a part of training an animal. The better you act and get your point across,
the faster the animal will respond, communicate or ‘see’ what it is you want and what it is he will receive for do-
ing what it is you want. It is a give and take role for both you and the animal.
As you read this handbook, you will hear me say ‘ACT’ so I want you to understand that you need to
do just that. Can you do it? Let’s just try it. Open your mind and try something you may not be com-
fortable with and then see for yourself if this crazy lady is speaking the truth.
Let me tell you that when you act out your anger or over-act your happiness, you will find that your training
ability will go through the roof and you will be amazed at the outcome!
So, you think that you will need to over-act for the rest of the dogs’ life? Nonsense! Once the dog “see’s” and
begins reading the person you are, then only subtle movements will be needed to remind your pet that you can
go back into your crazy acting mood. However, if you begin training your dog/puppy with ‘over-acting’ and use
your voice, body, eyes and smile . . . then you will find that Fido will catch on faster than you ever imagined a ca-
nine to learn. This is our secret!
Your Anger
I want to address your feelings as a compassionate and complicated emotional being . . . . There is absolutely no
place for ‘real anger’ on the stage, not in this acting career of yours. It will not happen. If you do get angry, STOP!
Your puppy doesn't understand human emotions, it confuses him.
If you get angry or mad, put the pup in a vary kennel and remove yourself. Go to your thinking chair, pick up
this book and read. Calm yourself and then ask yourself why? Why did you get angry? The first answer to that
question will be “because the pup didn’t do something right” or “the pup did something bad”. Now let me tell
you this (got your highlighter?) Your pup didn’t do anything to make you look stupid, you did. Your pup didn’t do
anything wrong, you did. Whatever your pup did, you allowed your pup to do. Think about it. I will give you time
....
That’s all the time you have now, think about how to not let it happen again. You are the human. You have the
brains to think and to reason. Figure out how not to let whatever your pup did, happen again.
Here is a hint: a pup will not pee on the rug if not placed on the rug
Now, let us talk about controlled anger. Controlled anger is ‘ACTING’. That is what I want from you (the star) on
the stage of Animal Training 101.
The best dog training book I have ever read was from Martha Covington Thorne. It was the only dog
training book I have ever read in which I know for a fact that the author did not lie and was telling
the whole truth and nothing but the truth. She did not cover up or hide the human being she was.
She described her anger and she described the dogs’ punishments and how she punished a dog. In
my opinion she did not explain it enough, she should have gone into further detail, but the fact that
she even had the cohune’s to put what she did down on paper has simply astonished me. If anyone were to write
a book such as that today, there would be a lynching mob and the cries of ‘dog abuse’ would pierce the ears of all
who have anything at all to do with dogs!
There was one place in her book that she writes about how another author and dog trainer wrote in his book
that a dog trainer should never have real emotions come into play while training animals. She then says that she
could never understand how anyone could train a dog without emotions. That is when I knew that Martha didn’t
‘get it’.
Perhaps if it were explained to her as I am explaining it to you, then she would have fully understood what that
particular author meant. Anyhow, if you ever do get a chance to read that book called “Handling your own dog
for shows, obedience and field trials” you will be one lucky person!
The Animal Trainer

An ‘Animal Trainer’ is patient and understands that animal training takes time and it takes baby steps. He is
self-educated in his profession and has the desire to gain more knowledge thus, he keeps an open mind. An ‘An-
imal Trainer’ thinks about the effect that his actions will have upon the animal. An ‘Animal Trainer’ understands
that experience brings forth more knowledge as he learns the reasons dogs do the things they do. He is decisive,
quick and effective in all that he does. It becomes second nature to reward whenever the animal is doing any-
thing that is derived as ‘good’ even when the animal is doing nothing at all.
An ‘Animal Trainer’ is emotionally disciplined and does not let human emotions interfere with his acting career.
He is not prone to temper tantrums and can administer praise and discipline appropriately.
When he physically punishes an animal, he does so impartially and with a clear and thought-out decision that
results in the training session at hand. He absolutely never disciplines just to relieve some human frustration or
vengeance as he knows that animals do not understand such things.
The ‘Animal Trainer’ has integrity! He is his own person and depends on nothing outside of himself to declare
to the world that he himself is important for he already knows of his importance. His dog is not an object of idoli-
zation. Each dog to him is unique and special and is trained according to that dogs individualism, temperament
and character.
ACT TWO: DISCRIPTIONS OF PERSONALITIES IN CANINES

_______________________________________
Individual Characteristics
A puppy’s individual genetic qualities determine such factors as: the degree of shyness, ag-
gressiveness and other traits such as curiosity and excitability. These traits are found in all
breeds, purebred and mongrel alike, and are components in a dog’s personality. What is the
basic temperament of your puppy? Is he dependent, independent, leader orientated, aggres-
sive, eager to please, shy or too easily excited? No matter what the temperament, a young pup-
py will mold to its owner’s personality. This is why so many dogs resemble their owners. As the pack leader, you
will continue to develop a communication with your pup through training. People who just “bee-bop” through
life, or those who have no experience with dogs, need to be sure they get the right breed for them.
In my case, it is a choice of which breed I want because I have experienced so many in my lifetime. It certainly
helps if the breed you choose has the character and temperament that pleases you from the beginning.
Now, I would like to explain a little about the ‘titles’ or the naming of the characters and temperaments of the
pups in a litter. There are two ways of applying these ‘titles’ to a pup. One is as the puppies relate to themselves.
The other is how they are in their relationships to humans. For example . . . say we have a litter of eight puppies
and within this litter we have: a dominate pup who bullies the other pups but when a human shows up that pup
backs off and cowers. A Human may say that this is a shy dog if he did not understand that dogs relate to each
other on a different level than they relate to humans. This pup would be rated shy and dog aggressive at this
stage, say at six weeks old. As the pup grows older, the pup may change towards the humans with the experience
and education that he gets being socialized toward human beings. Then his title might just be ‘dog aggressive’.
But that may also change as you introduce him to many other animals and as he grows and learns to accept these
animals in his life.
So what title do we put on the dog? As a breeder and trainer, I say that the unaltered character is the true
character of the dog as this is the genetic makeup of the dog. The training or conditioning is not the true dog.
The reason I say this is because that ‘trained’ and wonderful dog, will not beget (have young ones) that are
trained and wonderful pups. That particular dog will breed the same genetic makeup as he was ‘raw’ (before the
training). The raw dog™ (without the training) is who the dog is.
Anyways, let’s take a look at the ‘titles’ that dogs sometimes get placed on them. Now remember that these
titles can only go on the raw ™ dog because if you place a title on a conditioned dog then it may be the wrong ti-
tle.
It could be that the dog was made to be its title. Just let that be in your mind as we go over the ‘titles’ that
puppies get placed on them.
The Dominate Over-Bearing Pup This pup may also be a shy pup when introduced to the human, owner, or
any object to which it is unfamiliar. So, a pup may be both dominate within the litter (and towards familiar pack
members) and yet be titled ‘shy’ from the puppy buyer who has never seen the relationship of this particular pup
within its own environment.
I wanted you to know this because how an individual (buyer or breeder) sizes up a pup is important. Do they
really know the pup? Do they really understand the true nature of the individual pup? I have to ask myself these
questions when a particular pup is ‘titled’ or ‘labeled’ because, I do not believe that most folks understand this,
nor the fact that training is ‘behavior modification’. This is why I ‘observe and report’ or write down what a pup
does and how the pup relates to certain obstacles that come into its life. I try not to label a pup but instead, I
write my notes and then the buyer can make of it as he will. Of course, I will give my opinion, if asked. Since you
are reading this book, you want to know my opinion. So, my opinion is this: Any puppy can be modified with
proper training. Proper so-called ‘dog training’ takes into consideration the character and temperament of the
pup (as we receive him) and we train accordingly to ‘bring out’ or ‘hold back’ what we want, need, or desire of the
pup.
If you come to my house you may find that all my dogs tend to act similar because I am a consistent trainer and
I have my own techniques and training styles. Thus, the dog or pup is molded into my life by the way I confront,
praise and punish the pups. Therefore, a label or title is not set in stone and my dogs fit a label only while within
the pack.
As I have said, a dominant pup in the litter (the bully or top pup) can be a shy pup. A dominant pup in the litter
can have “learned” to be dominant. This is why I rate my pups on a one to ten scale in character and tempera-
ment. It is the only way I know of, to describe to a puppy buyer, how dominant, shy or hyper a pup really is.
The only reason one needs to know what type of dog they have is so that they may modify a pups behavior
while the pup is young so that while growing up into an adult dog, the dog may be able to handle life in a city or in
a home with less dramatization on his part. Showing an animal that his fears are unfounded makes a dogs fear
reside.
After twenty years of weeding out shy pups and then breeding only the boldest, when I say that a pup is a tad
shy, it is in his relationship to the other pups in the litter. Therefore, it is the shyest pup of the litter. This does
not mean that one of my pups is shy.
When I say this is a dominate pup it means that because my puppies are bred not to be shy, the dominate pup
will be pretty dominate as an adult. So you see, you have to get to know the breeder of your litter and you should
understand her breeding habits. It is hard to label a pup and have another person know what you really mean.
The Dependent Pup This pup was taught to need you, by you. This pup may appear to be emotional. This pup
is trained by its owner to want to stay very close to his owner and he does a minimum of investigating because of
the influence of the owner over the dog. This owner has a habit of carrying this puppy (co-dependency) which is
an activity that should be limited because it will exaggerate the dog’s dependency to the extent of making him
overly nervous. Most of the owners of these dogs end up treating the dogs like a baby and the dog then turns out
to be an emotional cripple! If you cannot help but over baby this animal then you may have a psychological prob-
lem that can be understood by making appointments with a counselor. Once you can understand what it is you
have been doing you can then begin to fix the problem in your dog.
Dogs that are given too much love (attention) begin to show signs of possessiveness to the point of aggression
and this can ‘cause legal problems if the dog bites someone.
I have known many an owner who relished in the fact that the dog seemed to “protect them” when in fact the
little dog was trained (by the owner) to bite anyone who came close to them. The problem was not the dog, but
the owner. I have taken these dogs away from the owner and the dog could be modified once again, to fit into my
life style.
When in my possession, the pup did not bite, growl or bark at anyone and could/would tolerate young children.
But let me say that once the pup/dog went back into the arms of the previous owner the dog/puppy once again
acted up because he knew the owner would not do anything to stop him from barking and carrying on.
I have never seen a real dependent pup in the raw. I don’t think there is such an animal based on the genes as
it would surely die if there ever was one. It is only through environmental conditioning that a dog would be la-
beled ‘dependent’ upon its owner.
The Eager or Hyperactive Pup The character of this pup is slightly hyperactive. Anyone who has a hyperac-
tive pup can stop this hyperness with the proper training at a young age but you must still understand that this
hyperactivity is set in the dogs genes.
This pup will overly respond to your high-pitched energetic voice. He will appear to come quickly to you when
called and will make an excellent agility dog. He is so responsive to you that it is easy to mistake this and think
that he already knows how to sit, come or stay. This pup needs consistency, repetition and an owner who can
slow the pup down (unless the owner likes hyperactive dogs and can handle them).
In ‘beginning puppy training’ with this type of pup, you may wish to train for over thirty minutes. Do not! No
young pup should have more than five minutes at a time.
First, get the right breed and character for your lifestyle. Let me repeat that while you get that highlighter out.
GET THE RIGHT BREED AND CHARACTER FOR YOU.
Learn the different breeds then accept the pup you have chosen as the breed he is and mold the kind of charac-
ter you want in your dog. Do you want a bird dog, herding dog, coursing dog, hauling dog, racing dog, toy com-
panion dog or a terrier?
Sometimes it is very difficult to see your pup as he really is rather than as you want him to be. The exuberant,
forceful person may make his pup a bit shy and needing confidence (without understanding this) just as the force-
ful person may make a dog ‘shy down’. Then there is the quiet person’s pup who becomes a leader and who will
require a firm hand and firm voice! Such a person may think that surely this assertive little puppy will become
sweet and gentle any day now! Your puppy’s behavior is in direct opposition to who you are. Perhaps God has a
hand in this?
I know of a nice quiet, loving woman who is about one hundred and twenty pounds and very kind. She allows
her dog to run around and play in the mud. She loves her dog sooooooooo much! Because she is not at all force-
ful, the dog has taken much longer to train than any dog that I would have had. Her pup is nine months old now
and she is still trying to hold it back from being overly excited when someone comes over to the house. The pup is
full of play and love, which in itself is not a fault, but the pup has an overabundance of energy. Where do you
suppose it came from? Could it have been trained down? In what ways do you think this dog could have been
mellowed out?
This type of dog should have been held back from running and playing, but the woman didn’t want to hold the
pup back from having all that fun. She was the type of owner that wants to let her dog be whoever the dog
wants to be . . . to enjoy life . . . to be happy. Nothing wrong with that hey?
The littermate to that pup is a very mellow dog and he has grown up in the pack situation on a farm. The adult
male or pack leader on that farm (not him) will take absolutely no horse playing and is quick to bite, rip and tear
at any of his pack that tend to mess around, including this male pup. Thus, the brother to the above-mentioned
dog is cautious and slow and aware of his surroundings at all times. Since this is the case, I modified my training
methods on him (the brother) and I take him out of the pack for his socialization trainings in town. He is also nine
months old and understands when he is with me he must do certain things and is more at ease than when he is in
the pack. He has also learned that when I am in the kennel with all the dogs, he can be close to me and be safe
from the top dog. I have never allowed him to romp, play, and carry on. My mind set was (and still is) that he is a
companion dog and that he has a job to do. He is not to be whoever he wants to be . . .
The fact is that you must accept the pup the way he/she is and then proceed to mold the kind of adult dog you
want. Do you think she wants such a hyper dog? I know for a fact that she didn’t but she doesn’t understand
where all this hyperness came from.
Your puppy is being molded from the day you get him, from you . . . your personality is seen by the pup and the
pup gets bolder either because you are laxed or quiet, or the pup goes shyer . . . because you are hard and de-
manding.
Sometimes the dog you have picked for a companion is not the right pup for you . . . Sometimes the dog’s per-
sonality is fighting yours and you both do not click . . . But it doesn’t matter to me, any breed will do. I will mold
whatever type of temperament I want out of the animal. It just takes making the dog be what it is you want. I
guess first of all you have to know what it is you want . . . One other thing, is it fair to make a bird dog an apart-
ment dog? Just because someone can mold a certain temperament into a particular breed of dog? Well, what
does it do to the dog? These are questions I ask of myself.
The Independent Pup All dogs are independent puppies if left alone without human intervention. Some are
more independent and will be the first ones out of the den or the first to come up to me. Some may be the lead-
er and more independent in character one day and then bring up the rear the next day.
The independent pup is a pup that is taken from the pack and put into your home where you allow the pup to
do anything it wants. This pup learns that it can do whatever it wants and it gets bolder day by day. Puppies learn
very quickly what you will allow them to do or not to do.
An independent pup is also a pup that has been taken from the litter too soon.
The Shy Pup All animals go through a shy stage, a stage where they are unsure. Perhaps when they were bold
something knocked them down or surprised them and they are now labeled “shy.” Tomorrow that pup may be
the first pup out of the den or the first up to a stranger.
As a puppy gets older, (day by day) it reacts to the world and its environment with what or how the world and
environment places upon him or reacts to him. Some pups go into that shy stage and take a longer time to come
back out. Some pups are born shyer than the others are, but only a breeder who can “see” may see this. “Shy” is
inherited and ‘shy’ is a DOMINANT trait yet shy can also come into play when an owner is too demanding. A solid
dog without shy genes overcomes most situations and doesn't stay in ‘shy’. This type of pup only comes from a
breeder that does not breed shy dogs.
All wild canines are created shy so they can have those sharp senses that alert them to game, hazards, enemies,
predators, and so forth. The shyest animals have survived down throughout the centuries because they are very
quick to react to things that they do not bother to figure out before they (react) and burst into flight. That shy
gene has kept them all alive.
Un-shy animals have all but gone extinct. Ever heard of the Dodo Bird? What do you think will happen when
shy wild animals become bold?
Is a shy pup a pup for you? Could be, but how shy is shy and what is the pup shy of? A pup shy of noises can be
trained to accept noises if the dog is just shy of noises, but if the dog is noise sensitive then it is in his genes. This
temperament can be modified to an extent by training but if this sensitivity is set in the dogs genes then you will
have to adapt. Such dogs go crazy in a thunder storm or during the fourth of July. These types of dogs run and
hide and nothing you can do will stop the fear. Many boarding kennels are filled up a month in advance of this
Holliday.
A breeding such as “shy x shy” over-dominates and then we have a real problem in the puppies that come from
these homes. Many breeders do not understand the shy genes nor do they understand that their seemingly bold
aggressive dog is actually shy in the raw. There is that side of shy also you know. A shy dog may learn to bite or
to attack if trained. A shy dogs environment may also exaggerate this character. Usually overly shy dogs turn out
to be fear biters.
If the pup I was looking at was shy at the age of 12 weeks and I did not know the litter, I would be uncertain if
the pup was shy genetically or if the environment or some event brought this out in the pup. If I believed the pup
I purchased had too much shyness in it for me and none of the other pups were shy, I would train accordingly. No
big deal . . . A good trainer can get a pup to “come out.” Some shy German Shepherds have been great Schutz-
hund (attack) dogs as the trainers have turned that shyness into anger and a hard bite. A shy dog is also a barker.
A bold, shy dog is a weapon in my opinion, a nuisance and a danger.
Of course I would never bred a shy dog as ‘shy’ is very dominant. It is also easier to see a shy pup or a litter of
shy pups when they are young. When they mature, training may cover-up the shy character. It is hard for any
professional dog trainer or breeder to characterize or label a dog in the true proper category once a dog is trained
unless the professional actually spends time with the dog.
My opinion on a shy pup is to meet the parents and see if any other pups are shy. If they are all shy, do not get
a pup from that litter or that breeder as she doesn’t know what she is doing.
When you come to my home you may think my dogs shy. It is because I want them to be aloof. I dare my dogs to
run up to you and jump on you. I am over bearing and remember folks that are over bearing and demanding tend
to have adult dogs who are more aloof or ‘well mannered’ if you ask me. :>)
The Excitable or Hyper Pup- Here again is a problem in the labeling of American Alsatian pups. We have no
hyperactive puppies, so when I say one of my pups is more hyperactive than the others; it is still less hyper than
most other breeds. Again, know that hyperactive is “dominant” and that an excitable pup should be trained ac-
cordingly. No one will ever know that your pup was hyperactive if trained not to be hyper.
I could say that the Jack Russell terrier is a hyperactive breed of dog compared to my dogs. I am also sure that
in a litter of hyper Jacks, there are some “Variables.” Therefore, if I were a Jack breeder I could say that this num-
ber six pup is a hyperactive pup or “more hyper than” the rest. Would it match the hyperness of an American Al-
satian who was the most hyperactive of the litter? Absolutely not. The Mastiff is not as hyperactive as the Ameri-
can Alsatian and the American Alsatian is more hyperactive than the Mastiff, so you see what I am saying?
What is the big deal about a hyper active pup? Most human beings cannot tolerate such dogs. This leads to
neighborhood feuds and law suits. Want some more trouble in your life? Need some more excitement? Are you
a drama Queen? Need some drama? There are people who do not mind the hyperness of a dog.
Small dogs can be more hyper and get along better in this persons world than a large hyper dog.
The really big deal about hyper dogs to me is that they do not pay attention and training takes longer. I also get
migraines from too much noise and I require peace and quiet. Too much noise and activity makes me a very
mean person with a short temper.
Socialization
I find this a huge problem with dogs that come to me for training. Without a variety of experiences at the puppy
stage, your pup may not gain the basic attitude necessary to perform adequately in unfamiliar areas away from
home. If he is not introduced to different areas and different situations in life then you may have a two year old
‘backyard dog’ that acts like a four-month-old puppy when taken somewhere he has never been. He may be shy
or uncertain, he may be scared and you may be insensitive and not understanding in that this two-year-old should
know how to act when the fact is that you have never shown him how. Un-socialized is not shy.
Then again, the dog that is left to run free gets too much experience and those experiences end up training him
instead of you training him. These free roaming dogs become shy in some instances. Some free roaming dogs
become bolder or even fear biters when they feel threatened or cornered. The true character of a dog magnifies
when it is free roaming as the everyday experiences of live itself trains the dog and he reaches into himself to con-
front the situation. Sometimes this is not such a good thing and sometimes it can be a deadly combination.
Not all people like dogs and many are afraid of dogs so folks that encounter a free roaming dog may pick up
sticks, stones, brooms, or anything they can to protect themselves from this dog who they think may bite or harm
them. This free roaming dog may get rocks thrown at him for attempting to get close to a frightened individual.
These encounters make the dog fearful of humans and rightly so.
Give your pup different experiences- It is important for your puppy’s personality and development that he gets
supervised experiences in his life, even if he is going to be a housedog that seldom leaves home. His experiences
give him a lot of confidence, which enhances his personality. It is up to you to make sure your pup gets only the
best experiences and that can only be done if you are with him.
Socialization = Education and Knowledge

ACT THREE: GOING TO THE AIRPORT TO GET YOUR NEW
PUPPY
_________________________________________
Several Days Before the Arrival of your new puppy
The day is arriving when you will go to the airport to pick up your new puppy
so let’s go over the things you will need to do before your puppy comes
home.
______1. Re-arrange the house for your new arrival. Pick up stuff and put it
away.
______2. Find a place that will be just for the puppy. The puppy could use his own “bedroom” where he can be
himself, where there is no stress. This could be a closet, the mudroom, or a wire exercise pen. This all depends
on the age of your new pup.
There should be a way out to his potty area, or an area made for the pup to relieve himself when need be. Put
newspapers near the door out to his potty area. If your pup is not familiar with relieving himself indoors, either
make sure the newspapers cover 80 % of the floor if he is to stay inside or make a place for him outside.
If he is to stay outside then you best put him in a kennel near your bed or inside where you can condition him
first. No puppy that I have ever known could adapt in one day to the outside without any other animal or person
to let him know that he is not lost or alone. Dogs are social animals and need someone or something to be with.
If your dog will spend a lot of
time outside, fix up a place for ______ 1. Doghouse, crate or someplace the dog can go to get out of the elements.
the pup to have his water BUCK-
ET and his FOOD DISH. Purchase ______ 2. A water bucket.
a large doghouse that has a ______ 3. A food dish.

small entrance as most dogs like
______ 4. A fifteen or twenty-foot leash for training the “come.”
dens. You may wish to hammer
down a carpet on the floor of ______ 5. A choke chain and a collar.
the doghouse and a carpet to
______ 6. Doggy shampoo special for your allergies? You should also have cream rinse, old towels and
flap over the door now or in the a blow drier.
future.
______ 7. A large tooth comb and a shedding blade.
You should have the following: ______ 8. A toolbox to put all his stuff in.
______ 9. A toy box and doggy toys.
______10. A “cookie jar” and chew’s.
______ 11. Chicken franks cut up into thumbnail size pieces, put in small baggies, and frozen. One
baggy in the refrigerator. You have cheddar cheese cut up and put in baggies for rewards when his
stools are too lose or he is tired of the chicken franks.
______ 12. Lots of newspapers if your puppy will be in the mudroom, laundry room or other enclosed
Ok, you are ready for tomorrow? places.
______13. Your backyard has been puppy proofed. Go around the fence line and make sure there are
no places where your puppy can stick his head through or under the fence. Make sure your fence is
solid and sturdy. (Once an escape artist, always an escape artist).
The Day Before your Pup Arrives
______ Get instructions on how to get to the airport from {http://mapquest.com} on your computer. On the map
find the rest stop areas and highlight them. Get a close up of the airport so you will know where to go. See if you
can find the closest grassy area from the building.
______ Call the airport and tell them that you will be picking up a pup. Give them the airplane flight number. If
you need to pick the pup up in a cargo building instead of the airport, they will tell you. Ask if the flight will be on
time. Tell them this is your first time receiving a pup from an airport and ask them if there is anything else you
should know.
______ Get a large paper bag and put in the following: a towel, a gallon sized zip lock bag filled with kibbles, a
gallon jar of water (if it is a large pup) and a doggy water bowl, a choke chain, a leash, a flat collar you think might
fit. (I say choke chain because any size choke chain will work but a too large flat collar may come off and you do
not want to lose this pup). The kibbles should be the same type that your breeder has been feeding the pups.
______ Get some scissors or fingernail clippers to cut the plastic ties off that all the airlines put on dog kennels for
security purposes. Put them in your purse.
______ Get some plastic bags that you get from the grocery store. These will come in handy if your pup potties.
To pick up your dog’s feces, put your hand in the plastic baggy, pick up the poop and then pull the bag off your
hand never letting go of the feces you grabbed with the protected hand. The feces will now be inside the baggy.
Tie a knot in the baggy and throw in the nearest trash. I usually use two baggies one inside the other as my pups
potty BIG.
______ Put the map on top of the bag of doggy stuff and get some sleep. Set the alarm for thirty minutes before
you have to walk out the door. Unless you are like my husband Jim and you require two hours to wake up.
The Day the Plane Arrives

Ok, today is the day and everything is ready. Have a cup of coffee and get dressed.
Get your purse, driver’s license and do not forget the bag of doggy stuff. Drive safely.
When you get to the airport, if you do not know where you are going . . . get out at the door of the airline that
your pup flew in on, (KEEP THE CAR RUNNING as long as there is someone driving the car) go in and ask the ticket
person where you can get your puppy. You may wish to go to the baggage pick up area and ask an attendant.
You may now have to park your car if it is a large airport or you may have to drive to the cargo building. If it is a
small airport, you may just have to drive up to the door nearest to the baggage claim. Take the scissors, a towel
and your identification with you to go get the pup. Have your husband bring the collar, leash, and water bottle or
have him stay in the car if you are in the ‘yellow zone’.
Show the airport personnel who you are and tell them you are there to pick up a puppy. They will show you
where your pup is. Take the pup out to the grassy area. Clip off the ties and get that puppy out of the crate. Put
the collar and leash on the puppy and hug your puppy. You may need to use the towel. If your pup is a large pup-
py you may have to walk the puppy through the crowds at the airport so take your time and GUIDE HIM. He is
probably very confused. He may be excited and he may pee on the floor, thus the towel.
Get this pup to the grassy area- While someone goes with the pup to the grassy area, one person may go to the
car if not too far away and get the dish and the gallon of water. Take your time, be with your puppy, and let him
drink. Judge the distance to the first rest stop and how much your puppy is drinking. Allow the pup to walk, run,
and hug. You may wish to give the pup some kibbles, maybe a handful. This is an important puppy-bonding peri-
od as his old pack is gone and you are now the new pack member. Keep in mind that there are germs all over the
place and if your pup is a very young pup do not allow him to run around. Place the young pup in a spot and walk
around in that small spot until he goes then pick him up. Wiping his feet off may help.
Ok, the hard part is over. Have someone hold the pup or sit with the pup while you drive to the first rest stop.
If your pup came from my place your pup will be wonderful in the car. If the pup doesn’t mind the kennel, you
may wish to return the pup to the kennel until you get to the rest stop (If the kennel is clean). The pup may be
familiar with the kennel he arrived in and he may wish to go back into it.
At the first rest stop, give your pup more water and more exercise. Walk the pup around, do not stop walking or
the pup may find someone else to walk with. Walk in a very large circle and keep walking. Exercise him. Give him
more water and a handful of kibbles if he is hungry. Take your time and enjoy the day, unless the pup is without
shots.
Your Puppy’s New Home

When you get home walk your puppy up to the front door, let him sniff and get used to his new house. Let him
pee on his new front yard. Let him smell the bushes. Walk him through the house to the backyard. Now let your
puppy off the leash to explore. Show the puppy where the water bucket is. Feed your puppy if you like but re-
member that what goes in a puppy must come out. If your puppy hasn’t gone potty, he will do it now. You may
wish to let your puppy stay outside for about an hour. You may want your puppy to come in and go out a few
times. Everything depends on your new puppy and how he feels. If you have other animals, do not introduce
them to your new puppy just yet! Your new puppy is stressed out and afraid. It has been a long trying day and
these are strange animals. In your puppy’s mind, he may think that they may try to hurt him. He is an animal, not
a person and he is trying to get to know you and these new surroundings first.
Once your pets calm down you may introduce your pets to him but, please do this one new animal at a time.
You may either hold the puppy or put the pup back in his cage and leave the cage door open. If the pup is
freighted, he will back into the cage for safety. Bring the friendliest established pet in first. Be sure you have this
pet under control. If it is a dog, put a leash on the older pet dog and let the pup come up to the older animal.
Please introduce them with vocal and body language. Use a pleasant tone of voice. Make sure you tell the older
animals to behave and not bother the pup just yet. Your new puppy may just take up with your pet, or it may take
a few minutes for your puppy to trust your older pet. Once they are doing ok, introduce the next pet.
The older pets of your household have the advantage and . . . if canines, they may feel this puppy is an intruder
or does not belong here. Sometimes the older more secure animals may scare a new puppy into a frenzy. Come
on, how would you feel if you were just in the world for thirteen weeks and strange noises, smells, and now
threatening or uncertain canines were all around you? I personally would run and hide or bare my teeth to com-
municate that this is not making me feel very good.
Help the little guy out. Put him on your lap and pet him, tell him it is ok. Let him watch from a safe place. You
have a responsibility to protect this little guy from physical harm and from mental anguish. Can he trust you? If
he finds out that he cannot trust you with his emotional well-being, then he will feel lost and he will have to look
to himself to handle situations that come up in his life. You are not to be trusted! So protect that little guy and
don’t just throw him to the wolves so to speak. Let him get acquainted. Let him feel the safety of your arms and
body. Let him know that he can always look to you for safety! Once he is introduced he will probably take over
the whole pack.
Your New Puppy’s Schedule

______ 5:30 am – Get your shoes and jacket on and take the pup out to go potty. Do not let the pup’s feet touch the floor. Go straight
outside with him. Walk around the perimeter of the yard for about five to ten minutes. The real five to ten minutes, not the five minutes
you think it is… Keep walking for another five minutes if he doesn’t go. As the pup is going potty whisper “Go potty.” Oh yeah, stop walk-
ing when the pup squats. After the pup is finished praise him.
Take the pup back in the house and go back to bed. If your husband is gone, put the pup on his side of the bed and cuddle. Hee hee . . .
______ If you do not usually get up at 5:30AM to start your day, now is the time to get up. So, before you go to the bathroom, take your
pup out of the crate first, before you relieve yourself your pup must relieve himself. (I hope you set your alarm clock for an extra thirty
minutes if you need to get to work.)
______ Next, as a reward and his morning breakfast give your pup his kibbles. Put down two cups of plain kibbles then go potty yourself
and get dressed.
In a blender blend together:
¼ cup of water in the blender,
A small amount of leftover’s (potatoes, peas, green beans, hamburger, soup) say 1 tablespoon of each.
Three tablespoons of dog canned meat.
1 teaspoon of bone meal
1 squirt of Lanitone or skin vitamins.
1 teaspoon of sea kelp.
1 whole egg with the shell on (two or three times a week).
Pour or scoop out all the above into six cups of dry dog kibbles and mix well.
Fill his dish with what you think he can finish in five minutes and refrigerate the rest.
When you get home, microwave the cold off of the food that has been in the refer so that it is a tad warm. Give him the rest of his food, or
what he can finish eating in a five-minute span. (This formula is based on a young and very large breed of dog). You may want to add some
fresh kibbles as needed because you do not want your puppy getting diarrhea. If your pup is older than 7 or 8 weeks add more dry kibbles.
______ At 6:00 pm feed your pup dinner. Dry kibbles first, wait 15 min then add a tablespoon of your gravy and mix it in. Wait 5 min then
add chopped chicken or pulled chicken (small pieces)
______ At seven o’clock in the evening, pick up all food and water.
______ At ten o’clock in the evening put the pup out for the last time before bedtime. Get your coat on and run or walk fast in a large circle
. . . Have fun . . . Heck, get your son to do it! Make that puppy get tired out.
Your Puppy’s Attire

As in all professions there are “tools of the trade.”
Head Collars or the Halty Lead

No dog that I have ever encountered in my life would rather I put a lightweight Halty leash or
head harness around his olfactory nerve endings rather than around his neck. The nose is the
most sensitive area in the dog’s body and when you apply a Halty Lead around his nose, emo-
tional and physical torture is being applied to that animal. These nerve endings lead to the
undersurface of the brain. Not only does the Halty lead interfere with the nerve endings and
oxygen to the dog’s brain, but they apply pressure to the dog’s sinuses. Sinusitis results in headaches and a great in-
crease in secretion of mucus and swelling of the mucous membranes.
Head collars or halters slightly resemble muzzles, but they have a very different
purpose. These halters act more like harnesses for the head and are intended to
help train a dog to walk on a leash and heel (or walk freely beside you). When a
dog pulls on the leash, the halter will cause the head to turn. This feels unnatural
and will deter the behavior and also deter the dogs walk or heel... Head halters
should not be left on unattended dog or dogs on a very long lead, as they may be
able to back out of some types of head collars. One other thing, people usually
relate a mean aggressive biting dog with this type of muzzle and they may get very
scared of your dog and/or fearful. Let strangers know a dog is behind them.
One of my friends who had started the training of her ‘soon to be one-hundred-pound pooch’ (while a youngster
and… with a choke collar) has switched over to the Halty Lead. She was not able to use the Choke collar correctly and
the dog became D-sensitized. She of course did not know this. I did try to tell her (in a very polite way) that she was not
using the choke collar correctly but she never understood, and she is kind of bull headed (hehe). Her dog understands
the basic commands and he also knows how to behave, but the dog ‘gets away’ with doing whatever the dog wants to.
This dog also knows how to count (if you know what I mean.)
As I watched my friend retrieve the Halty Leash and call the dog to her, the dog seemed to understand what was
happening. (By the way, do not call a dog to you when you are going to do something to the dog that the dog perceives
to be torture). I suppose the dog realized he was displeasing his owner as he did submit to the placement of the Halty
around his face. Before the Halty Leash was attached to the dog, the dog did not even care that his owner was even
around. All the dog wanted was to jump on my car to get closer to me because the dog is so friendly. Running up to
me and jumping upon my car was allowed because the owner was not in control of the dog. That in itself makes the
bad act ALLOWED… See, my friend has allowed her dog to run freely on her property since he was a pup. That is what
she got her dog for. My dog is allowed to run freely on my property also but only when I am in complete control. All
other times the dog can do whatever he wants in his kennel. (The kennel is open to about ¼ of an acre so don’t go feel-
ing sorry for my dogs). When my dogs do get to run free, they must be within eye sight and hearing distance at all
times. This means that no matter what I am doing, I have complete control over my dog. This makes my dog under-
stand that even though he is free to go where he wants, he is not to do certain things. I did not teach my dogs not to
jump up on people nor not to jump up on cars. I didn’t have to teach my dogs not to jump up on cars or people as I
never allowed those things to happen.
Back to the Halty Leash: Of course the dog wanted it off his face/muzzle and of course the leash was pulled tightly
around the muzzle as the dog began focusing on me and wanted to run and jump up on me as I had exited my car.
When the leash pulled tight around his muzzle, the dog sat and waited with all eyes upon me (his new found friend who
of course came over to his house just to see him). When I did not acknowledge the dog he began trying to remove the
Halty leash from around his muzzle with both front paws. This was allowed to go on and no corrections had to be made
because the dog was doing it to himself. When the dog figured out that the Halty Leash was not coming off and I had
begun walking toward the house, the dog stopped trying to remove the leash and bounded over to greet me.
I have come to the conclusion that the Halty Leash is the perfect training device for those people who do not under-
stand how to properly train a dog. It is not that they are not willing participants and that they have not studied by
reading thousands of books; it is that they have not had the experience of training different types of dogs therefore
they are soft or ineffective.
Note: (I just wanted to add the definition of torture in case some of you do not really understand what
torture really is).
Torture is defined as: 1a. The infliction of intense pain to punish or coerce or to give sadistic pleasure to
the torturer. 2a. Anguish of body or mind; excruciating agony; extremity of suffering; an extreme an-
noyance or severe irritation; an intense strain; something pernicious or baneful. [Webster’s Third New International
Dictionary written and published by Merriam Webster]
Chain Slip Collars or The choke chain (leather, nylon, web or chain)
These collars are intended for training purposes
only. When training a dog to walk on a leash and
heel, corrections are made with a quick tug on the
leash, causing it to close on the dog’s neck, but the
way you put the collar on is the secret to the ten-
sion and the release of tension. Not everyone can
use this collar correctly and when used incorrectly
this can harm a dog/pups neck.
Everyone in any profession understands the reason

for the “tools of the trade.” A professional is someone who earns a living at doing a certain thing. Now some may not
think that a choke chain is very humane and many persons will refuse to place a choke chain on their pet. I know all
about this because even when I walk my dogs I will get strange looks when they see a choke chain on my dog.
When an electrician with over forty years of experience in the field of electricity tells you that the
ohm meter makes his job (of checking the continuity of the electrical current running through a
twenty gage wiring system) better, you would tend to believe him. Yet when a dog trainer of over
forty years tells you that the choke chain collar is the best starting tool of his profession that makes
his job easier, why then does everyone feel compelled to question his knowledge?
Any kind of collar can become an instrument of torture in the hands of

the wrong person. In this professional’s opinion, slip collars of webbing,
nylon, or chain are actually the most humane of training devices! When
properly used these collars apply pressure to the thickest, toughest and
most insensitive muscle in the dog’s body. (Notice I said “properly used”)
The only time a choke collar is tightened around the neck of a dog is
when the dog needs to be corrected or when he needs an attention get-
ter. Dogs that are properly trained on the “choke collar” all walk freely
without any pressure whatsoever on any part of their body and they
walk this way because they have learned that the owner has rules that
require this of them.
How to put on the slip choke collar- In order to be productive, all tools must be used properly. The following are
instructions to the choke collar and I feel that such instructions should be included when anyone purchases one of
these collars.
THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOW COPYWRITTEN.
1. Measure around the dog’s neck where the collar will “set on”
right above the shoulders. Add two inches and this is the length
your choke collar should be.
2. Kneel in front of your dog with your dog’s head facing you. Hold
the two “end rings” one in each hand. (The end rings are the rings
at the end of both ends of this collar).
3. Place your right hand higher than the left hand and let the chains
go into the end ring that you are holding in your left hand. All the
links will pass through the end ring of your left hand and they will
stop passing through when the ring in your right hand meets the ring
in your left hand. The ring in your left hand is called the “stationary
ring.” This ring only holds all the links. That is its job. The ring at the
end of all the lengths is called the “working ring” because it is this ring that will pull the chain links out of the sta-
tionary “end ring” and allow them to slide back through.
The “working ring” is the ring that you will attach the leash to and this is the most important ring. This ring
MUST be positioned so that it pulls the rings beginning at the back of the neck. Therefore, the way you put this
collar over your dog’s head (and on his neck) is IMPERATIVE.
4. Put the collar on the floor and spread it out in a circle as shown in the diagram. The working ring must come
out of the non-working ‘end ring’ and go over the backside of the dog’s neck so . . . hold the ‘working ring’ in your
left hand along with the non-working ‘end ring’. Hold the links open with your right hand and slip the center hole
(of all the links) over the dog’s head with the rings going off to the left side of you as you are looking at your dog.
The working and stationary links will actually be on the right side of the dog’s body.
Now, if you place the dog on your left side and stand in the proper heeling position (with both the dog and you
facing in the same direction) then the rings will be at your left leg as well as the leash itself.
Your dog will heel beside your left side. Why the left side? Because most folks are right-handed therefore you
will need to use your right hand to open doors, sign contracts, or get the mail out of the mailbox.
The two-inch length of chain that hangs through the “stationary end ring” is the amount of chain that “works”
or the amount of leverage you have to work with. This amount of lose chain is what you will be able to “jerk and
release” giving the dog the noise of the chains running through each other before the sharp “wake up” tension
around the back of the neck . . . followed immediately with the “release” of tension.
The amount of force or strength of “pull” you will use on your pup needs to be enough to stop the dog from
doing what he is doing. If the jerk-release does not do the trick then several short jerk and releases may do it.
Never, ever, pull the leash taut!

Always “jerk” and immediately “release” the tension.
This “choke” collar is not to be used to pull or hold back the dog. It is a tool that when used properly lets the
dog figure out what he is doing that is displeasing. The dog will learn to control the tension himself.
This collar is never to be pulled taut! I cannot stress this enough. That is not how you use the choke chain.
The correct way to use this collar is to just let it set on the dog’s neck, that’s it! The dog is then free to go any-
where and in any direction he wants. When the dog goes beyond the invisible boundary, the job of the choke
chain is to wake the dog up, not to PULL the dog back!
A ‘jerk and release’ reminds the dog to ‘pay attention’ and lets him know that he has reached the end of the
invisible line. You do have a consistent invisible line don’t you?
You must then command (talk) and/or show the dog what you require of him. What is he doing wrong? In the
case of my friend’s dog, he really did not know what was expected of him or what he was doing wrong because he
had no consistent rules. It was not the choke collar that was not doing its job. The owner did not release the pull!
There is an exercise that I use in my training classes that will eliminate that constant pulling that most of my
students do as they do not ‘get’ what I am saying, or… they cannot stop from pulling that darn leash and tighten-
ing up that choke collar. If you find yourself constantly pulling on the leash then here is an exercise I want you to
do as you heel your dog:
Put the end of the 8 or 10 ft. leash in your pants waistline. Do not touch the leash unless absolutely necessary.
Now ‘Heel your dog’. If your dog doesn't heel beside your leg, what are you going to do? Call your dog to you and
slap your thigh. When the dog is heeling in the correct position you must tell the dog he is doing something that
you approve of by petting his head or by whispering ‘good boy’. If your dog starts to bolt away, grab the leash
and jerk him off his feet, release the tension and return the leash to your waist. Now call your dog back into a
heel. Do this over and over again until your dog ‘gets it’.
Excited and uncontrollable dogs may choke themselves repeatedly. These dogs will learn that reaching the end
of the line chokes them. It is not the owner or handler who is choking the dog. The dog is choking himself. Call
the dog to you at this point, as this achieves three goals.
1. Reinforcement of the “come” command.
2. Praise of the ‘by me.’
3. Release from the tension.
If I tied a dog up to a tree and the dog ran, jumped, and choked himself, he would release the tension and un-
choke himself. The job of the trainer/owner is to help the dog learn that he will ‘cause himself harm if he pulls
the chain or leash. A trainer/owner should be there to help if the dog should get himself into a situation that may
endanger his life.
There are many ways to help this excited dog out. You may begin by tying the dog to a post or tree with his flat
collar on if you feel that the dog may jerk his choke chain too hard and you are a very sensitive human being who
cannot handle seeing such a thing. Perhaps the flat collar will be less painful? If you use a flat collar, I will tell you
that this excitable and fearful time is when a pup learns to back out of those flat collars. If your pup learns this
trick, you will have to run after him and he will then learn another trick: how to run away from you once he’s es-
caped from his collar.
Once an escape artist, always an escape artist.
You may sit beside your pup, as he is tied to a post or tree, and you can move away slowly if you think you can
do this without the dog harming you. An excited dog may run away from you and go to the end of the leash and
flip himself over. If you have a flat collar on the dog, he may turn around and slip out of it. No dog that I have
ever known has choked himself to death with a choke collar on. I have heard tales of dogs who have died because
they had been tied too close to an object that they could jump or climb over and they have hung themselves.
Your job as dog/puppy owner is to be there to observe that the dog is not in any danger.
If you decide to tie the dog/pup up around a tree or post, please be careful not to get tangled up in the hyper-
active dog’s leash as this may trip you up and may ‘cause serious injuries.
You may try calming the dog down by your actions. Maybe read a book? You may try leaving and returning to
the dog. You could try keeping just outside the invisible boundary line of the rope or leash that the dog is tied up
with. This may teach him not to pull on the leash and hurt himself. A dog must learn that the end of the leash is
the boundary.
I would also like to remind you that your canine’s neck is the thickest muscle in his body and what you think
may hurt you, doesn’t seem to faze many large breeds.
What do I do? I tie my pup up to my chair as I type or I will tie him up to one of the steel hooks I have plugged
into my walls just for this. This way I can do my work, the dog/pup can get used to being tied to an object and hav-
ing only a certain amount of room that he can come and go to. Along with all this upset in this pup’s life, the pup
will ultimately wrap himself around my chair or some object that is near him. Then I take the time to show the
dog how to get out of his predicament. This is a training session for the dog and as always I use patience and it
takes time, time for the pup to learn what he needs to in life, one small step at a time.
Why not just let the dog pull you while he is on the leash?
1. Anyone who has a dog who is pulling on the leash is a person who has no idea about dogs or how to train
them. Letting a dog pull on his leash is how professional trainers train dogs to attack. Pulling on the leash
gets a dog ‘going’ ‘up’ ‘high.’ It gets them excited to “go.” Then we let those protection dogs lose and off
they go . . . where? Who cares, they are off . . . hopefully to catch the bad guy!
2. Pulling on the leash strengthens the muscles of the dog’s neck so that the dog can pull harder and for long-
er periods desensitizing the neck. Many pit bull owners build their dogs neck muscles up this way.
3. Pulling on the leash may ‘cause the dog serious throat injuries and this may close off his breathing pas-
sageways if the throat itself collapses.
4. Constantly pulling on the leash makes a dog’s tongue come out of his mouth so that he can bring in as
much cool air as possible because he is choking.
The choke collar is a correct fit if there are two inches hanging down. If you put the choke collar on improperly,
you choke the dog and the slip release will not work. If you do not use the choke chain collar correctly with the
“jerk and release” method, then you end up choking your dog once again.
The proper use of such a choke collar is not at all harmful and is, in my opinion, the best tool that a professional
dog trainer could want. I could not and do not live without them. They are that valuable in training the canine.
They simply work. They do the job. But . . . if you do not use the choke chain properly and the dog has a constant
pull on this choke collar it then chokes the dog continually and that is inhumane. Do not choke your dog please.
Learn to use the equipment properly or do not use it.
Locking the choke chain There is a way to lock a choke chain so that neither ring can pull or choke the dog.
1. Stretch the chain out so it is hanging free of knots.
2. Now take both rings and hold them together as one.
3. Take the doubled end of the chain and drop it through both rings at the same time, pulling it tight.
When you slip the collar over the dog’s head you will find it will not slide an inch in either direction no matter
which of the two rings you tug on.
There are collars that will do this without having to remove the entire collar.
And once again DO NOT PULL OR MAKE YOUR LEASH TAUT! NEVER, NEVER ALLOW THE CHOKE CHAIN TO TIGHT-
EN AROUND A DOG’S NECK! JERK AND IMMEDIATELY RELEASE THE TENSION . . . THAT IS THE PROPER WAY TO
USE THIS COLLAR. LEARN IT AND USE IT CORRECTLY AND IT WILL DO THE JOB FASTER AND SAFER THAN ANY OTH-
ER COLLAR ON THE MARKET.
Learning to use the choke chain collar correctly I realize that I have already gone over all of this with you
but I want to go over it one more time to make sure that I have explained it fully and that you realize how im-
portant this is. This may be a good time to put the book down or to place a book mark here. So you can re-read
this.
When used correctly the dog makes the choke chain work. What happens is that when the dog reaches the end
of the perimeter or boundary that you put out there for him, then the choke chain chokes him. Now if the choke
chain chokes him and he does not know how to get the choke chain to stop choking him then you must teach him
how to stop the pain. That is your duty, which is your job and your responsibility as an owner. RELEASE THE TEN-
SION.
The dog makes his own pain happen, and he can make it stop, but you need to teach him how to stop the pain
unless you have a super smart dog that picks this up easily. You may have to stop the pain for your puppy the first
time or however many times that it takes before the pup “gets it.”
Now don’t you want this to go quickly? I am sure you do not want your dog to choke himself a lot, do you?
Well then, let’s teach the pup and teach him at an early age. Your pup must learn not to choke himself. He needs
to know that when he hears the chain moving that the choke (or pain) is not far behind.
Perhaps if you see all this in slow motion it may help you to understand what happens and how all this effects
the dog.
Close your eyes and see this in slow motion. Remember that the neck muscle is the toughest muscle in the
dog’s body and that it is the thickest muscle through evolution because this is the muscle that dogs tend to fight,
rip, and tear when killing rival dogs from other packs.
This neck muscle also gets thicker with use. What that means is that if the dog tightens this choke collar around
his neck, fights with it, pulls with it, and doesn’t care about it, the neck muscle gets tougher. So, what do we do
about it?
The trick and secret is to “jerk and release”! Did you highlight that? Let me repeat that while you get the high-
lighter out.
When the animal gets to the end of the choke chain, you are to apply a quick jerk on the chain so that it tight-
ens hard and fast. Then you are to release the pull immediately. It is like a slap on the neck, or pulling a bandage
off a young child’s sore, a wakeup call, a pay attention to the owner behind you because I am about to tell you
something. Ok, got it?
Now right after you jerk and release, you call the dog to you. Get down on your knees or kneel down and call
the dog. You better have the cheese or hot dog reward with you . . . reward time!
If your dog already knows the ‘come’ word, then this will be easy, if he doesn’t then he will learn it really quick
with this action.
Now, what does a pup do when in pain? He calls out for his mother, he is hurt and wants sympathy, he runs
back to safety, to a den where mom was (where it is dark) then the terrible world goes away and the pup is safe.
Well, that is what you are going to get across to your pup. Where is the den? The safety and the den is you.
Get it? When the pup is on your left side, the pup is safe. Right now, I don’t care if the pup is on the right, left,
behind or under you. You are the magic safety and that is what I want your pup to get. So when your puppy runs
off and chokes himself you must make sure that you have enough slack to release the pressure around his neck.
Now, that might make him think that he is ‘free’ to continue running so the “come” command must be applied as
he is thinking of running away from you.
This does two things:

1. It teaches the pup that no matter what his fears are, he is to listen to you.
2. It reinforces the ‘come’ command.
Now the world may be upside down for this pup right at this moment. Pain and fear is unbearable and then you
are also demanding the pup to ‘come’ and everything is soooo confusing . . . But, if and when the pup does come
back to you, wham, the storm is now over and all is calm as you kneel beside him and pet him with your hands
which are calming him down. He will now stick to you like glue on paper. Hehe
We will go over the “Come’ and the ‘Heel’ in later chapters. Be patient and continue learning and reading until
it is time to go on . . . For right now, we must go in another direction so hold your horses.
The Prong Collar (steel with two prongs that go into the fur and coat to reach the skin)
Despite their harsh appearance, many

trainers find these collars effective for
strong, stubborn dogs with a tendency to
pull on the leash. Also known as pinch
collars, they are used for correction dur-
ing training, similar to chain slip collars.
Also like the chain slip collars, metal
prong collars should be used with caution
and never be left on your dog when unattended.
Why do so many use prong/pinch collars?

Prongs are for very heavy large dogs with thick necks and a lot of fur and undercoat.
A jerk and release with a plain choke chain collar on that type of dog can dislocate
the shoulder of an owner/trainer. The Prong collar gives the dogs neck the required
jolt and sets the prongs into the back of the neck which is the thickest toughest part
of a canine’s body. The jerk' is the only thing necessary and only requires a milli-
second to get a response without any injury or damage to the dogs neck what-so-
ever, nor to the trainer. The improper use of a choke or pinch is NOT done by profes-
sional trainers because they understand how to use these types of collars. Properly
used the pinch collar is the fastest, easiest and simplest way to correct a canine and to insure that any dog will not
slip out of this collar and get killed by cars or end up getting free from a restrain collar and killing, scaring or harm-
ing another living entity.
The size and weight of each choke chain is important to give the correct amount of tension or 'jerk' and release
depending on the size and strength of the canine.
Martingale Collars
Also known as limited slip collars or Greyhound collars, Martingale collars
are used to prevent dogs from slipping out of collars while walking on a
leash. Though the collars tighten with a tug of the leash, there is a stopping
mechanism to prevent complete closure on the neck. Often made out of
nylon or similar material, Martingale collars are available in a variety of col-
ors and designs. These collars are especially suited for sight hounds but for
large heavy dogs they may tend to teach the dog that pulling is the accept-
ed way to walk. No matter if the collar doesn’t close completely or not, the
pull and pressure on the neck may still cause injury. The correct training is
to teach a dog to walk beside us.
Everyday Collars (flat or rolled)

You can express your personal style with a variety of dog collars for everyday
use. Collars with metal buckles or quick release clasps are available in a variety
of materials, colors and styles. Many pet owners prefer buckle collars for
stronger dogs, as quick release clasps tend to be less sturdy. Rolled leather
collars are durable and less likely to cause hair loss or parting. Always be sure
your dog's collar has a name tag with your current contact information.
This collars are used as identification collars and may have rabies tags and
name plates placed on them. Hunting dogs may get caught in bushes or other
obstacles so hunting dogs usually wear special collars for the hunting work and
terrain.
Break-Away Collars
These collars are also for everyday use, but have a special safety feature to prevent choking and therefore are
used by hunting dog owners. However, they can still be used for walking on a leash. The collar will break away if
the loop becomes caught on something and your dog pulls away from you. When a leash is hooked onto both
loops, you can walk your dog without the risk of the collar breaking away. Always be sure your dog’s collar has a
name tag with your current contact information.
Harnesses
Harnesses are designed for placement around a dog’s chest and abdomen, crossing over the
back. A leash can be attached to the top of the harness. Some dog owners prefer harnesses over
collars, especially for dogs with a tendency to pull, because they put no pressure on the neck.
Harnesses encourage pulling so if you have a small dog or if you are a hefty person who doesn’t
mind a dog pulling you, this might be for you. I do use a harness in tracking as this is what I want
my dog to do. My dog then associates the harness with the job.
Dog Show Collars

Are slip collars typically made out of a braided material such as leather, nylon or metal. These collars should not
be confused with chain slip collars.
Martingale Leads are all-in-one collars and leads. They operate in a similar way as the Martingale collars.
Commonly used for toy breeds in the show ring, the collar portion slips over the head and tightens when the lead
is pulled. A plastic tube slides down the lead to keep the collar in place.
Warning on usage of collars

All collars can be dangerous if used improperly or if fitted improperly. A young pup may outgrow a collar
and/or the collar may get too tight. The rule is that the flat collar is fitted properly if you can get two fingers
under the collar without too much looseness and without a struggle. If collars are too loose, dogs learn to
back out of them. Once out of the collar an uncontrollable dog running at large may be killed or hit by a car.
‘Running at large’ is the term all animal control officers use when giving the owners a ticket for their dog not
being on the owner’s property.
ACT FOUR: YOUR FIRST COMPANION DOG

________________________________________
What is a Companion Dog? All breeds of dogs fit into some category for which they were bred. Man has
made up several categories and listed them in books so that people can understand each breeds purpose for ex-
istence. Domestic dogs were selectively bred to help human kind in one way or another. The categories that the
American Kennel Club uses are:
Sporting Dogs, Hounds, Working Dogs,

Terriers, Toys, Non-Sporting Dogs
The categories that the F.C.I. uses are much better in my
opinion and are as follows:
Group 1. Herding and guard dogs
Group 2. Guard dogs and hauling dogs
Group 3. Working Terriers
Group 4. Dachshunds
Group 5. Hounds for hunting large game
The first companion dogs were bred for the upper
Group 6. Hounds for hunting small game
class and royalty. In the late 19th century a companion
Group 7. Gundogs
dog was a dog that was pampered over, held in the lap Group 8. American and British Gundogs or sporting dogs
and petted or where obtained for looks and prestige Group 9. Companion dogs
only. Group 10. Coursing dogs
In the late 19th century breeders began selecting qualities in their pups that would make a good family dog and
thus the decline of the breeding lines for specific hunting abilities. This selection of breeding habits continued at a
faster rate during the 20th century when the breed’s reputation as a good family pet was the main objective to the
popularity of a breed.
Now in the 21st century the abilities of the working, hunting, coursing and retrieving dogs all are but gone. Only
the extremely dedicated breeders understand the dilemma. With the organization of the animal rights groups,
pet shops and breeding facilities have been forced out of business and the small pet or house dogs must be im-
ported into the United States.
In the year 2005 the mixed breeds or designer dogs have become popular as they were being created solely as
companion dogs. With this trend the old hunting breeds may survive with their abilities intact. The standard poo-
dle has been bred to a variety of large hunting breeds to give the offspring a coat that is hypo allergenic.
So, you finally got your first American Alsatian! Congratulations!

Now what do you do? Are you one of those homeowners or puppy buyers that think just because the breeder
has bred all the hyper-activeness out of their dogs as possible, you feel that your puppy cannot grow up to be a
hyper challenge? Your puppy is a canine. That means your puppy is a meat-eating mammal with two upper ca-
nine teeth and two lower canine teeth which are used for the rippin’ and tearn’ of meat and you must know that
any dog can become a hyperactive pet if you let (or encourage) him to be.
Your breeder did the best job she could; she bred only non-hyper, non-aggressive, non-shy dogs. What does
that mean? Let’s break it down, “non-hyper” . . . the genes are strong in ALL canines to run, to jump, to nip, bite
or lick other canine pack members. They also wag their tails and quickly move out of the way from the bullies or
the top dogs who are ahead of them in the positions of the pack members.
This is not a chicken. This is a dog we are talking about and dogs all come from wild packs of canines millions of
years ago. No one (not even a gifted breeder) can change your puppy from a canine into a bird.
All good breeders know their dogs. Your breeder should be there for you to contact if you have any questions
or if you need to know something about the makeup of your particular puppy. USE them! They will be glad to
help you understand which genes your puppy has received.
Maybe your puppy was the one picked on by the other puppies in the pack. On the other hand, maybe your pup-
py was the dominate one and will be a challenge to handle? Maybe your puppy was the loudest, or the most ac-
tive?
You must know that the genetic makeup of your puppy is not the only thing that makes your puppy behave or
misbehave. Many, many factors go into forming your dog’s character. Let’s check them out in ascending order.
The Genes
First is the genetic make-up of your puppy. This means who the mother and father were and who all the other
dogs within his lineage were. This is who your puppy is. Everything in those dogs is in your puppy. Now, some of
the things in your dog’s lineage may be stronger or weaker. Let’s take, for instance, the canine instinct to run. All
canines have this instinct. The running instinct is one of the characteristics of the group “carnivores mammalian.”
Then there is shyness. Yes, shyness is also a very large trait of the canine. Have you ever seen a coyote? Most
times you will not because of the flight instinct. That is part of being a canine and it is an extremely dominate in-
stinct. Your puppy may have one or two of these un-wanted (by today’s standards) characteristics. Perhaps it is
not as strong in your pup. Maybe this shyness is stronger in your pup than in the rest of the pups in this particular
litter. Only your breeder can tell you these facts. Listen to your breeder and train accordingly. If you want to
learn more about the genetics of the canine watch for my next book “Schwarz Theory of Canine Genetics.”
Environmental Conditioning
When an object falls off the shelf, a puppy will scoot away from the noise as fast as it can. This pup may be
traumatically imprinted by that incident. That is called “Environmental Conditioning.” Things that happen to your
puppy that ‘cause a reaction in your pup’s life can make an imprint on the dog forever. One pup may come from a
nonthreatening household and one pup may grow up in a pack of dogs living in the backyard. That is how the en-
vironment molds the character of that animal and the animal has no choice but to survive in whatever environ-
ment it is growing up in.
If the environment gives the pup too much freedom and no rules, the pup then becomes the head “honcho” of
the world. Nothing can intimidate or rule over this dog. Animals that are given this type of environment revert
back to the wild or are what I call ‘Raw’.
One of the studies I did and that I reported in my observations ended up with the conclusion that “dogs that
were raised without cages were more UNMANAGEABLE than those that were placed in cages”. This is a fact that
I found consistently true (and came to be so) as the direct result of my studies. That fact may help you while you
train your dog.
You may wish to do your own study or you may just wish to see if what I say is true. Good for you. There are
also some that will deny this statement and who have not studied such a thing. To those of you I say “First, do the
study, then we can talk”.
Molding or Training by Accident

Human beings, who do not grow up in intense situations where every movement or facial expression of a gang
member may mean physical pain or death, do not have the insight to “see” certain body language or simple
movements unless it was learned in another way.
Living one’s life as a warrior is one way to “see” slight movements that mean different things. These moments
in one’s life can be calculated in the warriors mind so that the warrior will be able to “act” in the proper way to
play the next move on the chessboard of life. What I am trying to explain to you is that every act or movement
that you make, your puppy is calculating, watching, and evaluating for his own purpose, in his own game as the
dog’s game is to get whatever it is he wants. What do dogs want? You may not agree with this, but it is so and will
be so forever and ever as long as the canine lives upon this earth.
Food- This is the number one desire of all animals! This desire shifts when the animal is not hungry as an animal
lives only for the present. If you keep your animal a tad bit hungry, he will do anything you show him how to do.
Sex - For a female dog (when in heat) sex and propagation before all else, even before food. This is not as strong
in the female as it is in the male canine. For a male dog, sex and propagation comes before everything, even dom-
inance and food and this is so 365 days of the year.
Dominance- Leadership or the “king of the hill” position, top dog. This is not negotiable. This is not planned.
This is instinctual. Animals are driven to this and it cannot be changed. Some will give their dominance up if they
are hungry or starving and some may give it up if there is a female in heat.
When your puppy struggles to get out of your arms and you do not make him stay and/or your puppy gets
away, then your dog’s struggle to get free is accomplished. Your dog wins and you lose. He remembers that. You
are a wimp and he is top dog, even if you think it was your idea or that you were the one who “OK’d” it.
When you go to get the puppy and the puppy avoids you getting him, you lose and the pup wins again. The pup
is becoming top dog.
If you are holding the dog back and the dog gets lose and jumps on your mother-in-law, the dog wins again and
you go further into the wimp-hood category in your dog’s mind.
If you try to look into your dog’s mouth and the dog and you struggle, the dog pulls away, he wins you lose.
If you put the dog’s dinner bowl on the floor and the dog growls at you and you tell him to shut up because you
think you are top dog then your hand leaves the dinner bowl, guess what? You lose! The dog growled and your
hand left. He believes your hand retreated because he was king and he rules over you.
If your dog barks and a stranger goes away, your dog wins. If your dog continues to win, your dog becomes top
dog.
In your eyes you may think you are the dominate one, ha . . . and when I ask you, “Who is dominate?” and you
say “My dog knows I am the dominate one in the family” you are not fooling me; I’ve been playing this game too
long!
So what do you do about it? You put on your thinking cap and now that you understand how the dog thinks,
you make sure that you win and not the dog. For instance, if you put the dog dish down and the dog growls at
you, do not let the dog have the food. You win. If a dog growls at me, I chain the dog up in a small space and we
start training over again. Now everything the dog needs has got to go through me. If the dog wants water, it
comes from me. If the dog growls as I put the water dish down, he doesn't get water. I feed this dog one kibble
at a time from my hand as this dog must learn that he is nothing without me. When I talk to this dog my words
must matter. He goes potty on command because as he is peeing, I am commanding him to ‘go potty’. Soon this
dog will understand that I am his best friend and his reason for living. With that mindset I have turned the playing
field around.
I had to train a few dogs this way because the owners gave the dogs their own ‘lead in life’ so to speak. With a
few types of characters this would be a deadly combination. One of those dogs was a very dominate German
Shepherd from the country of West Germany and the other was a very dominate Rottweiler. Both of these dogs
were very large and over powering. Such a dog should learn the value of a human being at a very young age so
that when he does mature he will understand the respect and love humans hold along with the authority. Train-
ing an animal at a young age is a heck of a lot easier than re-training an animal after it has grown.
ACT FIVE: UNDERSTANDING CANINE BEHAVIOR

_____________________________________
A dog’s view of his world is not like our view of the world. We are humans, he is a dog, and he looks at the
world in a doggy way. Since he cannot speak intelligent language such as ours, he speaks what I call the ‘universal
language’ ™.
All living things recognize and speak this language. What is that language? It is the language of the body of an
individual and/or living entity. It is the way they move. It is their total being, the aura around each living thing.
Canines have their own unique way, yet they also speak and communicate in the ‘universal language’. We hu-
mans have forgotten this language, which we were once fluent in.
Let’s delve into the canine species a bit deeper so we may more easily understand how the dog thinks or reacts
to certain things . . . First, we need some educated knowledge.
Critical periods in a dog’s life
A critical period is a specific time in a dog’s life when some kind of experience has a great effect on the dog’s
character as he grows. Below I have stated the critical periods in the American Alsatians lifecycle.
Conception to Birth- This is the first critical period in our dog’s be-
ing. The way the mother dog’s personality is, the way she acts, how
and what she eats affects the unborn.
Let’s take the mother dogs personality for example: Winnetka is a
tad on the hyper side but is very loving to all persons and even the
entire pack. I thought that the hyperness of Winnetka may have
been environmentally set into her as she was the one picked on the
most. When a pup gets picked on their responses and movements
get quicker so that they move faster to get out of the way. I did not
separate any of the dogs while she was in her second pregnancy. I
allowed them to be in a pack environment. During this pregnancy I
did not interfere at all. I paid special attention to all that this mother was doing and I wondered if it would affect
the unborn. Well, this litter proved to be more sensitive than the first litter or the third litter in which I contained
her away from the pack in her own cage. This litter came out more spirit-full or wiggly and fighting to get out of
the sack. The only conclusion or explanation I could think of for this happening was the experience of the unborn.
When the mother was in the pack situation she was more active, aggressive and hyper. I am still not thoroughly
convinced and would like to do a lot more controlled testing on the matter, but the facts still are what I saw. In
her third litter I had brought her in the house around 52 days into her pregnancy and I had petted her tummy and
talked to the pups before they were born. It may have been my attitude towards the female and the pups of this
litter, or it may have been the calmness of the mother and how that affected the unborn. I do tend to think that it
was both. I connected more and was more involved with that third litter, one cannot help but be that way when
you are giving of yourself and spending time with the pregnant mother, so I felt more emotionally attached to
that litter. Though I try to keep my emotions out of the facts and I do a very good job at it as I write down the
facts as they are when the pups are born. Each pups personality and temperament as they come out of the moth-
er and the sack is written in the records. The mother’s attitude is also recorded.
Now let’s talk about what the mother dog eats as she is pregnant and how that may affect the unborn puppies:
The nutrition of the mother dog (and placing the mother in a quiet unthreatened environment) may have a
great deal to do with mellow domestic pups being born. Now I am not saying that food and environment can alter
the genetics of the pup, but it may alter (just a tad) the experience of the unborn. While Winnetka was pregnant
with her third litter I made sure that she received extra vitamin b and other special foods. Did this affect the per-
sonality of the litter? I believe it did. Is that the best thing for a breeder to do? Well, in creating the first dogs for
a new breed, absolutely not. See, then you do not know the “raw” pup or how such things can affect your new
breed’s personality and temperament. If you left the mother dog to be in a natural environment where she must
fight for the food she gets and in which she receives only the nutrition she can get for herself, you then will see
the clear results of each pup. How did this affect them? Who came out the best in personality regardless of the
hardships? That is the pup I would want because then I would really know that this pup could handle anything
that life dishes out and still be the way that it is. You will then get your best and healthiest pup to carry on your
breeding plans.
After the breed has been established you must keep in mind the breed’s standards and make sure that the pups
reflect what they were intended to portray in the beginning of the breed. You as a breeder are not to bring about
a change in your pups as you want them to be. If you have a problem with the breeds personality or tempera-
ment, please do everyone a favor and get out of breeding that particular breed. Find a breed of dog that you like
and if there are none, create one. No one who loves and admires a particular breed wants any breeder changing
the temperament to fit themselves.
How do you know when a puppy is sound and follows that character which is stated in the blue prints or breed
standards? The answer is when you “see” it, when you “feel” it, when you “know” it! And how can you know it?
One can only know how the character of that young puppy is when one has bred over . . . say at least ten litters
of different breeding’s.
I use the number ten as a minimum because I feel that if you have bred less than ten times (within one breed)
then you are still comparing and aren’t really sure of what the character and temperament should be for young
pups within your specific breed. After about the tenth litter of completely different breeding’s or offspring (not of
the same parents) you should be able to tell the character of all the pups in the litter without guessing which pups
come the closest to the breed standards.
The answer then is through “experience.” It is absolutely the only way a person can know what to breed for and
how to tell what pups are following the breed standards.
I also use character and temperament tests that I have developed to graph and score the American Alsatian
puppies at different stages of their lives. Each breed is different therefore each breed’s character and tempera-
ment tests should reflect those qualities that are stated in their breed’s standards. Tests should be given at spe-
cific ages. In the American Alsatians “Standards of the Breed” it is very important not to have any shy puppies.
There are various tests that I perform to prevent registration of any shy pups. The degrees of shyness that the
canines may possess have been one of my continuing studies.
First, I looked at shyness within many different breeds. I found out that certain breeds may be more or less shy
than other breeds. Then, I studied shyness within the shepherds. Today my shyness gene study is specific within
the American Alsatians. I have been testing and studying this shyness gene for over thirty years. It is very compli-
cated and I have gone further into this particular characteristic in my next book concerning the Genetics of the
Canine.
I must also relay to you that tests given to pups from the owners of the different litter and breeds
will all be different and cannot (nor will they) hold true to the graph because only an individual who is
testing multitudes within a breed can compare all the different breeders litters to one standard. For
instance: if I asked a breeder to tell me at what number (from one to ten) a pup is on the shy scale, what would
she compare it too? The only litter she had and the only pups within that litter? So you can see that this is not a
true test score for breeders to fill out as one breeder could only test her own stock. There would have to be a
judge of some kind to compare all pups against each other. This is the reason for the Breeders Club, Breed Judges
and the Breed Master within the NAAC. I go in to more detail in my next book “Genetics of the canine”.
Embryonic life This is the beginning of your puppy’s life. From conception and the mixing of the genes into the
building of your new puppy’s tissues, your puppy is growing and forming. The things that the mother dog does
during this time do have an impact on all the puppies in the mother’s womb.
The nutritional value also plays a terrific role in your new pup’s emotional and physical being. I cannot stress the
nutritional value enough! Feed the mother well and supplement her feedings. Give her a choice of many different
foods. Feed raw and slightly cooked meats from a variety of animals such as: goat, sheep, cow, chicken and pig.
Where will you find such foods? If you have a computer and can get on the internet, you can look up:
dog meat, dog food, goat meat, sheep or lamb meat, butcher shops etc . . . I purchase all of my meat
from my sister in Northern California. She has a farm and raises Boer Goats. She also sells no additive
meats. In other words no chemicals are added. I purchase all the scrap meats that the butcher sells in frozen fif-
ty-pound bags. I allow it to defrost and then I cut it up and put it in gallon size freezer bags then re-freeze it.
I have a large freezer where I keep the dogs meat. I take about four bags out a day or every other day. I then
pressure cook the frozen meat for about ten minutes then take the meat out of the hot water and add rice to the
pot. Cover the rice and eggs let it sit. When the rice is cool, I add vitamins, minerals and sea kelp. Mix it all to-
gether and pour over the kibbles.
Birth This is the first time the breeder can determine the charac-
ter of the pups. The birthing of pups out of inexperienced mothers
can be absolutely traumatic! Especially to the first and second
born.
The first-born may be picked up and carried around the yard, bur-
ied or pushed aside by an inexperienced bitch (mother dog).
With the birth of the second pup, the mother dog is not able to
pick up one pup and carry it all over the pen because of the invisi-
ble tie to the other pup. The first-born may be dead, but the
mother will continue to carry it and will lay with pups, licking and
bothering them to the point of death for the both of them.
As the third pup gets ready to come out into the world, the mother dog is bewildered as to what to do. She
moves away from the pups some distance and is not concerned with the pups as her labor intensifies. She is
aware of the contractions and must stretch out and push. She may get up, circle and lay down several times. Dur-
ing this time, she may step on or lie upon the first two pups and not care.
With the delivery of the third pup, the dam’s instincts now are to keep the pups all together in one place. She
listens to them and reacts to the sounds. She does not seem to know what to do. She wants to get closer to the
pups and will pick them up and set them back down as well as clean them continuously. Thank goodness there
are now three puppies in the litter so the first two (if they have survived) do not die for the continuous care the
mother gives.
With the birthing of the fourth, the mother is more at ease and/or pretty tired. The pups come out easier as
she gives in. She now expects a pup and knows what is going to happen through experience.
Since the mother dog has lived with these pups inside her, she’s not completely lost. She has attached herself
to the movement of the pups with-in her belly. She knows they belong there and the wiggly puppies moving
around (outside) her belly are familiar, but she doesn’t like the pups to suckle as yet. This is an unfamiliar activity
and her senses are too aware.
After all the pups are born and bothered over (picked up, turned over, licked, picked up again, put between the
paws and held down with the ripping and chewing of the umbilical cord) the pups settle in and start looking for
milk.
The mother dog’s stomach is full from the placenta’s she has devoured and she is exhausted from all the physi-
cal energy that it took to bring so many puppies into the world. She does not bother with the pups much now and
falls off into small periods of exhausted sleep.
With all this going on, the pups cannot be weak! They must be able to be picked up by the umbilical cord,
placed between front paws and mishandled. Those pups that cannot survive this ordeal will die. Such are the
weakest pups and they should die as “Mother Nature” intended to insure that only the strongest and healthiest
pups get all the nourishment the mother has to give. The mother dog will eliminate the weak pups by eating
them, as it is the instinct of most canines. As a breeder, you should allow her to be the dog she is as this keeps
the breed from having so many health issues in future generations. This is the nature of things, the natural culling
of a litter. Even if the breeder does not think there is anything wrong with the pup, the mother dog knows instinc-
tively that there is something wrong. Let it be.
Pups that come out fighting for their lives are strong pups and may be a tad hyper active. A docile pup may
have something wrong with it or the character of the pup may be milder than the energetic pup.
Most American Alsatian pups come out docile in the first few seconds after the trip down the birthing canals
and then out and into the outside world. This indicates to me, the type of behavior the pup may have genetically.
If these were wild pups, it may not be a good thing to be so docile.
After the sack is off and the pup is pulled upward as the mother dog tugs on the cord, these newborns take
their first breath of air. If they do not breathe, the mother dog’s abrasive tongue licking and chewing of the col-
lapsed cord brings the pup to life. Perhaps the pain of the experience or the pushing and pulling on the cord
makes the pup cry out and take their first breath of air.
The puppies smell and touch are the first of their senses to come into play. The warmth of the mother, the feel
of the other pups as well as the smells, starts the pup’s first experiences here on earth.
I want to elaborate on a pup’s nose for a minute as this nose is developing and experiencing smells at an in-
creasing rate. Every second the nose is taking in information and I believe the nose has a very large role in the
forming of a pup’s character. This pup’s nose, made up of his nostrils and the nasal cavity, which runs the whole
length of the muzzle, is lined by a mucus membrane, which is richly supplied by blood vessels and nerves. This
nose connects with the olfactory center in the brain and these two work together at maximum capacity in the be-
ginning process of forming this young puppy’s character and intellect.
So you see, the very first of a young pup’s education and knowledge begins here, in the nose, the mouth and
the nerves that all run to the brain. Smell is what starts your puppy off in the intelligence department.
The first bad habits of the pup’s informal training also begin here . . . the moment your puppy is born. The
whines and cries of all the newborn pups are necessary for the canine’s existence. It is crucial for all canine pups
to let the momma dog know that they need to be stimulated but . . . , as the pup grows to become a domestic pet
(which may be the dog living in the yard next to you) this natural instinctual habit is unwanted!
The whine (or the sound the pup makes) brings instant ‘reward’ as the mother dog appears out of nowhere
each time a pup whines. The mother dog’s nose or tongue comes right after a squeak. As soon as possible, we
will reverse this habit! Whining and crying is our first “NO” and we must reward silence and quiet only.
As you can see, this is the first dilemma (as a trainer/owner) that we must conquer. The mother dog is in direct
opposition to our objective.
The environment (which a pup is born into) also affects the pups. For “family companion dogs” this means that
the whole litter should be in direct contact with the “family” environment. This makes for better companion
dogs, as the family life is all the pups will know from birth.
Note: If this were a new breed of dog that you were creating, then such “family” conditioning would
be a problem as it would interfere with “raw” selection of proper character. Only the raw dog in a nat-
ural environment can be properly observed. Only then can pups be selected per the “breed standards”
as the family environment is tampering with the raw dog that a breed founder must be able to “SEE” in order to
set the genes for further generations and breeding’s.
Mother dog’s imprint on her pups- Next is the mother dogs imprinted action (at birth) on each of the pups.
For the most part, all the pups are kind of “out of it” but this slamming the pup down and picking it up by its um-
bilical cord does affect some pups. Mostly it does not affect the pup’s behavior as you would expect . . . only
backwards from what you would think.
The rougher the mother dog is in this eating of the placenta and cutting the umbilical cord, the more I, as a
breeder, can tell about the character of the newborn pup. This action is soooo very important in your new pup-
py’s life, as it builds strength and/or it divides the weak from the strong.
When breeders or veterinarians stop this natural action from happening by removing the puppies, they keep weak
pups from dying, thus deliver and raise inferior animals that end up as pets going to the vet’s office more than we
would like. You can see where the rest of the thread leads . . . to the breeding of even weaker species which slow-
ly deteriorates the breed. Now increase those pups by one hundred years of breeding and you get what we have
today.
Nobody wants to lose precious new puppy souls but it is a tough world out here and our dogs need to be able
to handle it, both emotionally and physically. This is nature at work not inhumanity. If a breeder is afraid that a
pup may get stepped on by the mother dog, that can be helped by continually removing the pup from harm. I
keep putting the pups beside the mom and I talk to the mom. I just watch and make sure no
one gets hurt.
Newborns At this newborn stage, a pup cannot regulate his body temperature. Thus, he
cannot keep himself warm. What has nature done to assure that newborn puppies will sur-
vive? Nature and evolution have given the new puppy hard-honed natural instincts. One of
these natural instincts is to crawl towards movement, warmth and the touching of his body. As the mother dog
licks the pup and pushes him backwards, the pup then pushes back towards the mother dog’s push as he drives
himself towards the object that is pushing on him. You can use that natural instinct to train and understand your
pup in the future, so pay attention, and get out your highlighter.
Pushing a dog away from you makes the dog push back. Allowing a dog to pull on a leash makes the dog want
to go forward or pull more. Loud noises and hand clapping raises the level of energy or excites the dog. Teasing a
dog tied up on a leash or line, and moving objects back and forth in front of a dog makes the dog want to bite or
snap and the moving object. PUSHING YOUR DOG’S HEAD AWAY FROM YOUR CROTCH MAKES A DOG PUSH
FORWARD TO BURY HIS HEAD IN YOUR CROTCH.
Another newborn puppy instinct is to bury its head, to push forward into objects such as his littermates. To
drive his head underneath his siblings is a natural instinct for a puppy.
Another instinct is to move his mouth towards anything that is touching the side of his mouth. Touching the side
of a dog’s mouth makes the pup want to open his mouth and grab on to the tit (milk sack). The pup pushes his
mouth at the object on the side of his head/mouth and pushes at other pups next to him to get in . . .
Neonatal period (birth to seven days old)- The very first communication for a new born pup is physical body con-
tact, “touching.” Your pup was reacting to its instincts to go to the warmth or body contact. The pup was not
thinking “to survive I have to do this and this” as animals run off instincts at this age and not thoughts.
The mother is the first influence in this pup’s world. How the mother licks, moves, and knocks her puppies
around, how she stimulates them, turns them over, and forces herself upon the pup determines a puppy’s will-
power, as well as plugging into the genetic makeup.
In our breed, the mother American Alsatian is determined and forces the pups over on their backs. She also
may hold them down with her paw. Too bad, so sad, life is pretty darn tough. However, tough is good . . . it
builds strength and character! It makes your puppy one heck of a hard head!
Ok, everyone knows that a newborn puppy cannot go potty by himself, right? If you didn’t know that bit of in-
formation, you do now. Momma dog has to lick the pup to make the bowels move. Pushing on the belly with a
warm wet tongue does the job. Maybe that is why adult dogs like tummy rubs? Hehe.
You also know your newborn pup can’t see and can’t hear, for the most part. All puppies can feel vibrations of
sounds. While in their sacks, the pups can feel the vibrations of the mother dog. This is just something more for
you to think about.
Now, brand new born pups can’t really smell either, nor can they taste, but they can feel the wet and feel the
moisture and feel the warmth and their smell is going to improve in the first couple of hours. Now I want you to
understand that it is their body that knows these things, their brains do not.
Each hour that goes by, the pup is learning by reinforcement and consistency of actions and reactions happening
over and over, Repetition.
One day old- At about one day old the pup is beginning to put stuff together within its own world of siblings,
nest, comfort, food and mom’s actions. Yes, in a mere twenty-four hours your puppy is beginning to put stuff to-
gether and the faster your pup puts all this together the more dominate, as well as intelligent that smart puppy
will become.
Four days old- At about four days old, the young pups’ brains are engaging and they are starting to pay attention
to their surroundings. They begin to learn what happens when this or that happens and they start to remember
that “actions = reactions” because it is constant.
Whining is a pup’s first action-reaction consistency in their lives. If a pup whines . . . the mom licks it . . . always,
over and over and over. This is drilled into the pup’s brain. What does this mean to us as owners? It means that
we are going to get some whiny pups because that is what pups have learned to do to get their mothers atten-
tion. Where is mom?
Before his eyes are fully open the American Alsatian puppy smells and reacts to food and will nibble on blended
high protein foods and chicken.
Ten to Thirteen days- During this time, the pup is using his nose and the puppy’s smell is at its peak. Sounds are
creeping past his brain cells and all is registering into this new experience of being a pup. This is the time for more
loving attention such as petting, turning pups over and laying them in our laps. Quiet loving touches and long
stroking pets (calm hands) gets these puppies ready for socialization early and stimulates the brain. At around ten
days old the puppy’s eyes are starting to open and the pup begins to see a lighter shade of black. This may fright-
en some pups but should not affect your Alsatian puppy. You may see your puppy trying to figure this out by the
way he holds his head and concentrates.
Transitional period (two – three weeks old)- The puppy will begin to crawl backwards as well as forward and a
few days later they will begin to walk in a wobbly fashion. Backwards crawling is an instinctive survival movement
as is the opening of the mouth, like in a yawn. Yawns are an instinctual defensive mechanism that is used when
the pup feels threatened. You may think this is just a cute thing puppies do, but yawning at this age is a fear and
defensive act. The pup who doesn’t yawn is the bravest or the calmest.
The first teeth erupt and are piercing out of the skin at around twenty days old. The pup then begins to bite
and chew. Tail wagging also begins during this period and should be noted in the pup’s records.
These puppies will begin to react to sounds at around fourteen to twenty days old and they may become star-
tled at noises. You may be aware that your pup is now trying to locate the source of the sound as he turns his
head in the direction he thinks the sound came from. He will try to use his eyes to coordinate with what his ears
are hearing.
He tries to locate the source of smell and sounds as he continues to use his nose and ears.
This critical period is one of rapid physical changes so I make sure I observe and report which of the pups does
what. These physical changes and responses will tell me what the character and temperament of each pup is.
A pup at this stage is now able to generate his own heat and he is starting to understand his bodily functions.
Awareness period (three – four weeks old)- Now the American Alsatian puppy is intact. All
his senses are coming into play. Smells and hearing are becoming fine-tuned. The brain
is functioning. Simple learning can begin. The brain is taking everything in and is like a
sponge. This is a critical period. This is when I begin the pups’ training as they can
learn and begin to understand reaction to their actions. They sit in our laps (lap thera-
py) and we pet them. We talk to them and we put collars on them. I move them to the
mudroom every so often and place them in a six by eight foot area where I lay newspaper all over the floor. I put
their food and water on one side of the room with a blanket nearby. This is when the pups realize I am the source
of the blended meat and eggs that they love so much.
The pups are not able to disagree with me or tell me off. This places them in a submissive role at an early age.
Submissive animals are the best dogs to introduce into a family life. I am not talking about the fearful pup.
There is a difference between being a submissive and being fearful. Submissive is one who doesn’t care to be the
leader not one that is afraid of everything.
Three weeks old- Now is the time for consistency in the pup’s regular schedule. This will stay with the pup forev-
er if the new owner follows the breeder’s schedule. Puppies begin to understand routine.
Four weeks old- Body postures, facial expressions and vocalizations (with their response or effect) towards the
pup are being learned. Action and reaction! Food is the basis of his existence and is everything good in life!
Pups will go away from their sleeping quarters to defecate.
Your pup is now learning his own voice, body strength, and the power he has over the objects in his way. What
he can or cannot do, the results of his actions are coming into play.
During lap therapy your pup will try to get out of your lap and if you do not let him, he will start to understand
that you have control over him, that you are the boss and that what you say, you mean. If you allow the pup to
win at this age, you will have a fight on your hands later on in life.
Your pup has the knowledge to avoid pain and his brain will figure out quickly how to avoid or get away from
the pain. He also begins to understand rewards and if you are observant, you can see he is mulling over the situa-
tions and solutions, putting two and two together. Schwarz Kennels will keep those pups!
When a puppy gets another puppy down and attacks him with his teeth, the pup on the bottom of the pile
learns how to get away or . . . how to fight back. The pup on top learns that too much pressure or tearing and
shaking of his sibling results in a fierce reaction from the other pup and the end of the game.
Getting mad or angry and lashing back starts to come into play during this period. Some pups learn that other
pups will back down or move away when they show aggression. They learn how to bite and how to hold on to that
bite by trial and error.
The pups at this age are interested in objects that are moving and they will sit
there and look at that object and/or try to follow it, then . . . try to get it or
pounce on it.
The mouth is more than just for feeding. The mouth is becoming a tool. The
pup’s brain is learning pleasant and unpleasant.
Five weeks old- At around five weeks old, our new pup has begun his “chase games” and he tries his legs out in
a coordination of running. He is also trying to figure out how to get over or around items in his way. Our pup is
learning his body’s coordination. His brain is engaging and he is learning responses to actions. This is the time to
demand more of the pup. To hold the pup in one spot and to pet the pup. This is the time for the pup to sit in our
laps and be quiet! The time: two minutes, five minutes, eight minutes and reward . . . while our training becomes
more serious.
Six weeks old- I once taught my children at the age of three and four to count forwards and backwards. I then
taught them addition, and then addition of negative numbers and they all caught on. Why do we have to wait
until a person is in college to learn negative numbers? Well, the same goes for puppies. They will learn whatever
the teacher knows. If a child gets an “f” in school, do not blame the child; blame the teacher for not being able to
connect with the child (Sorry teachers).
Your puppy can sit and can understand the command to sit if . . . if . . . . the teacher gives the pup what it wants
(as a reward) as that is what makes the puppy think. Yes, the pup wants something bad enough to figure out how
he got it the last time. Then, right before your eyes, you can see into the puppy’s brain. You know you can as he
thinks and then proceeds to do what was asked of him. It is not the language because he doesn’t even know what
it was you said.
It was the reward!
Submissive and dominant is being learned. Who shall be the king of the pack? Discipline? What reaction does it
have? Learning continues . . .
If the socialization and learning has evolved this far as it is written here, then these pups will be great compan-
ion dogs. The breeder is now demanding of all pups and all pups will be submissive of the owner/breeder. They
have no choice. It has been learned.
Submission is not a bad thing; Pups learn that submission brings rewards! The pup has begun to use his brain at
an early age and this makes further training a snap! If the puppies have not been socialized and “puppy trained”
then what you have is the “raw” pup with a bit of environmental conditioning on top.
Seven weeks- Fighting within the litter intensifies and brings the pain of sharp little teeth to reality. Growling
and making noises is communication between all canines as well as pleasant or unpleasant responses.
Puppies learn from other members of the pack who they can bully or play with and what growls mean from dif-
ferent dogs in their pack family. They learn that not all dogs are equal. They learn that not all humans are the
same.
They may fear the unknown human or they may be bold. The pups that do not fear the unknown and who are
confident that the “whole world is theirs” are the pups that we keep for breeding as that fits into our breed
standards.
This is the age that our pups are placed in unfamiliar territory and are observed and tested.
Heavy objects are dropped several feet away and the pups’ reactions are recorded in their journals.
Strangers are introduced to the pups in familiar territory and unfamiliar territory to note the pup’s reactions.
Testing becomes more involved.
Discipline from the pack is becoming swift, hard and to the point, then it is over.
Learning at this age is permanent!
Some breeds of puppies may go into their shy period during these weeks. Some
of ours may also. Shyness is normal for a short period and the dogs we keep come
out of that shyness more educated (educated from the school of hard knocks).
Eight weeks Ok, now the puppy has gone from a sponge that soaks up every-
thing around it, to . . . how to avoid pain or anything that may be associated with pain or uncertainty in its life.
The pup is figuring out how to avoid pain. This is the age that the pup starts reacting . . . running away from
(avoiding or trying to) and in such, this pup is trying to become “in control” of its life.
This happens if and only if the pups have not been trained or socialized as I have stated in the younger ages of
this make-believe litter. If the pup has been trained (or socialized with lap therapy and strangers) then the pup
does not go through this phase as dramatically as a pup that has not been socialized and trained. What I mean by
socialized is that a pup that has been shown and has been able to develop its mental communicational abilities
will be more confident and will not need to run or hide or get away from... This trained pup will understand that
even if the owner disciplines him, he is still safe because a reward is coming. It knows this because the owner of
the trained/socialized pup is consistent and that makes the trained pup confident. A trained and/or socialized
pup doesn’t fear . . . because it knows what will come next. Fear comes with the unknown.
This is not to say that your trained pup might not show some of these signs during the fear impact period. It
may, but you will be there to show the pup how to cope with its fear and your trained pup will understand and
come along fine.
If you have acquired your pup at this age and your new pup had not been socialized or shown the world then
your pup doesn’t understand that everything is ok. The owner of this pup may discipline and reward a second
later as this pup fears the discipline until the pup is shown that a reward comes with certain behavior.
The puppy’s first shots and ill feelings start here at eight weeks old, unless your breeder started the pup’s shots
early. Observe and report. Continue training a couple of days after shots.
When training your pup, consistency will play a huge role in positive training as this is a real hard period in the
pup’s life. This is the time to train the pup correctly. Use caution and understanding, show love and patience, as
there is plenty of time.
If you do not know how to train a young pup then I suggest you leave the pup with the breeder during this peri-
od in the pup’s life. You will find your dog will be a wonderful dog if a professional trainer has this pup from the
age of seven weeks until about twelve weeks. It may cost you, but it will be well worth it! If you cannot get the
breeder to keep the pup, find a professional trainer to keep the pup during this period. Maybe the trainer could
take your pup for about four weeks, say from when the pup is eight weeks old to about twelve weeks old? It will
be well worth the money spent to have someone guide the pup through these weeks.
The pup should know the rules and the rules should be consistent. Be swift and sure, loving and kind. This is
the time to show the pup what is expected of him as a companion dog. This is the time the pup will understand
action/reaction and reward, so reward, reward, reward . . . .
Twelve to Sixteen weeks old- At this age the pup begins testing his pack members and testing the rules. He
is also cutting his teeth. Dogs have played and will play by the rules learned so far. If there is no top dog the pup
becomes it.
Obedience classes can now be joined. Training is now a must! This training does not have to be strict. The re-
laxed heel, sit, down and stay are fine for beginning kindergarten pups. Use rewards and make it a happy and fun
time.
If the pup is not trained or socialized he will be reverting to what I call “the wild dog” stage and his level of
communication or his so called “thought process” is not engaged, nor fine tuned to the world of the domes-
tic/companion dogs calling. He is getting older now and training will start to be more of a challenge since he has
not learned the simple things of the human world yet.
Seventeen weeks to Eight months old- This is when the flight period begins, if . . . . (I say if) you have not
trained your dog yet! If you have followed the advice of this book and have communicated to your young pup,
guess what? Your pup will not go through this! If your pup does show signs of the flight or running away from
you, then that is the gage that will tell you that you have NOT trained your pup sufficiently. Get with it!
The puppies have figured out that you are not so much fun after all and that coming when called means a leash
or some form of training. Your pup is not a dummy so give him a hot dog every time he comes and you will not
have to chase your dog down the block. Bribery? YES!
Pups may not listen to the master/owner if training did not already begin. They are testing you, finding out if
they need to listen? A dog that is not restrained and who is given his freedom becomes king of the world. He is
not coming when called. He looks back at you and does whatever he wants without recourse!
Some dogs go through a second fear impact period but I have found that the American Alsatians do not, or if
they do, it is not as visible. Or, perhaps it is that I (absent mindedly) train all my puppies?
Correct training during this period puts the dog in a position of success and he understands this therefore his
self-confidence will build.
This is the time when a lot of owners really start training their dogs, Perhaps because they have to? If you have
trained your dog at an early age, this flight period doesn’t become too difficult.
Note that this is also the time when new puppy owners call the breeder back and ask them to come and get
those older misbehaved pups. I am talking about owners who have left the pups to train themselves. These are
the owners who have not put in their time or worked with the pups.
Six months to One year old- This period may be marked by an increase in aggression and by a renewed test-
ing for leadership if the dog has not been neutered. At this age the dog tries to test pack dominance as he/she is
maturing into a male or female who will start breeding. Hormones are flying and stallion like behavior comes
forward. These dogs should be handled firmly and the dominance roll should be set in your companion’s mind,
that it is you he should fear and obey. If you cannot handle a stallion or brood bitch, please neuter your large dog
at around nine months of age.
Ok, I can hear you now “Fear?” I am not going to waltz around the word “fear.” Fear is not a bad word, nor is it
a bad feeling. Fear is part of all living things in life. Some living things do not think about this “fear,” it just is a
part of them.
Everyone has gone through the emotions of fear. If you did not fear nature itself, then you may try to touch
flames or out-run avalanches.
Fear also may be part of the word “respect.” When observing the “pack” of dogs and their natural habits, fear
is a really big part of the canine’s character. Fear may come in a low or a high intensity. My dogs fear me enough
so that I am in control. None of my dogs would harm folks that came to visit us, especially if I were around. Dogs
within the pack fear the most dominant dog, the pack leader. Is it fear or do they just know (action = reaction)
that they will get bitten by the top dog if they walk too close to him?
Mature dogs are equal to a loaded gun, maybe a .22 pistol, or a BB gun, some even a shot gun. I know that my
dogs will not harm you if you are jumping, running or acting the fool on or near our property. My word is enough
to stop one of these large dogs in their tracks. This is the “fear” or “respect” or “control” I have over my dogs, my
possessions and what belongs to me. If one of my dogs mauls, maims, or kills another human being, I would in-
deed go to jail, I would belong there. Owning a large breed has its responsibilities. TRAIN YOUR PUP EARLY and
you will not have any problems.
ACT SIX: GROOMING YOUR PUPPY
_____________________________________________________________
Why put a chapter on grooming your puppy in a handbook or manual on puppies?

Because “housedogs” are indoor dogs. Personal companion dogs need to be free of
parasites, fleas and dirt. They need to look presentable in order to be accepted by
the general public. They need to learn how to behave while they are being groomed.
Your dog will not be welcome anywhere if it is not clean. Clean dogs get more hugs
and more hugs, means less fear and less fear means a wagging tail.
Now I know your dog or puppy knows how to lie down or sit and I know your puppy
knows how to be still.
He may not do it, but he knows how. If you have been doing “lap therapy”™ with
your pup then you and your dog are miles ahead of most dog owners already.
Mostly dog owners know nothing about grooming dogs or puppies. Why? I guess it is because most dog owners
do not think about the process of grooming a pet or they don’t believe a pup needs anything but a bath when he
stinks? Maybe most doggy owners do not think much about the grooming of a dog because training books do not
include this knowledge or expertise in their books. Grooming a dog is part of training your dog.
Ok, so now I am going to throw you puppy owners some more knowledge. Awww come on, just scroll down
the list of grooming tools and you will learn a heck of a lot, and maybe something will peak your interest and you
will say, “Wait a minute, what’s this about?” And then, I GOT YOU. You are now going to learn something. Hot
dog please?
Grooming Tools
Brushes— Brushes do nothing but move the outer tops of the hairs around and plastic brushes give a dog’s coat
electricity. I do not use a brush on any of my dogs.
A slicker brush— is the only so called brush that can get into a dog’s undercoat. This type of a brush has metal
bent wires. When blow-drying a dog this brush can fluff a dog’s coat up if that is what you want. “What a beauti-
ful dog you have!”
Ear cleaners— (Alcohol, Special store bought ear cleaner, Cotton, Face cloth, Q-tips, soap and water) - I use soap
and water on a face cloth with my finger inside it and I just wipe out the inside of the ear where I can see.
Manicuring— (Pliers-type; nail clippers; Scissors type nail clippers for puppies; Human nail clippers (large); and/or
nail file) - I clip my puppy’s toenails three times when they are young. At six weeks old, I may clip the curved sharp
white toenail ends. At eight or nine weeks, I may clip once again for the new owners. My personal pups tend not
to get second clipping until all the other puppies are in their new homes. This may be around three months old.
This will be the first nail clipping your puppy really remembers so make it a ‘hot dog’ occasion and do not clip too
far back into the nail’s vein.
Teeth (Tooth scraping tool, toothbrush, dog chewy toys, and doggie toothpaste) - I do not use any of this stuff. My
dogs do chew on real bones but I don’t fuss over my dogs teeth, mostly I believe that the dog care industry would
like to influence your minds . . .
Whisker cutting— I don’t do this. Some dogs do look more sophisticated without those unruly wispy whiskers. I’m
on a farm, the trees don’t care.
Grooming loop— I use two leashes and a choke collar or a flat collar and secure it well to the studs in the wall
above the tub and to the sides. This way I am in full control and the dog finds out it is not as bad as he feared.
Grooming table— I use the top of our chest freezer or the floor in front of the sofa and TV.
Coagulant— I don’t need them as I don’t ever cut my dogs nails into the quick. If I ever did cut too close to the
vein, I would just use the store bought flour in our canister to stop the bleeding.
Conditioners— Coat conditioner’s help in lessening the pain my dogs may go through while combing them out.
Coat conditioners also control electricity from building up in the coat as well as keeping a coat flat. Tip: don’t use
too much it will make the dogs coat too soft and/or oily.
Clippers— Don’t need to use these unless you have a hairy dog.
Comb— This is important as it is the only tool I use to groom my dog’s coat. The right size comb is a necessity for
me. I use a very large and unbreakable metal comb that has very wide spaces between each tooth to get down to
the dog’s skin. I may also use a second comb with closer teeth for beautifying my dogs for photos or shows.
Crates— Yeppers! I have at least one crate per dog and then some. I “crate train” all my dogs for their safety and
for my peace of mine. I keep several crates in the bed of my pick-up truck.
Dryer— For my young pups. I use a very good human hair blow dryer that attaches to the wall so my hands can
be free to love, pat and brush my pup while the air is blowing. I have one that is very quiet.
Grooming glove— I don’t use this, but I can see where it would be a good idea to have such a tool. Before the dog
comes in the house, I could go over his coat to remove any lose hairs, twigs, or stickers.
Non-slip platform— Yes, for the safety and security of my dog while in the tub.
Scissors— I use an old pair of blunt tipped scissors for the back of the ears as the hair does get matted there. It is
necessary to un-matt the hair or the dog will get sores from the tightening of the mattes into his skin. I also have
thinning scissors for any big tangles. I just clip under the matt and then re-comb.
Shampoo— Yes, I use human shampoo sometimes and good smelling dog shampoo sometimes. My dogs do not
have allergic reactions to any type of shampoos. Of course, I make sure I get all the shampoo out of the coat by
watching the water as it rinses off my dog. This rinse water must run off clear. If the water is cloudy or dirty, the
coat is not yet clean. It may take three applications of shampoo before the water runs clear. I bath my dogs once,
maybe twice a year.
Dry Shampoos- They come in a powder form and are a combination of corn starch, baking soda, baby powder,
boric acid and perhaps a touch of corn meal. You can make it yourself if you are as good as I am and know what
you are doing. You can experiment and you may have to give him/her a bath after? But you learn this way. The
deal is NOT TO USE TOO MUCH. Just a light dusting, then brush it through the coat. The American Alsatian doesn’t
need many baths, just a constant brushing will keep him clean. I brush my dogs once a day if they are in the house
and once a month or once a week If they are outside and the weather is good enough for me to get out there with
them.
Shedding rake— I have a few, but I don’t use them, I use the comb. It may take me longer but combing my dogs
out is my individual time spent with them (quality time). We sit on the floor together and hug + comb and pet
+comb and converse together.
Spray bottle— If I were “showing” my dog, this would be a necessity! I do carry a gallon of fresh bottled water in
my car at all times. If you live in a hot climate, please carry jugs of water in your car and a spray bottle to mist
them down.
Sprays— I only use perfume sprays. No need to use any sprays as my dogs never get sick nor do they get fleas. I
also do not like chemicals of any kind.
Tack box or training bags— I have a tack box or a training bag for each of the following: first aid, show, retrieving,
obedience, protection, and tracking. Each box is clearly marked and the tools for that game are within it.
Tie downs—I have a lot of these placed throughout my home and my property.
Tub— My own personal tub is all I use but the dirty water runs out to the apple trees.
Tooth file— (Don’t need one.)
First-aid kit— Yes! And a small first-aid kit in my automobile at all times.
The fundamentals of Dog Grooming

Brushing and Combing - This is the most important step in grooming any dog. Do not skip this first step. If your
dog is large and has a lot of hair this step may take you a couple of weeks. There is no getting around this step, it
is manual labor!
What I do is I sit on the ground and have my dog lie down. When I need to brush the rump I command my dog to
‘stand up’. With this verbal command comes a body command as I put my hand under his tummy. I may have to
get up first and spread my feet apart while facing the dog’s side. You may wish to read up and study the ‘stand
stay’ command on page 134.
Now, there is a technique to brushing and combing a dog out. First grasp the left rear leg down by the ankle
and begin by parting the coat so that you only have as much of the coat as you can brush. Next part the coat fur-
ther up the leg and brush that out. Repeat this parting of the coat and brushing out until you have brushed the
entire let. Do the next leg the same way.
The next area that we brush out by parting the coat and moving up the coat is the underside and then the top
side of the back. Now, go on to the neck and then the front legs and last, the head. This is the way you will brush,
comb, bath, and examine a dog. If you want to examine a dog from the head first this is ok, but only if you do it
systematically and consistently the same, always…
The reason we all start with the rear is that it is less intimidating for the dog and it gets the dog in the mood or
associates the process of grooming in the dogs mind and eases our job. For professional groomers it reduces the
risk of being bitten and allows the dog to get to know the groomer before she/he gets to the head.
After you have finished brushing the dog, you must comb out the dog. The comb must go through the coat
from the skin out. If your dog has a lot of undercoat this is almost impossible. If your dog has not shed yet, you
may want to wait and do this during the shedding season. It is helpful to know that a dog shed’s its coat starting
at the back bone and the rear end first. Then the rump and thighs are shed out and then the underside of the dog.
Next comes the front legs and up the neck and last is the neck and under the chin. This shedding process takes
about a month or three weeks. You may wish to brush and comb your large heavily coated dog once a week for
this entire period then bath him when it is all over with.
Bathing – Bathing is done only after a thorough brushing and combing as we do not want to bath extra coat that
will just be taken out during the brushing. Nor do we need that entire extra coat going down the drains.
The first thing we do is NOT GET THE DOG… The first thing to do is to prepare the area so that you have EVERY-
THING you will need. Go over in your mind what you will need. These materials may include: sponge, brush, con-
tainer of shampoo, pitcher or measuring cup and a heavy towel.
The ideal temperature of the water should be on the cool side.
Following the same procedure or method that you used in your brushing your dog, bath or soap the animal one
leg at a time and rinse until the water coming off the dog is clear. I realize the soaping of the back will get the
back legs soapy again and this is ok, you can make sure the back legs are clean. Areas that you may over-look are
the pads of the feet and the butt.
Now, re-wash the dog.

When re-washing do not use a lot of soap and concentrate on the really dirty areas. You will know which areas
are the dirtiest as you watch the run-off water. You may want to use a tad bit of rinse, not much or the dog’s coat
will feel greasy.
Now re-rinse the dog one more time. Make sure you squeeze the dogs coat to get all the water out that you can.
When bathing the dogs face, do not get the water in his nose! This is the most important thing to remember as
he will hate bathing forever if you do! Lift your dog’s head and nose up by grasping his muzzle with your left hand
until the nose is at the highest point of the dog. Do NOT spray the head but gently place the water on the dogs
cheeks and forehead or skull with the use of your measuring cup. Wash his neck. You may need to use a face
cloth over the eyes.
Here is a secret for bathing a dog: Never put water on the dog’s head or neck area until the very last as he will
shake the water off when this happens. If he begins to shake, quickly put a firm hand on his shoulder blades and
he will stop.
Towel dry and command the dog to come out of the tub now. I use the words “ok, all done”. If you do not use
a command to let the dog know when he may come out you open this area up for the dog to decide when to
get out. If this happens you will find bathing your dog more difficult as he will decide to get out whenever he
wants. Remember that there is a command for everything your dog does. There is a command that we use to
begin and a command we use to make the dog know we are done.
This is the only way a dog can know that he is doing what is ok to do and he has your approval. This makes life for
your dog much more easy as dogs tend to get nervous and upset if they do not understand or if they must go
through life walking on egg shells not knowing what is ok or not.
Blow drying – The objective to blow drying (for a groomer) is to fluff up the coat for an airy beautiful look. To
achieve this look use a quiet blow dryer and a semi damp dog. Always work from the rear to the head. Brush the
dog’s coat where the dryer is blowing on the dog until completely dry. Do not over heat the dog. My objective as
a trainer is twofold:
To train the dog to trust me. To teach the dog that even though he may be deathly afraid, I will not allow any
harm to come to him. Though the noise and wind is scary to my puppy, it is my presence that is his safety.
To do as he is told always. To be still and accept all I do. Blow drying is an important obstacle in my training
task.
When you get to the dogs neck and head area, do not force the dog, do not blow the air in the dogs nose or
eyes, come from the back of the neck and head area with the blast of air. Here is a very good tip: tuck the dog’s
head under your left arm pit. He can now be safe… in time you will be able to go up to the ears as long as his head
is under your arm.
Ear cleaning – I clean my dogs ears with a face cloth while they are in the tub. I never put anything down the ear.
Anal Sacs – There are two glandular sac’s that are just under the surface of the upper dermal (skin) on either side
of the anal opening. When you dog does his duty, these sacs are squeezed naturally and then secrete out a liquid
that helps a dog do his business. It is said that these glands are left over from the ancient mammals and that they
hold the scent (scent glands) that other animals can identify each other by. Sometimes these sacs will clog and the
liquid will not squirt out properly. When this happens it causes discomfort to the animal and then the animal must
release the pressure himself by scooting on the ground. If your dog has clogged anal sacs you can unclog them by
squeezing them with your thumb and forefinger. By feeling around you will be able to feel the enlarged sacs and
with practice you can release this pressure from the dog. This is usually a problem of little dogs and not large
dogs. The American Alsatian has never had an issue with Anal Glands.
My dogs don't need us humans to do this, but if you feel your dog NEEDS it, the sacks are located to both sides
of the anal opening and if you squeeze them they will squirt out of the opening so don't put your face down there
so you can see better.
Eyes – I use human stuff, only diluted 50%. A wash rag will do also. Try not to get any soap in your dog’s eyes. If
you get soap in your dog’s eyes, wipe the eye, then rinse the eyes with clean clear water and wipe the eyes again
with a clean wet face cloth. You can also use eye drops to sooth your pets eyes. Dilute the human eye drop solu-
tion 10 drops distilled water to 1 drop murine.
Nail trimming – Trimming the nails while wet is easier than cutting them
when dry and brittle. There is no need to over trim the nails, not on our be-
haved pets that do not jump on us. On puppies, I trim their nails at 3 weeks, 7
weeks, 12 weeks and six months. I always check them while brushing them
and I bring my plastic tote with me when I sit down on the ground with my
back up against the recliner just in case I need something that my brain did
not think of before I sat down. Lol. Trimming the nails while wet is easier
than cutting them when dry and brittle. There is no need to over trim the
nails, not on our behaved pets that do not jump on us. So what is the desired
length of a dog’s nails? Nature gave dogs nails. Mostly you will leave them
alone. The only reason to trip or clip a dog’s nails is if they would harm the
dog in some way. If a puppies nails are curved, sharp and too long, this can
catch on a rug or other material and the nail could get stuck, causing the pup
to pull and hurt himself. The pup may even pull the nail out or destroy your furniture with these sharp nails. Pup-
py nails can also tear into our human flesh and rip it. For this reason we clip the nails.
If you clip puppy nails back as far as you can when they are about three weeks old, you will find that your adult
dogs nails will be kept rather short. If you allow the pups nails to grow long, the vein in the nail will also grow long
and you will find yourself cutting this vein and causing the nail to bleed.
I clip my pup’s nails at three weeks, six weeks and eight weeks. I may clip at 18 weeks old and then again and 6
months old. I will then clip my dogs nails every year, or at least check them to make sure they are not too long to
cause them a problem.
Like I said, the only reason to clip nails is to prevent the animal from tearing his nail off as it gets caught in
something. Sometimes a nail will curl back up into the animal’s skin. Such nails need to be trimmed often to pre-
vent sores and harm.
The vein of the nail is underneath the nail not on top of the nail. If you clip the nail at a diagonal cut you can clip
more of the nail off, but you will need to see that the animal can dull the nail naturally, which they can and usually
do.
There is a natural largeness where the blood vein is within the nail, you can see this underneath the nail and
your nail clippers will normally slide into position in front of this kind of bump. Just go a bit in front of the bump to
clip the nail.
Training your dog for his grooming session

You will not be able to do any of the above if your dog is not obedient or semi trained. If you have started your
puppy with lap therapy then grooming will be easy. Your puppy already understands that you are the boss and
that what you say goes as this is what was instilled in his brain when we were training our dog to sit in our lap and
to be still. You may even have brushed your dog while training him under his lap therapy sessions. If you put your
hands all over the dog and in his mouth and on his feet and in-between his toes and in his ears, then your dog has
a head start in this grooming training.
The first thing we do is to establish a territory that the dog will relate to with his grooming sessions. The next
thing is a routine and the next consistency. With all that, grooming is just another part of his life. When I bring
out the slicker brush my dogs know it is time for their brushing and they assume the position.
_____________ Find an out of the way place that is large enough to set up a grooming area in. This place
should be ‘easy’ in its feelings. You should be comfortable and the dog should be comfortable. You are able to
get on the ground with your dog if he is large. If he is small you will be able to sit in a chair and have the dog on a
platform of some kind, or a table.
_____________ Get a box and put all of his grooming tools in this box or container. You could use a desk or
table or cabinet to put the containers in.
_____________ Set up the bathing area in your garage or out back and put all of the stuff you will need to
bath your dog in that area.
_____________ To make your dog lay down: Sit on the floor and pat the floor with your hand. Make sure to
have control and use a choker and leash.
_____________ To make your dog stand up: Have control of the dog with a choke and leash. Stand up and
bend over the dog while you place your left hand under the dogs belly as you say the words ‘Stand Stay’.
ACT SEVEN: HOW DOGS LEARN
_____________________________________________________________
Let me begin with the fact that no one can write a book on training canines for all breeds of dogs. If you think
about it, you will come to the conclusion that out of the hundreds of different breeds of dogs in the world every
breed trains differently than any of the others. There are many reasons why this is true. Size, strength, attitude,
character, and just plain ol’ genetics make each breed react differently to the different ways one would or could
train a dog. Even dogs within the same breed require different styles of training and they may even require dif-
ferent tools of the trade to modify that particular dog’s behavior to suit the owner’s lifestyle or rules by which
they live.
In this book, I am going to tell you how the dog sees you, the human. When you understand that, you will easily
see how animals read the world. You will know more about life than you ever imagined once you are able to see
and read for yourself as the animals do. Animals do it all the time, but we humans have long forgotten. I person-
ally believe we stopped “seeing” at the tower of Babylon. We were reaching the place where God was because
we all spoke the same language. Well, to me it is simple! The language that we all spoke had to be what I call the
‘Universal language’. The language that everybody knows instinctively, plain ol’ body language and we humans
just lost it. We forgot it and started speaking in different languages. I suppose that subject is for another book.
Gee, I have a lot of books to write!
UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE™
If you realize that the universal language for all living things is movement, then you will know that the canine is
attuned to every little movement or the smallest rush of the wind. All sounds, movements, and smells communi-
cate something to the dog. You as an owner/trainer must realize this and use it as a tool to communicate to your
companion.
Dogs automatically assume that we humans understand and communicate at this level. They do not under-
stand that most of us humans have lost the knowledge of the “universal language” as we evolved.
All creatures are born into this world not knowing any language! The very first language they learn is the uni-
versal language of movements, smells, and sounds. In this book, I am going to tell you how to start your animal
training the easy way. I will give you, as simply as possible, quick and easy training methods for amateurs (for im-
patient amateurs) who have very little spare time to waste.
I will be discussing the puppy, the young dog, or a dog without any training. As a dog gets older, he learns cer-
tain sounds and he figures out what happens when those sounds are made. He is in tune with everything that
goes on around him in his un-English language world. He will start to remember certain words and will associate
those words with items and actions.
A few things to remember:

1. Dogs cannot lie. Therefore, they are in the truth at all times. Dogs do mirror our moods.
2. Dogs do not possess human qualities. We humans put human qualities on our dogs.
3. Owners tend to have theories about how dogs learn and why they should respond as humanly expected. Do
not fall into this trap.
4. The dog does not have gratitude. He has no sense of duty, no conscience. He only does what he enjoys doing
and what will be to his advantage. The dog does not care who houses or feeds him.
5. The dog does not understand the promise of future rewards nor will he be influenced by future promises.
6. As much as the owner would like to think the dog understands ‘threat of future punishment’ he does not. He
does understand if he does such and such . . . such and such will follow (action = reaction) but only when a dog
trainer is consistent. Dogs know of the future only by a repetition of sounds, smells, and actions that occur at the
same time each day.
7. Dogs live in the present.
8. Dogs think only of themselves.
9. Dogs instincts are deep set for survival.
10. Dogs learn through the experiences of their everyday lives as to what is pleasant or unpleasant.
A raw dog will try to avoid unpleasant experiences and he will pursue those things he knows are pleasant expe-
riences. In training any dog, all you have to do is show him what is to his advantage and what is not.
In training our companion dogs, we need to develop this communication between us humans and our canines in a
manner that doesn’t violate their dignity and thus results in a harmonious and enjoyable relationship. How do we
do this? We must get a response from our dog and that response must be the one response that we have guided
the dog to give us.
Primary Act – Primary means first. Act means something that stimulates another to do something that is either
voluntary or un-voluntary. Primary Acting is then: the things that you do that the dog responds to. He may or
may not want to do what you want him to do. His instincts are what he runs off so he simply must react to say, a
rag running across the floor. Your action gets a reaction from the dog. You must know what reaction you are go-
ing to get from your dog and that comes first hand by experience. Secondly you can study books and read up on
it.
Voluntary response from an animal: Kneeling down is a Primary Act because it makes a dog instinctively come to
you . . . he will come over to see you, smell you, and he is curious as to why you have come down to his level? So,
you see this is a voluntary response from your puppy in that he came to you on his own . . . but you ‘caused him to
do that by your body movements; the ‘Universal Language.
Involuntary response from an animal: If you put your pup on a leash and you say “come here puppy” and then
reel him over to you, this would be an involuntary response from your puppy in that he may not have wanted to
come but had to because you were in physical control. Therefore, this is “primary” or “first” or “main” acting (in
which we are using our body language) which is beginning to train or teach or educate the dog as to what a par-
ticular body action means. This is put into the dogs mind by repetition. With repetition, we are now training and
educating Fido.
Inducive Acting – This means trying to get your puppy to “want” to do what you ask. This is accomplished
through encouragement (body posture, praise, and food) all of which are seen as pleasant by the dog, with food
being the most gratifying. The dog then learns that it is to his advantage for him to do what you want him to do.
For example: If you want your dog to come to you and you call his name then speak the command and your
body goes down or bends over and you clap your hands and move backwards . . . most dogs/puppies will come to
you. Now if you reward the pup when he comes by giving him a hot dog or of a piece of cheese every time the
pup comes . . . then the dog will see that it is to his advantage to go over to you to get the reward. If you just
bend over and use the command, what is the advantage for the dog if he comes to you and is not rewarded? To
be petted? Ha! I wouldn’t come . . . especially if I had flowers and grass to sniff!
Can inducive acting overcome instinctive behavior? Not all-inducive acting can or will, but some may. If I am
consistent and demanding and I reward at all times and . . . the dog figures out that it is in his best interest to
come to me . . . yes, inducive acting can override instinctive behavior such as a female dog in heat. I know my dog
will come when I call because it is in his best interest to do so, he has learned this.
Compulsive Acting – Forcing an animal to do something. Compulsion ranges from mild to strong so get your act-
ing selves in order.
Mild: Physically placing the dog into the down position. Showing a dog what it is that you want from him. This
doesn’t have to be unpleasant especially when you give the dog a cheese or hot dog reward just as soon as the
dog is placed (by your hands) in the position you wish the dog to go. The word you use as you place the dog into a
position is repeated over and over so that the dog learns “action = reaction” and your words are starting to mean
something but it hasn’t clicked together yet.
Have you ever watched the “Miracle Worker’ on TV? To me, training a dog to understand words is like teaching
Helen Keller words by hand signals or commands. You may be able to see when the dog actually “gets it” (or un-
derstands) what it is you are communicating to him. Once he gets the fact that you are showing him things, train-
ing gets easier as Fido starts to understand that something is going on.
Strong compulsion: such as firmly ‘checking’ the dog to remain in heel position may be somewhat (or highly) un-
pleasant to the dog. (checking = jerk and release.) The dog may not understand the reason for the compulsion at
first, but he quickly learns what he must do in order to avoid this harsher type of compulsion. This strong compul-
sion also doesn’t have to be harmful.
There is absolutely no abusiveness going on. No skin is torn, no blood is drawn. This is not a form of torture.
Strong compulsion is like a wakeup call. Strong compulsion is usually done only to dogs who have a high energy
level and who have already been shown what it is the owner wants from them and they have forgotten. Maybe
the dog isn’t paying attention? Or maybe the dog is testing you?
Training the dog at an early age gets the dog thinking that there is something else you wish to com-
municate to him. A raw untrained dog has no clue as to what is going on and it takes longer for him
to figure things out. Once the pup finds out that there is something “afoot” then communication
between the owner and the dog begins.
Compulsion can be used to train a dog to do something he would normally not do on his own and it teaches him
to refrain from doing things he would normally do as a dog but which humans find objectionable.
Training for Action – I want to make sure that you understand that when force of any kind (compulsion) is used to
show the dog/pup what you want of him and the dog/pup doesn’t want to do what you are asking of him then
you must immediately follow this forceful action by an agreeable experience. When you physically place (or
show) the dog what it is that you want from him, reward him. Once he is in the position you placed him in, you
must over reward (depending on how objectionable it was to him) and this doesn’t mean a pat on the head.
The agreeable experience must be on the same level as to the disagreement. If the disagreement is exceptional,
the agreeable experience must also be exceptional. Food is the most agreeable experience.
To maintain the dog’s enthusiasm for training and to foster a positive attitude, the experience must match the
degree of compulsion or force. The stronger the compulsion, the greater the agreeable experience has to be that
follows it. I know this sentence is repetitive but I did that for a reason. I want you to get this.
Dogs differ in what they consider agreeable. Humans continually think that a dog likes to be petted
or fondled. Some animals do not care to be petted and some humans over pet and/or over fondle
the dog!
It is not what we think the dog might like but what the dog jumps for joy over! When the dog is in-
troduced to a new exercise, the first step is to use only the mildest compulsion to get the desired response. The
least amount of compulsion necessary to get the desired response is the rule. Knowing what will work is the
advantage of an experienced trainer. (I think you should highlight that.)
Compulsion is also used to teach the dog to refrain from behavior we consider objectionable.
Now the rules change

1. First, the degree of compulsion must be such that it immediately suppresses the objectionable behavior. Ideal-
ly, it only has to be used once to arrest the offending conduct. If three tries are not enough, either the type of
compulsion used is NOT correct, or it was not used properly.
2. Second, is the timing of the compulsion. The ideal time of impressing this lesson upon the dog is when the dog
is thinking about it, before he does the act.
Once the dog is in the act, any disciplinary action will not diminish the dog’s pleasure because the pleasure has
already begun.
If compulsion is used while the dog is in the act, then it must be consistent for the dog to associate the act with
the reaction or the compulsion he will receive.
The best type of training (as you can see) is the “be- The correct time to stop an undesirable behavior is:
fore the act” compulsion. Even a word, or look, or a A. When the dog is thinking about it.
B. When the dog begins the objectionable behavior.
check on the leash while the dog is thinking about the
act will work. The incorrect time to deal with the objectionable behavior is:
A. During fruition.
B. After the fact
Third, the disagreeable experience of compulsion is not followed by an agreeable experience! This only confus-
es the dog so stop it! I know too many folks who do this. (Some of you should write this sentence out and hang it
on the wall so you will remember.)
How do we know if our dog has learned the lesson? Watch the dog . . . his body language will tell you. Pay at-
tention to the dog’s body communication.
If the dog looks around for you before he does the act, he knows! You must also let him know that you know
what he is about to do. “You better not!” If the dog does not do the act . . . then praise the dog for not doing the
act.
“That’s a good dog” is all that is necessary. He knows what he is getting praised for and you become a mind
reader!
The lack of understanding of when to use compulsion (force) for abstention (when and how to discipline the
dog) is what ‘causes the beginner trainer the most problems.
Secondary Acting— Ok, what is secondary Acting? Well you already know this because we have talked about it,
but let’s get this down right. A secondary stimulus (or act) is a signal, body language and/or voice commands.
Once the dog is trained to the voice command, he may decide not to do as he is told to test you, to see if you real-
ly mean what you say. He knows the command, but he is trying to get away with not doing the action. He doesn’t
really want to do it. Perhaps he wants to do something else that is more enjoyable like play in the bucket of water
or just lay in the sun. (What this tells me is that you do not use treats.)
A non-reinforced repetition is a command or signal that is unaccompanied by the primary stimulus .

. . the dog has no reason to come when called because there is no primary stimulus that makes him
want to come.
Oh, you think the dog should just do what he is told? Well, if you told me to “come” over and over again and I
didn’t get a reward, I certainly would not ‘come’ to you again because you are no fun. I have no reason to ‘come.’
Folks often get my wonderfully trained dogs and for the first week, the dog is perfect for them. Then the next
week they call me and are telling me the dog is not coming when called or that the dog is doing whatever it wants
to.
Let’s see if I can help you out here. First of all, I NEVER command a dog to do ANYTHING . . . . UNLESS I REALLY
MEAN IT . . . stop showing off. Stop commanding the dog and then saying to yourself, “Gee, I guess you don’t re-
ally have to do that.”
You are boring when you constantly tell the dog to do things. My goodness, stop nagging at the dog.
Let him alone . . .
But . . . do not allow him to do those things that you do not wish him to do either. In other words, if you have
five acres and do not want the dog to go off all around the five acres and get into stuff, put up a kennel. In his
kennel, he can do anything he wants without you constantly nagging him. Now, when he is out running free with-
in your fenced five acres he is supervised . . . he is with you and has to stay where you can see him. (Got hot
dogs?) So you call me and tell me he goes off, so you call him back and he goes off again and you call him back.
You have no primary Act, is it just a pat? What, not even a pat on the head!
What the heck! Is that all he came back for? Do you think you are the reward? Oh my . . . sorry Charlie . . . you
are not more interesting than the smell of a jackrabbit that just went in a hole or a gopher. Stop calling him be-
cause you are setting yourself up to lose and never ask or tell a dog to do something that you know he isn’t going
to do . . . Why, ‘cause he wins that game and you become wimp!
So what do you do? You attach a fifteen – twenty-foot leash on him and when you call him you can follow it
through . . . and/or you have a treat in your pocket at all times. You make yourself right. You make yourself be
heard and . . . you make yourself top dog and winner. You are the human and you must think.
Then there are those who do not pay attention to their dog. If they paid attention, they would see things be-
fore the dog saw them and they could command the dog to do something before the dog’s instincts took over. If
you saw the jackrabbit before the dog did, then you could command the dog to come. You would have been in
control and your pup would not chase the rabbit out into the street. However, if the dog saw the jackrabbit first
and then you commanded the dog to come (and you didn’t have that twenty-foot leash on the dog) then you lose
. . . dog wins.
Influences on learning
How a dog learns depends on several different things:
1. Breed characteristics: This is number one . . . The ease or difficulty of training depends on the
extent to which the exercise is in harmony with his breed instincts. Too many people get the wrong
breed for them!
2. Temperament: is the pup suitable for the specific task or function for which he has been bred.
3. Sensitivities: The dog’s sensitivity to touch, sight and sound as well as his mental sensitivity also influence the
dogs learning and how he will respond under any given circumstance.
Touch insensitive dogs (hard dogs)- A dog that is touch insensitive does not care about the jerk release of
the leash and choke chain as much as a dog that is sensitive to the jerk and release. You must know your dog.
Touch sensitivity is sometimes affected by the dogs tunnel vision or the dogs inherited canine survival instincts.
(When two dogs fight, the pain threshold for sensitivity decreases.)
If your dog is not responding to the jerk and release, he may be insensitive to the correction given. You must
figure out what will make this particular dog work correctly. Usually food will do the trick.
It isn’t how we perceive the effect of a stimulus on a dog but how the dog perceives it. A hard dog that is insensi-
tive may need to go on to a pinch collar and may not care, nor feel, the “jerk-release” of the choke chain.
Sight sensitive dogs- Sight sensitivity means that a dog is easily distracted by flying leaves, butterflies, flowers
and such. These types of dogs may not ‘heel’ off leash very well so, the owner of this dog must remember to use
that primary stimulus and reward a dog with treats to keep the attention. Keep this pup a tad hungry.
Sound sensitive dogs- Loud noises may hurt these dogs ears and/or loud noises may frighten this type of dog.
Mentally sensitive dogs- Dogs find it difficult to deal with human emotions such as disappointment, frustra-
tion, and anger. If the owner becomes angry, the dog will not understand why his owner is acting in this peculiar
way. This is not normal and it frightens the animal. Confusion prolongs training.
There is another mentally sensitive description and that is in the dog’s character. Some breeds may be mentally
sensitive in that they pay attention and are more sensitive to your mood changes and vocal pitch changes. Our
Alsatians are very sensitive dogs mentally, but physically they are hard dogs.
Other stuff that may influence learning:
Place Association Dogs are affected by the feelings of a place, friction in the family and tension of the humans
in his life. All these have an impact on the dog’s learning ability.
The place you associate as the dog’s classroom must have a nice feeling and be distraction free. Dogs associate
the smells and environment around them at the time of punishment and if you go back to that place where pun-
ishment took place, the dog will think it is going to get punished again just because he is in the same place as he
was before. This is called “place association.” The dog associates the territory (or place where he was corrected)
to a correction from you.
Routine Dogs are creatures of habit . . . changes in their routine produce stress, which retards learning. Form a
regular routine and your dog will learn as he should. As he gets older, he will have accepted and/or learned to
cope.
Nutrition I have found that my dogs learn better when hungry and feeding always comes after a training exer-
cise.
If a dog is not healthy, do not train. Feed your dog a well-balanced meal of meat, meat and more meat. Read the
ingredients on the bags of food you buy. You may be shocked to learn that your puppy is eating corn!
As you can see from reading the different characteristics and temperaments, it doesn't really matter how a dog
or puppy is in its character or temperament because a professional trainer just trains the dog with that dogs char-
acter and temperament in the equation.
To an individual who has never trained a dog or pup it is harder for them to handle a dog or pup that is on one
side or the other side off the norm. The norm or desired character and temperament for a canine that will be a
family pet would be a pup or dog that has a temperament that is easy to train for the average person.
ACT EIGHT: DISCIPLINE

_____________________________________________________________
Verbal reprimand- For many puppies a bark like or emphatic verbal reprimand will do.
The Whirl Wind- This is what I use most of the time. It is what I call the Whirl Wind! What this is, is an ACT…
How you do this is you scare the begeevies out of your dog (depending on the violation or the degree of what you
consider bad). This is done mostly when the pup/dog is caught in the act of doing the objectionable behavior.
What I do is I make a whole lot of noise, I stomp my feet, roll my eyes I use my deepest ugliest voice and I beat
on something with a stick or throw papers around or do whatever it takes to make an impact that will forever-
more be associated with the displayed behavior. You could be a tornado or hurricane, any natural disaster lol !
Believe me if there is something (anything) that you want your dog/pup not to ever do again, put on your best
acting face and go for the Emmy Award! Sorry but most of the time, this will happen so fast that you will scare
anyone in the vicinity. Not to worry though, your pups behavior is more important!
The Firm Shake Young puppies (six weeks to nine weeks) respond well to a slight firm shake of the body accom-
panied by a verbal reprimand. Older puppies think to shake them is a game.
Young puppies get frightened when you pick them up and a gentle shake works to grab their attention whether
one wants to believe it or not. Do not shake them hard; shake them with firmness once (maybe a stern shake
twice depending on the reaction your puppy gives you). Hold them with firmness as they can feel this. Some
pups only need to be picked up and held firmly (with-out shaking them) as you tell the pup, “no, that is a bad
puppy!”
It is not the amount of physical pain but the fear that connects the shake/discipline with the unwanted act. If
the pup does the act again, you should be able to see the pup recognize your presence with what happened the
last time as the pup will look directly over to you or crouch out of fear of physical punishment, as before.
This second reprimand need only be a slight touch or vocal type of a threat now. Once the pup understands
that you are a kind of God and that your loud voice is followed by some physical form of correction that instills
fear of some kind, then just a sound coming from you will be all that is needed to do the trick. Without the physi-
cal punishment, your threats hold no water.
This physical act should only be necessary to prove to the pup that you are the top dog and the physicalness of
the act need only be “as much force as necessary” to stop the act from happening again. How much force one
uses is judged on a trainer’s experience. This is a difficult judgment call when an owner has no experience to rely
on. Each dog’s ability to handle physical punishment is different and a trainer/handler who has been through
many different breeds of dogs can rely on that experience. You must use your brain and all your experiences in life
to judge how much is enough? Again, it is not the physical injury, but the fear that you install in a dog that
makes the dog respect and look to you for approval. I am not condoning harsh physical punishment. Physically
injuring an animal is a felony and is punishable by jail for up to one year or more. The best form of punishment
that I can tell you about is the rolled up newspaper as it makes a loud and scary noise and does no physically
harm.
In a real pack situation, this thought process is non-existent in the top dog who is training the younger dogs.
Puppies within the wild pack may end up with missing eyes, teeth marks for life and/or open wounds. The pups
learn fast and quick in that type of environment. In our situation (being that we can judge how much force to
use), we can see the effect of each type of discipline being used, and then we can back off when we know the pup
has “got it.” How do you know when the pup has understood or “got it”? When the pup doesn’t do that behavior
any longer and/or when the pup looks around before he begins to do the bad behavior. Let me tell you this
though . . . If you do not see the pup or if you are not paying attention (supervising the pup) then you will find
yourself having to discipline the pup more than a professional handler would and this is a direct indication that
you do not understand what you are doing. If you must discipline the pup continually, then you do not have an
American Alsatian or . . . you have the wrong breed of dog, or you are not watching or paying attention to your
dog. How could your puppy get into the trash if you were paying attention? What’s that you say, you do not have
time to supervise? Then it is my personal believe that you should not have a puppy. You are not ready for one.
There is a way to avoid teaching your puppy bad habits (got your highlighter?) USE A PLASTIC KENNEL. Even one
of those wire crates or wire exercise pens will keep your dog from forming a bad habit just because you don’t
have time to watch him.
Eye contact Some dominant dogs will challenge you if you use this form of discipline (the stare) and you may find
yourself being bitten. Sometimes this type of reprimand may make a dog more submissive than you wish. In
some dogs, it works well. Also, there are breeds that do not care to be stared in the face more so than other
breeds.
Stepping on his feet Have you ever heard anyone tell you to do this? This trick is really hard to do! Someone
told me to do that once, yeah right! Ha-ha. I tried this once and could never reach the dog’s back feet to step on
them. I would have to be the Rubber-Band Man in the comic strip to do this one. If none of the above works, ig-
nore him. He doesn’t get to go. He doesn’t get a treat. He doesn’t get water or food. Use water and food for
good behavior. It is a start. Do not starve your dog though. Use his regular food to train him. Once the dog
knows how to ‘sit’ or ‘down’ you can get some kind of handle on him. Oh, and feed him those kibbles out of the
palm of your hand. This is for all those stubborn hard to handle, “going to the pound soon” type of dogs.
The Rolled up Newspaper The severest form of discipline is a smart, sharp, and quick smack on the nose as the
dog is coming at you or jumping upon you. I do not usually resort to this unless absolutely necessary. I would on-
ly use such an act of protection if my life or health were in danger! That particular dog then gave me his complete
attention. That was all it took for this unruly Labrador retriever who was jumping and running around me while
tying my feet up in the leash.
Some folks think this is cruel and unusual punishment so I would be careful where I trained dogs that needed
this kind of attention getter. Most dogs when trained as puppies do not and will not need such severity in train-
ing. You cannot train an animal if you do not have the “attention” first.
Smacking a dog on the muzzle Smacking a dog on the muzzle with your hand or with the end of a leash should
be reserved for instances of dog aggression towards people or other animals and conduct that has been resistant
to other forms of discipline. This type of extreme discipline should only be used by a trainer who has complete
respect from the animal as there are some breeds of dogs in which a trainers aggression (or punishment) may
make the dog turn and attack you if you have not gained the top dog position!
If a dog is coming at you to bite you and you fear for your life, do not run. Pick up an object and/or grab the
dog’s throat and shove something in its mouth, jab it down his throat. Don’t play with the object in his mouth but
shove the object directly down the dog’s throat. If you feel you will be killed, the attacking dog can choke on your
fist if you shove it down his throat. You may just save your life even though you might not have your arm. As you
might guess, this is a very serious topic and I do not write about it lightly. I do hope you never allow yourself to
get into such a situation! I had a person write me and they expressed that I include this information in one of my
books.
If the dog respects you he will do as you say, but if any human is overly aggressive and inconsistently aggressive
the dog will then be confused and in the fear mode all of the time. This is NOT training! There are some people
who do not have the knack nor the gift to train dogs. One may learn through experience and each dog you own
may seem to be the ‘best dog you have ever owned’. It may just be that YOU have been learning how to com-
municate to dogs through your experience and the dog you have now is reaping your knowledge.
Training is teaching and guiding a dog and not cruel and unusual punishment. If the smack on the rump does
the job and it works, then it works . . . It doesn’t have to be a welt of a smack. Discipline and training are not
abuse.
Abuse is: torture, mayhem and unusually severe punishment that does not fit the crime. There must be physi-
cal evidence of torture or a preponderance of evidence along with various witnesses’, unless of course you admit
to abusing your animal. (That is a topic for another book).
Physical punishment is not the only way to teach a dog to abstain from a particular habit. There may be other
ways that work also. One does not always have to use the negative. I use food rewards. If the dog will not do
what is asked and the dog understands the command, the dog doesn’t get the food. His food is given to him only
from the hand. First, I show the dog what is expected of him and I reward, reward, and reward. Without the re-
ward a dog does not know what is right or acceptable.
Then there are the tools of the trade: crates, muzzles, leashes of different types, harnesses, collars, tie-out stakes,
you name it and it is out there for any training problem you may run into. Remember that each breed is trained
differently and no one can write a book of training for all the different breeds. You cannot train a chow as you do
a Rottweiler, it will not work. The German Shepherd does not react the same way a Malamute does, it will not
work. One of the hardest breeds for me to train was the hyperactive, untrained ‘hard’ Labrador Retrievers who
were totally out of control and in their teenage years of around eight months old. Know that there are several
types of Labrador Retrievers in this country, the show lab, the working lab and the indiscriminately bred lab or
backyard lab.
Timing The timing of the discipline is more important than how you discipline. Even aggression can often be
checked with a verbal reprimand where the trainer gains the dog’s attention before the action thus, the attention
is now averted from whatever the dog was going to chew up and eat. A trainer without authority cannot get the
dog’s attention away from the “kill and thrill” or the survival instinct of an aggressive dog. Remember that with-
out the attention on you, the dog will not respond. You must first get the dog’s attention and that means ‘you’
have to be more enticing than the object that holds the dogs attention.
When you go after your dog to discipline him for some act he did earlier on in the day, you must remember that
the further away that the act was committed, the less effective the disciplining of the dog will be . . . unless your
dog is an older dog that has learned the association of place and event.
Again, no matter what the punishment, if three tries does not produce the desired response, either the tech-
nique is not being used correctly, or it is the wrong technique!
Reminders:
Discipline is in direct opposition to motivation The definition of motivation is: future rewards—less perceived
costs.
In order for the dog to stop chasing cats, the discipline (or reward of not chasing the cat) must outweigh the fun of
chasing the cat. As long as it does not, the dog will continue the objectionable behavior.
In my experience, the fun of chasing the cat outweighs anything you can do to the dog. So, how do you get a dog
to stop chasing cats? Do not allow this habit to start. How do you do that?
1. Observe your pup/dog at all times when he is ‘free’ to go and do as he wishes.

2. See the cat before he does. Become aware.
3. Set up a situation, set up a disaster as the dog starts to chase the cat.
Since I demand respect and am the top dog, all I have to do is clear my throat. How do you get there? Observe
your puppy and start training lessons as early as six weeks old.
To get to that place where you are respected by your dog will depend on your willingness to deal with the prob-
lems. Too many owners give in or give up. Successful training is often no more than: who is more persistent, the
dog or the trainer?
Punishment implies that the recipient knew right from wrong when he committed the act for which
he is being punished.
Compulsion is when a dog is trained to abstain from behavior he would normally do on his own, but which is con-
sidered objectionable, through the use of disagreeable experiences.
The dog is also trained to do things he would not do on his own through the use of disagreeable experiences.
The dog never misbehaves. He engages in behavior that is objectionable to us or he fails to respond to a com-
mand. Our job is to train him properly and to give the dog consistent rules of living.
In conclusion As I am writing this particular ACT on discipline, I am remembering things from my past in training
uncontrollable dogs. I have never had to use such disciplines on any American Alsatian. American Alsatians were
bred specifically for me. I learnt from experience why the everyday dog did not fit into the everyday household.
These everyday dogs may be pure breeds or may be pound puppies, but the American Alsatian was hand selected
to be “dogs that pay attention.” I would use the word ‘aware’ but it is not what I mean. These are dogs that are
sensitive yet not shy. These are dogs that are not hyper so that they can (and do)
pay attention.
I believed all that I wanted in a dog was in the canines genes. I knew I could
breed a dog that could be easily trained if it did not have the genes for hyperness,
barking, jumping and . . . if the dog was not shy or fearful. That is not to say that
environmental conditioning cannot MODIFY the dogs behavior, but . . . no amount
of environmental conditioning can change a really good set of genes!
What type of discipline you use on your dog should be in accordance to what it
is that you want to train your dog for. For instance, if you want to teach your dog
to attack, then you would not want to discipline your dog with an object in your
hand such as a newspaper or fly swatter as this would be in direct opposition
from your goal.
Lois, Carlitta, Winnetka
STOP HERE AND LET ALL YOU HAVE READ SINK IN BE-
FORE MOVING ON…
ACT NINE: OWNERS BOOT CAMP
____________________________________________________________
Before we really get into training our dog, we must train ourselves and understand how the dog sees us.
(This chapter is for and directly pertaining to you, the owner.)
Lap Therapy I want to go over this with you at this point, as I will be discussing my lap therapy training™. Lap thera-
py is simply putting your pup in your lap and making the pup be still and stay there for a period of time. I begin all
three-week-old puppies this way. What this does is slow the dog down. It conditions the mellowness. It prepares my
dogs for a slower pace in life. It is a beginning to the ‘stay’ and the ‘long down’ or the ‘long sit’. It gives the dog pa-
tience.
Begin with setting your pup beside you while you watch television and slowly stroke him. Do not look at him. Do not
play with him. Do not talk to him (unless necessary). What you are teaching the pup is to be still. You are also bond-
ing. Five minutes will do for starters. I have seen hyper pups that found this very difficult to do so if your puppy wants
to get down, do not allow it. You are installing into his total being that what you say you mean. You are also letting
him know that what you say goes. Do not give up; do not give in to that cuteness. Do this three times a day. When he
can sit there for five minutes increase the time to ten minutes. Your eight week old pup should be able to stay with you
for about forty-five minutes. Now you will need to take him out and give him a drink of water. Did you reward the
pup? What do you mean you forgot?
Rewarding Animals When you first start to communicate to a puppy, there is not much going on upstairs in that
puppies mind. When you reward a pup, the pups brain begins to think of how he can get another one. Where did it
come from? Can I smell it? Is there more?
You begin making an animal’s mind think when you have what an animal wants. If the animal doesn't want what
you wish to entice him with, then there is no stimulation and the animals mind doesn't figure and work on a problem.
But when you have ‘food’ and the kind of food the animal craves, then the brain starts to function a mile a minute!
You have animal ATTENTION and the most intense animal attention that you can get, especially if the animal is hun-
gry. Now whatever you want out of that animal you just have to show him how to get what it is he wants.
Rewards tell the animal that whatever it was he did was acceptable and if he does it again the reward will follow. If
you do not follow with a reward, this will confuse the animal. They will begin to think, ‘what does she want? How can I
get that’ ? Of course they don’t really think they just do…. Instinctively. If they can get the food by knocking down a
child, then that is what they will do. The food drive is strong. Use it to your advantage. REWARD REWARD
REWARD REWARD
A reward is communication.
How to look at your dog This may sound strange but I have seen many folks who do not even know how to look
at a dog. This is a simple thing to teach, so listen up.
Do not stare at a dog. When you stare at a dog, the dog gets nervous and thinks it should get up, leave, go hide, cower
or come to you. This is an inherited instinctual behavior and unless the dog has been trained to accept a stare as nor-
mal or non-threatening then you will make the dog very uncomfortable. I have seen children hold a puppy’s head and
want to stare into a pup’s eyes and face. They hold the pup’s face in both hands and stare at the pup and the pup tries
to get away.
In the wild dog pack, when a dog looks at another dog it is usually a threat. I know you want to look at your dog but do
it when he doesn’t know you are doing it. Or, look at the dog’s tail or something. Never stare at your dog!
Now the dog can look at you all it wants, and if you have an aggressive dog then fine, stare him down and beat him in
the game. I am mostly referring to your growing pup. Staring makes him nervous. Ever seen a dog pursue or stalk
something? One breed of dog is famous for this ‘stare’ and that is the Border Collie. The Australian Shepherd can stare
also but mostly they are too busy running.
A look or a stare is meaningful. It is a form of communication. It means something. Every movement your body
makes, every twitch your muscles make and every little swish your clothes make means something. Remember that.
When I look directly at one of my dogs he knows that I am talking to him.
How to stand and carry yourself Now that you know that every little movement and noise means something,
you will now start paying more attention to your body movements. Your dog has already done this so now it’s your turn
to pay attention to your movements. This is a silent language and I am going to teach you how to talk to your dog with
your body.
When you do not require anything of your dog and you are just “being” you, make your body relax. You are to walk
without hurry. I want you to practice walking back and forth in front of that dog that is tied up and laying down in the
living room.
The reason for a dog to be tied up and laying down in the living room is because my house is my castle, not
the dog’s kennel run. I allow my dogs in the house. It is a privilege for them to be in my house. Therefore,
my dogs may not roam around in the many different rooms where they do not belong. Also, I have stud and
matron dogs. These dogs tend to mark territory much more often than neutered dogs. Restraining my dogs
makes certain that they never make a mistake. I do not allow a dog to make a mistake. If I cannot observe their every
movement throughout my house, then they must be where I know they will not make any mistakes, such as, peeing on
the corner wall in the hallway or carrying my dirty socks into the living room. My dogs do not have bad habits because
they are not allowed to start them.
Now back to how to stand and carry yourself . . .
As you are walking past your dog, do not look at him as you do not wish to do anything with Fido and you do not re-
quire anything of the dog, so ignore him.
Now, when you are ready to go somewhere or do something, you are to move at a faster pace. You turn in place. You
look here. You look there. You gather things up and place them on the table and you make more noise. This attracts
your pup. Your pup is now aware. He may sit up and watch you. Do not look at him because you are not ready to re-
quire anything of him yet.
Gather all the stuff you need. Get a leash, a choke chain, the keys, your purse, a jacket, your shoes, whatever . . .
Ok, now you are ready. You have the leash and choke chain in hand. You may now look at the dog. You may now talk
to or at the dog. The dog and you are communicating with movements. The dog doesn’t know English but he knows
that something is going to happen and it is going to require something of him because you looked at him; you acknowl-
edged him.
The reason for this is that you are training the dog silently and with a look. I have seven dogs and when I address ONE
of them, I look at him or her. All of my dogs have to figure out who I am talking to and this is the way I teach them. I
look at the one I am talking to. They understand.
Now go to the tied up pup and ask him to sit.
In most puppy training books, you will find the perfect pup. As a dog trainer, I know that you (Mr. and
Mrs. Public) get upset that no one addresses your wild miss-behaved dogs. Want to know why? ‘cause
they are afraid to be miss quoted or hassled by the animal right Waco’s who take everything one says
and then turn it around so that they can make someone’s life miserable. Well, I am not going to take the
easy pup as my imaginary Fido. I must address the worst scenario.
Ok, this puppy does not sit. This puppy jumps on you. What do you do? If the puppy jumps on you, there are many
things you may do.
# 1. Do not enter the dog’s space enough to allow the dog to jump on you. Place yourself at the end of his
leash. If he runs to jump on you then, wham, oops, he choked himself right at the exact time his correction
should have been made . . . and he did it himself. Now, tell the pup to sit and he will get a reward from you,
a pet?
No way! A treat will always work. If he tries to eat your fingers and the treat, ball your fist up with the treat inside the
fist.
If he tries to eat that, TORNADO! Sometimes, I will push my fist into the pups mouth and then the pup will back off.
A professional trainer starts with the least amount of discipline and goes forward until one works. The trainer regis-
ters the dog’s stubbornness or submissiveness and backs off or stops his actions and trains accordingly.
# 2. Lots of noise, anger, stiff body, and whites of your eyes . . . this makes a huge impression and might
make your dog submissive, lie down, or turn on his belly. So, as I said, you are the only one who can gauge
and assess the amount of correction (acting) you feel you need. Use your voice and practice which voice
will make him un-submissive. Gone too far? Not enough? You will get better at this with practice. You will
find out how much of an “act” you should perform. This is where you achieve an Emmy for your fabulous acting ability.
How to talk to your dog Again, some of you A high-pitched voice makes a dog excited.
may think this is strange of me to have this in a A low-pitched, loud voice means business.
book, but the voice goes along with your new acting A whisper gets attention in a quiet alert manner
career . . . USE IT.
Normal tones of your voice are boring and will not be paid attention to, unless your dog has learned the English lan-
guage, which will come with age. Such words as “cookie,” “dinner,” “go for a walk,” and “no.” Those words also carry a
pitch. Pay attention to how your voice sounds.
How to hold your dog back If you hold your dog’s body back from going forward (to ‘get another dog’) from
rushing a person of interest, or . . . if you use a harness, you will be reinforcing the pull, excitement and energy of the
‘go get um!’ This is the way we train attack dogs!
Hold them back and the drive escalates . . . let a dog pull on the leash and the dog increases his enthusiasm, hyperness
and craving to go. They do not know where they want to go, but it is a very strong desire.
Push on a dog and you will get more push back onto you. Hold back a
So how do you hold back your
dog and you will get more “I want to go.”
dog? You don’t.
You must train your dog not to pull.
Here is the one sure-fire easiest way to teach a dog not to pull, are You must teach your dog patience
you ready with that highlighter? Use a choke chain. and you must teach your dog some
of the English language.
Let me repeat that “USE A CHOKE CHAIN.” Put that collar and leash
on and let him go! When he gets to the end of the leash, whap, “I told you not to run after that chicken didn’t I? Maybe
now you will learn?” It is not the English language or the words used as I reprimand the pup with that quote I just used.
The dog has no clue what I just said. But . . . listen up; it is the length of my speech and the attitude or the authoritive-
ness in which I am speaking as to how my dogs respond to me. The longer I talk the more trouble they know they are
in. You see I do not speak to my dogs. Nope, not much at all. So, when I finally do talk to a dog as I am looking at him or
acknowledging the dog to which I am talking to, then the dog understands through the tone of voice and the length of
the conversation as to how I feel about what is going on NOW. Remember dogs live in the now.
If I point to a chewed up article or a hole in the ground or to something that the dog was having a grand ol’ time with,
then the dog will associate the talk with that item. The tone in which I talk to the dog is what either
makes the dog think negative or positive? “How shall I react? Shall I bow my head ‘cause the words
are harsh, or wag my tail because the words are in a happy high pitch?”
How to carry a pup Our pups are large so we hold them with their feet on the ground mostly.
However, if you have to lift a pup, make sure the back of the dog is parallel or equal to the ground at
all times. The dog will think it is slipping or falling if the back is not straight with the ground. There-
fore, you will have to put one arm around the dog’s chest and one under his belly towards the rear.
Then you need to lift both arms at the same time.
How to pet your dog I bet you did not know that you didn’t know anything about dogs, did ya? Hehe . . . ok, here
is some more for you to learn:
1. If you pet your dog fast, your dog will become hyper. This is what we do to our dogs
on the Schutzhund field when we want our dogs to chase and bite the bad guys.
2. If you pet your dog calmly, your dog will be calm. If your dog doesn’t get calm, become the
top dog in the pack and growl, stiffen up, become the tornado, make loud noises and yell and hol-
ler. Then calmly and peacefully pet your dog and softly, or not at all, speak to your dog. Tell him
how nice he is to be so calm. Sure, he may be shaken’ in his feet, but he is calm, right?
He will get the rules but first, he has to learn them. And remember I said act? You can be a tornado in one second
and the next second when the dog is in the proper attitude, you are the calm loving owner. Ok, so the neighbors now
think you are off your rocker! But does it work? I know it does because I have been training dogs for over forty years. If
it is not working for you then you are doing something wrong. Put on your thinking cap and work out the problem.
On the Schutzhund field we calm a wild energetic dog down by grabbing his collar and holding his front feet off the
ground and petting him softly and quietly until he calms down, then we “kick the ol’ sleeve” and hyper the dog up
again! However, we are not on the Schutzhund field, this is a companion dog, and a dog in a pack situation will get into
a fight and get a strong warning with teeth into the back of his neck if he tried to pull the stunts some of you allow your
pups to put over on you.
Hyperness is not only genetic, it is “environmentally conditioned” into a pup (from children mostly) and then from
owners who “hyperly” and quickly: run, talk fast, and pet their dogs with too much enthusiasm. I can make any dog a
more hyper dog by the way I physically relate to him.
How to interact with a shy ‘sensitive’ dog Mostly you ignore the dog. You must not get in this dogs face or
space. Give the dog time, lots of time to get to know you, smell you, and hear your noises. Do not baby talk or treat
such a dog as a baby or ‘poor thing’. If you do not have the patience for this shy and sensitive dog, find someone who
does.
As I said, you must mostly IGNOR this type of dog. What you will be doing is making the dog WANT you when you
ignore the dog.
This type of dog needs structure and ROUTINE in the beginning. The dog needs to be sure that everything is the same
and that he (the dog) can rely on the everyday sameness… This type of dog will need you to be strong and mean what
you say so that he can trust you. That is what this dog is looking for, TRUST.
Do not hover over this dog, put your body and face up to this dogs face or CONSTANTLY NAG this dog. LEAVE THE
FREAKN DOG ALONE… The more you leave this dog alone, the more the dog will NEED and WANT you.
You will go in and out of this dogs personal space. You will watch and record the dogs reaction to your comings and
goings. The dogs body will stiffen up and his eyes will get large when you enter his personal space and when you leave
he will relax. Pay attention to this body reaction as it will tell you when you can take the next baby step. A professional
animal trainer knows just how much to stress this animal out and how much to back off.
Try bothering the animal at short intervals, say four times a day when you feed him. The food is then the reward for
allowing you into his space. This type of animal NEEDS his own ‘bedroom’ or place where he can be himself and not
worry about you entering his room (so to speak) too many times. You may push this animal as much as the animal can
take, then back off. Go into his space, pet and reward, then move out. This will take you about 2 seconds… count, one
one thousand, two one thousand and then leave. Each time you enter and remove yourself you can stay for a longer
period, but don't nag. This type of animal is attune to the sounds around him/her. Even the sound of SILENCE is meas-
ured. Say Hi, how are ya… silence… pet reward.. ok then, ‘’see ya later’’. Pat the head three times and leave. You do
not have to be quiet in your movements. Do not SNEAK.. As this type of quiet is very annoying and makes the dog ap-
prehensive. Go ahead, make your noise and you can be extra loud if you want as the dog is actually more relaxed and
counting on the noise. That noise (you and your moving around) is enough jibber jabber, he/she doesn’t need your
added words, especially if you have a high pitch to your voice or talk baby talk. OMG…
Your body language must be TOP DOG not in a manner that will make your sensitive dog afraid, but that will make
your dog KNOW that you have everything under control and that he/she can trust you. The noise you make and the
body language you talk is being watched and heard!
OWNERS BODY LANGUAGE FOR:
The dog understands the com- You have tested your dog with
mand and you can now move to multiply distractions, you can
Primary Acting, stimulat- the next level or step in your now move to the last step for
ing, coaxing. May need training. DO NOT GO TO THIS this command. Varying distrac-
mild or strong compulsive STEP IF YOUR DOG DOES NOT tions to be sure the dog will
Command
training. Repetition. UNDERSTAND THE FIRST STEP. follow the command.
First Step
Come
Run backwards, use high- Body starts out straight up, bend Body straight up and at attention,
pitched voice, bend over at knees, right arm swings up with right hand moves sharply from
and clap hands. Use hot body moving up at same time, the
dogs. right arm hits chest several times crease of pants leg up to the
as the handler ends with his body heart or chest, one strong hit to
straight up at attention. your chest brings your dog for-
ward.
Sit Food reward in your right Dog in front of owner, owner’s Body is still and at attention, right
in Front hand coming from the seam body straight up then body bends hand swings up from pants leg
of pants leg then up and way down at knees and pops up and goes all the way up over the
over pup’s head far enough when right hand comes up into trainer’s head (palm towards
back to require the pup to the air with a reward treat and a dog), snappy movement with a
look up at it and close small hop on your part, exagger- slight hop up on toes that is bare-
enough to get the pup’s ated. ly visible.
attention.
Down Food reward in right fist, Dog at sit in front, owner’s body Same as in training the dog only
body kneeling or close to exaggerates with the right hand trainer’s body does not move,
the ground, food in fist, swing, right hand moves back- only right hand does, down at a
right fist goes to the ground wards (behind you) and swings up distance.
under the dog’s chest OR backwards, passes head and halts
wait until pup is lying down for a slight second as the right
or sleeping and reward pup arm is forcefully swung down,
with meat between legs, fingers pointing to the ground.
close to nose. Use the word
down and because he is
already down, praise him.
Go
Left hand and left leg dra- An object is placed in a straight Same as in training, only the
matically throws itself for- line at a distance where the dog trainer is rigid, left hand pauses
ward in a straight line for can see and smell it, dog goes to over the dog’s head and is steady,
the dog to follow. An object object and a command is given then shoots out on the ‘go’ com-
is released that will go for- such as “Fido, down.” At his mand, an object of interest has
ward and entice the pup to name, Fido turns to look at the been placed on a straight line in
follow. Dog is at heel posi- handler then follows the down front of the dog, as the dog ap-
tion, trainer is exaggerating command. proaches the object a command
body movements; left hand is given with name first, dog turns
is shot forward and fingers to look at the handler then the
Pointing. A word is used to next command is given.
communicate this com-
mand.
Hup Pup is on leash and heeling Dog knows the word “hup” and is Dog is at heel position, owner
with playfulness, owner learning to hup without his own- rigid, left hand goes forward in a
jumps a small object, which er, owner goes around the object straight line toward a familiar
is long enough so that the while jump, “hup” word is spoken and
pup must jump with the the dog is on a ‘wait there,’ left left arm curls up and back to-
owner, left foot of the hand holds the leash and shoots wards owner’s shoulder, fingers
trainer is lifted at the exact forward and up on command, straight up, the dog proceeds in
time the “hup” is spoken or owner may the direction the hand pointed to
slightly before, dog jumps stay with the dog and command jump only the object pointed to,
over object as the handler’s the dog to ‘hup’ over an object in the owner must now give a com-
left foot goes up and over. front of them, then the handler mand so the dog will not be left
must go around or command the hanging there, ‘Fetch,’ ‘Come,’
dog to ‘hup’ back over the object. ‘Go-round.’
Speak Pup is excited and hungry, Pup knows the word “speak,” No body movements from the
owner is hyper and body is owner is relaxed as head bobs handler, only verbal word usage,
moving jerkily, head is jerk- upward with the word, dog is and handler may tilt head slightly
ing up at the same time rewarded for the bark. with the word being emphasized.
the word “Speak” is used,
when dog speaks, he is re-
warded.
NO, Slanty eyes, glare, pointed Sharp stillness of body or a sharp The look.
Bad dog! finger, stiff body posture sound “ahhh!” from owner.
and slightly bent forward.
Heel Left foot coming off the Left foot coming off the ground Left foot moving forward.
ground, the command to and moving forward.
move with me and a slight
jerk and release with a twist
of the left wrist or fingers.
Stay Tension on the choke chain, Right hand palm in face of dog Right foot moving off to the side
which is held above pup’s along with the command. Sharp and left foot follows.
head, do not move the body language that is meaningful.
chain, the right palm is fac- Right foot may now leave its heel
ing the dog’s face and a position and the left foot may
quickness of this palm to- swing to the right or behind so as
wards the dog’s face along not to confuse the dog.
with the verbal command.
Next, the right foot leaves
its position to the right
sideways or to the back but
never forward. This is done
multiple times until the
right foot returns to the
heel position and the re-
ward is given.
How to play with your dog I don’t play with the dog, the ball does, the rag does, or the toys do. I train the dog.
Playing is the training. With my children, school work is the fun/playing. With a dog, training is the playing. I don’t
just play with a dog. There is a reason for play, it is reward. If you wish to play with your dog that’s fine, but I require
my dogs to be mature and quiet and very non-hyperactive at all times. We old folks cannot afford to fall and break
bones. Have you ever wondered as to why old folks dogs were so laid back?
How to walk with your dog Remember I told you that body movement is communication? Well, now you are
going to learn what I mean.
First, you have to learn to walk by yourself, so take your invisible leash and your invisible dog and let’s go for a walk!
Let’s pretend your dog is sitting and you attach the leash to his collar. Your dog is probably on your right side or in
front of you. Hmmm, how are you going to act now? How will you walk? You can place yourself on the right side of
your dog and heel your dog properly, but your dog doesn’t know how to heel yet, so go to the door and stop in front of
it.
Oh my . . . The dog is jumping on the door? What? No way! Jerk and release and right
after the release, give your invisible dog the command to “sit.” (reward) Do not move,
now open the door. Hmm, are you in the way of the door?
You will have to learn not to get so close. Ok, walk outside, leave the door open, make a
circle to the right, and face the door. Now stop.
Sit your dog. Close the door. (reward).
Ohhh, I see you are now paying attention. Hehe Yes, we are now going to learn how to
walk.
Ok, let’s go out into the yard and stop there. We shall begin learning how to walk with
our first step.
The very first step is, always and forever more, taken with your left foot. Why you ask?
Because this is going to be the rule of the game and the rules say always walk off with
your left foot first.
This way Fido will understand that he can move . . . see, Fido is going to be your partner in
this game of heeling or walking.
FIRST STEP As you move off with your left foot, use the word “by me’ ‘forward” or ‘heel’ to let your
partner know that you are going to move forward.
This is a diagram of the basic footwork that you will use when you heel your dog. The circle with the ‘happy face’ in it is
your dog. The two elongated ovals are your feet. Your dog is always on the left side of your body.
Starting at the bottom of the diagram where the red arrow is, we begin our heel with our two feet together and the
dog sitting in the heel position.
We take off with our left foot as you can see by the arrow in the diagram.
Fido is on your left side and your left foot is going to be Fido’s key to what you are about to do or what you are do-
ing. When your left foot moves, Fido moves. When your left foot stops, Fido stops. When your left foot goes out in
front of his path, Fido is going to prepare for the left turn. When your left foot moves away from him and crosses your
path Fido is going to follow that foot into a right turn. (That comes later). So now you know you must learn how to
walk and you are now going to pay very close attention to your feet.
Ok, we are going to walk about fifty paces forward and stop. Here we go. Begin with your left foot walking first.
Now a small jerk and release (just to get his attention) and a split second after you have gotten Fido’s attention give
your pup a command “Fido, heel” . . .
Your Heel—When you ‘heel’ your dog, you are going to walk in one continuous motion as if you were dancing . . . you
will always walk in this manner while in the training mode. You will walk in a kind of fast pace, not your normal me-
andering pace, but slightly faster. This pace means “we are heeling” and that we are in the obedience game mode.
What are the rules to heeling? This is business and that means no sniffing, no making friends, no peeing, and no noth-
ing. This is strictly business. Now, a puppy cannot be so stressed out for such a long time. One cannot apply this to
everyday walking. This is the game of heeling. Walking or strolling is different. Strolling or walking the dog is to walk
slowly for the elderly or whatever, but first we need to communicate to our new friend that there are games and this is
just one of the games we play. The ‘heel’ game has rules and you will teach your pup the rules; thus a fast pace (fifty
paces in a straight line). In order to do this you must learn how to stop.
When I walk a puppy of three weeks I do not use a leash, I use my flip flops. I start my puppy out listening to my
sounds, the way I walk and the vibrations I make. I walk with my puppy a lot so that he associates my noisy flip flopping
walk with who I am. The noisy sound becomes familiar to him and when in a crowd or when distracted he will be able
to pick me out from all others.
How To Stop Your ‘heel’—Ok, how do you stop walking? (See diagram) You stop three paces before you actually stop.
These three last paces will be a change of pace to a slower pace. This slowing of your pace tells your pup that some-
thing is going to happen, to be prepared . . . Now on your third step, your left foot is exaggerated and comes up fur-
ther than normal and slams down on the ground. How hard? As hard as necessary to tell your dog, “that was the last
step, now sit.” The dog will probably already be in the sit position when he hears that foot slam as it will scare him into
a sit. “Good dog” Praise your invisible dog and give him that cheese!
The black oval represents the slam of the last step taken by you. The line in the middle of the diagram indicates the
place where you ‘changed pace’ three paces before your execution. (If you count the ovals you will find that I did NOT
put in fifty of them. Sorry).
(oops, where ya going?)

Your Right Turn—Before you turn to the right you will change your pace
of walking three steps before the swing of the left foot out and across
your path, so slow down. See the second line in the diagram?
This lets your dance partner (your dog) know that you are about to do
3. (Slow down) something.
Now SWING your left foot in a half circle across the path of your right
(Slow down)
foot. Do not set your foot down on the ground before the swing. Your
2. left foot is headed off to the right.
Take a short step with the right foot just to get that right foot pointed in
RIGHT TURN the right direction.
Once again, swing your left foot. EXAGERATE these swings. Pretend
that Fido is connected to your left foot as you swing him around your
body to go in that right direction. He will follow that left foot. If he
doesn’t follow your left foot, pat your left thigh and call him.
It will take two swings of your left foot to complete this right turn.
1. Now go back to your normal heeling pace until you slow your pace for
the stop.
Your Left Turn—One more turn for you to learn and you can walk your
dog after you practice a few times so that you get it all down smoothly.
You will not believe how your dog notices this. See, your dog already knows all this stuff as it comes natural for him.
Ok, start out in the straight heel, as always. Get your pace . . . then slow down three steps before the turn.
Now, Take your left foot and place it in front of your invisible dog. In order to do this Fido
must not be ahead of you, correct?
Next, take that right foot and swing it across your path and into your forging dog. This
will stop Fido! If you have to, knee him with your right knee and ‘jerk and release’ on the
collar to make a huge impression on the dog. Apparently, Fido didn’t pay as close atten-
tion as he should have to your slowing down. This acting lesson (EXAGERATED of course)
will make Fido really pay more close at tention when you slow down . . .
Now place your left foot in front of Fido’s chest one more time.
This act will make Fido almost come to a complete stop. Fido will have to slow down
and you will have to speed up as you are on the long side of the turn and he is on the
short side of the turn. Now, get back to that walking pace . . . bam bam bam . . .
When you come to a stop, slow down three steps before your left foot smashes on the
ground. Bam. Sit. Good dog. Just like that!
Ok, now practice all day and everywhere you go . . . practice.
How to hold your hands when you walk with your dog—Bet you didn’t know that your
dog was watching your arms and hands!
When I am just meandering I keep my hands in a calm manner, I am just being myself.
When we are in our game mode, my hands move . . . my arms swing and I get the pace
going. My arms are bent at the elbows and the whole arm goes in a forward and backward motion. Have you ever
played ‘choo choo’ trains?
I want you to remember that the game must not be long. The games are stressful for Fido and you must only do
short periods of games at a time. Fifty paces is the game. Reward and put the dog away. One can fray a dog’s nerve
with too much stress if you do not heed my words.
You may train your dog in this game of heeling five times a day if you want, but you must not go over five minutes of
training at one time! Do it my way and you will see fantastic results! Come on, stop being stubborn. You have tried it
your way on the last dog you had, this time, just do it my way and watch what happens. Ok?
You will be given homework for you and your dog in another training session. This training session is for only you and
it is to teach you certain things that you must know before we even start with Fido.
Next, a check off list. Then, we will be ready to train Fido!
OWNERS HOMEWORK
First things first. This is your homework hands-on booklet.
Check off list: Check it off if you have done it! This is a hands-on manual. Get a pencil and keep it with this
book. Put this booklet next to the doggy calendar that you will be using to remind yourself of all the days you
and Fido are going to do things together! If you have a small enough calendar I suggest you add it to this
workbook.
______ Check this line if you have a calendar for your pup. This calendar should be used only for your pup
and will be used to keep track of your training sessions. What did you do today? How did Fido do? What do
you need to practice on next? I would keep this calendar with this notebook.
______ If you haven’t gotten a folder for your pup, get one! File it away and put your entire pup’s paperwork
in it. This will keep you organized.
______ Practice your part in training first before you start to train your pup. Check this line if you know how
to walk in a straight line. You have read my notes on how to heel or walk with your dog. You walk at an even
pace and you slow down three steps before you do something different. You practiced your body language
and now are more aware of what your body says.
______ Check this line if you have glanced over this entire booklet reading things that catch your eye and
then you went back to really read the booklet and have studied all the notes up to this point and are ready to
move forward.
Seven to Eight Week old puppies

(When you first bring your pup home)
This is your homework assignment for the first week.
______ Allow the puppy one full day to get use to its environment. Set up an area just for the puppy. In this
special place, the pup can do his own thing. You have newspapers all over the floor and his food and water
dish are not near the door going to the outside. Neither are they near the place where you will want the pup to
do his business. The puppy does not know the rules; you must show or teach by explaining the rules to the
pup. Remember he doesn’t understand the English language so you have to put on your thinking cap and fig-
ure out HOW to get your rules across to the pup?
In my house, the puppy does not get to go all over the house. As he gets older, he can, maybe. However, as
a pup he has his place! In this place he is not really trained and there is no pressure on him. He needs lots of
toys and chewies. He needs to FEEL safe and that comes with some kind of cover or protection as his in-
stincts tell him to hide or to get inside the den. If you do not give him a kennel to go into, he will go under a
table, chair, couch, desk or what have you.
______ Take your puppy out the same door and to the same spot, every single time he wakes up! Play with
him outside and when he squats to pee, quietly tell him “go potty.” This is your job for the week. It is your only
really big job!
______ At six or seven o’clock P.M. at night remove the water and food!
______ At ten o’clock P.M. take your puppy outside to go potty even if he doesn’t have to go! Run him, walk
him, and keep walking in a circle if you must. Exercise makes a pup go potty. Oh, what’s that? He went potty! Hehe.
______ Sleep with your puppy in your bed, or put your pup in a kennel beside your bed. You may put the pup
in his own small (SMALL) room with a tick tock clock that makes noise and a snuggly stuffed toy. If you do
this, you must paper the room with newspaper, as you will not get up in time for your pup to piddle. Come on,
I know you!
______ Allow the pup to run around with a lightweight two-foot leash attached to his flat collar for the experi-
ence and only while you are in the vicinity to help the pup if necessary. Try not to help the pup, let the pup
work life out on his own. Only help if necessary! However, at all times you must be able to see your pup.
______ Keep cut up hotdogs and cheese in a baggie in the refrigerator.
______ Give the pup a food reward every time he goes outside and squats.
______ Tell the pup to sit for the reward and position your closed fist above his head so that he sits automati-
cally. Tell him “easy” as he tries to eat your hand. If he tries to eat your fist then you are not feeding your pup
enough. If he doesn’t want the hot dog then you are feeding your dog too much.
______ Use the “come” command with his name first and give food rewards if the pup comes and sits. Always
sits . . . I do not have to tell you that right? ALWAYS . . .
______ Attach a ten foot lead on the pup outside and let him experience the boundary line. Make sure you
have treats in your pocket. When he pulls on the leash, jerk softly and release the tension a tad, as you say
“come” and speak the pup’s name. If he doesn’t come, ‘jerk and release’ a tad harder and with a happy high-
pitched voice tell the pup to come. If he still doesn’t come and you used your body language, pull the pup in
like a fish that you are reeling in and when he finally gets to you, praise him lavishly (do not punish him or yell
at him). If you are mad or upset, then put on your acting face and act out being happy.
The pup may be confused, but he will get the idea that when he is hurting or scared that if he comes to you,
he will be safe and the pain will go away. REWARD! This experience may be traumatic for the pup and it will
probably sink into his brain forever and ever! You will be able to see the pup think the next time he pulls on
the leash. Tell him to come and then jerk (and release) a tad on the leash to remind him that he must think
now . . . and come to you. Watch carefully and you will see your puppy thinking. When he figures stuff out, it is
a thrill to observe! You should be proud!
For three-month-old puppies:

______ Your pup has visited the vet and has been inoculated so that you can now go to the parks and stores
and laundry mats? If not, call the vet and schedule an appointment. Bring a stool sample and have it checked
for parasites.
______ Put your pup in the car with you and start it up. Pet your pup and spend ten minutes doing nothing.
Read another one of my books. Every now and then, reward your pup for just being there in the car with you.
Exercise complete.
______ Take your pup in the car around the block. Reward the pup. You are using the “hup” command as you
pick your pup up and put him in the seat. You may toss him up in the air a little bit, so the pup lands on his
feet. This gets him use to “hupping.”
______ Walk your pup in the backyard on your ten-foot leash. This is not a formal walk it is a boundary walk.
You should be reeling in the line now. See if you can walk without any tension on the line/leash. Put the end
of the leash in your pocket or over your shoulder. Talk to your pup as you walk so that he comes with you. If
he needs a small tug as a reminder, it’s ok. Reward him for using his brain. “Good puppy.”
______ Take your dog for a ride in the car to the park or a non-threatening location with very little distraction.
Use your ten-foot leash and practice your boundary tugs and your “come.”
______ Take your dog for a ride in the car to the store for one item. Roll the windows down about two inches.
When you leave your dog in the car use the word, “stay there” Not the word ‘stay.’ (Use the word ‘stay’ for
formal training when the pup must not move). ‘wait there’ is used when you are going to call the dog to you as
he is only to wait and he may move or lie down, but not move out of that place you put him.
______ Take your dog for many other rides now and go to various places with varying degrees of distractions.
Allow your dog to observe, to learn about life, to see, to hear and to smell the different things around him.
Some suggestions are: parks, libraries, shopping centers, boats, oceans, bird park, rides in the shopping
cart to the storefront and back to the car. Walk along a semi-busy street or just sit and watch the busy street.
Pay attention to your pup’s reaction. If he is too stressed out, leave the scene and reward the pup for just be-
ing there. Keep the pup close if he gets frightened as he is still young and he is learning. Calm the pup with
soft words and pets and rewards if he will take them. A stressed-out dog will not even eat a treat or hot dog
reward. I go through fast food places and buy a plain hamburger for my dog. No bun just the meat. He asso-
ciates this with his car rides.
For eight to twelve week old puppies:

Recalls for food rewards and introduction to fetch added to the above lessons. (If you got your pup at 8 wks
then see if you can check off the stuff before this. Go back and read it just to see.)
Coming to his name and/or learning his name above all else. You may begin formal recall training if you
keep it fun.
Food tracking motivation should have already begun with your hot dog slices. This is a fun game to play
with your pup. Also, hide the hot dog under a paper cup is a fun game.
Food tracking- Place a small fingernail size hot dog in a designated spot and continue placing small tidbits
as you line them up in a straight line towards the pups food dish. Show the pup the first slice. Your pup will
start the line and may skip a few. It is ok. This is the beginning of tracking.
Cup game- Use Styrofoam cups and place a hot dog slice un- You may begin formal heeling if you
der one cup. “Wait’ your pup and when you say ‘find it’ en- keep it fun and short.
courage the pup to find the hot dog slice. Try placing the cups
in many areas apart or close to see what happens. You may begin formal sit stays, if you
keep it short.
Lap therapy at night. Watch the time

and jot it down.
For all four-month-old puppies:
(If you received your pup at four months old)
______ Now is the time for real heeling games. Practice walking slow, fast, left, right, circles to the left circles
to the right.
Practice your footwork. Find a time that is good for you and do these two times a day, once in the morning
and once in the evening. Don’t forget to bring those treats! Stop many times, kneel down, and just pet your
pup. He should, of course, be in the sit and heel position on your favorite side as you are petting him.
If you just got this four-month-old puppy, go over all the above homework and make sure you can do it.
From sixteen to twenty-four weeks old puppies:

1. Continue with sit, recall and down for fun exercises.
2. Extending food tracking
We will get further into all this advanced stuff as we go along . . .
TRAINING A SIX WEEK OLD PUP
Week one
Check off each thing you do and write in the time
Name of pup ___________________________
DATE 1ST SESSION 2ND SESSION 3RD SESSION

Mon Lap therapy (5 min) Lap therapy (5 min) Lap therapy (5 min)
Sit (4 times) Sit (4 times) Sit (4 times)
Leash training + go Potty (5 – 10 min) Leash training + go Potty (5 – 10 min) Leash training + go Potty (5 – 10 min)
Stand for grooming (5 min) Stand for grooming (5 min) Stand for grooming (5 min)
Tue Lap therapy (5 min) Lap therapy (5 min) Lap therapy (5 min)
COME HERE COME HERE COME HERE
Wed Lap therapy (10 min) Lap therapy (10 min) Lap therapy (10 min)
COME HERE COME HERE COME HERE
Thu Lap therapy (15 min) Lap therapy (15 min) Lap therapy (15 min)
COME HERE SIT IN FRONT COME HERE SIT IN FRONT COME HERE
Fri Lap therapy (15 min) Lap therapy (15 min) Lap therapy (15 min)
COME HERE SIT IN FRONT COME HERE SIT IN FRONT COME HERE SIT IN FRONT
Sat Lap therapy (15 min) Lap therapy (15 min) Lap therapy (15 min)
Sun Lap therapy (15 min) Lap therapy (15 min) Lap therapy (15 min)
Sit: Every time you stop walking (auto) Sit: Everytime you stop walking (automatically) Sit: Everytime you stop walking Leash
Leash training + go Potty (5 – 10 min) Leash training + go Potty (5 – 10 min) training + go Potty (5 – 10 min)
TRAINING week two

Mon Lap therapy (25 min) Lap therapy (25 min) Lap therapy (25 min)
Sit: Everytime you stop walking Sit: Everytime you stop walking Sit: Everytime you stop walking
Leash training + go Potty (10 min) Leash training + go Potty (10 min) Leash training + go Potty ( 10 min)
LAY DOWN LAY DOWN LAY DOWN
Tue Lap therapy (25 min) Lap therapy (25 min) Lap therapy (25 min)
Sit: Everytime you stop walking Sit: Everytime you stop walking Sit: Everytime you stop walking
Leash training + go Potty (10 min) Leash training + go Potty (10 min) Leash training + go Potty (10 min)
LAY DOWN LAY DOWN COME HERE SIT IN FRONT
LAY DOWN
Wed Sit: Everytime you stop walking Sit: Everytime you stop walking Lap therapy (30 min)
Leash training + go Potty (10 min) Leash training + go Potty (10 min) Sit: Everytime you stop walking
Stand for grooming (5 min) Stand for grooming (5 min) Leash training + go Potty (10 min)
LAY DOWN LAY DOWN Stand for grooming (5 min)
COME HERE SIT IN FRONT
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE
Thu Sit: Everytime you stop walking Sit: Everytime you stop walking Lap therapy (30 min)
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE Stand for grooming (5 min)
Fri Sit: Everytime you stop walking Sit: Everytime you stop walking Lap therapy (30 min)
DOWN STAY TWO MINUTE
Sat Sit: Everytime you stop walking Sit: Everytime you stop walking Lap therapy (30min)
Leash training + go Potty (10 min) Leash training + go Potty (10 min) Sit: Everytime you stop walking and
Stand for grooming (5 min) Stand for grooming (5 min) evertime you feed.
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE Leash training + go Potty (20 min)
Stand for grooming (5 min)
Sun Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy 30 min)
everytime you feed. you feed. Sit: Everytime you stop walking and
Leash training + go Potty (10 min) Leash training + go Potty (10 min) everytime you feed.
COME HERE SIT IN FRONT DOWN STAY TWO MINUTE Stand for grooming (10 min)
DOWN STAY TWO MINUTE DOWN STAY THREE MINUTE
TRAINING week three

Mon Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (5 min)
Stand for grooming (5 min) SHOULD BE PROPER HEELING BY NOW? Leash training + go Potty (20 min)
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE COME HERE SIT IN FRONT Stand for grooming (10 min)
SIT STAY ONE MINUTE
DOWN STAY THREE MINUTE
Tue Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (5 min)
Stand for grooming (5 min) COME HERE SIT IN FRONT Leash training + go Potty (20 min)
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE STAY YOUR DOG AND WALK AROUND Stand for grooming (5 min)
Wed Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (10 min)
Stand for grooming (5 min) STAY AND WALK AROUND Leash training + go Potty (20 min)
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE Stand for grooming (5 min)
Thu Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (15 min)
SIT STAY ONE MINUTE
Fri Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (5 min)
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE Stand for grooming (5 min)
Sat Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (5 min)
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE SIT STAY ONE MINUTE Stand for grooming (5 min)
Sun Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (5 min)
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT
ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT Stand for grooming (5 min)
MILD DISTRACTIONS
TRAINING week four

Mon Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (5 min)
ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT SHOULD BE PROPER HEELING BY NOW? Leash training + go Potty (20 min)
Stand for grooming (5 min) ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE COME HERE SIT IN FRONT Stand for grooming (10 min)
SIT STAY ONE MINUTE
DISTRACTIONS
Tue Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (5 min)
ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT Leash training + go Potty (20 min)
Stand for grooming (5 min) COME HERE SIT IN FRONT ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE STAY YOUR DOG AND WALK AROUND Stand for grooming (5 min)
DISTRACTIONS
Wed Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (10 min)
ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT
DISTRACTIONS
Thu Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (15 min)
DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT
SIT STAY ONE MINUTE
DISTRACTIONS
Fri Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (5 min)
SIT IN FRONT AND HEEL FROM THE STAY AND WALK AROUND Leash training + go Potty (20 min)
SIT IN FRONT ABOUT TURN TO THE LEFT
Stand for grooming (5 min) Stand for grooming (5 min)
DISTRACTIONS
Sat Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (5 min)
SIT IN FRONT AND HEEL FROM THE COME HERE SIT IN FRONT Leash training + go Potty (20 min)
SIT IN FRONT SIT IN FRONT AND HEEL FROM THE SIT IN SIT IN FRONT AND HEEL FROM THE
Stand for grooming (5 min) FRONT SIT IN FRONT
SIT STAY ONE MINUTE Stand for grooming (5 min)
DISTRACTIONS
Sun Sit: Everytime you stop walking and Sit: Everytime you stop walking and everytime Lap therapy (5 min)
Stand for grooming (5 min) SIT IN FRONT AND HEEL FROM THE SIT IN Leash training + go Potty (20 min)
FRONT Stand for grooming (5 min)
STAY AND WALK AROUND DOWN STAY ONE MINUTE
DISTRACTIONS
These training charts give you an example of how to create your own training charts. Figure out why I put the
training I put in the spots I put them in and put new commands into your training charts as I have done in these.
ACT TEN: POTTY TRAINING
________________________________________
Ok, so you just got your puppy, now what do you do?
SIX WEEKS OLD

(If you received your puppy at six weeks old)
________ Get a playpen set up where you can watch the pup and gather lots of newspapers. You will need
them.
________ Get a heavy water bowl that can hold about ½ a gallon of water and a food dish that can hold three
cups of food. Make sure these containers are not edible and are heavy so the pup will not tip them over.
________ Get a tick-tock clock that makes noise . . . and lots of baby toys. Keep the baby toys in a plastic bin
or something. Give your pup toys as necessary to keep him entertained.
________ Every hour or so lap train your pup for five – ten – fifteen – twenty – twenty-five – thirty minutes in
progression as you feel he can move forward. After lap therapy, take the pup out to let off pent up steam and
to go potty.
________ Record your pups feeding and potty times. Always remember what goes in must come out. Feed
three times a day. Pups will potty five or six times a day. As your pup gets older subtract the afternoon feed-
ing and watch the potty times change accordingly.
_______ Pick up all water after 7 pm.
_______ Give a full large dish of water in the morning. I put my puppy’s worm med or vitamins in the water.
EIGHT WEEKS OLD

(If you got your puppy at eight weeks old you must remember that this is still a puppy)
He has only been on earth for eight weeks!
_______ Make up a mudroom or the bathroom for your puppy. Get everything out of the bathroom or mud-
room. Everything from the floor to waste high, remove it. If you can, have tiles or easy clean up wallboard in-
stalled, maybe paint the walls with an easy to clean up type paint.
_______ Get lots of newspapers, I am talking a bundle of them . . . lots, as well as large plastic trash bags.
Your pup will potty in his room.
_______ Get a water bucket that the pup can reach into, but that he won’t be able to climb into and drown. It
should be able to hold about a gallon of water. These pups drink and pee a lot! Why? Because we are all 97%
water and they need it to grow.
_______ Get a food dish that will hold five to six cups of food. I prefer a large feed dish that is a solid heavy
plastic or metal and the bottom of the dish is wider than the top so the dogs cannot turn them over or carry
them around the pen.
_______ Make sure your puppy is free of parasites. Take a stool sample and your pup to the vet. Have the
stool checked for all parasites.
_______ Check your pup’s stool everyday as this is how you tell how your puppy is feeling. If it is too soft of a
stool, your pup may have worms. If it is too light in color, your pup is not getting enough vitamins. If your pup’s
stool is too dark, you have given him too many vitamins and minerals. If the stool is green, your pup may have
an infection. My eight month old chewed up some of our firewood as she was in training and leashed to the
woodstove, not hot of course. Her stool was a brownish color with a hint of green this morning. At first I
thought, “Oh no.” but then I remembered all the splinters of wood yesterday morning on my living room floor
and then put it all together. I was not watching, so I tied the pup up . . . and it was my fault she chewed the
firewood, but all was fine. Our dogs have a good immune system.
_______ Every hour or so, lap train your pup for 5 – 10 – 15 – 20 – 25 – 30 minutes in progression as you feel
your pup is ready to move forward.
_______ After lap therapy take the pup out to let off pent up energy and to potty. Then, reward.
_______ Get a notebook and start recording the feeding times and the puppy’s potty times. Always remember
what goes in must come out. Feed your pup two times a day, no more than that. (Do not leave the kibbles in a
dish for your pup to nibble on throughout the day.) Your pup will potty three-four times a day. When your
American Alsatian pup gets about one year old, you may subtract a feeding. Some folks do, some don’t.
_______ Pick up all water after six pm.
_______ Give a full large dish of water for the day, after you go out and your pup goes “Potty on Leash.” I put
my puppy’s worm medicine or vitamins in the water for the whole day. In the summer, I add ice cubes. If you
can check off all of the above, your American Alsatian pup is ready for the training.
SIXTEEN WEEKS OLD

(If you got your puppy at sixteen weeks old)
________Use a mudroom or laundry room with a door in it that goes to the outside. Place papers on the floor
because your pup will make mistakes. Every two hours take the dog outside to go potty. Use the command
word and run the pup because running and exercising makes the body work. You must incorporate training of
course.
In conclusion….
Housetraining a puppy requires time, vigilance, patience and commitment.
The more consistent you are in following the basic housetraining procedures, the faster your puppy will
learn acceptable behavior. It may take several weeks to housetrain your puppy and with some of the smaller
breeds it might take longer.
Establish a Routine
Your puppy will do best if he is taken outside on a consistent and frequent schedule. He should have the op-
portunity to eliminate after waking up from a nap, after playing and after eating.
Choose a location not too far from the door he will go in and out to be the bathroom spot. Always pick your
puppy up and take him directly to the bathroom spot.
Taking him for a walk or playing with him directly after he has eliminated will help him to associate good
things with elimination.
If you clean up an accident in the house, take the soiled rags or paper towels and leave them in the bath-
room spot. The smells will help your puppy recognize the area as the place he is supposed to eliminate or
more truthfully, will stimulate his system to relieve himself.
While your puppy is eliminating, use a word or phrase, like “go potty,” that you can eventually use before he
eliminates to remind him of what he’s supposed to be doing. Do not interrupt his potty by talking to loud or by
moving. Be still and be soft in your words as he is relieving himself. Once he learns the subliminal message,
you can say it louder and louder. After he understands, then you can command.
Praise your puppy lavishly every time he eliminates outdoors. You can even give him a treat. You must
praise him or treat him immediately after he’s finished eliminating, not after he comes back inside the house.
This step is vital; because rewarding your dog for eliminating outdoors is the only way he’ll know that this is an
appropriate behavior. If you reward after he comes in the house, he will associate the reward with coming in
the house. Rewards need to be directly after the act in the beginning of training. As the dogs mind works and
he puts things together, he will understand the reward was actually for going potty, but at first a puppy only
relates to the direct immediate or the here and now.
You must put your puppy on a regular feeding schedule. Depending on their age, puppies usually need to
be fed three or four times a day. Feeding your puppy at the same times each day will make it more likely that
he’ll eliminate at consistent times as well. This makes housetraining easier for both of you.
Supervise, Supervise, Supervise

Don’t give your puppy an opportunity to soil in the house. He should be watched at all times when he is
indoors. You can tether him to you with a leash or use baby gates to keep him in your view. Watch for signs
that he needs to eliminate, like sniffing around or circling. When you see these signs, immediately pick him up
and take him outside to his bathroom spot. If he eliminates, praise him lavishly and reward him with a treat.
Confinement
Animals do not want to eliminate where they are, they will go away from the area to do their business.
Confining an animal makes them hold it and you must remember to take the animal directly out to potty when
you bring him out of his cage. He WILL have to go.
Oops!
If your pup is not on the rug, he will not pee on the rug. When the pup is potty trained then you may allow
him to go further and further into the house. The house is your domain, not a kennel for your pup or dogs.
Animals will learn to respect your home as your castle if you demand it of them.
When you catch him in the act of eliminating in the house, do something to interrupt him, like make a star-
tling noise. I do scare the piss out of my dog and I expect to clean it up, but it was my fault not the dogs/pups.
We are the humans with brains and we are responsible for all that happens in our lives. If my dog pees in the
house, it was me who was not paying attention, but, I can still use this as a training time and teach my
pup/dog that this act is NOT ACCEPTABLE, EVER!!!! I will grab the pup up and swish him out the door. The
scare is so much more than any pain. There doesn't need to be pain, but the terror, will stop the pup from ever
doing that again. My pup will never soil in my home again because:
1. I never allow my dogs my complete home floor plan. I only allow them in one area and that is all.
2. I always watch the pup/dog always… if I cannot, he is not in the house.
A lot of folks will disagree with me. I do not and will not sugar coat this just because you are timid and do
not wish to hurt your pup’s feelings. Do whatever works for you. Whatever works is fine with me. I know what
works for me and I do what works for me. If your pup is still peeing in the house, you have the problem, not
me. I will tell you, the more your pup potties in the house, the more it will…… as it sets the action into its
brain… your pup will now hide it from you and sneak around to do his business, my pup wont. I do not have
any dogs that potty in my home and I am a breeder, I have at least 20 puppies a year and at least eight adults
that are not neutered.
After he has soiled, I would put the dog outside and ignore him for at least a day.
Cleaning the soiled area is very important because puppies are highly motivated to continue soiling in are-
as that smell like urine or feces.
This is what I call ‘Sugar coating’ and was written by someone else: It’s extremely important that you
use the supervision and confinement procedures outlined above to minimize the number of accidents. If you
allow your puppy to eliminate frequently in the house, he’ll get confused about where he’s supposed to elimi-
nate, which will prolong the housetraining process.
He is not confused he is beginning to get a bad habit that has been allowed and for which he is not pun-
ished.
Paper Training
If you have to be away from home for more than four or five hours a day, this may not be the best time for
you to get a puppy. If you’re already committed to having a puppy and have to be away from home for long
periods of time, you’ll need to train your puppy to eliminate in a specific place indoors.
Teaching a small tiny puppy to eliminate on newspaper may create a life-long surface preference, meaning
that he may, even in adulthood, eliminate on any newspaper he finds lying around the house.
When your puppy must be left alone for long periods of time, confine him to an area with enough room for
a sleeping space, a playing space and a separate place to eliminate. In the area designated as the elimination
place, you can either use newspapers, a sod box or litter.
To make a sod box, place sod in a container, like a child’s small, plastic swimming pool. You can also find
dog litter products at pet supply stores. If you clean up an accident in the house, take the soiled rags or paper
towels, and put them in the designated elimination place. The smell will help your puppy recognize the area
as the place where he is supposed to eliminate.
Other Types of House soiling Problems

If you’ve consistently followed the housetraining procedures and your puppy continues to eliminate in the
house, there may be another reason for his behavior.
Medical Problems: House soiling can often be ‘caused by physical problems, such as a urinary tract infection
or a parasite infection. Check with your veterinarian to rule out any possibility of disease or illness.
Territorial Urine-Marking: Dogs sometimes deposit urine or feces, usually in small amounts, to scent mark
their territory. Both male and female dogs do this, and it most often occurs when they believe their territory
has been invaded (see our handout: “Territorial Marking Behavior in Dogs and Cats”).
Genetic problems
Submissive/Excitement Urination: Some dogs, especially young ones, temporarily lose control of their
bladders when they become excited or feel threatened. This usually occurs during greetings, intense play or
when they’re about to be punished (see our handout: “Submissive and Excitement Urination”)
Separation Anxiety. Dogs that become anxious when they’re left alone may house soil as a result. Usually,
there are other symptoms, such as destructive behavior or vocalization (see our handout: “Separation Anxie-
ty”).
Fears or Phobias. When animals become frightened, they may lose control of their bladder and/or bowels. If
your puppy is afraid of loud noises, such as thunderstorms or fireworks, he may house soil when he’s ex-
posed to these sounds (see our handout: “Helping Your Dog Overcome the Fear of Thunder and Other Star-
tling Noises”).
Tried and True ways to potty train a dog.
Provide a kennel outside for your dog to potty in and use the fifteen minutes after a meal rule to place the
pup out in the kennel for about thirty minutes.
Outside opportunities must be offered fifteen minutes after each meal and regularly at other times through-
out the day and night. If you don’t go outside with the dog and praise him when he does his business there,
he has no real way of knowing why he is being tossed out, particularly if the scene has already been acted
out. This method is works only if you can accompany the dog outside and only if most of the time you get
him out before the urge overtakes him. Crate him when not supervised, including at night and no water after
six pm.
Confine your pup to one room, either the kitchen, a mudroom or laundry room. These floors are more
puppy proof and carpeting is too enticing. Place his crate in an ‘out of the way’ area, which can be roped off
with a homemade barrier or a commercially available wire pen suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Around his
crate, plaster the floor with newspapers. Place a big garbage container lined with a strong plastic bag close
by. Relax and enjoy the pup.
If he soils the newspaper, pick it up without undue commotion, commit to the garbage, spray a bit of disinfect-
ant around and put down more clean paper.
Once he is paper trained, he can be quickly encouraged to use the out of doors by moving the soiled papers
nearer and nearer to the door until he is going outside entirely.
Facts:
A dog will go for over twenty-four hours without soiling his small-enclosed kennel. The smaller the space the
less likely the dog is to relieve himself.
What goes in; must come out.
Dogs do not want to potty in their dens or enclosures. large dogs do not real-
ly wish to relieve themselves indoors
If you have had dogs before and your house smells of urine, a dog will
cover that spot with his own urine. I am not going to get totally involved in this
chapter. If you are having problems with your dog relieving himself in the
house then you need extensive help. Contact me at: schwarzken-
nel@aol.com and I will send you my complete pamphlet on Potty Training.
ACT ELEVEN: Training Equipment

_____________________________________
An animal responds not because of the training equipment used on him, but because the animal under-
stands the commands and what he is supposed to do. The training equipment is used to “Train” the animal.
Once the animal is ‘trained’ other equipment may be used to keep the animal from forgetting what he was
taught.
An animal trainer uses a variety of tools, ropes and gadgets to help them to communicate to the animal
what it is we humans wish of them.
Acquiring an animal is what we do because we want companionship, friendship, a buddy or a pal to hang
around with. It is for our pleasure that we harbor an animal, not for the hassle or pain of it all.
If you acquire an animal and that animal is not pleasing or beneficial to you then you should remove it from
your life. Doing this is what is necessary to take control of your life. We all have choices in our lives and every
choice we make effects our lives and the lives of others. Life is hard enough without adding a harmful entity
of some kind that only brings our spirits down.
Each dog is an individual and each dog requires its own individual equipment that will help train or educate
him as he requires. The choice of what equipment is necessary for your dog depends on your dogs person-
ality, coat and the handlers ability to control or train the dog.
Collars We always begin with the least effective device and we try and see if this is what will be needed to
show the dog what we require of him. If you use a collar and the dog is pulling you around or slipping out of it,
then you are not using the correct equipment for your situation.
The next in line is the choke collar which can be made of cloth or chain depending on the personality of the
dog to be trained. If the dog to be trained has a mind of his own and is rambunctious and rebellious or tries to
buck and run, then I would suggest the chain choke, unless the dog is tiny.
Remember that the choke chain is used as a training tool, not as the teacher. As the trainer/teacher you
need to teach the dog what is required of him. You need to use commands. The sit command as well as the
come command is necessary to heel a dog or to walk a dog. When the dog starts running, STOP. The dog
will run to the end of the leash and choke himself. You did not choke the dog, he did. Do not let others make
you feel like you are the culprit when they have no clue what is going on. If the dog doesn't want to be
choked, he can back up, but now is a good time to call the dog back to you. When Fido is at your side once
more, command him to heel with you. As he goes bounding off on his own, STOP! Once again the dog will
choke himself. Perhaps this time he will start to ‘pay attention’. There need not be any words from you ex-
cept Fido, come. Over and over and over again you will take one step at a time until your little pooch is tuck-
ered out from all that running. Now you must try to walk him back into the house.
With this type of a dog, do not allow him any freedom. Freedom is what makes this dog think he can run
and do as he wishes. Keep this dog on a leash and beside you all the time. This way you and he will walk
around the house together side by side and when you venture outside, he will continue to walk beside you as
he has learnt to do so in the house when he was attached to your waist. Yep, 24-7! And when you cannot
do that any longer, he goes in a crate. Make sure the crate is large enough for him to lay down and stretch
out. He can do as he wants in his crate. Then when he wants to come out, he can be attached to your waist
by a leash once again.
Only when a dog deserves freedom can he have such freedom… Freedom is a reward for all those dogs
that come when called and behave when told to.
What about a very large heavy over powering dog? This is when you use a pinch collar. A pinch collar has
prongs and works differently than a choke chain. A pinch doesn't choke a dog it pinches the neck and skin
evenly all around the neck. The prongs are set so as to not be at the throat. The prong helps me keep my
shoulder in its socket. When the dog is doing something he is not supposed to do he gets a ‘jerk and re-
lease’. The prongs are his wake up call. I am the trainer/teacher and it is now my turn to show the dog what
it is that I want the dog to do by rewards and punishments… this is the only way an animal can understand
that what he is doing is correct, or pleasing to his owner. When my dog is walking beside my leg he gets re-
warded… always…. A soft word or two, a pat, a loving stroke of my hand on his back or a hot dog slice.
Leashes, ropes or directional devices My beginners leash is

very long maybe twenty feet. Most trainers say to use a three foot leash,
but I am out to train and educate my pup and I want my pup to run off….
Bad is good! When an animal does something that is bad or conceived
unacceptable to me, I let him know with a jerk and release. When he looks
at me I talk to him and tell him what I want of him. When he comes I praise
him. My puppies never want to leave my side because I am the most intri-
guing and loving and kind and wonderful thing in their lives… I am a hot
dog slice! I bet you that your puppy would rather be next to me than
you… come on over! How do I make a puppy want to be with me? You
figure it out…
I use a large web or leather leash because I get the most control with a
thicker leash. Once my dog is trained I can go to the thinner ones.
Cages or containment “ALWAYS” !
Rewards, food- This is my secret training tool and I give it to you. Use it.
Phoenix Rising 2009

ACT TWELVE: BASIC DOG OBEDIENCE
There are whole lots of different doggy games throughout the internet and in your community that dog own-
ers can play and participate in. In this booklet, we are just having fun with our pet. If you wish to play the many
different dog games, I will tell you that you must first learn the rules. Always ask for a rule book or go on line and
get one. Well-meaning persons may steer you wrong and you might end up ruining a good pup.
Research the many different games that the dog world has. Pick which ones would interest you. Learn the
rules to a ‘T.’ Join a club. Participate.
Just Having Fun!
Rules and the Training Brain Mode

In order to train an animal, the animal trainer must begin the training in the correct brain mode. First, the
trainer must decide what it is he wants from an animal and second he must consider the animal to be trained. All
professional trainers know that dog breeds are trained and handled differently.
This is because they all work in different ways. They each have complex sensitivities and different responses to
all the different types of training programs. It is complicated if not impossible to write a dog-training manual that
would cover all dogs. Keep that in mind.
The very first thing you must do is to decide what your dog will be used for. Then you must train accordingly. I
do not train a protection dog as I would a service dog. I do not train a hunting dog as I would a show dog. I must
first know my own rules and the rules of the game’s I am going to participate in. The American Alsatian is a Com-
panion dog and this book is related to only companion dogs. Keep that in mind.
Puppies are not born knowing your rules. They are not born understanding the English language either.
As I am writing this handbook, I am thinking of that young puppy that you just purchased. If your dog is older
then you may have to adjust the training.
Crate training Since this pup (my first companion dog) will go everywhere I go, my eyes and ears are upon
him at all times, even when I stop to talk with a friend. This is almost impossible, you say. Well, yes. So when I
cannot or do not wish this grave responsibility, the pup goes inside his cage or crate.
Now the puppy crate goes with me and/or stays near my feet so I can tap the cage to let the pup know I am
here. Another thing I might do is to tie the leash to a piece of furniture in the room where I am working. This is an
important bonding period and tying a dog up gets the pup to understand the leash and restrictions that are placed
upon him by his owner. A wild and free dog is a dog that has his own mind and concludes that he can do anything
he wishes.
As the well-educated or trained dog matures, he is rewarded with freedom. Wild and free is NOT the atti-
tude I want for any of my companion dogs.
Your first puppy - All pups need to investigate. They need to know where the food and water dish is, where
the door is, and where their crate is. You may want to give your pup only small amounts of water during the night
for easier potty training until he/she settles in. Remember what goes in must come out.
Small animals like caves or sheltered areas to hide their food or toys in and to stay warm or safe. Pop your
pup in and out of his crate with some small tidbit for him to chew on while he is inside his crate. I throw small
pieces of hot dogs inside the crate with the “kennel” command or some other word, depending on what this dog
will be assisting me with as he gets older.
I have found that the easiest way to train a puppy as a housedog/companion dog is to use an exercise pen
while he is young. This prevents him from getting into trouble and forming bad habits. It also allows him more
room than a crate. I spread newspaper all over the floor. The pup can then relate the feeling of the newspaper on
the pads of his feet with that of relieving himself. That will give me a head start on paper training while the pup is
in the mudroom. I will make sure that when he finally does come out into the living area that no one in our
household forgets to pick the weekly newspaper up from off the floor!
Breeders and trainers have long known the benefits of crates, but new pet owners may not be as
well informed.
Many people think keeping a puppy in a cage is cruel, but the truth is . . . the dog learns to look upon the crate
as his own place, his own bedroom.
Such places are safe havens, as wild animals were open to air attacks. To seek out a hiding place ensures the
animal’s survival. Entering dens, caves or hiding under bushes are natural instincts of most animals, especially the
young.
The reason for the crates success in housetraining a pup is simple. As a wild puppy matures, it starts wandering
outside to relieve himself. He will go only a short distance away from his den until he familiarizes himself with the
area and then will venture further and further away. When frightened, the pup will seek out the den or the closest
enclosure to hide in. I have also found that small openings to a den are preferred by most animals.
Crates come in many styles, types and sizes. Wire crates fold and are easy to carry around. Exercise crates (or
pens) are large areas of containment that your pup can call his own and where he will have a bit more room.
These crates and pens keep your puppy safe.
If a pup can possibly help it, he will not soil his sleeping area. If the door to his crate is left open, he will ven-
ture out to do his duty. If you are paying attention at these moments, you can take the pup outside to relieve
himself. Here is the secret to potty training – When a pup gets up put him outside.
When you first put the pup in the crate he will bark, whine or cry unless his breeder has already crate-trained
him. However, just put him in the crate and offer him a treat or chewy to keep him busy and close the door. Stay
with him and let him know you are there. Read him a story. After about five or ten minutes let him out and tell
him, he was a good puppy. Take him outside to romp and play. When the pup gets tired, put him back in the crate
and give him another chewy or treat. Put the crate somewhere where the dog will be at your side where you can
talk to the pup or where you can touch the crate to let him know someone is there. If the pup cries, tell him to be
quiet and tap the crate. When the pup is quiet, give him a cheese treat about the size of your thumbnail. Do this
several times. After five minutes of being good, go outside with the pup and romp and play once again. Again,
when the pup is tired put the pup in the crate and give a reward. Do this over and over. When you think you can
leave him, tell the pup you will be right back and go to the refrigerator and get a treat and glass of water for your-
self. Return to the pup and reward. Wait five minutes and then let the pup out.
Do you see a pattern forming? Continue this until the pup is secure in the fact that you are there and will re-
turn.
Feeding and Exercise Program While your pup is in training, his food and exercise program should be
figured out in such a way that it would best benefit the training that he is to undergo. If the training is to be physi-
cally strenuous, then the pup will need the proper nutrition that will fit such a training program. Up his proteins
and the “B” vitamins for stress.
Make sure that after the training sessions you calm him back down. A horse is walked and brushed out. A mar-
athon runner walks and bends over then walks more and breathes deeply. A dog is walked and petted to calm him
back down and/or we do a two-minute lap therapy session. If you are potty training feed at specific times of the
day only.
I do all my training before a dog is fed. Keeping your dog a bit hungry will ensure a more positive, energetic,
“want to do” attitude. Of course, I am not talking about starving a dog. Just watch the dog’s reaction to the food
reward and the type of foods you use to stimulate his interest in the lessons.
American Alsatians do not need a lot of exercise. They do not need a lot of room. They are heavy-boned dogs
and would rather pull a heavy load than to run five miles. You must know the type of person you are so that you
can pick the right temperament of pup for you. A Schnauzer is a nervous dog so a nervous person should not
choose a nervous breed as it increases the nervousness in both the human and the pet.
Our pets tend to take on our character and personalities so choose the breed that will calm you down and
bring peace into your world. If you are energetic (and like a fast moving dog) then you should realize the effect
that a hyper-energetic dog would have on all the members of your family including your children! If you have au-
tistic children, an energetic fast moving dog may keep your child’s attention or it may throw him into fits and
bloody rages. So you see how important it is to know what type of an animal you are getting.
“Go potty” on Command Exercise and potty training go hand-in-hand if your dog is a city dog. Take your
pup out at the same time every day. Go the same route and let the pup potty at the same place. Bring a plastic
poop bag or a plastic grocery sack to pick your dog’s feces up.
All my dogs potty on command and it’s easy to train your dog to do the same. Feed and water your dog well,
then bring him to the area where you want him to go and let him sniff naturally. As he lifts his leg or she squats,
say, “Go potty” in a soft voice. When he finishes, praise him. Don’t worry if he doesn't understand.
While walking your pup, do not allow your pup to potty wherever it wants. There is a place and a command for
that. If your dog goes potty whenever it wants, this may get to be a real pain in your side when your dog gets old-
er and outweighs you or pulls your arm out of its socket. Let your pup potty before the walk, at a designated turn
around and/or at the end of the walk. That should be plenty when you go on a twenty-minute walk with your old-
er dog. When walking a young pup be sure to walk them only for about five minutes at a time. You walk a young
pup more often as they cannot hold their energy and water in for as long as an older dog can.
While walking one of my stud dogs that weigh over a hundred pounds, I need to make sure he knows we are
on a walking exercise. First, before we even go for the walk, my stud dog is allowed to run around the farm to re-
lieve himself. Then, I get out our special leash and collar for pleasure walking. Pleasure walking means that my
dog does not pick fights and he doesn’t sniff continuously or lift his leg every five seconds! He is to do his business
before we step foot off the property.
After we leave that invisible property line, the chance for marking territory or messing around is over. No more
lifting of the leg until we get back on our property. That is our rule and there cannot be any leeway on this rule for
a macho stud dog or you will need chiropractic care!
Note: Plan the length of your walk according to the age of the pup and its training level.
My four-month-old has never been on a leash, so I put on his flat collar and attach a twelve-foot leash. This
pup understands the “come” and “sit” commands. As he runs in the opposite direction, I call him to me. I watch
his stress level as we head out of the property and down the road. It is unfamiliar territory so I walk about eighty
feet, all the while calling him and then praising the pup when he is close to me. Eighty-feet out and eighty-feet
back. End of lesson. It took me twenty minutes to get the pup and myself ready and it took us eight minutes to
walk our first planned heeling exercise. No “go potty” was used, as it was inappropriate at this time. Reminds me
of fixing dinner, two hours to prepare dinner and five minutes to eat it!
“Watch me” This command is not necessary for a housedog, but it can be fun. It does not hurt to learn this
command. The ‘watch me’ command is used to let my dogs know that I want them to watch me or to look up at
my face and to pay attention to anything else that might be going on. Therefore, I find it useful in my everyday
life.
To begin to teach the watch me command you will need to ask the dog to “watch me” for a short amount of
time.
If you are boring, the pup is not going to watch you. If your dog is hungry or your dog sees the hot dog in your
mouth then you will have complete attention. Bend over and let the dog have some of that hot dog that is hang-
ing from your mouth. The dog will understand “watch me” means that there is a hot dog in your mouth. The dog
will now look for the hot dog, and consequently up at your face, every time you say the magic words “watch me.”
When the dog is about to look away, bend over slowly and keep your dog’s attention by showing the pup the
hot dog. If the dog gets up from the sit, tell the dog to sit . . . then let the dog have a taste of the hot dog while he
is sitting.
Back up a tad with your head, then move your head towards the dog’s head, let the pup get another taste of
the hot dog, then back the head up a tad . . . then come forward again and give the dog another taste. Use “watch
me” and it will appear that the dog is actually watching you, which he is . . ., for a hot dog.
As the dog gets older “watch me” will mean to look at your mouth . . . The trainer must not let the dog look
away.
That is your job . . . to keep the dog’s attention for a period of time. If you stress the dog too long, the dog will
not enjoy it and will look away. Your job is to keep the pup’s attention on your lips with the hot dog. When the
timing is right, give the dog a taste. Back up . . . come forward . . . another taste and so on . . .
That is the beginning of the training “watch me.” After a couple of months your dog will learn to watch you for
longer periods of time, waiting for that hot dog like a dog that begs at the dinner table. When puppies, they do
not beg for long because of their short attention spans, but they learn that if they beg long enough (and longer)
they will finally get that little taste or morsel of food . . . because the food reward is sooooo strong.
Training Eight Month Old Carlitta (the story of)

Some folks have told me that they have gotten ideas from what I have written here. These are my diary re-
marks while I was training one of my dogs. You must remember that my dogs are always the last to be trained, as I
am so busy with everyone else’s dogs.
This is Carlitta and she is eight months old. She has been in the “pack” since she was twelve weeks old. She was
born in the “pack setting” and came in the house (with the whole litter) to a whelping room from birth to six days
old or so. Then the litter was transferred back to the den outside. Every so often, I would bring the pups in and
check them over, weigh them and write my report on each of the pups and get photos.
At seven wks old: Carlitta became the sole pup around the kennel and was given special treatment and train-
ing. She learned to take baths, “stand” for grooming and photos, “sit” and lay ‘down’. At four or five months old,
she was returned to the pack and her training discontinued. She was the “pick on” dog as all dogs chose her to
pick on. She became frightened or environmentally conditioned to avoid the pack members at certain times. She
gobbled up her food when it was her turn or when she could get some from a dish before the other dogs finished
their food.
At eight months old: I have now taken her out of the pack to better her training. She is to become an Assistant
dog to a four year old autistic boy who only eats baby food out of the “first choice baby foods for young infants”
as he has a touch sensitivity to anything that has any amount of texture. He also has tantrums in which he hits his
head with his fists and bites himself. He cannot talk but does make a few sounds. He is intelligent and understands
what you tell him, too intelligent! He knows his colors and numbers.
Therefore, I have a goal and know where I am headed. My mind set is right on for this type of training. First
things are always first and that is basic obedience training.
TRAINING DAY ONE

Today is the first day of training and I went into the pack of dogs with a leash and choke chain. I called the dog
to me and Carlitta didn’t want to come ‘cause all the other dogs were piling up on me. So, I grabbed her choke
chain and then ordered her to come. She realized I had the chain around her neck and made sure she made it
loosen its grip by coming towards the pull (me). Be careful if you do this, as you may come away without a finger
or at least a sore one.
I then attached the leash to her choke and told the other dogs to “back off.” I use the dog’s name that I am go-
ing to let out of the kennel when the door opens. They all learn the meaning of this way of opening a gate.
Out she bolted, so I held on tight and just let her go. She came to the end of the leash and I braced myself. I was
still standing as I was holding on to the chain link fence.
Now I was ready to deal with this eight-month-old puppy “one on one”
I take her for a walk. I do my part and walk as straight and pace-fully as possible . . . when she is near my left
side I tell her “good dog” and that is all I do for now.
Around and around she goes where she stops nobody knows.
Yep, that’s right she is walking at a fast clip around my body at the end of the fifteen-foot leash that I have
reeled in to about six feet.
I have learned how to make the leash move around my body so I can keep up with her without getting tied up
in all that leash. I also have to ‘reel and unreel’ the lead so that it is not all over the ground when she is close, nor
does it tighten up and choke the dog when she goes bounding off to wherever her little heart thinks she is going
to go. This takes a considerable amount of concentration and agility on my part. “Say, who’s walkin who here?”
When I think she is getting too far away, I call out her name first to get her attention and then to see if she will
come. If my calling her does not faze her, I yank on the leash and then slack up on it. This is what I call the “jerk
and release”.
The choke chain is about two inches too long and makes a racket of a noise by her ears . . . so she hears that
noise and then, “Choke and release, choke and release” all the while I call her to me. Here she comes around and
around my body she goes . . . finally by the end of the walk she has settled down pretty much. Ever train a pony?
We do not do any formal training at this time! She is just gaining in experience and knowledge and I do not get
frustrated because I know she is learning and this is the first step in a process that will teach her what it is I want
of her.
When she gets tired, she will settle in on my left side if I guide the leash then reel and un-reel her into position
on my heeling side. There is another way but I have no treats this morning. Sometimes I will put a hot dog in my
left ‘closed’ fist for her to concentrate on; this keeps her on the left side.
Ok, now we get to the front door, wham she runs into it. Then she wags her silly tail and thinks I am going to
open the door. “Why doesn’t she open it” I hear her thinking?
I tell her “sit”. I pet her slowly and she gets up and wags her tail. I stop petting her as soon as her butt comes off
the sidewalk. “SIT” I tell her again as I push her butt down. I do not get mad, as this is an acting job! I count to
eight, then open the door, in she bolts . . . and whap there goes the choke chain once again as I hold onto the
door frame. I sat on the couch and she wanted to climb in my lap, “SIT” I told her and grabbed her into a sit. Then
nice and calmly I petted her again. She wanted to wiggle here and there so I controlled her head. Placed it in my
lap and slowly stroked it. We sat there for five minutes talking and calming her down. (lap therapy for the big
dog!)
I had put a large plastic crate in my office so I walked her in there (leash still on) and I threw a piece of hot dog
in her crate way towards the back. When she was in, I was tuckered out!
She stayed there for five hours while I typed out some more on my first book ‘The American Alsatian’. Then I took
her back into the living room (leash always on a dog in training) and tied her leash around the kitchen/living room
table where I could watch her.
I gave her water and kibbles and then went about my chores always in sight of her.
At nighttime, we sat together on the floor and watched TV.
At 10:00 pm, we went for a walk to go potty. It is thirty degrees outside and though she doesn’t mind it, I have
to get all my winter gear on. Ten minutes of getting prepared, 15 minutes of walking around in a circle in the grass
and then ten more minutes putting my gear away. Nope, she didn’t go.
It is a lot of work and constant attention to the dog. My husband complains.
I hit the bed exhausted . . . and Carlitta got put in a crate as she had not gone potty and I wasn’t going to take a
chance that she might go piddle on my living room carpet. NOTE: TRAIN THE PUPPY…
TRAINING DAY TWO

We got up at 4:30 am. I put two leashes together and snapped it on Carlitta’s choker while she was still in the
cage. Let me explain how this is done. She stays in the cage as I open the door because I order her to. She is not to
run out of the cage all excited, she is not to come out until I say her name. If she begins to come out I close the
door on her nose then I explain to her again what the word ‘stay’ means.
She didn’t whine all night but she did whine a bit before I opened the cage door and she thought she was going
to run out. Hehe. I placed my large body smack in front of the crate and I opened the door. I told her to ‘stay’ and
when she tried to bolt out, I quickly shut the door. If you try this watch out not to get your fingers smashed. Just
shut it on her enough to make her back off. Some dogs that I have trained needed me to do this several times be-
fore they learned that they were not going to bolt out and ‘cause havoc.
After I attached the leash, I moved my office chair and myself from in front of her cage and opened the door.
She came out cautiously.
We go into the living room and I know she needs to say hi to me so I sit on the couch. When I sit down this tells
my dogs that it is ok to come over and get petted.
I allow her to circle in front of me on her leash. I do not pet her for this behavior is unacceptable, I tell her to
“stop” which is one of my words for “stop squirreling around”.
Carlitta has not gone potty for about eighteen hours and I figure it’s time to go so I watch her in the house. I see
the look in her eyes. I get her a bowl of water as I want to fill her bladder.
We head out side and she watches me as I turn the knob on the door and I realize, this is a smart pup already
she watches my hands. Last night while my husband and I were eating our polish hot dogs and watching the Sun-
day night football, Carlitta had laid down and I had torn off a small bit of the hot dog bun and threw it to her. She
got up of course and ate the bread then wanted more. I waited until she had laid down again and repeated the
bread throwing reward. Again, she stood up and wanted more, then she sat, then she laid down. I waited until
Carlitta’s muscles were easy and not tense and then I tore off another piece as she watched. Then she stood up in
anticipation of her reward. I did not throw the bread to her and she laid back down. I then said, “Good girl” in a
soft voice and threw her the bread. In less than thirty minutes, she had gotten that if she lay down she would get
a reward. She was tied to the leg of a table so she could not come over to me.
We went out for the potty routine once again. We walked around to get her bowels and kidneys moving. No go,
I didn’t think so! After about eight minutes, we came back in. She wanted her privacy, so we came back in and
walked into the office. She went right into her crate as I sat in my chair and then I gave her another chewy to
chew on.
It is a critical moment now in the potty training game. I know she is holding it. If I allowed her to roam the
house, she would go on the floor in any number of places.
When potty training you must know what times your pup has gone and you must pay attention to these times
when you know she has to go and/or doesn’t.
We then went out to the living room (again) and I let her drink more water to fill up (she is a conservative).
Carlitta comes to me and picks up a glove off the living room table, “good dog, but give that to me, thank you,
oh you are so good”! We do not want to discourage this dog from retrieving (as we will use this in our training)
when we get further into it.
We walk to the Mudroom and she smells the smells of other puppies and looks over the toys. I choose one for
her and show it to her as I do not want her to get hyper on me. If I hide the toy, she would get hyper in the house
and that is a no, no. I allow her to see it. She sniffs it and takes it. “Good dog”. We walk back to the living room
and she drops it along the way, oh well. We go to the couch and she buries her head in my lap. I hug her neck,
love on her, and tell her how good she is.
Carlitta loves to be hugged and petted. She lies on her back and I softly pet her neck and her muzzle. I had no-
ticed she did not approve of my fingers going in her mouth yesterday. So I feel some teeth and continue stroking
her muzzle. She is annoyed but we will get over that soon. This is going to be an easy dog to train. All Carlitta will
require are instructions or guidance on how to behave and repetition in her training. This type of a dog needs to
feel safe and needs to gain self-confidence in herself.
Three hours later, I suit up again. This time my plan is to go on a three-block stroll and we shall see how she does.
She is coming along well with the heeling. I have reeled her in to about four to six feet of leash and am now
walking up next to anything that is an obstacle on my right side so that she will not go to the right of me. Fences,
ditches, tall grass I just walk up real close to those objects and she figures out that she cannot get around me any
longer.
By the half way mark, she is walking on my left side and a little ahead of me.
I had started her heeling exercises way early in life and it appears she has remembered some. I introduced her to
distractions back then and we continued our heeling so this time was not as dramatic as it would have been if she
had never been on a leash. Had she never been on a leash I would probably have stopped to console her, got
down on one knee, petted her and talked with her.
When we get back to the driveway (beyond that invisible line that I have drawn for all my dogs never to cross
without me) I call her to me and raise my hands. “ok” I tell her, “we are done” then a “go potty” and I allow her to
venture out to the end of the leash to go pee. Still she does not go! I walk her over to some tall grass as this al-
ways seems to help my dogs produce the necessary stimulation and “whalla” “yippee” I shout, “good girl” and she
smiles and wags her tail!
Off we go into the house with Carlitta leading the way to the sliding glass door, she takes one backward glance
at the kennels as if to say, “Ha ha, I get the privilege of the house and you don’t!”
Well it’s been a busy day already. We ate breakfast and she sat under the table. When she “laid down”, she was
rewarded. She didn’t lay down much as she was too intent on watching me eat. Ha ha. She will learn. We must
not hurry things. Everything in its time.
Two hours later we go back out to “go potty” as she has not gone since I brought her into the house. We are
going out every two hours and still nothing. I guess she feels she is not supposed to go while on the leash.
I chain her to the kitchen table at all times as we will not have an accident! I also will not allow her to do as she
wants while in my house as my house is not the kennel.
We went for two walks today and the second walk was almost perfect!
We are now learning the hand signals and the English word for “sit” and ‘down’ and “come” and ‘by me’. I feel
the command ‘by me’ is a better word than ‘heel’ as the latter sounds too much like “here” and I use that word in
my obedience recall or “sit in front”.
I use the word “foose” (a German word for heel or walk beside me) as I want all my commands to be completely
distinguishable.
Here is a list of the commands I put in Carlitta’s workbook to work on:

‘by me’ walk beside my left thigh. This is used when she forges.
“Here” come and sit in front of me
“Fuss” begin walking beside my left thigh.
“Verouse” go around an object such as my body or a tree or a car.
“Hup” jump up or over an object
“No” stop what she is doing immediately
‘down’: lie down
“Sit” to sit
“Wait” to wait until I tell her to do something else
‘stay’ to stay there, not to move a muscle.
“Stand pretty”: to stand for a photo, or brushing
“Stand stay”: to stand and not move a muscle.
“Pull it” to tug an object with her teeth and mouth.
“Gimmy that” a game where she is to find and bring me an object
“Find it” a game to find something that smells the same as the object that I am letting her sniff.
“Go home” to go on to our property and through the front door directly.
Phone rings: to go to the phone and watch it.
Doorbell: to go to the door and watch it
Fire alarm: to come to me and pull on a rope attached to my wrist.
“Go potty”: to go potty now.
MOST of these commands have a NON-VERBAL command.
TRAINING DAY THREE

Carlitta has not pooped in three days and “go potty” is not being understood or else I am not finding her desir-
able places to defecate in the grass. This tells me she is a nervous dog and not at all comfortable being trained and
in the house. She also does not want to defecate in front of me or on the leash. She has been free to roam in the
½-acre farm and to do her business without a leash and collar on so this is not comfortable for her.
Carlitta now sits on verbal and hand signals at six feet away. Her down on command hand signal is lacking and
must still be done about two feet away but we are going to get to the “six feet away down” by hand signal by the
end of the day as this gal is capable.
Her heeling was terrible today and she finally pooped (while heeling) in four different locations but we now
know the word “go potty” as I praised her and told her the “go potty” word as she was doing her business. Boy did
I feel stupid praising my dog for pooping.
We did work on the ‘by me’ today and we got pretty good at it. One more heel today and she will have gone
from a five mile per hour heel to a snail’s pace, which is what my mom and I walk at . . . so from a hyperactive pup
to a slow meander is pretty good in three days.
She has the heel position down. She does an “about heel” because she has her heel position down pat and is
stuck like glue to the left thigh, though as I said she is still forging, but that will be corrected by tonight. Then we
will have to work hard on it for the next two days. I will go to the pinch collar as I am getting blisters jerking and
releasing that choke collar. It’s time as she knows how it is supposed to be.
Well, that is the beginning of the training of Carlitta. I hope you have learned a little bit from that true story.
Training your dog Commands at an Early Age
Each exercise must have a clear beginning and a clear ending. A dog gets worried wondering whether he is
supposed to be doing something, but not knowing what.
The release has three elements: the verbal command “ok”, touching the dog on the chest, and moving out of
position. All three are done simultaneously to create an explosive acting release. A really good choice of a word
to use as your release is “Free” or “Ya”.
The raising of both arms in the air with all of the above is an explosive ‘release’ releasing the dog from our
training sessions. You can use this release a number of times to let Fido know we are done. Always play or romp
in the release. (No, you will not have to exaggerate the rest of his life). Watch your dog as he watches you and
you will see when he ‘gets it’. Warning, do not try and ‘trick’ your dog by not giving clear and precise commands
when he is in his learning stage. You will confuse him and he will try to read you. He shouldn’t have to try to read
you at this stage in the game; he should be reading you loud and clear. When I see folks give unclear commands, I
‘read’ that they really do not know whether they should give a command at this time or wait, or whatever… If
your command is not clear, you are not clear. Know your lesson, do your lesson and stop when the lesson is over.
Then go back to the handbook and draw up the next lesson. You will find that you will be drawing up more than
the next lesson when you really ‘get it’. I will be watching you.
“COME” AND “SIT” Always tell your dog to sit. Do not tell a dog to sit and then say, “awe, I guess you don’t have
to right now.” That is lying to your pup.
The Golden rule for the sit command is: Never pet your dog unless he is sitting. Don’t let anybody else pet him
unless he is sitting. The moment your dog gets up from a sit, walk away . . . Turn your back. Don’t pay him any
more attention. When you are sitting on the couch and your pup comes over and looks in your eyes and wags his
tail, (maybe even nudges you) do you automatically pet him and smile? Well don’t!
Never feed your dog unless he sits first.
SIT I go to the refrigerator, pull out the baggy that has chopped up hot dogs, and cheese in it, which I have cut to
about the size of a dime.
I rattle the bag and kneel down as I call for my puppy in a high-pitched voice. If he doesn’t come, I go to him
and kneel down about two arm lengths away. I hold out the hot dog slice and let him sniff it, but I clinch my fist as
he tries to get it and I bring my hand in towards me as the pup follows. I continue saying, “Vegas, come!’ ‘Good
boy” and I open my hand as he eats the treat. Before he goes away, jumps on me, tears my hand up, or eats my
fingers I stand up and get another treat. When he looks up at my hand, (he knows there is a treat there) his bot-
tom will automatically go down. If the pup is really hungry, I continue giving him treats (cheese this time) as I
speak his name until he gets full of the cheese and the excitement is not so bad. He has calmed down and realizes
the cheese will continue to come if he just sits there. Voila!
I move across the kitchen. Vegas waits a bit, and then follows me. I then tell the dog to sit and bring out the
hot dog piece. I hold the hot dog slice just above his head and slightly back towards his shoulders so that he sits.
(Since a dog is parallel to the ground, he must sit to look up). As quick as a mouse I give him the hot-dog slice.
Take your time now, get another treat, and repeat the same step. If the pup tries to get the hot dog, close your
fist. He must sit first.
Don’t put your hand so close next time, but don’t let him jump up either. It’s a bit tricky but pay attention and
work with your timing. Stop before your dog is full and tires of the game. Do this once every hour for a period of
one or two minutes. Two more times and your pup will never forget it. When the refrigerator opens or you are
opening a bag, your pup will come running! Hehe!
While he is following you around the house and he figures out you have hot dog tidbits, hold one out for him
to sniff then push your hand back over the middle of his head. As his head tries to follow the hot dog, his butt will
sit so he can get a better view. Give him the hot dog immediately, before he jumps for it. If your pup is jumping
for it, your hand is too far away.
COME This is the most important command in the world! This command may save your life, your dog’s life, or
the life of your child. This command is not to be taken lightly.
Never lie to your pup. Never tell your pup to come and then not mean it. This means you should never use the
word “come” unless you mean it. If you do use the word ‘come’ and your pup does not come, you must go get
him.
Do not keep asking him to come with no result. If you do, he will realize that you do not really mean what you
say.
You should get the leash and choke collar first so you can be in control and your pup will not be able to get
away. If your dog doesn't ‘come’ when you call him: Go get your shoes on (or your coat and hat) it doesn’t matter
if it takes you a while, just don’t get mad. If you are mad and out of control, wait. Count to ten. If your pup does
get away, shame on you! Now you have a pup that will run away. He wins!
He will now have to live his entire life with a rope or leash attached to his collar. Next time when you call him
and he doesn’t come, you can step on the rope attached to your pup and you will be able to win.
Never punish your pup for coming. If you are going to punish your dog for something, you must go get him.
Always. Get the leash and choke chain first! If you accidentally tell him to come and he does, you must praise
him no matter what he has done to upset you. ‘Come’ is always safe, no matter what. It’s that important.
Never tell your pup ‘come here’ and then give him a shot, bath, or medicine.
Look at the ‘come’ command this way: Your body is the safest spot in the world for your pup. When your pup is
near your body, he is protected and safe, unless your body goes to him loudly and stiffly and with a voice that
emanates from you that resembles an earthquake, dark clouds, or a whirlwind.
Punishment (for an act that is not allowed by your pup) is dealt with in that way. It is an “ACT” put on by you. It is
this ‘ACT’ of anger that the pup reads and understands. I do not even have to be angry, yet the pup perceives me
to be. Your pup will never forget what brought that upon him.
Note that all those bad things your pup does must be dealt with in the same way. If your pup gets away with
what you consider bad, he will learn that he can do the bad act when you are not around. You are the human and
you must put on your thinking cap. You must make it so that the pup does not do any wrong unless you are set-
ting the pup up.
When your pup comes when you call him, go the extra mile. Get up, go to the fridge, and find something to
reward him with every single time. Believe me food works. He will love you for it.
DOWN While you are teaching your dog to ‘come’ and to ‘sit’, pay attention to your arms, hands and body lan-
guage. Your dog has begun to read you. That is how you speak to him. Some humans don’t know this, now you
do. (Hehe) Your pup should be watching your hands by now. This is very good! The ‘down’ command is your
closed fist with a hot dog in it going down to the floor in front of his nose. You may push your pup down on the
floor and give him that treat immediately as his elbows touch the floor, or you may do this ‘down’ command an
easier way! A way that he won’t fight against!
Wait until your dog is laying down then place a treat between his two front feet. “Good dog.” If he gets up,
walk away. If he stays down, give another treat, one after another as quick as you can before he gets up. This is
the reason your tidbits must be small. Remember if he gets up, walk away, and pay him no attention.
I prefer this command. I love this command! While in the house, I always treat a dog or pup that is lying
down.
The dogs do not understand it at first and will get up and come to me for another one. “Oh my, she’s giving
out hot dog slices for no reason!’ ‘How strange is that?”
My dogs pick it up rather quickly though and they lie down and look at me to see that I have acknowledged
them lying down. Just walk over to a lying down, calm dog, pat him on the head, and tell him that you approve of
this type of behavior. If he gets up while you are approaching him, walk away, and say nothing.
Here’s a secret, Always acknowledge that they are lying down! Do not forget that please!
STAY This is another very easy command! First start with that “Vari” kennel. I start this ‘stay’ command at the
age of eight weeks old or when I first acquire my pup. The lesson is repetitive vocal sounds emanating in a firm
tone from you out into the atmosphere.
When I put the pup in the “Vari” kennel, I give the command ‘stay.’ When I walk away, I say the command again.
Then I come back with a treat. Then I go away and then come back. I never leave the pup for more than two
minutes in the beginning. As the pup gets use to me coming and going, he hears the word over and over again.
I never go back to the “Vari” kennel with a reward if the pup is whining and carrying on. I go back to such a dog with
the sound of hard feet on the floor, my body stiff, and my voice upset and low. I yell at the bad dog and may hit the top
of the “Vari” kennel. Then I say “Quiet.” If he doesn’t quiet down, I pick the kennel up and put it back down, each time I
do this I am more rough about setting it down, when he is quieter than the last, I reward him, if his voice gets louder I
set the crate down harder. This is repetition and you must be aware of the noise level. When the noise level is up, you
are rougher, when the noise level goes down, you are softer. The dog will get it. They understand such things. If he
does not it, then I lose! Now I will have to not pay him any attention until he becomes quiet.
As our training goes forward, I repeat the ‘stay’ again and hide myself around a corner. I count to five or ten and be-
fore the pup cries, I return to that “win-win” outcome. He gets a reward for being good. (You as the trainer must get
back before the pup whines). I do not emphasize the ‘stay’ command if we have a problem just being in the “Vari” ken-
nel. If your pup is crying and whining in the “Vari” kennel then your pup has a problem being in the crate. You must give
that problem your full attention before you go on to the next command. When training any animal you must train for
one thing at a time. Get that one thing done first. Work on one problem or command at a time. Do not confuse the
pup.
As you walk away from the cage that you put your pup in, tell your dog to ‘stay.’ When you come back praise him,
give him a reward through the cage door. Continue doing this until your dog is about four months old. Guess what?
He now understands the word ‘stay’ sort of. Of course, every time you walked away from the playpen, you also used
the word ‘stay.’ I also hope that you have watched your body language. I do not care how you do it, just do it the same
every time. My stay is my raised up arm that is perpendicular to the floor and my index finger pointed straight to him.
My eyes are fixed upon the pup looking him directly in the eye and my voice is deep and stern. My pup has just gradu-
ated to the exercise pen. It is a folding fence about three feet high and ten feet long. I can complete a circle with this
fence or I can use it in the mudroom up against two walls forming a small caged in area.
When I put the pup in this cage, I say stay and walk away. When I return the pup gets a treat. I never treat a crying,
whining dog. I note how long I can be away without him crying and add ten seconds more the next time. Reward and
praise as always.
Whenever I leave my pup, I use the word ‘stay’ or ‘wait there’. I want the pup to know that I will be returning. That
is what that command means to my dogs.
I never use this command if I will not return. That would be lying to him.
I never use this command if the dog will not stay. I always make sure that the command will be followed or
I do not say it.
If your older dog is tied up next to a tree or in the back of your truck or tied up anywhere else that he must stay at,
then you may use the word ‘stay.’
Voila! Simple, huh? What’s that you say? Of course he must stay! Why yes, that is the way to train him. He wins, I
win. This is not a formal stay as in training for an obedience trial. If you want that kind of a stay then you must train in
that type of environment and with military proficiency.
Next step is to put your dog on a leash attached to a post and tell the dog stay, hide yourself then go back and
praise the dog. He will learn that stay means you are going to return. Use the word “wait” if you will be calling the dog
to you or ordering the dog to do something.
The following phrase will help you to remember which words to use in training.
Stay until you die.
Wait until I call you.
Of course, your dog will never stay until he dies. It is just a saying that will remind you that your dog is on a ‘stay’
and you must return to him to take him out of the permanent ‘stay’ that you put him in. I once placed a dog in a doggy
bed and used the word ‘stay’ and in about thirty minutes, I past his bed and saw him there! I went over, praised him,
and used the “ok” to tell him he could leave if he wanted. I really do not think the dog was obeying the command, or
was he?
WAIT UNTIL I CALL YOU This command is used on the recall and is explained in greater detail in my book
“Companion Dog Training.”. This command also has its own body language so the pup will understand more thor-
oughly and doesn’t get confused. The only problem with body language and a command is that you cannot do
both of them at the same time in an A.K.C. ring, but then again I don’t figure you will be doing that, or will you?
HEEL Heeling my dogs outside the obedience game is not the same as inside the ring. In this book, we are not
training a dog for the ring. Therefore, my rules on heeling my dogs are simple:
Do not pull on the leash. Walk beside me, slightly behind me, or a little in front of me, but do not cross my path
as I might trip. Do not cross another human beings path as they might trip. Do not disrespect other person’s prop-
erties. Do not walk on someone else’s grass. Do not walk in the street ever! Sit when I stop, (unless you feel you
are threatened) and never sniff anybody especially in the crotch. Ignore all people and animals (unless I introduce
them to you). Never growl or bite unless you feel threatened and if you ever do feel threatened, I will remove us
both to some place where you will feel safe. I will respect your feelings and you will respect mine. I will protect
you from harm and keep you out of negatively charged conflicts and you will protect me when I can no longer
protect myself.
Remember that these are my rules. You must also have rules. You must write them down so you know them.
As it is, you probably do not have any and/or have never thought about it. Now I ask you, how can your dog
know the rules of his life if you, his master, do not know your own rules? You first must know the rules of your
life. When you know them, you will convey them to your dog. Believe me he will know.
Once the puppy feels at home, he must learn to walk on a leash. Let your pup drag his leash around the home
for a while until he gets used to having something attached to him. Only with supervision. Do not let him get hung
up on things and pay attention so you could help him if he needs you.
Don’t let the dog pull the leash while you are holding it.
Use a 10 or 15 foot leash. Learn to reel it in and let it go. That is a real art, like fly fishing.
Let the pup run around with an 6 ft. leash and collar on while supervised.
Quickly jerk the leash when it becomes taut so that it loosens up.
Praise the dog with words and pets when he/she walks on a loose leash on your favor-
ite side
Go for many walks together. 8.
7.
Now we can begin our heeling exercises—
6.
Since my dogs are farm dogs, the perimeters are clearly marked with electric fencing,
as I do not want my dogs to ever venture off the property. My dogs are not anyone
else’s problem. Nobody else chose them for a responsibility. I am the owner. I am re-
sponsible. 5.
My dogs do not leave the invisible line that crosses the driveway into the dirt road in
front of our country farmhouse. I must make that clear to all my dogs. They are never to
go off this property. I am adamant about that. I cannot protect them if they go off the
property and many things can happen. Someone can instill fear and anger in my dogs by 4.
kicking them or throwing things at them, yelling at them, or even shooting them. If I al-
low my dogs to roam the neighborhood then I have placed strangers in control of my
dog and his/her training program. Those strangers are now able to influence my dog’s
character. 3.
A dog off its property may break the rules and once the rules are broken, bad habits
become carved in stone.
This dog may now cross the street, chase pray, destroy property, bark, run, tease, and 2.
even bite. All that (running at large) is irresponsible and goes against the laws of most
states. Such actions created by an animal owner ultimately ‘cause more problems in
1.
one’s life. Who needs more problems?
Leash Training I begin my heeling exercise with a heeling collar and the heeling leash of about twelve feet
long. I call my four-month-old pup to me, reward him, and then snap on the leash. As he runs away, I call him
back to me before he gets to the end of the leash. If he gets to the end, he will punish himself with a restrictive
force around his neck. He will be restrained, and captured! I will call him again to get his attention off the pain and
onto my voice. I may have to reel the pup in some to give the leash some slack. Then when restriction subsides, I
bend down and call him to me in a high pitched happy voice. My pup remembers that I am safety and love and
hugs and comes running to me for protection. I stay there with him for about a minute petting and reassuring him
that I am his safety. I get up and begin to walk as I talk to him and ask him to walk with me.
Now the important thing here is that you do not get that entire leash wrapped around yourself or your pup.
You must not let that leash pull on the pups neck while he is safe by you as you are walking. This will be disas-
trous. There must be no restriction on his physical being. You must be his safety. A place where there is only
love and happiness.
Beside you (on the left side) there is only love and every time he is near you, he must never be spanked or
feel threatened. Later in his trainings you may use a form of punishment that will communicate you are dis-
pleased but he will still know that you are his safety. So before you get up and start walking, unwrap all that leash
and roll it up loosely in your right hand. If your dog bolts, the leash should be able to unravel easily until he again
comes to the end of the line. He will learn quickly that twelve feet is a boundary line and he will begin to slow
down before he gets there. You will then call him back to you. Jerk and release the line to get his attention. Then
praise him when he gets back to you for about a minute to reassure him. As you heel your pup for the first week,
only give him one rule, and that is “Don’t pull the leash.”
As he learns this and his stress level drops, start reeling in the twelve-foot boundary. You may also start guiding
him to your left side by praising him every time he is on your left side and ignoring him or giving him some bad
experiences at any other position besides the left side. Do not praise him when he is on the wrong side!
You are closing the circle of his freedom and guiding him to your left side. Make sure nothing bad ever happens
to him when he is on your left side. Do not step on his feet or run into him. You must stop moving or go faster. If
you do stop, bend down and guide him to a sit on your left side then you can pet and praise him. Never pet or
praise him anywhere else but your left side.
Your Foot work when heeling or walking your dog
Once your dog is comfortable heeling on your left side, begin heeling by stepping off with the foot he can see.
(Your left foot).
This first diagram shows your feet as ovals, your dog as a circle with the smiley face in it.
Look at #1. You will see that your left foot has an arrow showing that your left foot begins walking in a straight
line
#2. Shows that first left foot step off.
#3. Your right foot now goes forward as you are walking.
#4. Continue walking normally.
To Stop Your Heel —

#8. You will see that the left oval foot is black. This means that you stomped or placed down (heavily) your last
step. You must never stop your walking by placing your right foot down last. We always stop with our left foot
because it is the foot beside our dog and our dog is watching that foot. This is Universal language. (TM)
Stop your heel by letting your dog know you are going to stop! You are a team and heeling is not a trick to be
known only by you so that you can prove your dog stupid or you better than him. You are a team and he must
win. So how do you do that? Remember I said that your pace must be consistent? Ok, three steps before you
stop you will tell your dog that you are going to stop by slowing down your pace! A change of pace will alert your
dog to “something is wrong, or something is about to happen.” You get his attention right away! Also notice that
your foot steps are CLOSER together.
When you are ready to stop, stomp your left foot down firmly on the ground. It might startle him at first, but
soon he will know you are at a dead stop and what comes after that? He will sit. Since a dog can hear the change
in footsteps, your last step need only grab your dog’s attention, not scare him. As he watches for this “stop” to
come after the change in pace, you will have a team effort in your heeling exercise that will always and forever be
a silent communication between best friends!
Your Pace
Walk in a straight line at all times and walk in a pace that keeps his attention. (Usually a fast pace). Your pace
must be consistent. That means do not slow down and do not speed up. If it helps to put a hot dog in your left
hand or just the smell of one on your shoe do it.
Right and Left Turns
Dogs read everything you do, so watch your body movement at all time.
Place an x on your left heeling shoe to remind you that your pup watches this foot closely. When you turn
right or left, show the pup that you are going to do something by slowing down your heeling pace three steps be-
fore your execution. If you will stop or turn right or turn left, make the x shoe be the one that tells him what you
are doing. Use that foot first when executing your turn.
When you turn to the right you will be turning away from your dog so your left foot must exaggerate a swing
or arch going from straight to the right or in front of your right foot. This swing of the left foot moving off to the
right direction goes in front of you and your right foot … Fido will follow that swing. You will not have to exagger-
ate this left foot swing as your dog learns to go with your left foot, just for now, he is learning to stay with your
left foot.
When you turn to the left you will place your left foot in front of Fido’s chest. This is the second clue you give
Fido as the first clue was what? SLOW DOWN… If Fido is walking too far ahead of you, then your next move, your
right foot, will be placed under the dogs rib cage and your right knee may plow into his body to wake him up.
“Ooops, I am too far ahead of my partner” your dog may think… (not really). But he will get the point. Dogs do
this in the pack formation while running. They plow into one another and take big hits to the chest or ribs from
other dogs who are messing around. It is a form of communication.
If done correctly though, the left turn slows down your dog or stops your dog as the right foot is placed in front
of him. This will automatically tell him that he is to be turning left.
I will use a left turn consistently on any dog that forges. That is how I correct a forger.
A Large, Heavy, Stubborn, Older Dog
Get a pinch collar the one with the spikes all around. You have to have it snug but not tight as it should
only enforce the “beside me” command as he goes forward.
This pinch collar must be put on the correct way. This is not as a choker. The choker works in a totally dif-
ferent manner.
This pinch collar will save your hand and shoulders, believe me it is well worth it!!! They cost about twenty
dollars or so; no more than that.
You should put this pinch collar on an older dog by undoing one of the links, as it should not slip over the dogs
head.
The chain part of this pinch collar should be at his throat so that when you jerk and release the spikes will
not pinch into his throat but will severely pinch down into the back neck muscles in back of the skull or head
as there are no pinch metal stakes on the throat area.
The Jerk and Release
The only thing left for the handler to do now is to apply the pinch at the right moment and as we ‘jerk and
release’ in the same manner as the choke collar.
DO NOT PULL WITH A CONSTANT PULL ON THIS OR ANY COLLAR!
In my classes I will tell a student to put the leash over his shoulder or hang it in his belt loop. This will cor-
rect the student from pulling the choker or pinch collar. The student can grab the leash as it begins to fall and
then the student can jerk the leash to gain the slack necessary in order to replace the leash in the belt loop.
On a lose leash heel your dog, let the dog bolt ahead, tell the dog “hey, I told you to heel” if he absolutely
pays no attention to your voice, doesn’t look around, nothing . . . then wham it hard into his neck. “jerk and
release’ the pressure at once. It is ok if he cries out some. This is a large adult dog we are talking about
here and one without any manners or rules. Remember the ‘jerk and release’ is an attention getter, not a
physical pain and suffering torturing device. The pinch collar is a tool to help the handler/owner to control and
train a dog.
As soon as you have his attention (and there is no pressure on his pinch collar) point to your heel side and
tell him to ‘heel’ or whatever command you may use. I even say, “Get over here”! Then I majorly tell him off
as he is waiting for me to catch up to him, ha . . . I do not do that as he is to come back to me and he is to get
back into the heel position (even if he has to walk backwards) then when he finally gets back into the heel po-
sition, then I tell him, “yes, that’s better” and I pet him while he is in that position, then I walk two steps forward
and halt. The dog should be in the correct heel position now after all that commotion. He should have been
completely baffled and will now remember all the trouble that bolting ahead cost him.
Now I tell him to ‘heel’ or ‘foose’ and we walk off with my left foot first. Believe me your dog will not come
out of the heel position after that ten-minute correction and scolding. Now you can heel him on that complete-
ly lose leash, you can even throw that lead over your left shoulder and just walk without any hands on the
leash, then when you slow down and he continues, just touch that leash and see him spin around and head
back. Of course he will be out of the heel position again, but you realize he has the lesson, he now under-
stands where the heel position is and the rules of the ‘walking beside my owner game’.
Just walk two steps forward and get him back into the correct sit heel position then take off again.
ACT THIRTEEN: DOG CLASSES
_____________________________________________________
The fact that the dog in a dog class is more excited or difficult to handle is no mystery. This is the reason
dog classes are invaluable when you and your dog are ready for distractions. All these distractions teach
your dog to mind no matter what and to pay attention to you. Distractions also teach us (the handlers) how to
make the dog ‘pay attention’ by making us (owner/trainers) use our brains and of course, those hot-dog slices!
Some dog class instructors may be pretty new to the dog training game. Some instructors will refuse to
allow you to use treats. Each instructor is different in how they train their dogs, so pay attention to your trainer
to see if this trainer is the one for you. If the trainer is a bit tough with a brass and hyperactive dog, do not
assume the trainer does not know what he or she is doing. I have seen hyperactive Schutzhund trained dogs
that have needed harsh punishment by a professional trainer and the dog
has bounced right back. That is what I call a ‘hard dog.’ The trainer knew
his dog and the dog knew his trainer. With this kind of dog, such as a
Rottweiler who weighs one hundred and twenty pounds, you better know
how to become respected by the dog, if not, you have no business owning
that particular breed of dog. In America, the choice is yours and so is the
liability when your dog does whatever he wants to. If the dog class trainer
uses that same hard technique on all the dogs, then you do not need this
trainer’s direction. Get out of the class and go home.
In this book, we are talking about the American Alsatian. If you have any
other breed of dog, please know that most of what I am writing about is not
intended for any other breed of dog, especially little small fragile dogs. All
breeds train slightly different as the personality and sensitivity of each
breed is different.
Your Alsatian puppy should go into a puppy training class or a basic
obedience class as soon as possible.
The reason I say to join a class is for your own experience and training. You will learn much more than the
dog! Hehe.
Seriously, if you join a class your dog will get used to being around other dogs and will not fear strangers.
It is good training, unless . . . . The instructor lets overly large dogs in the same small space as little or young
dogs. Such an experience is extremely stressful for little dogs and for young puppies that have just left
mommies . . . . Be ready to grab your pup up in your arms. Personally, I would not allow my dog to be so in-
timidated.
If you are joining a club in a store and there is a blocked off area . . . watch the people and dogs first . . .
see how the trainer introduces the dogs to each other. Ask what her rules are? If she allows all dogs to join
together and sniff butts and noses . . . get out. This is what I call RUDE! There is no call to get so up close
and personal. I can understand what such a method is trying to accomplish but frankly, no thanks. Besides
that, I don’t want my puppy to catch any germs.
What I would do is walk around the store. Write down the times the class is in session and watch on the
outside a few times . . . go home and train your pup first (without distractions) so your pup doesn’t have both
stress and a new command both at the same time.
If you have made up your mind that you are joining such a class, then sit down with your pup and let your
pup peer out from behind your legs under the chair. You are to protect your pup; that is your job. Tell the
folks that your puppy may look like he is an older dog but that he needs to gain experience. Let your pup
come out when he wants. Do not let the other dogs hyperly run over to your dog and scare the begeevies out
of her! Hold her in your lap if you must. Your pup will tell you when she feels comfortable meeting other dogs
of other packs.
SCHWARZ KENNEL BASIC DOG TRAINING PROGRAM
If you are going through one of my dog training classes, you will be handed out this instructional booklet. I
am adding this to the handbook so that you can get an idea of what a basic dog-training instructor can teach
you.
Description of classes
KINDERGARTEN PUPPY TRAINING: Basic Training
Puppies three months and up to six months Communication and dog language
Getting use to the leash, noises, heeling or walking. Heel, come, sit, stand, down, turns, stay, wait,
Coming when called, sitting, down and voice tones. recall.
This is the very beginning for both owners and puppies. This class could be compared to the primary
grades of the average school system. This
class is for owners and/or their dogs that have
Novice training very little experience in the “dogdom.” This
Elementary grades class teaches dog owners how to communi-
Dog attention. Touch ups, rhythm, teamwork. cate to their dog and speak the universal lan-
Figure eight, beginning off leash, stand for exam, re- guage.
call, long sit, and long down. This class is for dog
owners that have had some experience with dogs in
their lives but wish to train this dog properly. This Show and Conformation Classes:
class teaches communication and teamwork. This class teaches proper gait, equipment what
to do at a show, what to wear, special tips,
stacking, baiting, positioning your dog in the
Utility training ring, courtesy, rules spoken and unspoken.
Scent discrimination, directed retrieve, directed This class is a must for dog owners of those
jumps, hand signals and group exam. Turn and sit, go good-looking dogs who conform to the breed
out, directional jumps, jumps with combos, bar jump, standards. If you think your dog fits the de-
group stand. This training brings smiles to everyone scription of the breed, then I encourage you to
who comes in contact with this working team. Extra get in the ring!
credit: college stand, scent find, crowded recall, food
refusal.
Tracking: Scent, topography, weather, movement, Open
equipment, and terrain. Twelve grade. This is a spe- If you and your dog can perform all of the nov-
cialty class for those dog lovers who love the sport of ice exercises with no major errors, you should
the working dog. It entails trips to the parks and early be ready to begin the off leash. In off leash
morning hours. This course is only given in the sum- training your foundation must be solid.
mer once a year and there is a waiting list. We will go Drop on recall, heeling off leash, high jump,
over tracking of strangers and search and rescue. broad jump, retrieve. This class is for the seri-
ous dog lovers who have gone as far as they
ever thought they would and who wonder what
Depending on the size of the group, the ability of this more there could be. This is the “biggy,” the big
group to follow instructions, and the amount of “at home diploma and proud they should be!
training”,
I might decide to forge ahead in our assignments or hold back. You must not, under any circumstances
forge ahead on your own and go off the leash training unless you ask or I tell you personally that the both of
you are ready to do so. It may harm your training and then you will have to back track until the corrections are
made clear in your dog’s mind.
Please have your dog under control at all times and on the leash wherever you are. A fifteen-foot leash is
fine. Your dog will soon be well ahead of the rest of the class if this is practiced.
Please consider:
Any time that you have a training problem, first check yourself and what you are doing. Ninety-nine times
out of one hundred, it is your fault.
If your dog does not seem to be catching on to what you are trying to teach him, put on your thinking cap
and analyze the situation from his point of view.
If he is not enjoying the work, take a look at yourself in the mirror and then learn to smile and have fun.
Consider your dog first, last and always.
Equipment needed:
Choke collar of the right length. Short leash, long leash. Please check your choke collar it must be on
properly to be effective. If you bring children, make sure they are well supervised and under control.
Training time is as specified, please be prompt. If you are unable to come to class, please notify the trainer.
SIX-WEEK COURSE AGENDA
Week one Week two

Registration and check-in How to walk, turn, stop, and turn around
Going over the equipment How to open a door, get in the car, and talk with a friend
Dogs in general. Breeds, communica- “Stand-stay” your dog
tional tones, problems, and Heel your dog
Graduation requirements. Circles, paces, turns
Universal language Sit stay
How to walk
How to pet your dog
How to hold your dog
How to talk to your dog Week three
Rules Stand stay
Stand for exam
Heel, circles, paces turns
In and out
Week four About turns
Stand for exam Sit stay
Heel paces circles lose leash over the shoulder Down
About turns
Down
Down on a heel
Sit from a down Week five
Figure eight Stand for exam
Heel, paces, circles, lose leash
Turns in place
About turns
Down on heel
Week six Sit from down at a distance
Stand for exam Down in front
Heel on lose leash, paces circles figure eight Down stay for three minutes
Turns in place and back-ups Sit stay for one minute
Down on heel Figure eight
Down stay for three minutes Hup
Sit from down
Recall
Down at distance
Graduation process
Talk about the novice class
General Instructions for my basic training classes
When and Where to Train at Home –

1. Choose a quiet area to work with your dog so
Dogs learn by repetition. In order to be suc- that you can be the center of attention.
cessful you have to practice with your dog five 2. Don’t work your dog directly after feeding him.
days a week. It is this at home practice that will 3. Two short training sessions are better than one
bring success. Class time is to teach you long one.
what to teach your dog when you get back
home.
Books and advice – Well-meaning friends can give you the wrong advice about training. To get the most
from this program, use the techniques and procedures you will be shown in class. If you have any difficulty,
call me right away.
Attendance in class—To get the most from the program, class attendance is important. If you must miss a
class, please call me. You are permitted one free make-up class. Additional make-up sessions may be ar-
ranged with your instructor at a nominal fee. DOG IN HEAT: Do not bring a female in season to class. During
her absence, the owner intends to keep up with the class work and continues to work with the dog at home.
Exercise and feeding while in training—Be sure to exercise your dog before class. If an accident happens,
we will clean it up for you. We ask only that you stand in one place and let your dog finish his business in one
area. I have found that all dogs work better when a bit hungry. A dog’s make up is not the same as our sys-
tem. Dogs can go for weeks without food, though I do not recommend that you withhold food for that long.
Clothing—Comfortable clothing is best for training. You will need to get down on the floor with your dog. The
best shoes for training are low heels with rubber soles. Sneakers are ideal, especially white or bright in color.
Who should train?—The same handler trains the dog in class and at home. Switching handlers can be con-
fusing to a beginning dog. All members of the family can be instructed how to give commands and have the
dog obey, and all must be consistent and learn to praise the dog.
Equipment—You will need to purchase a choke chain and a six-foot leash (or longer). We recommend a
twenty-foot leash for the come command.
Spectators—Visitors are welcome but must remain quiet during class. We always welcome spectators and
we hope you will tell your friends and relatives about our classes.
Cancellations—In case of inclement weather or if driving conditions are poor, we will cancel class. You can
call us to confirm.
Starting time—All classes begin promptly. We appreciate your being on time as we run several classes.
Do’s and Don’ts for training your pet and yourself:
Do’s: DON’T’S :
1. Teach only what you understand. 1. Correct if you are not positive your pup understands.
2. Follow all corrections with praise. 2. Be a show off.
3. Work with your pup as a team. 3. Repeat any exercise more than five times.
4. Wear quiet comfortable shoes. 4. Pull on the leash.
5. Stop your training before you lose your temper! 5. Get ahead of yourself and rush your training.
6. Be consistent with your training. 6. Punish your dog after a command to come
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
These homework assignments are put in this book for all my doggy friends who want to do more than just
have a housedog. Many of you have asked me for more . . . so here it is. Are you ready for this?
This is a collection of my own binder lessons from my experience in the Schutzhund/obedience sport and
many other sports that have had an influence on me. This is the basic obedience heeling exercise #1 that I
use to prepare and to expand my dogs mind. All heeling exercises shall be done at the same place with the
same amount of paces . . . The reason for this is that dogs relate to placement/territory. In their minds,
the same place that you use over and over again means the game is afoot! If your dog should ever not like
the game, you did something wrong and you can correct it by:
Reading my book over again and possibly buying another? Lol
By going to another spot to train and starting fresh, from the beginning.
Homework Assignment #1
THE FORMAL HEELING GAME

This is a formal heeling program that is rather fun. This as-
signment and practice will be rather strict and may be a tad stress-
ful to your pup but it is only for short periods of time and no longer.
That is your responsibility to your dog.
A. Heel for 60 paces with an automatic sit-
In your first formal heeling exercise, you will start or begin your
heeling at a precise place that you have picked out to work on
your heeling exercises. You will pace the spot out ahead of time.
You will travel a total distance of sixty (60) paces. You will not ev-
er need to go any further than this so if you have a yard that is a
total of sixty paces you can do all of your heeling there.
In our first homework assignment in the formal heeling phase,

you will:
1. Start with your body posture standing straight and your head
looking forward.
2. You will heel for ten paces and do one automatic sit.
3. Then you will heel your dog for fifty paces and halt.
Exercise complete! Praise your dog. Food reward!
Now during these exercises you will try to perfect your dog’s
heel. Only during this exercise will your dog have to be perfect . . .
Your dog will begin to understand that this is his “professional
heeling exercise” if your pace is fast, excited and you are con-
sistent while ‘Swinging’ your arm and looking at your dog then he
will know that the game is now ‘A-Foot’. This is important as he
must know in his mind that we are ‘in the game’. He will soon un-
derstand what you want from him. What do you want?
I am not going to go over how to ‘sit’ your dog as I know you have already taught your pup what ‘sit’ means
while he was very young. It is almost the very first thing we teach a young pup. Treats….mean sit. The pup
looks up and his butt goes down. So if your pup does not know how to automatically sit, you best bring those
treats along with you and when you stop your heel, the treat will be above your pups head. I do not care so
much that your pup doesn't sit properly, only that he sit whenever you stop. We are not in a competition, but
we are going to train for ourselves and our dog so that we can all live in peace and harmony, so…
During these perfect heeling times, if you want dog attention give him or tease him with what he wants.
You think he wants his favorite toy? Wrong, he wants that hot dog piece that you have in your mouth. Yes, in
your mouth! Why is it in your mouth? Because your dog is now looking at your mouth!
Maybe folks think your dog is paying attention because your dog is now looking up into your face. Ah ha! You
now have dog attention! People are so gullible, hehe..
What else do you want?

I want a straight heel and my doggy partner at the seam of my pants at all times during this ‘professional
heeling exercise.’ (Please remember that this is a game we are playing and not a normal everyday walk).
If your dog lags behind use a hot dog to encourage him to come forward.
If your dog forges, use the “jerk and release” to get him back with you and show (your slightly hungry dog) the
hot dog in your mouth.
Do not jerk too hard and discourage your dog from heeling beside you for then, all of a sudden you now
have a ‘lager.’ A ‘lager’ is worse than a forger is. A forger can be corrected but a ‘lager’ lacks confidence and
happiness!
So you thought heeling a straight fifty paces was pretty easy, a piece of cake? Ha ha . . . we have just be-
gun to heel . . .
Once you have that attention and perfect heel you can move on . . . Some folks think that their dog should
always look at the owner’s face when doing everything. Non-sense. We only require the “watch me” when
we command it.
When we play the ‘heel’ game, we require it.
The spot or working grounds must be in the same place as the dog is used too when doing this exercise.
See, watching your face is equal to a racehorse with blinders on! The dog would rather watch where it is go-
ing than to trip and fall over something. To watch your face the dog must have complete trust in you in that
you will not put your dog in harm’s way. Building this trust and confidence comes slowly. Ask for a “watch
me” for only short distances and build the trust.
5
To practice the ‘watch me’ at home you can ask for it for about five seconds.
A count to five in your head, then you MUST reward. Remember when I told
you that it was a threat to stare into a dog’s eyes? Such a command without
any movement to break the ‘look’ is impossible to ask of your young pet!
However, if you play a game with the hot dog in your mouth and move your
head (such as in ‘hide and seek’) you will be able to get the ‘watch me’ atten-
tion to be longer. If the dog looks away before the end of your count, you lose!
That is the rule . . .
4 For those of you who do not wish to have a perfect heel… Do not exagger-
ate the start line as there is none for you. You will not do these Formal Hell
exercises, just practice walking your dog in the same direction and path twice
3 a day. Remember to take those plastic grocery bags to pick up his feces.
If you find you would like to do some of these heeling exercises in the future
2 you will need to start on the next page.
1
B. Heel for 60 paces with a fast, slow and halt.
B
1. Start in your heeling position. (You have walked
your dog around for a short period of time and you For this assignment, I want you to:
have walked up to the line and halted your dog in
the heeling position) Heel your dog ten paces at a
normal pace,
Sound easy? It is until I throw in that I want it perfect!
2. Run fast for ten paces
I want dog attention and I want your pup to heel right
3. Slow way . . . down . . . . For ten paces . . .
beside the left seam in your pants the whole exercise! If
4. Normal heel for the remainder of the thirty paces.
you can do all that, then reward, reward, reward!!!
5. Halt your dog. That’s an automatic sit remember?
Go slow in progression if you feel your pup can’t do this. You may vary the
paces if you feel you need to but ultimately the paces should come out as what I
C. have written here. Practice doing this three to five times a day, then reward, treat
and put the pup away. I suggest you divide your dog’s feed into training sessions.
Your dog will learn the game. He will know beforehand what you are going to
D.
do. He will wait for your body movements ever so slight that will tell him some-
thing is about to happen. Watch your dog think, it is so fascinating!
E.
C. Heel for 60 paces, left turn, fast, slow and halt.
B. Start out by relieving your dog several times. “Go potty” Do not contaminate
your working field. Heel your dog properly for about 10 paces or so then halt at
the starting line. Your dog should sit in the heel position on your left with dog
F. attention. Reward with a hot dog from your mouth.
Now execute the normal heel for thirty paces (A)

A.
Do a normal “about turn” to the left and go back the way you came.(C)
C Run fast for ten paces. (D) Heel real slow for ten paces. (E)
Normal for seven paces because you have to slow down on your last three paces, then halt your dog. (F)
That makes a total of 10 paces in the last stretch. Reward with the hot dog in your mouth.
The trick to these exercises is that you do your routine the same as always so both of you are partners in
this kind of DANCE . . . . Yes, this is poetry in motion and both of you are partners. In addition, let me tell you
the secret to everything from a professional who knows . . . now pay attention: REPETITION!
Have you got it? If you do these homework assignments three times
a day, every day, and six times on Sunday, what do you think will
B. happen?
Need I say more?
D. Heel for 60 paces, left turn, fast, slow, right and left turns
C. and a halt.
Ok, you begin as usual by relieving your dog and releasing some
energy. Then you practice about 10 or 20 paces of heeling so the
dog realizes the game is going to begin. Now you take the dog to
D. the starting line.
A.
A. Heel your dog for thirty (60) paces.
B. Execute a normal about turn to the left or a kind of half circle
to the left.
C. Fast ten paces; (speed up with the dog, your dog will learn to
E. anticipate this.)
D.Slowly heel your dog ten paces,
E. Normal ten paces remembering that you will change paces
F. G. three steps before the left turn . . . ,
F. Do a left turn here,
G. Continue heeling for another ten paces then execute a right
turn.
Starting line H.Heel ten more paces and Halt. Reward with a hot dog from
Halt your mouth.
D
Practice until it is easy and your dog knows the game. Then check
this line when you have completed this assignment. This is the
regular Heeling pattern that you will use forever more .
Before I printed this book, I gave out these homework assignments over the internet and found out
that some folks were not doing exactly what I was asking. Know how I found out? They would call me
with a “help” question and right then I knew! He He . . . so you cannot fool me, go and get those chicken
franks and cut them up the size of your thumb nail and stuff them in your mouth and I do not want to hear
that you forgot them! Ha, caught you, didn’t I?
Right foot ‘Complicated About Turn to the Left’

PIVOTS in place
Then steps off Most ‘about turns to the left’ are executed with the handler going around the
dog. This IMPRESSIVE ‘complicated about turn to the left’ will not only daz-
zle your friends but will imprint the ‘by my left side’ or the ‘heel’ firmly within
Fido’s brain.
To execute this turn you must first learn your footwork and the turn . . . This is
all that is necessary. You must do your footwork! Fido will naturally fall into
1. Direction of travel
place. Therefore this ‘complicated about turn to the left’ is really only compli-
cated for you, so pay attention.
I suggest you do this without your dog until you can do it in your sleep.
In the first diagram (#1) I have darkened the right foot because it is this foot
that stops and pivots in place then takes off in the opposite direction. This right
foot must be out in front when you pivot.
To start out you are in the heel position both feet together (diagram #2).
Your first foot out is always your left but when you execute this turn you must
remember that you will begin this turn with your right foot.
The complicated part is this: (Let’s give it a try)
2. You have pivoted on your
right foot (turning your body to
Place your RIGHT foot out in front of you and pivot in place! the left) and are now traveling in
the opposite direction. Your feet
Turn to the left. (No your other left) ok, time to place an X on your left shoe! have stayed where they were as
you turned or pivoted.
You must pivot in place on your right foot. After the pivot you will find that your
left foot is now in front. So you must start back in the opposite direction with your right foot.
Be sure to turn to your left. Everyone always wants to turn to the right… I am sure you turned to the right
didn’t you? Everybody does! Ha ha . . . If you did that correctly, now
you can try it with your dog.
Note: you will not go around your dog so get that out
of your head. Your dog will end up kind of lost in space
behind you. Do not worry about where your dog is! He
knows he is to be on your left side and will rush to get there. Worry only
about your footwork and hands.
Your dog will turn naturally if your handwork is correct. To see how you
will hold the leash, look at the diagram of the handwork only.
(diagram: complicated left about turn-B)
See the large circle, that’s you ☺ . That circle (you) has an arrow inside
it. That is the direction of travel.
You have two hands (?) In the diagram one of the hands is darkened.
The dark one is the one with the leash folded up in it. There are also two Complicated LEFT About turn-B
feet (if you can tell by my drawing). HOW TO HOLD YOUR LEASH
Here is a little something to remember “right hand out, right foot out”.
Maybe that will help. Read on and I might clear it up for you.
As you can see in this next diagram, at the pivot point (when your right foot is
out in front of you and you are about to do a one-eighty degree pivot) your
right hand (with the leash in it) is out in front of you. See #3
This is very important. Remember it this way,
RIGHT HAND OUT FRONT OF YOU, RIGHT FOOT OUT IN

FRONT OF YOU.
Now pivot . . . (TURN TO THE LEFT) and keep the right hand exactly where it
was. Frozen in space. DO NOT MOVE IT.
You will find your right hand is now behind you because you are facing in the
opposite direction . . .
Take your left hand and put it behind your back . . . grab the entire leash. The
leash is now back in your left hand and the dog is coming up beside your left
side as he was also behind you when you pivoted . . . .
Notice #3? The arrow in the circle (you) is now turning to the left and coming
back. THAT IS THE TURN.
In (#4 and #5) of diagram C, your hands are behind you, see the way the ar-
row is going? You are facing in the opposite direction of travel.
When you first do this, make sure you give the dog plenty of leash.
Complicated left about turn-C
(#4 diagram C). Make sure you
pay attention to the arrow in your circle body as it will tell you
when you have pivoted and are now going in the opposite direc-
tion.
ONE MORE TIME: Here are the instructions: as you are heeling
your dog and about to make this ‘complicated about turn to the
left’ . . .
(When your right foot is out) pivot on the ball of your right foot
(right foot out, right hand out) and heel out in the opposite di-
rection (one-eighty). Do not forget to pivot to the left . . . . Turn
your body to the left . . .
Your dog will continue heeling past you until he figures out you
have turned on him and are going in the opposite direction. He
will naturally fall into a heel on your left side. You will have your
hands behind you at this point as you are transferring the leash
from your right hand back into your left hand. Give the dog plenty
of leash at this point.
ONE MORE TIME . . . Hold the leash (in a ball) in your right hand and hold it out in front of you. As you
turn on the ball of your right foot, your right hand will be left stationary behind you as your body pivots to face
in the opposite direction. Your right hand is now behind you. Your left hand reaches behind your back to take
the leash that is in a ball . . . at this point you must continue heeling . . . moving forward in your new direction.
You must continue walking!
DO NOT tighten the leash on your dog. Leave him room enough to get confused and to figure the situation
out all by himself! Call your dog into his ‘heel’ as he will soon figure out that you are still walking and he
should be at your side. Do not stop walking or you will be lost.
HA HA! Was that a mind tease or what? Sorry I had to explain it several times, but in all the classes, so
many folks got soooo confused! And I wanted to make sure that you understood me. You could have re-read
it three times, but each time I told you how to do it, I explained it differently. I did that on purpose. I know that
one of those explanations clicked in your mind and I saw you ‘get it’! That is why I am laughing . . . Hee Hee!
B. A. Heel 60 paces about turn, fast, slow, left/right turns

and halt.
Start as usual at the start line with your dog sitting on your left.
C. When you are ready, ’Heel with attention’ for fifty or sixty paces
depending on how old your dog is and if he can go the sixty
without burning out.
Do a ‘complicated about turn to the left’.

D.
Heel at a ‘Fast’ ten paces.
A.
Then Heel at a very ’Slow’ ten paces.
Heel at your ‘Normal’ pace to prepare for the ‘left turn.’

E.
Execute your ‘left turn’ and go ten paces to prepare for the ‘right
turn.’
F. G. Execute your ‘right turn’ and then ‘heel’ ten paces to prepare for
the halt.
______ If your dog did all this with complete attention,

Starting line Halt omg! Praise the heck out of your dog and yourself!
Do these five times a day then feed your dog after every five-minute lesson. _____
(Here again someone called me, yep, the dog didn’t want to do this anymore! He he . . . Got bored! I said “Are
you feeding your dog after every exercise”? Guess what? You guessed it, they weren’t! They were working
for thirty minutes and not even feeding! Just a cheese reward that’s all! Well, then I got a call from this gal
the very next day. This person did what I told her to do and is now training the pup five times a day for only
five minutes each lesson, and she is feeding her pup one cup of food with goodies mixed in and now guess
what? Yep, you guessed it; the dog is all excited about going out to do these stupid heeling exercises!
Who’da thought!
I want to bring your attention to the exercises or diagrams that I have done up for you. As you can see, we are
‘adding to them’. The basic homework is the same, we are just adding to the program as the dog (and you)
perfects the steps before the new steps. This is the whole concept of training in a nutshell. You break down
a complete exercise into many different parts. Then you do each part until you both have it down, and then
you add on.
B. Heel 60 paces about turn, fast, slow, left/right turns; halt
count to ten and heel your dog in a pattern around the
whirly-gigs.
C.
Ok, for this one you are going to need four to six objects that will
someday be turned into people or strangers. Yes, ‘mulling strangers’
D.
who are moving and not looking at your dog. For now you might
want to use whirly gigs.
Start this exercise the same as always . . . at the start line. By this
E. time, your dog is well aware of the homework and the routine be-
B. cause you followed every step of this book exactly as I described! Ha
ha . . .
F.
This is the same routine and will now and forever be the same rou-
tine, but you will add distractions as time goes on. Your dog will for-
ever and always know this game, because it is always the same.
G.
Begin your exercise at the start pad with your dog sitting at your left
A.
hand side. When you are ready:
H.
I. Heel your dog in a normal Heel for thirty (- 60) paces.
J
X
X Execute the ‘complicated about turn' to the left;
X
X
fast ten paces; slow ten paces;
normal ten paces; left turn + ten paces
right turn ten paces Halt your dog.
Count to ten in your head and begin your heel through the ‘mulling
strangers’, (whirly gigs . . . or objects of interest)
You will always go through the crowd in this fashion (per diagram) as you must do a ½ circle to the right
around an object and a ½ circle to the left.
You may have to turn this diagram upside down as you are heeling downward where you have never heeled
before.
The Sit Stay Dance

The following footwork diagrams that I have done for you are a group of very fun homework. Fun for you
and your dog to learn the ‘Stay’ command. I assume you have taught your dog how to sit already because
you have read the beginning of this book and have not waited for your dog to grow up and give you problems.
The ‘Happy Face’ in my diagrams will be your dog. The numerical numbers represent the steps or the or-
der in which you will move your feet. Do each one as I have them written down and have fun!
You are always on the right hand (paw) side of your dog and the dog is always on your left side. You will
always give the verbal ‘stay’ command and the body language before you execute this command.
The first little dance steps are done to make sure your dog knows what ‘stay’ really means, so we are going
to do a little dance with our feet.
PLACE ASSOCIATION- Just for this ‘stay’ command. Use the same place to practice this until it is time to
move. Practice your foot work first before you use your pup.
Basic stay foot work or the begining of the ‘Jig’.
As you can see in the footwork diagram A, you begin the stay dance standing
with your two feet next to your dog.
3.
The dog is on the left-hand side of you and you will side step beginning with
your right foot (to the right) away from your dog and back. 2.
That is all there is to it.
DO NOT MOVE YOUR LEFT FOOT.

1.
Now, there are a number of ways you can do this ‘basic’ dance step . . . With
rhythm, with loud noises, with a jerk of your foot, with a stomp, with a slide, with Stay Foot work
exaggeration and as far away as you can go without moving your left foot! You Diagram A
can even kneel down or do the splits, but whatever you do, you must NOT move
your left foot! As you and Fido know, if the left foot moves, the dog moves.
5.
Side step with a slide. 4.
The slide is shown as an arrow(diagram B). A slide makes noise and if your
3.
dog has passed the first step then you may go one to the next step. Don’t cheat
...
2.
1. Diagram B
Side step with a stomp.
The stomp is shown with a dark footmark (diagram C).
Each dance we complete must be done without your dog moving . . . if he moves you must let the dog know
that he is NOT to move and he is just to stay there while you dance . . .
Every time your dog ‘sits’ and ‘stays’ without moving you may move up to the next
5.
sequence in your dance routine . . .
The following routines are in progressive order. Remember not to move forward
4.
onto the next dance step until your dog has it down pat . . .
3.
It is easy for your dog partner to dance with you; all he 7.
2. has to do is sit there! Hehe...
1.
C.
6.
Side step with a forward step.

5.
In this dance routine (diagram D), we add the ‘forward right foot movement’.
(See diagram D #6.)

4.
You will not move forward. You will only move your right foot forward and then
back. When you first attempt this step, watch your dog and correct him if he
moves.
3.
If your dog just sits there, great . . . add distractions such as a slide or a stomp but
try to make him stay and not move. Watch his muscles
get ready to move and repeat the ‘stay’ if need be. 2.
9.
This is the side step with a front and back step.

8. 1.
In this next dance, we introduce the ‘back step’ (dia-
gram E).
7. Diagram D.
(See diagram E- #8)
The right foot has moved backwards and then back up to its original ‘sit stay’ posi-
tion in this homework ‘E‘.
6.
You shall now include this in your dance routine.
5.
Once again, add a variety of distractions as you go from ‘no distractions’ to many
distractions.
4.
If (and when) Fido has sat and stayed through these entire dance steps we can
move on to the next steps . . .
3.
Stop here until you have completely practiced and can dance away!!!
2.
Left foot leaves Fido in the ‘left-footed back step’

1.
Foot work E.
Ok, in this next step, we completely leave Fido with a ‘left foot’ move.
(Diagram F- #7.)
This may be unnerving for our pet so be watchful . . . do the dance

12. and exaggerate but … when you come to moving that left leg behind
your pup … do it quick and get right back to the heel position!
11.
I do the ‘left foot back step’ quickly to fool Fido. When I place my left
foot next to him (after I have left him) I praise my puppy with a really
10. good treat.
9.
Our pal is learning that he does not have to always be right beside us.
Oh, its back ok.
8.
For weeks, we have been training our pal to stay close to our left foot
and this is a new rule for him. In this rule, ‘stay’ means forever. We
Fido misses your foot??? will be back before he stresses out. We must be mindful of our part-
ner’s concerns.
7.
We start off with a bit of the old ‘stay’ dance to get Fido in the
routine…
We do a side step to the right with our right foot.
Bring the right foot back to the heel position
Side step to the right again
6.
Back to the heel position
Back step with the right foot
And a quick back step with the left foot and then (you have left Fido)
return the left foot back to the side of our pup
Bring up the right foot back up into the heel position.
5.
Another side step to the right with the right foot and
Back into the heel position… reward.
4.
3. G. Leave your dog.
2.
In this routine, we are moving our body away from our buddy’s comfort
zone. His safety! His Mommy or Daddy.
1. F. (Diagram G #10.)
So watch his muscle tones and body language as he may get confused.
Now you can really do the stay dance . . . dance away . . . put the radio on, and dance! Hehe
Ok, we are getting serious again as we come to the next step. We are going to start moving out in front of
our pal, so pay attention.
Now I want you to know that if your dog has not gotten all this down, do
not move on to this step in the stay dance homework. Make sure your 18.
dog understands to ‘stay’.
In this next sequence of steps, we are beginning to go in front of our 17.
pal.
This is pretty awkward for our Fido so watch him and his muscle tones as 16.
they will let you know when he is going to move.
I get our pal ready (so that I can leave my pup) with a ‘side step to the
right’ at #2. This gives him the distraction necessary for me to be able to
15.
quickly leave him and then get back to his side, because his brain is in the
‘stay’ mode.
14.
I used the word ‘stay’ with the hand signal (my palm in front of Fido’s nose
and a firm command. A firm open hand. A firm ‘stay’) and now I begin my
steps.
13.
I may have to do a couple of routines before I try this first step to getting
‘out in front of my pal’ (step #6).
I want to make sure my partner understands the dance.
12.
In #6 I place my RIGHT foot out in front of my left foot and in front of the
dog and I turn in towards the dog a bit.
11.
In # 7 I place my LEFT foot out in front of my pup and then quickly bring it
back to the heel position #8 10.
9.
In # 9 I return my RIGHT foot back into the heel position and Fido is once
again calm because we are back to a familiar stance.
Now I want to throw in a couple of side steps that he is used to doing and 8.
then a (#11) side step away from the pup and back again to his side.
All these dance steps have taken me a full day or two. I want to make
sure my partner understands what the word ‘stay’ means. With a really
7.
hyper dog, it may take quite a bit longer.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1. G.
11. 13.
9.
12.
10.
11.
8.
10.
9.
7.
9.
8. 8.
6.
7.
7.
5.
6.
6.
5.
5. 4.
4. 4.
3.
3.
3.
2. 2.
2.
1.
1.
1.
H. ¼ of the way around ¼ I. The next 1/4

J. The last ¼ .
H. Stay dance ¼ of the way around your dog.
Practice these (H) steps for at least one day. This will prepare you for the ‘sit stay in front’ the ‘recall’ and
many more commands you will give your pal while in front of him. Practice with distractions and make sure
Fido will stay before you go on to (I).
I. The next ¼ of the way around your dog.
This is the most important step in the stay dance around Fido. Your pup will want to get up and move, believe
me! You may have to place that foot beside your pups left shoulder many times before you can actually
place your body over there on the ‘wrong’ side. Your pup knows it is the wrong side too!
In this part of our ‘sit stay’ dance routine, you are on the way around the dog and you are upside down, as you
are on the left side of your dog’s shoulders and he is still on your left side but you are facing backward and
hopefully your partner has stayed facing forward and has not moved!
So now, I do a dance that will keep my dog at ease. To settle his nervousness I do these eight preparation
steps many times over with a bunch of distractions and I keep reinforcing the ‘stay’ and rewarding my pup for
doing absolutely nothing! Practice sliding your feet back and forth then stomping and do a jig or two. I like to
do jumping jacks even while raising and clapping my hands together.
This is done to prepare the dog for your body to move off to the ‘opposite’ side from what your dog is used to.
Fido may get nervous as this is something very new. If your dog looks confused, you may wish to pat him on
the chest. Always pat your dog on the chest please. Ok, now tell him to ‘stay’ as you retrace your steps back
into the basic heel position.
You will need to do this step in our dance for at least one day. Then we will move on to the second half of our
dance!
We now start placing our right foot behind Fido’s rump in I-10. Continue doing this without any stomps or
slides because we do not want to scare the dog. All dogs get nervous when someone or something comes
up behind them. Because of that we are going to do a quick one, two, three around the back end of Fido so
that we quickly return to the heel position before your pup is even aware that you went behind him!
Eventually we are going to make a complete circle around our dog as he ‘sit stays.’ If he can get through all
that then you may move on…
J. The last ¼ of the way around your dog. Left foot leaves Fido in the ‘left-footed back step’
As I prepare to place my feet directly behind my dog. (J#6) I must be careful not to touch a hair on his tail
and definitely not the tail. Be very careful, yet quick.
Yes, with the first left foot that you place behind your dog you will now hurry to get your left foot back up to the
right shoulder of your dog in that ‘heel position.’
If you do this quickly he will be a bit baffled, but he will not move.
Here is a secret that will help Fido to stay, just in case you are having trouble with this . . . The secret is to
place the choke collar on the neck so that the working ring is in the middle of the back of the neck and coming
straight up like a plumb line. Then, hold the leash taunt. NOT TIGHT . . . just firm, taunt and straight up.
Your hand is straight as a board and you will not, (must not) move the leash! It must stay absolutely still as
you hurry around the rear end of Fido. If the leash and choker do not move, neither will your pup.
If he has moved, you can make up some steps to reinforce the stay and/or go back to square one.
I am making these diagrams to show you where you must plant your feet.
It is kind of important to take the steps that I am suggesting you take as you do the exercises in these dia-
grams.
You may look at the diagram and think, heck, I can do that and then you may not pay close attention to which
foot I am planting beside the dog.
The foot closest to the dog is important. It must not step on the dog and it must not scare the dog into moving.
Your dog must trust you to plant your feet without harming him.
Ok, now you have done all the dance routines! Your dog has gotten rewards for doing absolutely nothing!
So now, we use distractions . . .
What? You thought we were through? Ha ha.
TEST #1.
Distraction number one is to do the stay dance such as in Diagram (F) while in front of the door. Include the
doorknob as you reach out and back, out and back.
Next grab the door handle and turn the knob but do not open the door.
Praise your dog for staying. You are using the word ‘stay’ each time you do a dance aren’t you?
Ok, now that he passes with excellence, open the door, but do not move your feet. Did your dog pass?
He didn’t move? Ok, then you can safely say that your dog understands what ‘stay’ means. It means do not
move unless my left foot moves . . . and then there is one conflicting rule, if I reinforce the word ‘stay’ and I
move my right foot FIRST and then repeat the ‘stay’ and move my left foot and am facing you, then we are in
the ‘do not move or else mode’ . . . Now that you can dance, open, and close doors . . . try the car door.
If he passes that test then we are about to begin to increase our distance away from the dog.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7.
8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
Diagram K - Sit stay in front
K. SIT STAY IN FRONT JIG

In this diagram (K) we are doing a jig for the sit stay while you are in front of your dog and facing him. To get your dog
to sit in front of you and to ‘stay’ without moving you will use this jig with distractions as your dog understands to just
stay there while you make a fool of yourself. If your dog can just stay there he will receive a hot dog reward. Small
pieces only. In this jig you are taking one step back then returning to your dog. You are making distractions with your
feet as you move one foot at a time out and away from your dog. You will bother him somewhat as you move a foot to
the right of him and move a foot off to the left of him. Then you will go even further and you will move to the heel side
of your dog while you are facing the opposite direction as you normally do, but you will get back quickly to be in front
of your dog once again. If he can stay for this jig then you may move your entire body off to the left side of your dog as
you did when you moved your body to the right side of your dog.
Next, if your puppy stayed for all that nonsense, you may now take two full steps backwards while facing your puppy
then return to be in front of him again. The further away your body gets from your puppy the more anxiety or uncom-
fortable your puppy will feel. If this is really upsetting to the pup, reward with a hot dog piece as this will let your pup
know that he is doing what it is that you want of him. The hot dog reward makes your pup UNDERSTAND that whatev-
er he is stressing about it is ok…. That he is in fact doing what it is you require of him.
What you will practice on now is moving backwards away from your dog as you are facing him in the ‘sit in front stay’.
You will incorporate this into your jig as the jig is familiar to your pup. Watch his body and do not move too far away as
to where the pup will break that stay. You go ahead and practice moving away from your pup until your pup is com-
fortable with you backing up say about….. twenty feet.
That is a big order… repetition… take your time and enjoy and reward as you go along. When your pup can do all
that, bring in small distractions and build them up as he wins each game. This should take you about 4 days to do all of
these things I am asking you to do.
L. Sit stay until I return (getting more advanced)
This is a practice game that will start your pup out on the ‘sit stay’ as you move further and further away from your
pup. You can incorporate this into your dance and you can jig to it, but when you reach your destination, try to stand
still for a count of 10. As your pup gets better at watching his crazy master do the jig, you can stay still for longer peri-
ods of time. The only rule to the game is that if Fido moves, you lose.
In the first part of the ‘sit stay’ practice homework you are going to start off in
the heel position and then ‘stay your dog.’ You will move off with your right
foot remember? Watch your dog and get in front of him. Repeat the ‘stay’ and
show Fido the hand command then ‘back up’ . . . to where you think your pup
will be comfortable and not move. Now you can do the stay gig.
TEST #2
Next is our back up tension test that will let us know if Fido really knows what
‘stay’ means. (let’s see if you were right about moving on)
‘Sit stay’ Fido at the

heel position and
leave Fido as in our
‘sit stay in front’
diagram ‘L.’ You
should be about
three feet in front of Fido and facing him.
Since Fido already knows this exercise, he will not be too

confused when you put tension on the leash. Before you
pull on the leash, reinforce the ‘stay’ command and use
your hand signal. Then slowly pull the leash so it becomes
taut, but not too tight. The goal is to not make our partner
move, but to have him think about what is going on. When
Fido doesn’t move, release the tension, move closer to
Fido, and pet his chest as you say, “good dog.” Hint: If you
give him too much time to think, he will think he needs to
come to you.
Repeat the ‘Sit Stay in front’ and move back a step to the same distance you were as you pulled the leash taut. Before
you pull the leash taut, repeat the ‘stay’ then pull and release.
Praise the dog and repeat the stay with a taut leash.
DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER.
This is enough stress for now. You will end the session on a good note. Your dog is a winner and so are you.
Play some if you want.
I would repeat this ‘sit in front stay with the tension’ about five times a day and even as we are in the house or
when a commercial comes on. I would also have hot dog rewards on hand. I would then be able to com-
plete the thinking power of my dog on this very important command in about three hours with small repetitious
routines throughout our day. Your pup is using his brain to make a decision for himself!
This TENSION TEST can be given to your dog in all stay commands. For instance, the ‘down stay’, the
‘stand for exam’ . . . You see where I am going?
Continue practicing this stay in front of your dog until you can get at least twelve feet away from him without
the dog moving. At this time you will also stand still for longer periods of time. You should be able to stand in
front of your pup for a period of at least three minutes.
Now add different distractions: neighbor’s cat, banging pots and pans, balls rolling in front of him, walking over
him, walking behind him, etc…
If you can do all this, you may move on. “Mother may I?” “Yes, you may.”
A. Sit stay’ at a distance
Let’s go ahead and do some more of these sit stays at a distance getting further and further away so that we
can move on to tougher homework assignments.
In increasing your distance away from the dog, remember that this
dog wants to be near you and that all your training up until now was
to reinforce the ‘by me is safe’ rule . . .
Now we need to teach our dog that it is ok if I leave for a short time
and then return.
Remembering that training and teaching or educating your pal is a

slow progression of steps done in order . . . . You will then know that
you must take small steps and your Fido must pass each one before
you move on. If your Fido fails, then you know as a trainer that Fido
did not understand or is “messin' around” with you.
All of Fido’s reactions to our teachings tell us how fast or slow to

progress or how hard or soft to teach. Watching and learning Fido’s
body language will tell you what you need to do next. Sometimes a
good stern word can do wonders so try it and see how Fido reacts.
If he cowers but comes back strong, then you know you have what
is called a ‘hard dog.’ A ‘hard dog’ doesn’t mope for long and will do
what you require of him. Make sure this type of dog gets lots of re-
wards . . . and not rewards that you think he would like, but a reward
that Fido really likes, HOT DOG slices!
Something I may do in teaching a dog to ‘stay’ is that I will put something in front of his feet and tell him not to
go over it. A broom handle, a rope, a hose anything that will give the dog a boundary and stop him from mov-
ing forward.
B. ‘SIT STAY YOUR DOG’ 360 ________
Your dog is at the heel position. In all games that we shall play, that is where we will begin the game, in the
‘heel position.’ When the ‘sit-stay’ is ordered, you tell your dog with one word what it is you want.
You may either use the signal to ‘stay’ your dog or the word ‘stay.’
The hand signal to stay is: your right palm hand in front of the dog’s face and up to the nose in a sharp “I
mean it” motion.
To leave your dog you will walk off with your right foot first . . . remember?
You will then face your dog and look over the top of your dog’s head so as not to intimidate him.
You will then go back to the heel position. Your dog must not move during all this time.
As you return to your dog walk to the right side of the dog and walk around Fido until you come back into the
heeling position.
There is another fun command that will turn all kinds of heads and that is
the ‘Sit Stay from a down at a Distance’. This is when you have left your
dog in a ‘down’ or on a ‘stand stay’ and you are quit a distance away from
your dog. You turn and face your dog then command your dog to ‘sit’ while
you are 20 feet or more away from your dog. ‘Sit from a down’ or ‘Sit from
a stand stay’ are done the same way.
Before you try all that, you must do it close up and in front of the dog and
then move back a small distance at a time. Fido must learn the body lan-
guage that is associated with the verbal command and he may not have
put the two together as of yet. He knows, but is unsure. Practicing the
close up body and hand signals without the verbal will help Fido to under-
stand that even though you do not say anything; your body language is a
command to be followed when it is given.
TEST #3
Ok, let’s start out by making sure we are all on the same page. Before
you can advance on any further homework assignments, you must be able
to do the following:
_____ ‘Sit’ your dog on command in front of you. Your dog

must be facing you. You can use both word and signal.
_____ Automatic ‘Sit’ in the heel

position. Your dog must automati-
cally sit when you stop a heeling
exercise (without thinking).
_____ ‘Heel’ your dog and execute the turn to the right. Your
dog should speed up to stay with your left leg. Remember to
swing that left leg around the right leg as you go off to the right.
_____ ‘Heel’ your dog and turn to

the left. Your dog should slow down
to allow you to come around in the left
turn.
_____ ‘Stay’ your dog in the ‘sit heel’ position. Your dog must sit
and stay with distractions.
Repetition and consistency

(I realize I am being repetitious)
We are now going to teach and practice the ‘stay’ command a bit more. The objective of this Homework as-
signment is to teach your dog what ‘stay’ means. I guess you can now tell how very important this stay com-
mand is right? “Stay till you die” is pretty much the right words to remind us that this ‘stay’ stuff is kind of a
key to many more commands that we can do with our dogs.
(But please, do not use the word ‘STAY’ if you do not mean it!)
What does ‘stay’ mean? In the games we are going to play in this book, the word ‘stay’ means do not move.
Therefore, you will have to come up with some other words if you want your dog to just ‘wait’ in a particular
place for you until you come back to him. I use the command ‘wait there.’ This is not such a strict command
and the dog may move slightly or lay down. I use it when I leave my dog in the car. This is the little phrase I
use to remember what word I must use:
‘Stay’ until you die,
“Wait” until I call you,
‘wait there’ until I come back to get you.”
It is an awful phrase, I know. Though you must admit that this phrase does work to have you remember what
is what, even if it is not politically correct.
Practice the stay command in your everyday life but make sure you can get Fido to win. Be sure you release
him before he releases himself. Practice the ‘stay’ at least three times a day for a count of 5 or up to 2 or 3
minutes. This is a judgment call. If he MUST release himself you lose and he cannot trust you.
This is the ‘sit stay at the heel’
Doesn’t this look absolutely great? Wouldn’t you love to be able to do this? Well you can . . . now that you
have completed all those fun exercises that have been purposely selected for you and your pup. Are you
ready?
5. 4.
1.
3.
2. 7.
6.
Diagram L
Let’s first practice a plan ol’ ordinary ‘sit stay’ while you ‘heel’ around your dog. This will get you and your pal
ready for the ‘heel with a sit stay on a heel’ as you continue to walk in a square around Fido and then pick
him up on your way to the finish line. So:
‘Sit stay’ your dog and you go ahead and ‘heel’ properly (at the heeling pace) around the dog. (in a large
square). Walk at a normal fast heeling pace and go at least ten paces before each left turn as you heel
around your dog. If you cannot do this, then practice it for a couple of days as this is necessary.
Ok, now you are at the starting line, heel your dog 10 paces, then sit your dog as you continue to heel forward
10 more paces were you will turn to the left.
The sit body language is several things. First it is the hand command to sit. With your right hand, swing your
hand out in front of Fido’s nose and up. When you have reached about 12 – 18 inches higher than Fido’s
nose, impact the stop of your hand with firmness as you say (with stricktness) ‘SIT’. You have a body com-
mand and a verbal command, and you said ‘sit’ while on your left foot as it hit the ground rather hard, now you
are leaving Fido with your right foot. If you need to you can swing your body around as you stare at him with
your eyes and continue walking away from him as he did in fact sit. You may also use ‘stay’ if you think you
need to. Stay is mostly automatic. Once he understands this game he will know exactly what to do.
Walk 10 paces out in front of your dog then a left turn (#4). Walk 10 more paces and do another left turn (#5).
Walk another 10 paces and you will do your last left turn as you come heeling up next to your dog (#6). My
six is out of place as I did not want to confuse you. You should be next to your dog as that green dotted line
is. Fido is the red dotted line. You will move your left foot past the sitting dog and as you do this you will ask
Fido to come with you by your hand movement to ‘heel’ and with your left foot not stopping as you pass your
dog. You may have to pat your thigh. Continue walking for 20 paces before you stop. Automatic sit. Praise
your dog and play.
I want to caution you on one thing . . . . If you do this ‘heel pick up’ more than you do the plain ol’
ordinary ‘sit stay’ where you go back to your dog… then your dog will anticipate you ‘picking him
up’ and he will go heeling on . . . . ward. (comprende’)
Once this happens you will lose that perfect ‘sit stay’. So be careful. Your dog should never an-
ticipate your moves. If you think that he is doing that, then change your tactics.
This particular diagram (L) is multifaceted in that you will be using this diagram for the many different com-
mands that you will be able to do as you are heeling your dog. You may ‘drop’ your dog, ‘stand stay’ your
dog, or ‘sit’ your dog using this diagram.
At first, you will ‘heel’ the dog up to “the spot’ (10 paces) . . . and then you will command your dog to do some-
thing such as ‘down’ ‘sit’ or ‘stay’.
The ‘stay or wait there’ is the command for the ‘stand’ as the dog is already standing and you
require nothing of him. But the body movements are the cues. Tell him with your body.
Let me explain . . . as you are ‘advance’ heeling your dog and you have chosen the same place where you
have always done some sort of a ‘wait there’ command. You will not stop your heeling as you give a plain ol’
“stay” command. Your heeling will continue but Fido will be commanded to do something as you (not stop-
ping) continue to heel in this diagram pattern. But hold your horses . . . We are not there yet!
I have only just described where we are going, first…… you have to put in the time and go over and over this
particular homework until your dog UNDERSTANDS where we are going and then, when you do continue
heeling and have commanded your dog, your dog will not be confused and will do the homework assignment
as required. I only wanted you to see where we were headed. So, we shall go to the next step in the training
program.
Let’s do that again. Ok, ready?

Heel your dog.
Halt (sit) your dog. (Here we halted for that automatic sit cause we didn’t do it so well the first time)
‘Wait there’ your dog. (Your dog is now in a sit because when you halted, your dog automatically sat, right?)
Now, you go into your heeling pace (without Fido) and make a large square around Fido. As you returned to
the dog from behind him, you will not stop your left foot placement as you did in the ‘sit stay’ command, but
you would continue the left foot through . . . . . ... and past . . . . . the dog as you give the command to ‘heel’ as
your left foot is going past Fido. Your dog is now following the left foot cue to heel and your arm is swinging
forward with a cupped palm as you command your dog to ‘Heel”.
You have just ‘picked up’ your dog.
The body command for Fido to heel with me is:

My left hand would be cupped (and facing forward) and it would motion to the dog (as I came up alongside of
my dog) to come with me. It would move forward in (and at) the same time as my left foot moved forward and
at the same time the command was given.
ONCE AGAIN: If you bring the dog with you too much (in a ‘pick up’) you will have an ‘anticipated heel’ and
the ‘sit stay’ firmness of the dog would wobble as he would be apprehensive. You must be clear before you
do any exercise as to what you are going to do. Do not change your mind. If you change your mind, then go
ahead and continue the heel as you started and then do the next exercise as you had really wanted to do.
The Sit in Front
You have already done the ‘sit stay at a heel’ so now we
are going to exaggerate that same homework. You may
check off the command once you believe you and Fido
have achieved the goal.
A. ____ Sit in Front body and hand signal

The gal in this photo is actually teaching her dog to down!
Can you believe that a hand up like that would ever mean
down to a dog? Wrong… It means sit to a dog. You have
got to use the right body and hand signals that are natural
to a dog’s point of view, heck, to my point of view also!
B. ___ ’SIT STAY WITH A TAUT LEASH’
To reinforce the word ‘stay’ you are now going to tighten the leash (without making Fido move) while you are
in front of your dog that has been commanded to ‘stay’ there.
You will pull on the leash and make Fido win. How do you make Fido win? You must release the tension be-
fore he gets up.
If he gets up, you must quickly act out a scene that will make Fido realize that his movement created the
devastation.
You can also play with the leash until you can have the neighborhood kid jump rope while you make the leash
go around and around. WORD OF CAUTION: Be ready to let go of the leash if the child should trip or catch
the leash because if you do not you might jerk the dog way too much. Just pay attention.
C. _____’SIT STAY WHILE I DANCE AROUND YOU’
I realize you have already done this one, but now I want you to do
this with much more exaggeration and . . . .....
With DISTRACTIONS.
You have been training your dog in familiar places so a distraction

will be to train him in an unfamiliar place.
How about near a park where kids are swinging?
You could get a neighbors child to run around and play ball or jump
rope. A busy street?
Only one rule: If Fido moves, you lose.

Oh, by the way it is ok to lose. That is how we learn.
D. _____ ‘THE LONG SIT STAY’
Sit stay your dog for a complete full minute without distractions and without any movement or reinforcement
from you. If you can go three minutes great, you are doing your homework!
If he moves correct him and retry this at another
time.
Go back to the steps before this one if he can-

not ‘sit stay’ for one minute.
The goal of this game is to have Fido ‘sit stay’

for a period of three minutes without moving.
Extra points are given if Fido keeps his attention

on you.
ADD Distractions: You may bounce around,

jump, and turn in circles if you think that will
help.
When your dog can ‘sit stay’ for three minutes

you may continue.
E. _____ THE ‘SIT STAY’ WHILE I DISAPPEAR
The goal of this one is to have Fido ‘sit stay’ while you disappear out of his sight.
Hide behind a car or tree and peek out at him once in a while, or move your arm so he can hear you.
Perhaps you can take a mirror with you to keep an eye on him?
You must never allow Fido to fail.
If Fido fails, it is not him, but you that are at fault.
Wait There
‘WAIT’ UNTIL I CALL YOU
(Beginning recall)
As you know, I include the “wait” command so that I do not confuse my pal. He has been learning that ‘stay’
means forever and ‘wait’ will mean that he will be required to do something. Mostly we will be calling him to
use so we shall now concentrate on the ‘recall.’
Let us first go over the stay command in case you just gazed over the words and pages then just looked at
the pictures . . . (Gee, how did I know?)
The body language for the ‘stay’ was your right hand swung out from the right side of your body and
over in front of the dog’s face with an open palm and a definite stop of your palm in front of the dog’s
nose.
Actually not right in front of it, gee how rude . . . but close enough to get the point across.
Now the body language for the ‘wait’ is your right hand swinging in front of the dog’s face, kind of with-
out concern. Your right hand does not make a definite stop in front of the dog’s nose, it kind of swings up
past his nose. You shall not stare at the dog nor will your body get stiff and rigid as in the demanding ‘stay’
command and your voice will not be so dead set sounding but a casual sound.
Not much of a difference but your pal will know something is up as you have been meticulous in your body
language and your dog has been studious in his lessons.
Put a twenty-foot leash on your dog. “Stay” your dog and walk out about eight to ten feet in front of your dog.
Leave the leash spread out in front of Fido.
Now go ahead and do that ten pace heeling square box that we had so much fun with and return back into
the ‘heel’ position. “Wait” your dog and walk back out to the ‘recall’ position facing your dog. You could also
change the game and just go back to Fido as in (B) of the above diagram. This keeps both of you on your
toes.
Want to know why we didn’t do the recall right away? Because like a barn sour horse we do not want our
dog to ‘come’ on a recall before we call him. We want him to be unsure that we will call him at all. Your dog
must listen to his owner and have patience to wait.
Now “sit, wait there” your dog and walk away from him. (C) He should know the ‘sit stay’ by now and he will
relate this with the ‘sit stay’ command. He will not know the difference between the words as dogs communi-
cate through body motion and language. When you leave your dog, you must leave off with your right foot as
you did in the stay exercises. What will be different, will be the hand signal, and of course the word ‘stay’ is
not used as we are using the word ‘wait.’
Next bend down and call your dog. “Fido, come!” and run backwards as you reel the leash in. (C-5)
Reeling the leash in must be practiced as many of my students cannot reel the leash in fast enough and the
dog runs behind the handlers or beside them. Do not get flustered. Just turn your body and keep reeling in the
leash until Fido is in front of you.
Now use the ‘sit’ command. If you have that hot dog in your closed fist and Fido loves them, then you will
have no problem with this recall.
Another way to recall the dog is to ‘heel’ your dog and when he is not looking or is forging ahead, run back-
wards and let the leash tarry.
Now call Fido to you and reel the leash in as he gets closer. Make sure Fido isn’t tangled in too much leash.
As he comes close, reel the leash in and put your hands on your chest as you say ‘sit.’ You may have to
guide him into a sit so that he sits real close to you as he looks up for that hot dog in your mouth. What do you
mean you forgot it?
The reason for the hands on the chest is that this will be the signal for your dog to ‘sit’ and you do not want
your hands to get in his way. Dogs also watch the hands for food. If the head looks up, the tail and butt go
down into an automatic sit. Neat trick, hey?
Now then, Fido is sitting in front of you so give the command to ‘stay’ and walk all the way around him into
the heel position. Don’t step on his tail.
Cool, huh?
Note: If Fido refuses to come, squat down and use a high-pitched voice and be happy, clap your hands.
When he comes, reward him. If this is not happening, the shame is on you. Ask yourself what did you do to
make Fido not want to come? On the other hand, what didn’t you do? Have you not been giving those
treats? Have you been feeding your dog too much or training AFTER his dinner?
The Down Command
If you read my last book, you should know that the ‘down’ command
is very simple. It is done at all times, everywhere and at any time that
you see your dog lying down. Fido will get used to the word ‘down’
and will understand there is a reward for just lying there.
You may wish to teach Fido to ‘down’ when he is just lying there waiting for a hot dog.
The simplest way to teach the ‘down’ is with small pieces of hot dogs when Fido is hungry.
Put the hot dog in your fist and as Fido is sitting say the word ‘down’ and then show him your fist with the hot
dog in it. Let him smell it and then lower your closed fist down to the ground.
The trick is to place your fist at just the right distance on the ground between his feet so that Fido will go
‘down.’
If you get your fist too close into his chest, he will need to stand up and back away to ‘see’ and/or ‘smell’ the
hot dog.
If you get your fist too far in front of your pup, he will have to stand up and reach forward.
If Fido is too hungry, no training will take place until he calms down. In other words, his mind will not be really
‘thinking’ about how he got the food, but how he wanted the food. If he is not hungry at all, he will not care
about the hot dog.
When I ‘down’ my young dog in the beginning I make sure the ‘down’ is done in his favorite
place. I also go down with my pal to make it a fun thing. Then we play and hug. Once my puppy
relates the word down with the treat and my body posture (my right hand or fist down below his
chin) then I start to use the word without much body language or I may exaggerate the body lan-
guage and my fist treat. I am trying to get my friend to understand . . . to watch the hand with the hot dog in it
as a sign for the command to ‘down.’
Body Signal For the Down in Front: That movement is my right hand going way up over my head and then
dropping down as I bend at the waist and put my fist down towards the ground. As we get more into this and
my pup understands, then I will not have to exaggerate and a slight movement of my right hand up and then
forcefully propelled down will bring my faithful partner to the ground fast as a snap.
There are other ways to train your dog to ‘down’ but I prefer just waiting until my puppy is laying down, then I
sneak over to him with a hidden treat and place the treat between his paws and say the word ‘down.’ As he
gets older and is lying down I may throw a treat across the room but I must be able to put the treat in front of
my dog so that he does not get up.
Down on a heel using the leash
Then there is the leash. You can use the leash and force the older dog down. When he is forced down, give
him the reward. I only use this (force) after I have taught him the ‘down’ and he did not go down. Here is how
it is done.
As you go down on your left knee, wrap the leash under your left knee. Hold tight and as your left knee goes
down it will pull the dog’s neck down towards the ground with the knee. You can also pull the leash under
your knee once the knee is on the ground. I may use this type of a ‘down’ with a really hyper dog.
There are many ways to make your dog go down. With your dog on a leash beside you tell your dog to ‘down’
then put the leash under your shoe and pull on the leash. Don’t trip yourself. The leash will pull the dog down
towards the ground. I never have to use this on an American Alsatian as they ‘get’ the down lesson very
quickly with a reward. Their brains just think about it and they just do it and get the reward. Plus they are
very food motivated!
Beginning ‘Down on a Heel’
The trick to this is for you to learn your body language and the art of going down on your left knee.
Please try this by yourself first a couple of times before you try it with your dog on a heeling exercise. You will
be amazed at how un-coordinated you are.
As you are heeling your invisible dog, say the ‘down’ word as you are on a right footstep
and use your right hand to point down across your body.
Your left foot is behind you and instead of taking that left step, bend the knee, and go
down.
As you go down so will your hand and your body and . . . your dog.
Now that you can do this with coordination and have practiced this movement, we can do it
with our dog.
While heeling your dog, pick a spot in which you will drop down on your left knee.
As you approach this spot you must change your pace (three steps before the execution) to communicate to
Fido that you are about to do something.
Three steps after you slow your pace; you drop to your left knee. As you are going down you point your right
hand and fingers to the ground. You may pat the floor to remind Fido to go down.
Stay down and pet your puppy. Make it a nice experience.
Now command Fido to “stay” and do your jig ‘foot work’ as you did with the ‘sit stay’. You may need to stay
down with your dog as it is very intimidating for you to be so tall up over him. Makes him nervous and he
thinks he should get up. Yeah, I know it is hard to do this jig while down on the ground, but it can be done.
Distractions…
When you and Fido are ready, you may test your dog on the down stay by leaving your dog, facing him and
pulling the leash taunt. Remember?
When you have all that down pat and Fido is doing everything very nicely then you may do the ‘Down on a
Heel’ exercise. This will take you about two or three days to get all this going before you move on.
I am leaving all this training to you and Fido. By now you know how to do one step at a time and to watch
your dog for the signals that he has ‘got it’. You will do this step in the down on heel several times until you
believe you can get up without Fido moving.
Down on a Heel
When the dog is lying down, repeat the ‘stay’ command and get up. As you are getting up,
the dog will want to get up. If he moves or gets up you must go into your ACT: “what did I
tell you!” “I told you to stay!”
Now do a jig and reward your dog! If it was a very tuff exercise, quit and release the dog from the down by
raising both hands in the air and shout, “OK”! “WHAT A DOG!” Now run and play.
Do this over and over and over as the down stay gets longer (in minutes) for Fido.
Try to do an extensive jig . . . Then test Fido on the ‘down’ by leaving him and facing him. Now pull the leash
taunt then return to him.
After all that, you can now do the complete ‘down on a heel’ exercise and walk completely around your dog. I
know that Fido will stay and you both win!
Now do all the above and walk over the top of your laying down dog. Caution: do not step on him or move a
single hair on his body please.
What’s that you say? Did you think it was only going to take you five minutes for the both of you guys to do
this? So it took a while hey?
Advanced ‘Down on a Heel’
Remember that diagram that I told you was the multipurpose diagram? You will use that diagram to do the
‘advanced down on a heel’ and the ‘pick up’ as you are heeling but do not do that until we get there. I don’t
want you to get confused.
I do not want you to be a bore to your dog. Doing so many ‘downs’ for so long is boring to Fido. You must
mix everything up and learn a bit more here and there on the other subjects.
We shall now practice the ‘down on a heel’ as in competition. It will be fun.
Heel your dog for twenty paces. As you reach the seventeenth pace slow a tad and get ready to command
Fido to ‘DOWN’ with a stern voice.
As your left foot is coming up and into its step (20 paces) beside your dog, command Fido to ‘DOWN’ as your
left foot is placed on the ground firmly. Continue heeling, do not stop. Fido should have gone down and is
watching you. Do not halt your steps. Go ten paces and do your left turn. Go ten more paces and execute an-
other left turn. Walk ten more paces and do the last left turn.
You are coming up to your dog now. Make sure that as you come up to your dog your left foot is coming up
on his side and then taking off as you tell your dog to ‘heel.’ Your command must coincide with your body
command (your left foot heeling off). Do not try to trick your dog. If you slow down as you get to your dog,
your dog will think something is afoot. I continue my fast heeling pace so my dog will know I am “picking him
up” or about to ‘heel’ him (to have him come with me). Fast and excited.
Sometimes I just come up to him and leave him on the ‘down’ so he doesn’t get use to (or anticipate) the “pick
up.” If I am coming up to him slowly and my left foot is ‘placed’ beside him then he is not to move. He will be
in the ‘down’ position. I may then ‘wait there’ my dog and do one more ‘walk about.’ This is so he will pay at-
tention and not get used to the “pick up.”
In competition, I do not allow the spectators to see my slight body communication. It is a language between
(and for) my dog and I.
After you have “picked up” your dog on the ‘heel’, walk about thirty more paces and halt.
Exercise complete and you play with hands up in the air to make sure Fido understands it is over.
Remember that drawing I told you to earmark?
DOWN IN FRONT
Ok, so now we move on. Instead of the down with Fido beside me, we will go to the ‘down in front’ where
Fido is looking at me and I am in front of him.
In this ‘down in front’ command, the dog is continuing his learning/communicating skills. This is part of his
growing and learning process, his education. This is just part of what my dogs must go through as they live
on this planet with me. By now, my dog completely understands the ‘down’ as I have been using this word
from the day I purchased my puppy, even before he knew he was learning it. The command has been ac-
companied with the hand or closed fist going down to the ground. Now every time I point to the ground my
dogs will fall down. Do yours? Want to know the secret of a very fast comprehension? Want to know how to
train Fido to ‘down’ in less than three minutes and have Fido never forget the command and action? You do?
Get your highlighters out . . . . FOOD !
SIT FROM A DOWN AT A DISTANCE
Down your dog.
‘Wait’ your dog.
Leave your dog. (Go about six feet then turn and face your dog once again.
Count to ten, then bend your knees and with your right hand (and arm) pointed somewhat at the ground.
Bring your hand and arm up, up, up and your body up until you are standing tall and your arm is extended to
the sky and you command your dog to ‘sit’. (I actually do a little hop as I say the word ‘sit’).
You will find that you may kind of ‘jump’ a tad; this is normal and exaggerates the
movement. Makes your dog want to do something, like come to you, but then he is
unsure and by that time he has sat. Then you say “Good Dog” and he is not sure
what to do. If you say ‘good dog’ to excitedly he will start coming to you, so you
have to start going to him and he will think maybe he was not supposed to get up
from his down, being confused he will just stay there until you get there and give
him that treat in your hand. Then he thinks, I wonder what I did right. So now you
have to repeat so he will figure out what it is he did right.
In the ‘sit from a down at a distance’, It will help if the dog is hungry and thinks
you have food in your hand.
You also must do this as close to your dog as you feel you must. Then as your
dog understands the signals, you may move backwards. Eventually you may go
about twenty feet away and your dog will do the sit and down at a distance on
command signals. This is absolutely very impressive!!!
So how do we teach him all this? Baby steps. As in all our progressive com-
mands, we go further and further away as Fido begins to understand this game.
I must warn you that the hand up in the air may make Fido want to get up. He
may be a bit confused so do not leave your hand up for any length of time.
Note: an ‘up’ hand or an extended hand up over your head is the ‘sit at a distance’
command so, do not tarry while doing the ‘Down at a distance’ body language.
‘DOWN IN FRONT’ FROM A DISTANCE
Here is a rather cool looking or impressive game to play with your well-trained dog. Fido already knows ‘sit’
and ‘down’ in front so now we are going to move further and further away and require Fido to down in front
and sit in front on hand signals.
So Fido knows the word ‘Down’. He understands the hand pointing down to the ground also means to lie
‘down’. You have also done the ‘down’ with the ‘sit stay’ dance and you may have even walked over the top
of your ‘downed’ dog. (It would probably be called the ‘down stay’ dance).
Sit ‘wait’ your dog. Move away from Fido about six
feet then turn and face your dog.
Raise your RIGHT hand completely up into the sky

in a backward circle. ( #1. Coming around back of
you.) . . . . to up and over your head (#2-3) and
pointing to the ceiling (#4).
As you reach the highest point (#4), stall for a half

a second (you are also on your tippy toes).
Now, bring your right hand down with force in front of you (#5) to complete the circle as you bend your knees
and point to the ground. At the same time, command Fido to ‘down!’
This is the beginning of the ‘down in front and at a distance.’ As you go further and further back away from
your pal, you are going to want to be able to be seen clearly and precisely. Not only that, you are going to
want to impress on Fido that you mean for him to ‘lay down.’ Just because you are not near him to correct
him or make him go ‘down’ doesn’t mean he is not to do as he is told. That is why this ‘down at a distance’
body language must be large and meaningful, thus the swing of the right hand from behind you to way up in
the air, pause for a slight second (#4) to gain momentum and then forcefully drop that hand and point to the
ground. (#6). As you do all this, your body must go with the flow. So as my hand reaches it maximum peak I
will be on my tippy toes . . . (#4) and as my right hand comes crashing down, my body will bend at the knees
only slightly then pop back into the military type attention of a well thought out command.
You also may find those training keys useful in this exercise.
Body language for the down in front from a distance:
______ ‘Wait’ Fido and leave him. Walk six paces away then turn and face Fido.
______ ‘Down’ him. Fido may not go down as you are rather far away from him so I want you to exaggerate
the ‘down’ command. Here is how I do it. I quickly raise my right hand high up over my head and I do a little
jump. As my jump is coming down, I forcefully swing my hand and arm down to the ground. I end up squat-
ted pointing down.
If I squat too much, Fido will come to me. I don’t want to do that. Watch your dog’s body language. He will tell
you when he gets it. Another thing to be sure you do and do well is, to voice the ‘down’ command at the prop-
er time. The proper time to shout ‘down’ is when your arm and hand is beginning its forceful downward mo-
tion. If your dog is particularly stubborn and you know he understands the ‘down’ but is not going down be-
cause you cannot reach him, then throw those keys about three to six feet in front of him FORCEFULLY as
you yell “DOWN.” The keys and the command must be in unison.
3. ______ Straighten yourself up and do not say a word if Fido went down. You may have to say ‘stay’ or
‘don’t move’ or ‘eyh’, or make some kind of noise to have Fido not get up. If three seconds go by and he has
not got up, walk over to him with a smile on your face and a happy walk and put a nice T-bone steak between
his paws. Ok, you do not have to go to that extreme, but you know what I mean.
If your dog is an overly happy dog (bouncy and playful) he/she may want to come join you in your bouncing,
over exaggerated ‘down in front’ game. If this is the case, you may have to use a very stern voice to stop the
dog from getting too excited. Fido may go ‘down’ because he felt you were a threat, but once down, hurry
over to him and give him the reward. The reward should be the very best of hugs and loves and ‘ata boy’s’
that you could muster.
If your dog doesn’t go down you will have to go back to the close in front of your dog ‘down in fronts.’ Your
dog didn’t ‘get it.’ You are going too fast. Do not rush the training. Do only one-step at a time and move for-
ward only if the dog ‘gets it.’
4. _______ ‘Down’ your dog with the six-foot leash while he is in front of you. Pull on the leash. Loosen the
leash back up and repeat the taut leash. This should reinforce the ‘stay.’
If the dog has ‘got it’, then reward yourself for being such a good listener and for paying attention to your
dog’s body language.
5.______ Move further and further away.
6.______ Come back in closer and add distractions. Lay the leash down and walk around your dog while he is
on the ‘down stay.’ Walk over him. Yes, I said walk over him . . . One foot at a time and do it slowly. Return
to the ‘down stay in front’ position of about six-feet away. Return to the ‘heel’ position and finish with both
hands raised in the air and throw the ball.
7.______ Go six feet away and add a person calling your dog as you do this ‘down in front.’ At first have the
caller be twice the distance away from the dog as you are. Then have the person be halfway between you
and the dog and so forth. Don’t forget that you must have the dog win.
8.______ Do a ‘crowded down in front.’ Make sure the place where your dog is to lay down is comfortable and
nonthreatening.
Return to your dog in the heel position and praise your dog.
Keeper 2010
Rrrround
Some Animal Control woman, who saw one of my dogs wrapped around a bush next to my front door when I
was in my twenties, gave me a ticket because she said that no dog could learn to get out of that kind of pre-
dicament.
EXCUSE ME, but they most certainly can!
The ‘Rrrround’ is the command and it is taught every time my dog lets a tree, lamppost, telephone pole, or
any other object get in between him and I. What I do is I use the situation and I walk as normal. I plan what I
am going to do and I know ahead of time that my untrained dog is about to let this object come between us. I
plan it so that I have most of the leash and when the dog lets the object come between me and him, ACT !!!!
The leash is tightened up around the dog’s neck pretty close to the object that has gotten between
us. Then I stop with that taut leash and I look at my dog. Then I ask him what he is going to do
about this. I may get into a semi lengthy conversation about it. I do not yell or exaggerate but I
talk rather plainly. I don’t want to freak out the dog; I just want the dog to remember the leash and
his place. The dog just looks at me and if he could talk, he would probably tell me that he needed help.
The next thing I do is to step back so that the leash is somewhat loose and I talk to the dog. I make the dog
think out the problem. Being that my body is now behind the object and the dog wants to get to me, he may
continue to go around the object and tighten up the leash further. I get a jump on it and tighten the leash (be-
fore) as he moves forward to get himself wrapped up. He then figures out he must go backwards or turn
around to get to me. Usually a young pup will turn into the object and have to bow his head to get him back to
me. Silly dogs.
This is my puppy’s first experience with objects coming between us. Next is the tying up of the dog to a pole,
tree, or other object. If this will be an all-day exercise, I make sure there is shade and water.
At first, the dog may not go around the object. You may have to wait about ten minutes or so for the incident
to become upsetting to the dog. When the dog is wrapped up around the object, you will go out to the dog
and say “Rrrround” as you walk in the correct direction to have the dog come with you to un-wrap itself.
I use an exaggerated hand signal. I use it frequently, over and over as I walk with my dog to unwind him.
Body language or signal for the ‘Rrrround’: My left hand goes out and around to make a large circle before
me. He is on my left side.
After the dog understands the “Rrrround” command there are various games you
can play. If you have a male dog and he loves trees (heehee) you can use this
word as he is running to a tree while you are in the park. Of course he is going to
go around the tree as he comes out the other side, but it is the word association
that you are putting into his brain.
Go Round similar to the ‘Rrrround’ but more of a command. You may wish to
substitute another word for this command. Set up a large pole type tent on the left
side and another pole type tent on the right side of an invisible straight line where you will be heeling your
dog. You could use chairs or just about anything but make them large enough for the dog to get what it is you
mean. In the following diagram, I am using trees. If the object he is to “GoRrrrround” is not large enough to be
really identified this may confuse Fido so make sure Fido can understand and do what it is you want him to.
NOTE: Your dog must understand and respond to the “come” or ‘recall’ as this must be done off leash to re-
call your dog back to you after you send him away.
He also must learn the hand signals. I begin teaching these hand signals in the baseball diamond with food
dishes or treats out on a placement mat that is bright in color or white so the dog will identify with it later as we
send our dogs out into the unknown…
Go Out
Prerequisite - Your dog must know how to down at a distance for this exercise.
How does one get their dog to “go” out? Let’s look at this logically. We have been keeping our dog close to
us and he has been rewarded at all times for being near us. Now we are going to try to get Fido to leave us?
How does one do that? Well, what is it that Fido wants more than anything else in the world? That is the ob-
ject you put out into the field, say about sixty feet out. Not too far, he has to be able to see and identify the
object. What I do is I use his dinner. I make sure he is hungry of course. Then I put a white placemat down
so he can see it. This must be very large. You might use a white bed sheet folded up. And then I put real
meat out there.
This is place identification that is all. You will get Fido to go to the white mat and put his foot on it.
Now every night at dinnertime I use this command. Voila! Fido now associates very good things with this
word and that white place object.
Ok, now we are going to get more specific . . . You are going to show Fido the direction to go in and you
are going to be dead on precise about this.
When you are ready to ‘send’ Fido out you will exaggerate the body language. You will bend your body at
the waist and you will hold the dog’s collar with your right hand. Kind of like holding him back from all this ex-
citement.
You will then use your left hand in a chopping type fashion with your little finger closest to Fido’s head. You
will mark the correct angle at which Fido must travel by pointing in the direction. Your body and Fido’s body
will be FACING the object that Fido will be running towards. It will be in an absolute straight line. First he sits
his dog then he shows the dog his right hand as his left hand holds the dogs collar in anticipation for the dog
knows he is going to go get something.
We will hold the dogs collar with our right hand and steady the dog
with a left chopping kind of motion as we chop our dog’s head in half
(not really). I show the dog a line of direction with my hand.
Since we are facing in the direction I want my dog to run off into, I
will chop straight out in front of my dogs head, nose and eyes… I will
show the dog this direction three times and then I will bend at the
knees and take off on my left foot as it appears I am going to RUN to
the dish with the treat in it and steal it from my dog… Last one there is
a rotten egg!
Since there is only one goody in that particular dish (the other dish-
es are empty) Fido will run to that dish!
As you advance you will use two treats and then three treats, but
you know that if you rush this, your dog will fail and you will have to
back up so I am leaving it up to you to play around with and take those
baby steps. I am not going to tell you every step to take to get there. I
am sure I have pounded it into your brain that you must take one step
at a time. There will be no distractions and the item he will run to is
clear and visible. You will make this as crystal clear to your pal as you
can. He must also be hungry and the time must be dinnertime. If you
think your pal may not go to the object, go with him. Be sure to travel
in that straight line because you are trying to teach Fido to watch the
direction of your signal (your hand) as you ‘mark’ the direction of travel
that Fido must go in to get his reward.
As you and Fido advance in this ‘go out’ we will then hide the object and Fido will have to rely only on your
‘mark’ so you see why it is soooo important for your mark to be dead on. But that is for the future and . . . . . .
. . . the next book! “The Ultimate Companion Dog” by Lois Schwarz
The white placemat or sheet must be large enough for Fido’s
feet to be on as he eats.
There are a number of things that this particular exercise

may lead you to. For instance: the movie theater ! . . . If Fido
can go to a particular spot and place his feet on the mark, then
he can get spots in TV commercials.
Next, we can direct Fido to retrieve hidden objects by giving
him a direct line to travel in. You already gave Fido the scent
and you explained to Fido that you want him to ‘fetch’ the item
so this ‘go’ command will help Fido to find an article.
Retrieving fallen bumpers. This is a particularly fun exer-

cise! There are guns that you may purchase that will load and
fire bumpers.
But you must understand that I cannot give you everything in
this basic handbook. First, get all this down pat. Get a really
nice companion dog and then purchase the next book if you
want to do more.
I want to show you some old photographs that I think you

might find interesting. Now don’t go running out to do this until
your dog has been trained. I just want to inspire you as to what
you may look forward to.
In these first two diagrams that I found in an old 1940’s book

on retrieving, you will see the home plate is where you and your
dog are first beginning this exercise.
In the top left photo (ONE THE NEXT PAGE) you will see the
trainer and dog approaching a familiar place where he has al-
ways taken his dog to do this particular exercise. In the next
photo down he sits his dog and tells him to ‘stay’.
In the third photo you see the trainer throw a dummy out to
second base. This dog already knows how to retrieve and
loves his job, so the next obvious thing to do is for the trainer to
teach his retriever to ‘go out’ or ‘back’ using the universal body
language.
So the first base that we shall use to train our dog is the one
that is straight out from us which is second base. Second base
is the easiest when training our dog ‘hand and body’ directions.
In the fourth photo you see that the trainer left the dog on the
pitcher’s mound as he himself went to home plate. We will use
the command ‘wait there’ as we leave Fido.
In this last photograph of page 132 the trainer is now steady-

ing his dog before he throws his body and full arm out into the
direction that the dog should go into. The dog is focused on the
man’s arm and hand in anticipation of the full body command to
‘back.’
As the trainer shows the dog his arm that comes up from the
seam of his pants he then throws himself forward with the arm and body movement to make the dog break his
‘sit’ and off he goes in the direction of the arm and body movement.
In the next four photos (from top to bottom) you will see that the trainer uses a different body language than I
am teaching you. The one I am teaching you is an exaggeration
of your body that is very easy for your dog to interpret. If you
can find an easier way that your dog will pick up on, great. In
this photo you see the trainer throws his arm out towards second
base which is the cue for the dog to go.
In the second photo down the dog is almost to second base.

In the third photo the dog has retrieve the item and has been
called back to the trainer as he picked the article up. The dog
comes all the way in to the trainer and gives the trainer the arti-
cle.
Next the trainer teaches first base then last third base.
In the top photo on this page you can see that the dog doesn't
really believe there is anything on third base, but then, he smells
or sees it and off he goes. As soon as the dog has the article in
his mouth, the trainer calls the dog’s name and the dog returns
the article to the trainer.
In the last set of photos (after the dog is doing well in his training
thus far) you will see the trainer go out to the pitcher’s mound
and ‘sit stay’ his dog. Then he throws the article and the dog
watches. He again leaves his dog for home plate. Once at
home plate the trainer commands his dog to ‘go right’ to retrieve
the article and the dog brings the article back to home plate.
The same is done for third base or to ‘go left’. The dog is al-
ways shown the throw. The trainer always leaves the dog then
faces the dog as he gives the dog the command to retrieve the
article that was just thrown and to bring it back to the trainer.
In this next set of photographs the trainer has gone to the

pitcher’s mound and has thrown an article to first base and third
base and then he throws his last article to second base.
The trainer then ‘waits there’ his dog and leaves for home
plate. Once at home plate the trainer commands the dog to
‘back’ and shows the dog the body language for the second
plate article as that was the article that is freshest in the dog
memory. The dog retrieves that article and brings it home to the
trainer at home plate.
With the dog by the trainers side at home plate; the trainer
commands the dog to ‘back’ until the dog gets to the pitcher’s
mound. When the dog gets to the mound the trainer then says
the dog’s name so that his dog will turn and look at him. As the
dog turns to look at the trainer the trainer then commands the
dog to go left to fetch the article at third base. The dog returns
this article to the trainer.
Once again the trainer sends the dog out to the pitcher’s
mound and calls the dog’s name. This time the trainer com-
mands the dog to go right to first base and retrieve the last arti-
cle.
All this takes time and patience and BABY STEPS. Do not do this. Just know that it is there waiting for
you!
‘Go Out’ or ‘Back’
Where this command is going:
1. This teaches your dog to follow your ‘mark’ or hand signal and the direction of your hand and the direc-
tion you wish for Fido to go in.
2. It teaches your dog to go in a straight line and only in a straight line. It teaches Fido to keep on going
until you call him to turn around and makes him pay attention to you and your next command.
There are other commands after this one in which I will not go deeply into because I do not have enough
pages in this book. Sorry . . . I will state them here as I believe that since you have read this book you can
figure it all out because you are so much smarter now than you ever were . . . I have complete faith in you!
One command is ‘over’ and you will use your body position to tell Fido in which way he should go . These
directional commands come in handy in the bird fall or the retrieve and even the search and rescue when you
believe your dog should move over.
So we begin with the baby step to ‘go out’ or to ‘back’. I prefer to use the word ‘back’ though it is confusing
to us as Fido is not really going back he is going forward. Lol . . . But in the bird retrieves they do use the word
‘back’ as when Fido is sixty feet away and you want Fido to go out further (and he is facing you, looking at you
because he is confused and wants directions) then you would tell him to ‘back’ which means to go back fur-
ther.
You may use the word ‘go’ but I personally feel that I use the word ‘go’ too much in my every day commu-
nications with my dogs as they may be in the house and up in my face then I just want them to go away.
So pick a word to associate this ‘go out’. I will use the word ‘back’.
The ‘mark’ is the direction or the set up that your dog will follow.
Now how do we get there? Baby steps of course. Once again we have placed a large mat or sheet on the
ground and Fido’s food dish far enough ‘back’ (Hehe) to where Fido will have to put his feet on the sheet.
Placement
1. Sit your dog
2. Place your left hand in a slicing motion in front of Fido’s face. Do not use a flat hand as in the stay, but use
a chopping motion. Your hand should be sideways, as if you could cut the dogs nose in half with the side of
your hand . . .
3. Move your hand forward and backward as you ‘mark’ the direction of travel for your dog.
4. Be aware of your body position. It is facing the direction your dog will travel in.
5. Move your left foot out smartly as if you were going to heel and command your dog to ‘back’ as you thrust
your left chopping hand forward. All of this is done at one time.
All of that should make Fido ‘go out’ or towards the food dish. Let him eat about ¼ of a cup of good tasty
food. Good job . . .
Do this three times a day and move the placement ‘back’ two feet every time.
Distractions: place two sheets about 20 feet in back of (and to the left and right of) the main sheet. Put noth-
ing in the dishes. As you practice you may bring the placement of the two distractions up closer, you may use
his favorite toy or any other distractions you can think of. Do not allow Fido to go to the wrong dish of course.
And the empty ‘wrong’ dish and placement is not anywhere near the marked line of direction that Fido will go
in. I know you knew that, I was just making sure.
Now, a game you can play: Put two extra sheets out further than the first sheet. Put only one treat in each
dish.
When Fido gets to the first treat, he eats it then you will call his name and ‘sit’ your dog. First call his name
and as he turns to look at you, ‘sit’ him. Go to him. Heel him off the placement and set him up to go to the next
dish. You must be facing the dish he is going to go to, right? You knew that! And then set him up for the next
dish and then the other dish.
You may hide the dishes or treats. You may use placement mats. The important thing is that Fido under-
stands the ‘go’ or the ‘back’ and that it is ALWAYS IN A STRAIGHT LINE . . . see that is the trick, the straight
line is not confusing.
As you go further into this training exercise, you may make Fido go further and further out in that straight
line.
How far? That is what the whistle is for, but you don’t have one, nor do you understand the whistle code.
Hehe . . . next book . . . so the answer is . . . as far as he can go to where he can hear you and see you and
do as he is told. If he is gone out too far, and that gives him an opportunity to mess around, then you lose.
Right?
As you move ahead in your training you will put the dish and/or ball (or whatever you want) further and fur-
ther away.
Soon you will begin cutting up the canvas tarp (or sheet) and cutting down on the food reward.
The tarp is getting smaller and smaller. Soon there is only a square inch of tarp but Fido will find it!
You have to use your head as to how far and how much to give or take away. I will leave that up to you but I
never take it completely away unless I am going out for the Schutzhund ‘go out’ trial but as a companion dog,
all I want is for Fido to understand the command and go.
As I am walking one of my dogs, I may use this command to tell him to go home. I would use this com-
mand if I ever got lost in the woods with a broken leg or something, gee who knows, but my dog would go
home without me and everyone would know that something was wrong.
If you want a retriever you MUST NEVER EVER NEVER…. TELL THE DOG IT WAS BAD TO PICK
SOMETHING UP… Even if it is your 100.00 pair of shoes. You must ACT happy and ask for the shoes and
then you must reward… Give me that shoe and I will give you a hot dog!
In the next set of photos the man has started his dog on the right hand side first base. This is the correct
base to do next, but the man is using an experienced dog. When you try this ‘go out’ and you have a reward
on first base, YOU WILL TURN YOUR BODY AND HIS in the direction of first base! That is the first step..
What do you think the next step is? You will slowly make your body and his turn inch by inch towards center
field. Not too fast… You need to make HELEN KELLER understand what the heck you are trying to com-
municate. Once the dog gets it, he ‘gets it’.
Then we do the same thing with third base. None of the bases have anything on them except the base you
have asked Fido to go to. That is his reward. When you have third base down pat… Then you will go back to
first base and first base must be downwind of third base.
This time you will put a reward on third base and first base and ask your dog to go to first base. The wind
will be softly blowing a goodie off third base in Fido’s direction, but he will not go over that a way! (distrac-
tion).
Next you will put a steak dinner on third base with all the trimmings… yummmm… and you will command
Fido to go and get that small little tidbit off first base that he cannot even smell. Ha ha…
Next you will remove all food from third base but you will leave the aroma, maybe just the drippings of the
steak. And you will put a nice piece of whatever Fido likes on second base. You will now command Fido to
second base. If he decides to visit third base, get your key ring full of noisy keys and throw it at him. Fido
should go to second base in a zippy flash. If he did not go in a flash, then you did not put what Fido wanted
on the base. You Bad! Next time do not feed him and try it again. Betcha he will do it really well. Hmmm?
You know that is no surprise… a good trainer uses the dogs feeding and exercising times to his advantage.
Nothing at all wrong with that. You just do what works and you win and he wins.
GO AROUND
After your dog understands the hand motion for going off in a certain direction you can now tell Fido to “go
around” certain objects.
Give him that reward as you call him back to you.
Here we go…
As you ‘heel’ your trained dog, walk towards the object and then point to the object with your total left (arm,
hand and fingers) as you say the command “GoRrrrround.” Be sure to command the dog while coming onto
your left foot as in all heeling commands or commands in which you want your dog to continue going forward.
With the step off of the right and onto the left, you will command the dog to “GoRrrrround” as you shove
your left arm forward from your side out in the direction of the tree.
You must exaggerate and have fun with this . . . You also must prepare yourself to recall the dog as his
body gets into the correct position that will enable the dog to ‘go around’ the object and come back to you into
the heeling position.
This requires some skill on your part for if you recall the dog too soon, he may return before he goes com-
pletely around the object.
As Fido is going around the object command Fido to “come” and run forward from the tree but backwards in
your body as you face him.
Bring him to a “Sit” in front of your body as he gets in close to you. Use your hands to bring him into that
sit...
Praise and reward.
Note: In my praise, I lift both hands high in the air to let my dog know that the exercise is completed.
Before you can do a bunch of trees, you must be able to accomplish the one tree. Once Fido understands
he is to “GoRrrrround”, the object and return to you, then you can continue walking as you send him out with
the left hand, left foot . . . . Towards the other object.
One of the fun things you can do is to give Fido a dish of meat that is hidden behind the tree as a reward.
With a reward behind the object, Fido will look forward to finding something behind one of the many obstacles
that you are going to send him out to. This is similar to the “go out” but with this “go round”, Fido must go
around the object.

The Stand Stay
‘Stand stay’ is to ‘stand’ still and not

move. You get your pal to do this by
repetition. As a young pup, you will
brush your dog and groom him and
you will use this command. You will then brush and groom your pal at
least once a week and reward with a treat at the end of every session.
Now this regular grooming will only be for one minute, then two
minutes and so on . . .
How I get my dog to ‘stand’ is to put my hand under his tummy. That’s
it! If you take your hand out from beneath him and he wants to sit, put
your hand back under his belly and repeat the command. This time
you will forcefully say the word ‘stay.’ He will be learning what ‘stay’
means early on in life. The problem most trainers or doggy owners
have with this exercise is that the dog’s will power is stronger than the
owner/trainers desire to have the dog ‘stand stay’.
You must be in the correct ‘brain mode’. You must be able to COMMAND this to be done and it must be fol-
lowed and executed by your companion. And you must want this.
I know it is tuff to just stand still . . . gee, but it will only be for a count of 10 then 20 then 30 and then for at
least three minutes on each side. Soon you will be placing your dog’s feet, rump, and head in any position
you want him to be in.
That is all there is to the ‘stand stay’ but there is more as the ‘stand stay’ is intertwined into varies exercises.
A. “Stand Stay at a heel”— In your ‘stand stay’ command off of the heel, you will place your right foot
in towards Fido as you stop (see diagram) . . . and you will be facing Fido.
You will NOT STOP ON YOUR LEFT FOOT as usual, (as you do not want
Fido to sit).
This is not a stop for Fido to sit. He will learn this one fast, don’t worry.
Normally as you halt on the heel, you are both facing forward. In this
‘stand stay’ command Fido will want to automatically ‘sit’, so your left hand
must swoop ‘down and under’ his belly as your right foot places itself in
front of your dog, and you will have to turn your body inward facing the
dog.
As your dog begins to understand, you will not have to place your left hand
under his belly.
To get Fido to ‘stay’ you will move your right foot back and forth, in and out
and up and down as a distraction. You know, yep another jig! The stand
stay jig!
If Fido moves reinforce the ‘stay’ command.
In the ‘stand stay as you are heeling’ (advanced homework assignment) you will do the same pattern as the
‘sit stay’ and the ‘down stay’ as you continue heeling in a square pattern such as in the ‘sit stay advanced’
diagram.
As you heel your dog, you will go about ten or twenty paces into your pattern then you will place your footwork
as in this ‘stand stay’ footwork diagram that I have here. As you come into this ‘stand stay’ you will slow your
pace three steps before the execution of the command. After you ‘stand stay’ your dog (and you know that
Fido will ‘stay’ because you have practiced this and are now ready to move into the ‘advanced stand stay on
the heel’) then you will replace your right foot back into the proper heel position, ‘stay’ your dog once more (if
you need to) and then move off with your right foot and continue in your heel pattern until you come back up
from behind the dog.
As you come up to the side of your dog you will continue heeling in your heeling pace and as your left foot
moves off (or out of the heel position) and is Fido’s ‘heeling mark’ then you will command Fido to ‘heel’ with
that left foot as in every ‘heel’ that Fido has ever done. That left foot is the key to make Fido move with you.
Your command for the ‘heel’ (or ‘beside me’ or ‘fuss’) is that left foot, so your verbal and hand command has
to be timed as that left foot is taking off. The verbal and hand commands are enthusiasm for Fido to heel with
you at this time. Soon you will be able to use any of the secret body language commands and no one will
even know you spoke to your dog.
B. Stand for Exam

‘Heel’ your dog and as you are ready to ‘stand stay’ your dog, slow your pace as you normally would, then
reach down under his belly with your left hand (leash and all) and at the same time make a large step with
the right foot and place that right foot inward, toward the dog. (See stand stay footwork diagram). With your
right hand, you can make the stay signal.
Note: If you got through all that then you may advance to: with your left hand, pet the dog on the top spine
area and then quickly return your hand to the underbelly before the dog sits. Fido will want to sit as he is con-
fused and thinks this is a “halt.” He will soon learn your body language. Do this over and over and reward.
Pet and reward.
When you think Fido has this down pat (because he does know and understand the ‘stay until you die’ com-
mand), then bring in a neighbor and have the neighbor stand in front of your dog about six feet or so. After
the command ‘stay’ (and you have rewarded the dog) then take your hand out from under his belly, repeat the
stay and ask your friend to walk around you and the dog.
The secret here is to place the choke chain in the middle of the dog’s neck, on top of the back
of the neck so that the leash is going straight up from the dog’s neck to your hand. Your hand
is in a straight (plumb) line above the dog’s neck. Keep the leash taunt as you did in the ‘sit
stay’ exercise as you went all the way around Fido. Ooops you didn’t do that? Well, it is a little
secret that works, you may want to try it this time.
After the stranger (neighbor) goes all the way around Fido and you, reward the dog. Don’t let the neighbor get
to close yet. Each time you have the neighbor go around you and your dog, the neighbor may come in closer
until he is almost touching the dog.
Next, your neighbor will come up to the dog and let the dog sniff his legs. Then your neighbor will walk back-
wards to where he was before he approached the dog.
The next time you will ‘heel’ the dog up to about six feet away from the friend and ‘stand stay’ your dog.
Now you, walk over to your friend. Count to ten and then walk completely around the dog and back into the
heel position.
Count to ten again and “ok” the dog.

This is a bit unnerving as when you return to the dog into the ‘heel position’ your feet are not in the “stand stay
position” are they? No, they are in the ‘heel position’ and they are together. That is why we shall count to ten
and then practice this longer and longer. Do not bore the dog though. Understand when he is getting tired of
this game and “ok” him out of the exercise. No dog likes to just stand there for very long but then again, don’t
let him get over on you. He must do as he is told.
When you can do all that, then you can ask your friend to come over, touch the dog on the shoulder blade,
and sweep his hand all the way across the dogs back to the dog’s rear. Be careful the dog doesn’t sit. Get
ready to place your left hand under the dog’s belly. I suggest you be in the ‘stand stay’ position so you can be
facing the dog at this time. Some dogs can do this, some cant. You must know your dog. If you do not think
your dog will be able to do this then take those baby steps. Figure it out by yourself and do what you need to
in order to get your dog ready for the stranger to touch him as he is standing and staying on your command.
Each dog is different and only the owner can know when it is time to advance to the next baby step. It is far
better to repeat and add distractions to be sure that your dog can and will do what you want him to do than it
is to have Fido move and be wrong. Fido is never wrong, you are. The teacher is at fault not the student.
The completed “stand stay for exam” is when you can leave the dog in the “stand stay” position
and go over to your friend. The friend then leaves you, goes to the dog, pets the dog’s head,
ears, and looks in the mouth at the teeth. Then he pets the dog’s shoulders and leg bones then
goes to the rear and pets the dog’s rear and rear leg bones. He also is able to feel under the
dog’s belly and pick up the tail. Then your friend may walk completely around the dog (behind
him) and back to you.
After that “exam” then you may return to the dog and the exam
is over. I return to the dog by going completely around the
dog and back up into the heel position as I want to continue to
train the dog in the ‘stay’ command. In real competition, this is
not necessary. I then count to ten before I release the dog as
I do not want a barn sour horse, remember . . . ? I do not want
Fido excusing himself in advance just by me coming back into
the heel position and him thinking he can just break the stand
stay. Know what I mean?
There is one more step to this ‘Stand Stay’ and it is an advanced college degree heeling execution so, are
you ready for this? Remember that diagram that I told you that you would use for a variety of ‘picking up’ your
dog? Might as well earmark it . . .
C. STAND STAY ON A HEEL
As you heel your dog and you slow down three steps before you command the dog to ‘Stay’ you will com-
mand your dog to “stay” as you put down your right foot. This is the only command that you will command
the dog on this right foot, if I remember correctly. If you need to you can pause on that right foot, or slightly
turn that right foot in towards the dog as in the stand stay. This gives the dog a heads up and he can see this
slight key to the ‘stay at a heel’ command. Once Fido gets this plain ol’ ‘stay’ command, he will just stand
there and wait.
If Fido understands the ‘stay’ as you are heeling then you will continue walking in your heeling exercise per
that diagram the ‘pick-up’. You will go 30 paces as you normally do before you do your about turn to the left.
If you heeled your dog for 10 paces before the ‘stay’ command was given, then you would only go 20 more
paces until you did your about turn to the left. Comprende?
Q. How do you get the dog to stand stay as you continue walking?
A. Remember I said to take baby steps? First, you must get Fido to understand the ‘stand stay’ with your
footwork. Look at the diagram ‘stand stay’. When you ‘stay’ your dog, turn into the dog with your right foot.
Since your dog already knows what ‘stay’ means because you have done all your homework up to this page .
. . . Then you will not have any problems with this exercise.
Ok let’s try it with baby steps-
Heel your dog . . . walk twenty paces and ‘stand stay’ your dog . . . (you are now facing the side of your
dog) ‘stay’ your dog and leave your dog on the right foot first.
Continue walking for ten paces, make a left turn.
Walk ten more paces and make another left turn. You are now headed behind the dog,
Continue walking and make another left turn as you head up to the dogs right side and the proper heeling
position. As you come up to buddy . . . place your feet slowly next to him.
Count to ten and ‘release’ the dog.
Do this five times. The next time you do this exercise, do not stop beside Fido as you come up to the
heel position!
Keep walking in your fast pace, but make sure you command Fido to ‘stay’ as you pass him and take off on
that right foot.
Go past Fido ten paces, turn, and face Fido.
Order Fido to ‘sit’ as you raise your right hand toward the sky.
Count to five and ‘release’ your dog. Run and Play!!!
Here is a hint in how to make sure your dog will stay: make sure your command is STERN ! Look at Fido
with glaring eyes. ACT. Then move off. Continue heeling. Also, use the ‘stay’ hand signal and make sure it
is given in a STERN definite acting way. Be forceful. Mean what you say. It will take him by surprise and he
will ‘stay’ or freeze . . . . Don’t look at him as you do your heeling but get back asap. When you are done give
that dog a bone!
DO NOT DO THIS EXERCISE IF YOU ARE NOT READY!
If you do this one and Fido does not do as he should, spank yourself . . . you are rushing. You must be able
to communicate to Fido what it is you want. How do you do that? Repetition and distractions. Make Fido
win. Do not allow your friend to be wrong or to make a mistake. Teach him what you want of him.
Here is the trick to this:
Lots of dancing on your part.
Yep . . . the ‘stand stay dance’ . . . the same way you did the ‘sit stay dance’ and the ‘down stay dance.’
What do you mean you didn’t do them?
Did you also forget to TEST for the stand stay? What do you mean you didn’t know you could? You know I
can’t repeat everything or the book would be way too long!
The reason I am not explaining the commands in great detail for you at this time is because I have been
TRAINING YOU.
Surprise: You have been in a training class and I have been getting you to ‘THINK’ for yourself. After you
read to the end then I have made suggestions that you may not have thought about because I wanted you to
think about them first. If you have already been placing the baby steps in and thinking one-step ahead of me,
which is great! Then You Got IT!
Shasta 2011
The Finish
The finish around your body: First get your dog to sit in front. See this first photo? How did she get that
dog to sit so close? She put her hand to her stomach right about where the dogs muzzle is and she had a
small piece of hot dog in it.
See the second photo? Her dog is going for the hot dog as he goes around her body. The dog will go
around your body from the right side first, then around the back of you and up into the heel position. A shy
dog will lean against a person’s body for that feeling of
security. This dog doesn't look shy to me though. It
(1 step)
Right foot moves out.
looks as if she wanted him that close.
3. left foot still in same place. (3 steps)

THE FINISH DANCE
The red curved line is your leash. Happy face is your
dog.
If your dog finds it hard to leave the ‘sit in front’ take a
step or two backwards to encourage him to go forward…
Where you going?
(his forward) then quickly return your steps forward (your
5. DOG
REMEMBERS
forward) as you leave your dog in the dust… no, only two
WHERE HE IS steps back forward for you. Fido may be lost but guess
One right step back SUPPOSE TO what? He understands that ‘heel position doesn't he !
As you BE. So where do you think he will go? That’s right and if you
Bring the dog
With you.
have a hot dog in your left hand he is SURE to meet you
(2 steps) there.
2 1) You will start out facing Fido with the leash in your
Switch leash hand right hand. (Switch the leash around your back
Leash in right hand and into your left hand as the dog ‘gets it’).
You will walk only two paces forward. You will not move
backward at all. Only your right foot will move backward
in enthusiasm and bounce as you say “Fuss” or “Heel”.
4. DOG IS
1. face your dog CONFUSED as you walk away You will drop the two forward paces as you advance and
your dog begins to “think” about it. Soon Fido will under-
stand.
The Recall
Recall your dog to you

I am going to rehash this recall, but with the understanding that we have already practiced this, so bear with
me.
When you first start the “recall”, you may wish to have someone help you hold Fido until you call
him. If you have no one to help you then you must use the ‘wait there’ command. If this is the first
time you are recalling your dog, you may wish to bend down and run backwards at the same time.
Awww, you can do it! And, while you are doing that, clap your hands and use a high-pitched
voice! That will be sure to make him come.
As Fido comes up to you, stop running backwards and

stand up straight then pull both your hands up from the
ground to your chest.
If you are holding the twenty-foot leash, then you may
have reeled the dog to you.
This body language will make the dog ‘sit’: Put your
hands up on your chest.
Reward. Repetition and reward. Move further and further

backward. If your dog doesn’t want to come, make him
and end the session. Don’t feed the dog so much next
time and use a tastier reward treat. Also, use a twenty-
foot leash for the dog who doesn’t want to come. Any
dog I know of will come for a treat, especially if he is hun-
gry.
Once you guys can do the above and your dog will recall
all the time (every time on command) then you may move
on.
This next exercise is the reason for rehashing the recall.

I think you will really enjoy this one.
Here is a really fun ‘recall’ exercise: The ‘recall off the

down on a heel’
1. ‘Heel’ your dog for twenty paces and ‘down him on the
heel.’
2. Do your “walk about” and pass Fido on the pickup. Do
not pick the dog up on the heel.
3. Go about thirty paces past him turn and halt.
4. Now recall your dog to you, exercise complete and up
go the arms and hands, high-pitched voice and play . . .
Drop on recall pre test

The ‘Drop on a recall’ is pretty hard for Fido as he wants to be near you. If you have done the ‘down in front’
further and further away from your dog then you may be ready for this one.
We are now going to ‘down’ our dog on a placemat. You can use any item that your dog is comfortable with.
Do not make it bulky, but something rather flat. An old sheet might do if you can get it to not scrunch up or
blow away.
Now we are going to use “place association” and reward. Hint: Carry this mat wherever you go and use it to
down your dog.
Let’s go over a checklist to be sure you are ready for this ‘drop on the recall.’
__________First try the ‘down in front’ to be sure Fido understands where we are going. Be sure to use that
placemat or sheet.
__________Next, get in the heel position ‘wait there’ your dog and heel off about twenty paces. Turn and face
your dog. ‘Down’ your dog on the placemat. As he is going down watch and see if he ignores the placemat
and lays on it, or if he has an issue with it. Reward him only if he lays on it.
__________ Walk away from your dog the full fifty paces. Turn and face your dog. ‘Down’ your dog on the
sheet.
If you and Fido can do all of the above, then you are ready to move on.
Drop on Recall
Prepare the field. Place the mat close enough to you so that you can correct Fido and far enough away, so
that he will not be leered to come all the way in to you. You can use a set of car keys to throw at Fido if he
thinks he needs to come all the way in. You do not have to hit Fido with the keys; just make a huge impres-
sion on him ‘not to move’ or to ‘down’ as he was told.
Go get your pup. Heel your dog 20 paces then ‘sit’ Fido.
‘Wait there’ Fido as you leave him on the right foot.
Continue your heeling square.
Pass Fido up on the ‘pick up.’ As you pass him use your right foot to go by him, not the left “Wait there”.
You are not going to pick him up and you are going to go about forty paces (or whatever distance you deter-
mine will help your dog and you get through this exercise and win).
Turn and face your dog. Fido will now think he is going to execute the recall. He is right, but he has a think-
ing problem to figure out as you shout the word command ‘down’ and use your whole body to tell Fido to lay
down as he gets closer and closer to you.
‘Down’ your dog as he gets close to the sheet. Do not ‘down’ him too close to you as he will want to come all
the way in. Let him come in on the recall “Fido heeeeerrrrre” and let him start out his lightning fast recall and
then (SHOUT) ‘down’! If he downs on the sheet you had better have a steak ready!
The Training Keys: This ‘training’ set of keys has a ton of keys on them that are of no value to you. They
have all those cute key rings on them that you do not really need and the whole mess of keys is pretty heavy
and very noisy. As soon as you give the command ‘down’, you have used the body language, and Fido still
comes in, throw the keys at him! If you are a good aim, you will hit the ground right in front of him and he will
stop. Down him once again. If he still doesn’t down, go to him (fury) and physically ‘down’ him (reward and
happy). If he does go down, (oh, my God!) what a triumph of jubilation you will be feeling, but don’t move until
you recall him. And when he does get there, wow, what a heck of a dog you have!
Now, if he did not do this exercise . . . what is wrong? You went too fast. You didn’t practice the down
enough? You didn’t use the sheet when you were practicing?
These exercises I am giving you, I give you to work into your training program. I do not know how much you
are practicing, nor what you are doing so, I have to trust that you are doing what you need to do to make your
pal, your buddy, your compadre’ know and understand what it is you want from him. If Fido doesn’t want to
‘down’ on the sheet then you have not made it fun to ‘down’ on the sheet. You have not practiced enough so
that he understands to ‘down’ on the sheet. Maybe you need to use a new word for Fido to place himself on
the sheet? Say ‘place yourself’ this way Fido will go to the sheet on command. You can make it a fun game
in the living room.
Move the sheet into different areas and tell Fido to ‘place himself’ then give him his dinner. Once Fido un-
derstands that the sheet is a good thing, then you will not need to use any keys nor will you need to holler at
him. He will understand.
The things I explain to you are just different ways to approach a situation that might make your training easi-
er or that might help you to put on a thinking cap and figure out how you and your friend might be able to work
through a problem.
Actually, you have been doing a terrific job of training him! Take yourself out for a reward dinner. Hehe..
That brings us to the ‘go out’ command . . . But only after a fun command. See you must break up the stress
related commands and put in between fun things to do.
American Select Champion Zorro Von Der Schwarz
Cody William Young (Autistic Boy of 12 yrs old). Zorro is keeping him from venturing too far from the house. 2009
On the following pages are some of my old
Home Work Sketches that I made for myself when I
was in the Schutzhund club (1988)
“Hup” or “Over”
“Over”
What is meant by ‘over’? I bet you think it is to jump over an object. Wrong. It is the word we use to make a
dog move over in the direction that we are showing the dog by using one or the other of our arms. The right
arm out to the right side of my body tells Fido to move over to the right. The left arm extended out to the left
side of my body tells Fido to move over to the left.
To teach the ‘over’ Fido must understand your hand signals and the ‘go out’ or ‘back’ is the beginning of
hand signals so make sure that is down pat.
The ‘over is taught with baby steps once again. The ‘go out’ is used and Fido will go out about ten feet
away, that is all. You will then call Fido’s name and Fido will turn to look at you, at that time you ‘sit’ Fido.
Give him a treat and go back to the place where you were when you sat him.
You will have a dish with a treat in it on the right hand side of Fido and you will use your body thrusting to the
right and your right arm thrusting out in that direction as you use the word ‘over’. I kind of do a jump in that
direction with one leg and foot as I thrust out my arm. Kind of excited like.
Since your dog is so smart, he will read you. He will get the reward and your repetition will implant the train-
ing session.
Going ‘over’ to the left is the same thing only you will be going to the left. Gee . . .
This is the reason we do not use the word ‘over’ for jumping over things. The word for jumping an article or
item is ‘hup’.
‘Hup’
Whenever your dog jumps into the car say the word ‘hup’. When you are heeling your dog and you see an
item that you can jump over together, use the word ‘hup’ and jump yourself. Exaggerate the jump please.
Use the left foot to jump over or ‘hup’ . . . with and as the dog is jumping. The command, you jumping and the
left foot is all timed correctly of course.
I use the curb of the sidewalk and ACT as if it is a very high thing to jump. Just the word and my body lan-
guage gets my dog to ‘hup’ over the curb.
You can also use two by fours or other items. Just make sure you can jump it also.
After your dog understands the word, you can heel him up to an item and then you run (and even act as if you
are ‘hupping) on the outside of the item while Fido does the ‘hupping over the high article.

Teaching your dog to retrieve
This is absolutely very simple. Start young and don’t pat your dog unless he has something in his mouth!
If you would like to read more on this, look for the book “The Ultimate Companion Dog.”
That is all there is to teaching your dog to retrieve. As a puppy who is being trained and is learning the uni-
versal language of communicating to the human (you) then your puppy will “get” that your petting him with the
item in his mouth is a good thing. Just do not pet him unless he has something in his mouth. Ignore him.
Soon your pup will just pick stuff up to get that pat.
Never scold this dog for picking anything up, not even your hundred dollar pair of shoes!
The Crowded Recall
Fido knows the recall well now and you are ready to try some fun stuff. First, start off with a few weird items
in the path of the recall as in figure A. As you can see in this figure versus the other crowded recalls, the
placement of the objects starts out being pretty far away from the path that your dog will travel to come to you.
As your dog gains confidence, move the items in closer.
If diagram (A) doesn’t faze your pup, then go ahead to figure (B) and then (C). You will see that the items are
crowding the dog as we continue on the ‘crowded recall.’ You start with the items far away and pull them in.
If all this doesn’t faze the pup, then put up the whirly gigs or ask the neighborhood kids to help you “mull” in
place. Ask the furthest away child to call to your dog to see if that will distract Fido. If he gets through that,
give one child a cane or a balloon. If he gets through that, ask one of the kids to try and pet him but not to
move his left foot or something. Use your head and make a bunch of noise. Bang on tin cans? Ok, let the cat
loose! Give them a quarter as a reward for their help.
When you think your pup is the best there is then take him to a parking lot or a crowded mall and try it on for
size. Be careful and use your head. Have fun! Oh, and don’t get sued.

Find It
The find it game is fun and I do this one with my puppies. I hold a hot dog and show it to them then I tell
them to find it. There are three plastic cups with hot dog pieces under them and I let the dog get them. You
can use anything.
Be sure to use the word you will use to be associated with the finding of any item, person, or object, as your
dog gets older. ‘Seeek’ or ‘fiiiinnddd’ is what I use. The word should not be like any other command so stretch
the ‘S’ out. If you use ‘find’ stretch the ‘I’ and ‘n’ out.
Search and find

The Search and Find begins with the games you play with your puppy at a very young age. Hiding treats or
toys in different locations. Only thing to remember is to use the command word to find the hidden object so
the pup will learn the word that is associated with the command “to find.”
Here is the cup game. Get three easy to tip over plastic cups and hide an object inside it. If your pup is hun-
gry, he will find the hot dog. Just use the “find” word that you are going to use as he gets older and use the
correct (consistent) body language. I use the left hand extended and pointed towards the floor. I sweep my
whole arm forward as I say the word “find” I say the word kind of strange and carry it out in a long drawl.
After your pup has learned the word ‘fiiiiiiiiiind’ (or whatever word you use) you can now begin to have him
find things that belong to you as in scent discrimination. You will need a group of people with articles that be-
long to themselves. These people are called mullers as they mull around in a spot. You will 'heel' the dog
through these folks and drop an article. You will then ACT upset and discuss this matter with your pooch.
You will then ask Fido to ‘fiiiiiiiiiind’ your lost article. When he finds it you will jump for joy and play with your
puppy. Hurray for your puppy who found your wallet!
Now you may wish for your puppy to bark at the article and you would command him to ‘giblout’ or ‘speak’ as
he looks at your article. In such a response to a lost or found article we teach Fido not to touch the article as
it may be harmful. Maybe he is to find bombs? Or we may wish for Fido to retrieve the article. If you are do-
ing work in a police type situation they may not want anything to be disturbed and you may want Fido to sit
and bark or ‘down stay’. You need to know how you want your dog to respond so that he will respond the
same all the time.
Once Fido has this down, we move on… Now our mullers will drop articles. Fido should find the article with
your scent on it. You know by now not to rush your training. One distraction at a time. Slow baby steps. As
you move forward you get into more difficult finds such as longer in distance away. Then you may wish to
leave the article outside in your back yard for a day and in the morning you can be shocked that you lost
something. I will leave this up to you now.
Training your Livestock Protection Puppy/Dog

Pups are 8 weeks old and ready to begin training as a livestock protection dog. If you have horses in
fields, please keep your pup on a leash at all times! Horses will kill puppies. Horses will also kill your live-
stock. Most horses should not be in with your livestock.
At eight weeks old your pup should be comfortable with you and with the total environment as you have
shown your pup all you can around your home and property. As with any dog/pup we first set our brains to
know WHAT THE PUP WILL BE USED FOR. In this brain mode ™ we know to keep our livestock Protection
pup and dogs outside near or with the livestock that it will be associating itself with. Milk from the utter should
also go into a doggy dish so that our L.P. dogs and pups connect even more with the herd as their pack.
This will be hard to do if you do not already own the mother L.P. dog. There are several ways to begin as-
sociating your L.P. pup with the herd.
Sit with the pup for long periods of time in the sheep shed or a shelter where the herd will be locked in at
night.
Use a large crate to put the pup in at night and keep this crate in with the herd. This crate should be wire so
that the pup can see, hear and smell the herd.
Spray the utter milk into the pups mouth every now and then while you are with the herd. Use several ewes or
females, not just one.
Do NOT allow this pup in the house with you and your family members. If you want to be with the pup, you
must go into the herd to be with the pup. When you leave the pup, put the young pup in the crate.
You may wish to make a large room for the pup and place an older herd member in with the pup depending
on your herd members’ temperament.
You may wish to use that shed to put a mom and baby from the herd in and include the pup.
It is now time to walk the pup on leash with the herd. The leash is a safety measure for the pup. If your pup
is old enough and large enough not to get hurt, you do not have to use the leash. Allow the pup to mingle with
the herd. Bring your lunch and stay out with the herd and walk the perimeters every single day… same time,
same channel… routine. This will get your pup into a routine in himself to walk the perimeters of the fence.
You pup should NOT be allowed to go under or over fences. If your pup/dog is going to be a herd protection
dog and this is what you got him for, then there is NO COMPROMIZING… If you want a house dog or a family
protection dog, then get one and train it for that purpose, but do not get one at the same time you are training
this L.P pup. You cannot afford to go astray with this training or you will RUIN the pup and will have to find
another L.P. pup/dog.
You must adhere to the rules and the rule is NO GOING OVER OR UNDER FENCES… NEVER…
If your pup is afraid of the livestock keep your pup with you at this young age, He will have plenty of time to be
with the herd as he grows.
If the pup barks at the stock a quiet “that’ll do” should be enough. If they begin to move toward the stock,
call them to you and pet them when they come. We do NOT WANT TO DISCOURAGE investigations or curi-
osity too much, but we need to keep the experience happy and building courage and trust on the part of the
pup towards the herd animals.
In this exercise we are showing the pup boundaries, gaining trust and boldness.
Get the right breed of dog and a young pup of eight weeks old will be able to walk about 30 acres with you.
Information on Working Dogs
http://www.faqs.org/gaqs/dogs-faq/working/
At the above site you will find varies information on:
Working trials: am. Working trials, French ring, Schutzhund
Search and rescue dogs, tracking and trailing, area search, disaster search, cadaver search, related testing
http://www.drixxxle.com/~danc/faq/sarfaq.htm.
http://www.zmall.com/pets/dog-faqs/lists/www-list.html.
Sled dogs (a very interesting full length account of such with terms and training for, plus books etc…
Herding dogs
Narcotics and evidence dogs
Patrol dogs
Water rescue dogs
Drafting dogs
If you just go to that web site to gain information, you will heads above the rest.
ACT FOURTEEN: BAD HABITS AND HOW TO CORRECT THEM
___________________________________________
Aggression- Aggression is an inherited trait! The inherited aggression in your dog can be modified and
the dog can learn that aggression is not to be tolerated or you can accelerate a dog’s aggression in what I call
environmental conditioning. This may or may not be intentional. If the dog is aggressive because of its genetic
makeup then that dog must be owned by someone who can handle it.
If a #10 rated aggressive animal comes to me (on a scale of 1-10 this one is a BIG TEN) it may have been
several different things that got this dog to this degree of aggression. A #10 aggressive dog is one that needs
to be put down. This is the worst of all biters and a killer of not only other animals but of the human being. I
would say that this #10 aggressive dog was genetically aggressive and then the owners of that pup brought
out the aggression even more by the way the owners related to the dog. The owners may or may not have
known what they were doing.
In the beginning of dog/human relations, the human being did not hang around aggressive canines nor
would he tolerate an aggressive dog amongst the clan. Our domestic dogs began their relationship with hu-
mans as timid, shy, dogs that may have been in a hierarchy fight and/or driven out of their packs.
Our domesticated canines did not have aggression in them. They couldn’t have, humans would not have
put up with it! As the human species evolved and the breeds were being bred for specific intentions, this is
when aggression became a selective trait that hunters of boar, pig, bears etc . . . bred into their dogs.
Let’s make this perfectly clear . . . an aggressive dog is NOT A FEAR BITER. An aggressive dog is bold
and knows what he is doing. A fear biter bites out of fear. That then is fear, not aggression. Oh, they are both
equally damaging! As a matter of fact, I would rather be facing a fear biter any day than a truly aggressive
dog! An aggressive dog is not afraid of you.
So we have two types of aggression to look at here . . .
The Fear Biter This is a dog that has been genetically bred with fear and shyness up the scale into the
eight, nine, and tens! This is the fault of the uneducated breeder. Now take this dog and train him for the faults
in his makeup that he possesses and you can get an ok companion dog, but you will need to constantly re-
member this dogs fault and compensate for them. A good trainer or educated pet owner can do this, but the
normal everyday individual will not be able to train this dog properly for the safety of the public.
In this type of situation, you have a ticking time bomb and one day some little kid or adult may get scared
for life with this type of dog biting them and this I cannot tolerate! It is my personal opinion that any breeder
who allows this pup to be purchased by the normal everyday uneducated Mr. and Mrs. Public should be held
personally responsible for anything major that happens during the lifetime of this animal!
A breeder who knows that this pup is fearful should expose this dog’s personality and temperament in a
personal contract and have the new owners sign a statement that shifts the responsibility directly to the new
owners.
A statement that this pup is a shy pup and may need special handling/training should be clearly spelled out
so that the new owners clearly know that the responsibility now rests with them.
Some shy pups between the scales of four to six can be modified in their behavior if socialized early and con-
tinued training for this character flaw is followed through.
The Aggressive dog A truly aggressive dog is not just a barking dog. Usually a barking dog is a dog that
is afraid of the subject it is barking at. A growling dog is a dog that is warning you that he is ready to discipline
you or attack. A snarling dog usually has its tail between its legs and would rather not attack you. A dog that
is snapping and biting the air is usually a dog that is afraid and it would rather not be there. A truly aggressive
dog is usually aggressive over territory or possessions.
True Aggression is inherited . . . it is bred into the pups genetically. This type of puppy has strong territo-
rial and possessiveness in his genetic makeup. In this litter you will find more than one top dog and these
pups will rule all other litters. They are quick to learn that their teeth are sharp and they can reap the rewards
of their aggressive behavior.
Aggressive puppies are usually hyperactive and have learned to escape from any enclosures to do as they
please. These dogs get their way through sheer power and intimidation at an early stage. Their hyperness is
an added plus to them in that with this hyperness they can escape and be their own boss. All this is fuel on
the fire!
As this type of puppy matures, he wins over and over again reinforcing his “king of the world” attitude. He is
now demanding of all humans and his wants will be met!
Early intervention is a must!
Call an expert NOW! Do not think that you can handle this type of dog because you may be adding to the fuel
and not knowing it . . . You may be the fuel.
Most normal everyday people CANNOT HANDLE THIS TYPE OF ANIMAL . . . you are now training the
dog to be even more aggressive by not understanding what makes a dog aggressive.
There may be lawsuits involved in the near future! You may end up losing your home and or paying for the
rest of your life just for harboring this type of dog. Do not feel sorry for this dog, put an advertisement in the
paper and sell (or give away) this pup to a professional handler or someone you are sure can handle this
type of dog! Get the new owner to sign a waiver and make sure this waver includes the temperament of this
dog and that the new owners are aware of it . . . This will release you from any liabilities.
If you cannot find anyone who wants this type of an animal, call the city pound and let them deal with it. No,
it was not the dog’s fault, it was the breeders fault and you didn’t know enough or got flambooziled. No, it was
not your fault but it is now your responsibility because you “own” and are “harboring” this potential danger to
society. Yes, it is a very hard decision to make, but it must be made!
Whining Whining is an inherited trait and it is passed down into the litter of pups from the sire and dam. It
is also an attention getter. Ignoring this problem only tells the animal that it is ok to whine. Whining then grows
into loud screaming or howling problems. This problem becomes a pet peeve if not corrected at an early age.
It can lead to neighborhood problems and sleepless nights for everyone within hearing distance. When nu-
merous complaints are filled on your noisy pup, you will be visited by the Animal Control department. If the so-
called problem or nuisance is not corrected the nuisance must be removed.
Once a pup begins this whining and the owners give into it, this is a bad habit to break. It is impossi-
ble to break this habit!
To stop a whining pup, begin training at an early age. Never reward any dog/pup for whining! We as hu-
mans do not want whining pups. And why is that? Because the number one public nuisance that simply
drives people crazy is a crying, whining, barking dog or puppy! A noisy pup can make your neighbor come
over and start some real problems.
Now, four days old is not the time to begin training a pup to be quiet. However, I do want you to understand
where this whining comes from and a whining, noisy two-month-old pup is not easy for your neighbors or your
family to live with. So, when you get to the ‘ACT’ parts in this book, remember how the dog got to think that a
whine or cry from him is a good thing to do.
Barking, whining dogs are no joke. I knew a man that shot a dog that he had told the neighbors to keep
quiet. The shooter worked nights and could not sleep nor could he get any rest because the dog down the
road made too much noise. Of course, this shooter had mental problems, but the point is . . . ‘a noisy animal
can drive a person crazy.’ So stop the whining ASAP and keep your neighbors out of your hair. How do you
do that? As soon as you get your pup, you must start changing this action-reaction that has been implanted
in your pup since birth.
If the pup whines, do not pay it any attention. When the pup is quite, reward him.
Here is how I do it. I put the pup in a small area like a pen or crate that is large enough so the pup may
move around but an area where I can reach the pup. Now the size of this pen must fit the age of the pup. If
the pup is four weeks old, I may put the pup in a playpen, if older . . . then I would use an exercise pen made
of wire. This exercise pen will cost you about a hundred dollars but I find it very useful for training at all ages.
I stay with the pup for the most part (or nearby) as our dogs hate to be left alone. When I do leave, I come
back before the pup whines and I reward. Now the pup does not know why he is getting a reward but he will
soon figure it out. When the pup starts to whine as I leave, I run back into the area with my feet pounding the
pavement and my body in the threatening position and I growl a long and loud noise . . . I scare the pup.
Now, here again you must take into consideration the pups age and what this will do to the pup. You have to
scare him enough for the pup to not think this is a fun game, but not enough to harm the pup for life. Just use
your head.
After the scare, I simply turn and go back for the next lesson. I leave the room, but return right after I am
out of sight. Then I go back to the pup with my act on . . . My smile is white, my eyes are twinkling and my
voice is high pitched as I tell the puppy what a good dog he was. Then I do this again and again, until I get
tired out as I have made each disappearance longer.
It seems that our dogs learn this quickly and do not whine for some time after this drastic whirlwind. Also,
know that the younger the pup, the easier the lessons and the quicker the pup learns what is being taught.
Know that whining is also an inherited behavior and in some breeds, it is almost impossible to stop.
You should know how much stress your pup can handle. You do not want to push the pup away from you
so it will not rebound. The American Alsatian is quick to learn and may not need a repeated lesson, so pay
attention. If one whirlwind doesn’t get through to your dog, then do the next one a little later. So, you go
away and come back to the pup before the pup whines . . . and then, as always, praise the pup. If you do
not give more praise than punishment, the pup will see you as a threat so make sure the praise and re-
wards are high. No animal that I know would do as you say if you dealt out more punishment than praise, so
make sure the pup does well and gets a reward. It is up to you to make the pup win.
Your pup will soon figure out that “quiet” brings his owner and “whining” brings the whirlwind. One more
thing I have to say about this and it is very important, probably the most important thing in your pup’s lessons
to be quiet is that you must remember the quiet dog! When your pup is just being nice and lying around
(awake), then go over and praise the pup. Pet him on his head or chest twice and then leave. Make it a habit
for yourself to pay attention to the quiet dog! After knowing all this information, if your pup becomes a whiner
it is your fault.
Barking – Barking is an inherited trait. It may be a dog’s life, but it is a man’s world. Your dog, as well as my
dog, must live in this world under the rules that govern the human society.
Owning an Alsatian will help, as Alsatians do not bark much. They do howl at the moon in the middle of the
night, though!
New Alsatian owner’s sometimes call me very worried that they have never heard their dog bark and ask if
this is normal. Do not worry! American Alsatians do bark but please do not ever encourage a dog to bark un-
less you are in a competitive sport that requires it. At that time, your dog would learn to bark on command.
Know that a barking dog is a scared dog or just a neighborhood nuisance. A barking dog can be compared to
the little boy who cried wolf.
Barking is hereditary in the makeup of the breed or dog. So are the sounds or frequencies that emanate
from a dog as it barks. This sound that comes up from the belly and throat is what identifies him to all other
animals within hearing distance. All dogs can tell who is who in the doggy world by one another’s bark.
The American Alsatians bark is deep and low. A high-pitched bark or whine is not acceptable in our breed-
ing program.
The following “Watch dogs and guard dogs” is a direct quote from the book “Dog Lover’s Companion” by
Fog City Press and Paul McGreevy:
“Many owners want a dog that will bark and alert them to intruders. So, how can you create a dog that barks,
but does not engage in excessive and annoying displays? The important conditions here are control and early
training.
Do not let your puppy bark excessively either indoors or outside. Excessive barking can get a dog agitated
and increase aggressive behaviors. When excessive displays begin, you must go outside and stop them. You
may even need to keep the dog on a leash so you can get him to stop more easily. Some breeds were devel-
oped as guard dogs so certain traits, such as obedience, loyalty and aggression, were actively selected by
breeders. While many of these breeds make natural watchdogs, they must be handled carefully. Training
must be firm but never harsh. A good watchdog should learn from the outset to control its aggressive in-
stincts.”
The reason I want to quote this other book is that I want you to know that barking is a horrible upsetting
sound to all others around you. If they wanted a dog, they would have bought one for themselves! Barking
dogs also make others hate dogs and that ruins it for all other dog lovers who do not allow their dogs to bark
so . . .
Please be a considerate and an ethical, responsible dog owner and stop your dogs from barking!
THE NUMBER ONE NUISANCE IS:
#1. Barking dogs that never shut up . . . who bark from ten at night until six am . . . This has driven folks to
shoot and/or poison the dogs involved and it is never the dog’s fault. It is the barking dog owner’s fault. If the
owners of these barking dogs life’s are in a constant uproar in that their neighbor’s seem un-neighborly and
they do not know why folks are not friendly to them, then they need to take a look at the problem. Most bark-
ing dog owners do not have a clue as to why their lives are so screwed up. No one’s life can be peaceful and
happy if one harbors a barking dog. The two just do not go together. I know there are neighbors sending off
bad vibes in that direction. When bad vibes or thoughts are in the universe and directed towards you, things
just seem to go wrong.
#2. Barking dogs that always run the fence line and bark consistently at any one or thing passing. It
wouldn’t be so bad if the fence were not so close to the road or if owners would put the dogs further up to the
house, this would stop a dog from running up to about four feet away from a frightened child or the elderly
who are just out for a healthy doctor ordered walk. How about making the fence “see proof.” A solid wall so
that Fido could not see the folks on the other side.
Ok now, let’s discuss that barking dog of yours. How did he get that way? Well, there are several things that
made him bark so darn much and you may not (and mostly do not) know that you contributed to his consistent
barking.
The first thing is that you wanted a barking dog. This is what I call the trainer or owners “mindset.” You
wanted the dog to alert you to intruders. You have valuable stuff that you have gathered up and paid a lot of
money for. Your whole life may be wrapped up in all that stuff and you do not want anyone to come into your
home and take your stuff.
Heck, I don’t blame you. We all have stuff. You are no different from the rest of us. But we do not harbor bark-
ing dogs. I have seven large, wolf-like, mean-looking dogs and I do not invite folks over to my home. My dogs
do not bark . . . nope. They do not bark until absolutely necessary. When one of my dogs bark, I know I have
to go see what they are barking about.
Maybe you have found that folks have stolen from you or you have been a victim of a robbery or theft?
Maybe you fear for your life or your family. These are very good reasons to have a watchdog. A watchdog
watches over your possessions, doesn’t he? So your mindset was to have a watchdog. A dog that will warn
you of anyone or anything that comes near your home. Gee, we all want that. I don’t want my home robbed or
my kids murdered . . . but I don’t have barking dogs.
So what can you do to stop being a bad neighbor? I am sure no one wants to be a bad neighbor. Bad
neighbors do not get help if they need it. If you own or harbor a barking dog(s) I am sure that your neighbors
will not let you know if you are being robbed, have been robbed, or if your home is burning up. Too many bad
thoughts have passed through the neighborhood over your barking dogs.
You can be a good, friendly neighbor and . . . keep those jerks, thieves and robbers from picking on your
home and family. But I cannot help you if you won’t look at yourself. You have got to put forth an effort to let
folks know that you have feelings and that you care about the image that you create. Most of society has had
experiences with folks who harbor barking dogs. Want to know what most of society thinks about the owners
of barking dogs? Most folks think that the owners of barking dogs are rude and ignorant of dogs in general.
They also know that you know nothing about dogs or else why on earth would you have a barking dog?
If the role were reversed and the person harboring the barking dog walked down the quiet country road and
my dog ran the fence and barked threateningly at that person, how do you think that person would feel? Kind
of pissed off huh? It’s as if the dog is threatening or yelling at you, maybe even cursing you. Not a very good
feeling.
Let me see if I can help you to understand why your dog barks. You got that part about the “mind set.” It is
not such a bad mindset, but you need to know that you can accomplish what you want without a barking dog.
Now that you know that, understand that and “get that.”
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HARBOR A BARKING DOG TO BE SAFE!
Ok, so you have a couple of barking dogs and it just so happens you chose the most barking of all breeds
you could. Maybe you didn’t know that the breed of dog you chose was not only a barking fool, but was also a
runner . . . yep you got a herding dog! Perhaps a mix Australian shepherd or cattle dog? Or maybe a blue
heeler? You not only have one, but the folks that had these puppies, three years ago, couldn’t sell them all
and you bought a pair! Good grief! But now you know and you are learning, but you still have a problem. You
have two barking dogs that have distanced the neighbors. What can you do now? You are a softy, you love
the dogs, and your kids love the dogs. As a matter of fact, the dogs are the only friends your child has. Go
figure.
To make matters worse, you live on a corner. How does that make matters worse? You didn’t know or else
you would never have bought property on a main street and a corner lot. A corner lot means more traffic.
More foot traffic, more skaters, and more children on bikes, more noise, and more activity happening around
your house. This adds to the barking. Makes the dogs more of a nuisance to the neighborhood.
So what do you do? I will help you, but you have to want to stop causing problems in the neighborhood.
You have to put a little effort into stopping your dog from barking. You want all the positives that come with
dog ownership, but you don’t want to put forth an active effort? Yes, it is a bit costly and time consuming to try
and stop your dogs from barking. If you do not do something, you will have a negative cloud around you (if
you do not already) and your household and “living in the negative” brings “stuff” into your lives.
So, now let’s say you want to try to do something. Here is what you do.
Keep your dogs in the house most of the time. When they do go outside, just as with children, supervise
them. Do not allow them to bark! If you train them not to bark, they will not stop barking forever you know.
Even if you trained them as young pups not to bark, not to ever bark, they STILL would not stop barking. They
would still warn you of any intruders.
Spend some money on a large kennel. Give them enough space to run, play, dig, and be the happy, hyper
dogs they are. Spoil them in the kennel. The kennel must not be set up near any fences or any other places
where they can chase after the neighborhood skaters, bikers, kids, walkers or runners. These folks have a
right to enjoy their pleasures just as you do. They have a right to run or jog near your property.
When your dog does bark, stop them. I know at first it will be a tall order, but your dog will learn that you do
not like them to bark. But you got him for barking?
Every dog that has vocal cords barks. I have seven dogs and my dogs can bark, but I don’t allow them to.
So you think my dogs will not let me know that someone is here? Nonsense! Any dog will let the owners know
that someone is here; it’s a dog’s nature.
You can train the dog not to bark even if strangers come up to the home. It is possible. But, you do not
want that so let me tell you a secret . . . . Don’t socialize your dogs and they will bark at strangers. But, you
must accept the responsibility for this barking dog. If you want a protection dog or watchdog then your dog is
not just a pet, it is a working dog and must be kept as a working dog. This means you treat him as a working
protection or watchdog and you respect other folk’s spaces and lives. Not everyone on the block is a thief and
we have the right to a quiet, peaceful life ourselves.
If you want a barker then you must keep the barking dog as one should. Stop the dog from barking at the av-
erage everyday person who is not a threat to you or to your family. Such a dog is just a nuisance and not a
watchdog.
Get another non-barking dog. Use the non-barking dog for the area near the roads and house. Keep the
barking dogs further away. Make sure you do not accidentally train this new dog to bark as you have done the
others.
What kind of dogs are non-barking dogs? The Basenji is a non-barker and is a mean son-of-a-gun. With
this breed, you must be careful that he doesn’t bite folks that you have invited on to your property or you may
get sued. He can talk and does so in a soft song-like voice.
The Boxer, Akita, Bulldog, Chow Chow, Newfoundlander, all bark but are not barking fools. There are some
other breeds that are semi-quiet that may be for you. There are also dogs that appear or look mean. Some
are large some are small. Do your research and do not just pick a puppy because it is cute.
Enclose the area where the barking dogs are. Be sure to make it a solid fence, one that they cannot see
out of. You can use this area to put unsupervised dogs in as long as the area does the job of keeping the
noise down.
Use crates and train your dogs. This will take some time and effort on your part. Socialize the dogs and
walk them frequently. When they go after other dogs or people correct them instantly. Join some Schutzhund
clubs or watchdog clubs and learn how they take care of their dogs. Those clubs have many dog owners that
have great watchdogs and protection dogs but they do not bark constantly. These owners spend a heck of a
lot of time training their dogs and they use crates to help with training. They put their dogs up and away from
the source of such problems. Their dogs are working dogs and the mindset of these owners are responsible
and on target.
Last of all, if you still cannot stop the dogs from upsetting the neighborhood; find a good home for
them. A home where they can be away from the noise and action of the city. A home where they have a lot of
land to run in. A home with no neighbors. I know this will be drastic on you as you love them, but how much
do you love them?
Do you love them enough to give them up before someone else takes matters into their own hands?
Digging Excessive digging is an inherited trait!

Why do dog’s dig?
Because they learn to dig and/or are allowed to dig. Another dog taught them to dig or you did. You laughed and
petted your puppy when he dug, or you allowed it or set it up to be so even without knowing it.
The weather conditions are so hot that a dog will instinctively dig in the shade to reach cooler dirt. It is a surviv-
al instinct. Don’t allow your dog to require cooling himself down. When it is hot, spray the yard as well as the
trees so that the leaves will act like a cooler when the air blows over them. Wet down the cement. Bring your dog
into the air-conditioned home. Build a shaded area.
Your dog is a female and it is about four weeks after her heat cycle. This is a normal survival instinct. Most fe-
male canines dig dens to whelp their pups.
Your dog is bored and there is nothing left to do.
Digging is also an inherited trait. If one breeds dogs that do a lot of digging, then you will get pups that do a lot of
digging. The ‘go to ground’ dogs were bred especially to dig and to enter dens or holes in search of prey.
Digging under Fences- The best way to stop this is to dig a trench about 12 inches wide 4 inches deep and as
long as the fence is long…. Pour in wet instant cement to run the complete fence line. You can try to put rocks,
dog feces, and any other stuff you have laying around the yard, but nothing will work. If you can’t use that ready
mix cement in those 50# bags purchase some sort of large cement blocks (not just one).
Jumping on you Jumping on you is a learned behavior! It is also a genetic trait. The more hyperness
your dog has in its make up; the more jumping up to lick your face a dog does.
Jumping on people and other members of the pack is normal canine behavior. This is how they begin to
play which elevates into a dominance thing. If you are not in control then your pup is. When a canine is in con-
trol, it can be extremely dangerous for all concerned. Besides that, it is extremely rude, impolite and might
‘cause the owners of that jumping dog a lawsuit!
Jumping up on you starts when the pup is young. Teach the dog to sit and never pet or give attention to a
dog that misbehaves. It is not cute. If your dog is already a jumper then you or someone else has already “set
in” (or unknowingly trained) his behavior. Now we must try and correct it. A guru once told me, “One either
does or doesn’t.”
So I guess trying is out of the question. If you allow your dog to jump on you then jumping up becomes a
habit that the dog gets into to get your attention and it has worked. This is a dangerously bad habit!
Here we go . . . be aware that your dog is going to jump on you and push him away in an un-playful man-
ner.
Do not allow the dog to think this is a game! Growl at him or even throw him to the floor all the while growl-
ing, showing your teeth and flashing your eyes! Don’t hold him down, just freak him out. If you try and hold
him down, he will kick and scratch you and wiggle away. He may even think that this is a great game!
If need be, throw a can of pennies down at the same time you are growling, stomping and going off on him.
Remember this is an act and you are the actor. Then almost in the same breath, smile and tell him to sit.
Spend time with the calm dog that is sitting and pet him slowly. Don’t get him excited. Petting him fast will get
a dog excited. Don’t pet him if he gets up. Growl at him again and tell him to “sit!” When he sits, pet him and
smile. Count to twenty as you slowly calm him down with slow, long pets.
He needs your attention when he is behaving. Guess you don’t pay attention to him unless he is a pill. Stop
that! If he continues jumping, get the leash on him and step on the leash so he can’t jump then tell him to sit.
Never pet or love a jumping dog, it is a very bad thing. It is against the rules. It is not to be tolerated. Why
did you teach him that?
“Sit and you get petted, jump and I get mad. That, of course, is just another one of my stupid sayings in or-
der to get a point across. It is an act! I never lose my temper. If I ever do lose my temper then it’s time to walk
away. Learn the act and all will be well. (Just be sure you tell your neighbors you are not harming you r pup,
nor are you really mad.)
Jumping over Fences Once this starts you will not be able to stop it! I made my fence taller and impos-
sible for the dog to jump over. The other remedy is to buy those portable kennels and put one up in your
yard. Every time my dog jumps the fence I stick him in there for three or four days solid. I feed and water him
but that is all. No playing no special privileges, no real physical punishment, just the cage and he understand
this.
Getting into the trash Getting into rotted trash is a survival instinctual trait! It is also a learned behav-
ior. Know that this is what dogs do. Get in that “mindset.” Then make sure you pay attention to that young pup
you gave your house to!
You may want to entice the pup so that he will get into the trash in order to teach him to never get into the
trash. Your dog should never be around or near the trash in the first place. My dogs are not even aloud to sniff
the trashcan, not even to look at it. If your dog ever does get in the trash, know that it is almost impossible to
stop this behavior. You might have to just give up and put the trash away, out of his reach!
My dogs never get into the trash. When I bring a dog into the house, I watch him. I may remember that I put
some chicken bones, meat, leftovers, or whatever in the trash. I may have even put some bones in the trash
on purpose, just to watch my dog and to be sure, he would glance over that way. Then I would go out of the
room, peek around the corner, and wait. I might even stick a few mousetraps around the trash and inside the
trash. I would definitely make the experience something he would never forget and that he would never do
again.
The most important thing I can tell you about this subject is to not allow this experience to ever happen in
the first place. If it has, sorry Charlie, you learned. You now have to continue to put the trash up and away.
By the way, if you get another dog while you have the dog that gets into the trash, your new dog will learn
all the habits of the old dog. Now that you know so, protect yourself against the fact that the new dog will pick
up these awful habits.
Biting your fingers oh, for biting fingers.. Just remember that the animal goes after anything that is
moving and has caught his attention, so you have to make the 'TOY' move, not your hand. How do you do
that? You put the toy on a skinny leash, or rope. Keep the rope ‘cause the toy will get all chewed up and you
can use the rope/leash for other toys. I use old socks put inside each other, tie a knot at the end and clip a
long old leash to it and let it drag the ground. I can then also throw the toy and drag it back to me.
Bringing a baby or new dogs into the home This is not an emotion of "hate" or "jealousy" coming
from the dog. It is dominance.
If you are having or had a problem within this area, then your dog has been allowed to be a pack member
and not a submissive pet. You have treated your dog as an equal pretty much and have allowed your dog to
make decisions during his time with you.
My dogs don't get to make ANY decisions. All decisions are made by me. I DEMAND and I get! With this
dog that is bullying a new dog in the home, he is stepping up to the plate and you are allowing it. Stop it. You
let your dog know that it is NOT his decision and this home is yours, neither his kennel nor his territory. You
are the boss.
When you have allowed your dog to be his own ‘person’ so to speak, he can and will challenge another dog.
My dogs ALL look to me for protection from all things. I will and do step in and I refuse to allow any NEW
DOG to intimidate anyone or any of my dogs to intimidate the new comer.
When you allow your dog to make BODY COMMUNICATION as threats to the new addition, you basically
do not know or see what the heck is going on, or, you have no clue how to stop it or you do not know how to
‘butt in’ and be the top dog.
Pay attention to the muscle tones, the hair, the upper lip, and the ears and READ your animals as well as
INTERVEN before anything happens. I tell my dogs, “I am watching you” and I look at them out of the corner
of my eyes. If they do not stop the body communication, I will turn my body towards them, bow my head and
glare at them with my eyes looking up and my head down. If that doesn’t make for a submissive body, I will
then point at my dog and slightly growl in a very low tone that is hardly audible by human ears. My dog knows
that I know what is going on… With this type of COMPLETE control and AWARENESS before a problem oc-
curs, my dogs never give me much back talk.
If this is NOT seen and not corrected, the dogs WILL see each other’s body talk and the fight is on, behind
your back so to speak. They may be SILENTLY fighting a war without your awareness so that when physical
contact does occur, you are too late, they won and they KNOW you don't know much of anything about noth-
ing. You are not in control, never have been because you have never proved yourself aware enough to be.
You should decide how the two dogs should act and if you truly are the God in their lives, it will be so. I get in
trouble reading dogs as other humans don't see what I do and wonder why I have punished or looked at a dog
when they see nothing.
ACT FIFTEEN: HOW TO TAKE PHOTOS OF YOUR PET
________________________________________
Dogs Only
1. Get a bag of fifty very small colorful squeaky toys.
2. Get a bag of treats.
3. Get your camera and set it up for three hundred dots per inch or as close as you can to that setting.
4. Get your area set up where you are going to take most of your pictures.
5. Make sure the sun is at your back and on the subjects face’s . . .
6. Watch for the shadows. You do not want any shadows on the subjects.
Now, take a snap shot of the area . . .
Remember that all the stuff around the subject is wasted . . . you are going to crop everything out of the
picture except the subjects . . .
Remember that you need to get on EYE LEVEL WITH YOUR SUBJECT . . . this means you are going to
have to kneel down to the dog’s eye level . . . You may even have to lie down on the ground. This is very
important . . . never take a photo of your animal as you are looking down at him . . . Lay down on the ground
. . . get a blanket and get down to his level.
Ok, now mark where you are. You should be about four to six feet from your subject . . . four feet away
from your subject’s face if taking a face photo . . . This is pretty darn close!
Put your camera right in the subject’s face . . . . Yes, get real close . . . the closer the better . . . zoom in if you
have too.
Remember that all the stuff around the subject will be cropped out . . . If you know how to crop all the stuff be-
hind the subjects; you will not have to worry about the background. I make sure I have some bushes, flowers,
white picket fences, or something nice. If the area behind the subject is dark and your dog is dark, you will not
see the dog.
That means if you have a dark dog, use as white a background as you can get. If you have a white dog, you
may use shadows or darker backgrounds.
Now, get your clean washed and brushed pet or pets . . .
Tie them to the area if need be. Tell them to sit or stand stay.
Get down on the ground and snap a hundred pictures, no less than one hundred photos because only two will
be any good.
As you are down on the ground, take out the squeaky toys and play with them. Now throw them in the direc-
tion you want your pet to look. This will usually be up in the air behind you and to the side of you.
Make yourself comfortable you are going to be here for about thirty minutes. During this time, you may want
people to come and go or other pets to come and go so you get different looks on your pets face.
Now the next thing is how to send or email pictures through your computer!!!
This is very important because sending pictures over the internet and telephone lines means frustration for all
recipients if your pictures HAVE NOT BEEN SIZED CORRECTLY!
What do I mean by that?
If your pictures have been downloaded from the camera into your computer at your camera’s settings then
you will have to decrease the size of pixels or dots per inch in order to send your pictures through to another’s
computer. If you do not decrease the size of dots per inch, it will take your friend from about fifteen minutes to
thirty minutes to download them through the internet. By that time, your friend is upset and may not even look
at your pictures. She may just delete them . . . When we took our pictures; we selected 300 dots per inch (or
more). This is a quality photo and is used in printing your photographs on photo paper. Your camera settings
are probably for 12 x 14 photos. To send photos over the internet you MUST resize them down to about three
inches by two inches or somewhere around that size. So how do you decrease the size and or the amount of
dots per inch? You have to go into your “photo program” that you have in your computer. Most every comput-
er has this type of program or something similar . . .
1. Press the start icon.
2. Put your curser on the “all programs icon” this will bring up a list of all the programs that are in your com-
puter . . .
3. Now find the “photo” program and click on it. You may have several photo labs programs such as: Microsoft
plus, Photo story, Muvee Auto Producer, Broderbund, Photo site, Presto Mr. Photo, Presto Image Explorer,
Paint Shop, Microsoft Picture It, Picture Package, Nero Photo Express, Windows Movie Maker... All of the
above programs have to do with editing your pictures or movies and they help you to CREATE wonderful
works of art . . . I am going to tell you the easiest program I have found to work great is Microsoft’s Picture It .
. . if you have this one click on it . . .
When you open this program, it will ask you where you want to get the photos from that you are going to edit.
You can get your photos directly from your camera and download them into this program if you want. This will
save you an extra step. Usually your camera makes a folder to put your photos in . . . But you can get this
photo program to just grab the photos from your camera or . . . You can ask this program to get the photos
you would like to edit . . . from the folder that your camera has put your pictures in when you hooked your
camera up to the computer . . . You should know where that folder is.
Click on the folder icon or go to the FILE icon up in the top work bar that is located in the top bar of the win-
dow photo program that you have open, which is the Microsoft photo-editing window.
. . . It says FILE up in the left hand corner, see it? Click on that and a menu will drop down. Click on “get pho-
tos from: ‘folder” Now another window will pop up, these are all the folders in your computer . . . find the folder
that contains your pictures that your camera downloaded and double click on it. Now another window comes
up . . . there are all your pictures. If all you see are the names of the photos then you may go to the “View” tab
and change the view of the photos so that you can see the actual thumbnail size photos. To get the photos
you want to edit . . . . Click on one picture and then hold down the ctrl bar on your key board . . . now click on
all the other pictures you want to work on . . . Now press the “ok” key . . . All those pictures just went from your
folders into your photo-editing program. If you do not see them in a stack on the right side of your working
window, then you must pull each picture up that you wish to work on. Some programs will bring all your pho-
tos to the front and you can work on them one at a time . . . Now to edit those pictures . . . You have a picture
in front of you that you are going to work on . . . There are icons on the left side or at the top of your window
that say “reduce or enlarge” “effects’ ‘lighten or darken’ ‘contrast” etc . . . You want to reduce your size . . .
Press that icon . . . Now your computer will ask you with a list that will pop up, what size do you want? No one
needs a large picture and small pictures travel faster . . . I usually decrease my pictures to a size “4x6” or
even smaller depending on what I am going to do... If I have to crop a photo, I will leave it kind of large then I
will press the “crop photo” and click on my mouse and hold it down as I move my mouse around the subject.
A box will appear. Inside the box is the photo that you will get when you “ok” the cropping. One more thing . . .
pixels . . . . . If you are producing a really fine quality picture to place on a c.d. then you want 300 dpi . . . . Or
more. (Resolutions).
If you are just sending a photo email then you want 75 dpi . . .
The computer program will now reduce your size of the picture and reduce the pixels, you may not even see
the reduction but if you ask your computer to tell you about the photo it will tell you the size is 4x6 inches . . .
how can you ask? Put your curser over the picture and usually a small window will pop out and describe the
contents of the window thus the size of the picture and how you saved it, either jpg, or in some other form that
you chose. If it doesn’t then right click on the picture itself and a menu will drop down. Click on properties. If
you are just sending pictures over the internet you will want to save your pictures in the jpg. If you wish to put
a picture in a website, you would save the picture as gif.
Everyone will thank you !!!!! Ok, now you want to crop the photo . . . Click on the crop icon. Place your curser
in a corner of where you believe you should crop the picture. An
‘x’ will appear. Drag that x with your mouse while holding down the mouse button. You will see a lined box
appear.
Continue dragging the box over the photo until you have just the dog in the box.
Take everything out of the photo except the subject . . . save the picture by going to the file menu and clicking
it to bring down a menu. Click “save as” . . . . . If you put a date in the description, you will always know when
you took the photo. You may wish to play with the photo... Go ahead but if you are going to send a photo, do
not add borders or fancy stuff . . . it takes much too long to send it as the pixels are once again too large . . .
Owners Homework
_________1. Set up a photo site area and take ten photos of the site at different levels. Put them in your
computer and enhance them in several ways. Change the pixels to 100 and size the photo to 4x5.
_________2. Position yourself in the proper place to take multiple photos of your pet. Let your pet out and
throw toys for him. Take 100 shots. Put your pup away and go to the computer to download your photos. Pick
only the photos that you like the best and erase the rest. You should have only eight photos that are your fa-
vorite. Reduce the pixels to about 100 and resize the photo to about 4x5. Email two photos at a time with de-
scriptions of the photo, the dog’s name, the date taken and the place as well as your name and email ad-
dress. Email them to:Schwarzkennels@aol.com
American Alsatian, Brother to Zorro 2006 Mary’s boy.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
________________________________________________
Q. Should you allow others to tell your dog stuff?

A. I don’t.
Q. Should I leave my dog with a pup sitter or a boarding facility?

A. I never do. If you do, be aware that you must have up-to-date shot records and even then, your dog may
acquire some respiratory problems, fleas, or something else.
Q. Some people will ask if their dog can sniff my dog. This confuses me because I see a lot of people who
let their dogs play with other dogs and sniff or get to know other dogs. What is your opinion?
A. It is rude. No, I do not allow my dogs to sniff other dogs or other people unless I am introducing a person
to my dog. Then I tell the new person to allow my dog to smell his hand first and then they may pet his chest.
My dog doesn’t like a stranger to come at his face or above his eyes or skull where he cannot see the hand.
My dog should be able to see the person’s hand and know that a person is friendly. Concerning other dogs
playing with my dog or being introduced by sniffing the other dog’s nose, no, I do not allow this. In the canine
world, these dogs are enemies and some folks think that if a dog is allowed to sniff another dog then they will
become friends. I look at it this way. When I meet a stranger, I do not just shake his hand and become a
friend of his. I am leery of that person because he may be a murderer. How do I know? I have a right to watch
the person and come to my own conclusions. I would not force you to shake hands with someone and be their
friend. You must do that on your own. If my dog doesn’t wish to approach your dog and sniff him, then why
should I force your dog’s nose in my dog’s face? That is one way to ‘cause problems.
Act Thirteen, Scene 1

At the store the other day, there was this woman who had a miniature poodle of about five years old. I had a
puppy on his first outing who I was trying to educate. My puppy was larger than her dog, but still a scared
puppy who was trying his best to behave in this strange new environment. Well the lady was all smiles as she
picks her older male dog up and comes towards us. To her credit, she did ask if she could allow her dog to
sniff my puppy. I told her no, that my puppy was uncomfortable. I knew she was upset and thought me terribly
rude. I told her that my puppy was scared and he was trying to get used to just being in the shopping cart.
She then had to comment on my purchase of a crate for my puppy as if it was a terrible thing and that since
my puppy was not doing well in the shopping cart then why on earth would I be getting a crate to put the pup-
py in.
I hope none of you reading this book look at something and then decide that you know what the other person
is up to. She thought the puppy was mine and she thought that the crate was for the puppy. For one thing, it is
none of her business. I realized she was upset that I wouldn’t allow her dog the privilege of upsetting my dog
to get her dog “off” on intimidating my puppy. Of course she had no clue as to what a dog is really doing when
it sniffs another dog! If I would have had this book with me, I would have gladly given it to her. The pup was
already sold and had two shots in him. The crate was an airline crate for the pup’s trip to his new home.
IAADP International Association of Assistance Dog Partners
IAADP Minimum Training Standards for Public Access
IAADP's overall mission is to foster the assistance dog movement in the USA and other countries. As part of this
mission, we seek to promote the responsible use of access rights in the disabled community.
For over 75 years, assistance dogs have worked successfully in public and won the public's acceptance by achiev-
ing high behavioral and training standards which set them apart from pets and other animals. Their exemplary con-
duct led to state legislatures granting access rights to the blind, deaf and mobility impaired. Those early teams
paved the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act, which has opened the door to individuals with a wide range
of physical and mental impairments being able to have access rights.
In response to many inquiries from disabled citizens who want to train a dog to be their assistance dog, but tell us
they do not know how much training or what kinds of training to give the dog, IAADP has developed a set of Mini-
mum Training Standards for Public Access. These are drawn from the Minimum Training Standards for Service
Dogs first established a decade ago by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) with consumer input from IAADP. Visit
www.adionline.org
If you are a disabled person and want the right to be accompanied by an assistance dog in public, we encourage
you to meet or exceed the minimum standards set forth below for training an assistance dog for public access.
Disabled persons who want to join IAADP as a Partner Member [voting member] must have a professionally trained
guide, hearing or service dog from a Provider or a dog at least twelve months old whom they have trained to meet
or exceed IAADP's Minimum Training Standards.
IAADP Minimum Training Standards for Public Access
1. Amount of Schooling: Your dog should be given a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) hours of schooling
over a period of Six Months or more. At least thirty (30) hours should be devoted to outings that will prepare the dog
to work obediently and unobtrusively in public places.*
2. Obedience Training: Your dog must master the basic obedience skills: "Sit, Stay, Come, Down, Heel" and an
off leash Recall in response to verbal commands and/or hand signals.
3. Manners: Your dog must acquire proper social behavior skills. This includes at a minimum:
No aggressive behavior toward people or other animals - no biting, no snapping, no growling, no lunging and/or
barking;
No begging for food or petting from other people;
No sniffing merchandise or people who pass by;
No urinating or defecating in public unless given a command / signal to toilet in an appropriate place.
4. Disability Related Tasks: the dog must be individually trained to perform identifiable physical tasks for the ben-
efit of the disabled human partner.
* the number of hours required for schooling a hearing or guide dog may be reduced to the number required by
ADI's minimum training standards for programs if you utilize a professional dog trainer's services. Visit
www.adionline.org
PUBLIC ACCESS TEST

How will you know when your dog is ready to graduate from an "in training" status to the status of a full-
fledged assistance dog with whom you are entitled to have public access rights?
The best tool for evaluating a team's readiness to graduate [e.g. finish up formal training] is the Public Access Test.
It can be printed out from the Assistance Dogs International website for educational purposes. Visit
www.adionline.org
The ADI Public Access Test was developed as a consumer protection measure by the ADI Team Testing Commit-
tee with input from IAADP Partner members more than a decade ago. Overall, the test measures whether or not
the dog has been adequately prepared for public access work so the team can go places without trainer supervi-
sion. The safety of the dog, the handler and the public were the main considerations in developing the specific ex-
ercises for testing the team.
This test creates a level playing field, since it does not matter whether it is a guide, hearing or service dog team
being tested or who trained the dog.
Disability mitigating tasks are not critiqued. The tester evaluates the dog's obedience and manners and the han-
dler's abilities in a variety of situations which include:
A. The handler's abilities to: ( 1 ) safely load and unload the dog from a vehicle; ( 2 ) recover the leash if acci-
dently dropped.
B. The dog's ability to: ( 1 ) safely cross a parking lot, halt for traffic, and ignore distractions; ( 2 ) heel through
narrow aisles; ( 3 ) hold a Sit-Stay when a shopping cart passes by or when a person stops to chat and
pets the dog; (4 ) hold a Down Stay when a child approaches and pets the dog; ( 5 ) resist food tempta-
tions; ( 6 ) remain calm if someone else holds the leash while the handler moves 20 ft. away; ( 7 ) remain
calm while another dog passes within 6 ft. of the team.
C. The team's ability to: enter a public place through a doorway with the dog remaining under excellent con-
trol.
If you do not have a trainer to administer the test, it can be administered by a colleague or family member for infor-
mational purposes, as it is easy to score to measure your dog’s readiness for Public Access!
IAADP agrees with ADI's ethical position that the amount of training given to an assistance dog should
NEVER fall below the minimum level needed to pass this Public Access Test.
NOTE: Passing the Public Access Test does not officially "certify" a dog unless a program giving the test provides
such a Certificate of Training to its graduates. However, it could serve as documentation for an owner trainer to
prove that he/she has made a serious effort to train the dog to the level required by Assistance Dogs International
for a service animal in case of an access dispute, especially if you have the test videotaped.
If you have any questions about the Minimum Training Standards for Public Access set forth by IAADP or anything
else in this section, please feel free to contact Joan at iaadp@aol.com
We hope you will be interested in joining IAADP.

For information or print copy of a membership application contact:
IAADP c/o Tanya Eversole * P. O. Box 531086 * Cincinnati, OH 45253
database@iaadp.org
Call 513-245-2199 for more information.

DEFINITIONS
What is a Physical Task?

A physical task is a certain desired behavior or set of behaviors the dog is trained to habitually perform in
response to a command or a particular situation such as the onset of a seizure.
What is meant by "individually trained"?

"Individual training" involves deliberately rewarding the dog for the right response and, at times, it may
require correcting the dog for the wrong response. The task is learned when the dog reliably exhibits the
desired behavior whenever needed to assist his/her partner in a way that mitigates the disabling condi-
tion. Examples of individually trained tasks include, but are not limited to: retrieving a phone in a medical
crisis; guiding a blind person around an obstacle in the team's path or providing balance support on a
staircase to prevent a fall.
What is NOT an individually trained task?

Spontaneous behavior a dog occasionally exhibits such as licking someone's face or barking does not
qualify as a "trained task" under ADA even if it accidently or coincidentally has a beneficial result. While
everyone enjoys the emotional, social and safety benefits that a dog's presence can provide, those bene-
fits do not constitute trained tasks that would transform a disabled person's pet into a legitimate Service
Dog under ADA.
Why are individually trained Tasks so important?

Trained tasks that mitigate [e.g. lessen the effects of] a disabling condition, are the legal basis for grant-
ing access rights to disabled handlers under the Americans with Disabilities Act. An assistance dog with
this special training is viewed as assistive technology/medical equipment, not as a pet. Businesses have
the right to ask a disabled person, "What Tasks does your service animal perform?" This question can be
asked if there is doubt about the legitimacy of the dog and whether to legally impose existing restrictive
pet policies. (An acceptable answer might be, "my service dog is trained to get help for me in a medical
crisis by ____________." (Fill in the blank as to the specific task) You do not have to reveal your disabil-
ity in formulating your reply.
Test and Scores
Exercise Points for consideration Max. Points Net
points lost score
Basic Heel on leash Improper heel position 40
and figure 8 Occasional tight leas
Forging
Crowding handler
Lagging behind
Sniffing the ground
Extra command to heel
Heeling wide on turns and about turn
No change of pace fast slow
No sits
Lace of naturalness, smoothness
Handler error
Basic stand for ex- Resistance to handler posing the dog 30
amination Extra command to stay
Moving slightly during exam
Moving after exam
Sits as handler returns
Lack of smoothness
Extra command to stand
Handler error
Novice Recall Stood or laid down 30
Touched handler
Slow response
Sat between feet
No sit
Poor sit
No finish
Poor finish
Extra command to finish
Lack of naturalness/smoothness
Handler error
Long sit (1 min) Stood or laid before 10 seconds – 0 points 30
Stood or laid between 10 – 30 seconds – 15 points
Stood or laid between 30 – 45 seconds – 20 points
Stood or laid between 45 – 60 seconds – 30 pts.
Sat correctly for entire time – 30 points
Minor move before handler returns
Minor whine or bark
Long down (3 min) Sat or stood before 10 seconds – 0 points 30
Sat or stood between 10 – 30 seconds – 15 points
Sat or stood between 30 – 45 seconds – 20 points
Sat or stood between 45 – 60 seconds – 30 pts.
Lay correctly for entire time – 30 points
Minor move before handler returns
Minor whine or bark
Maximum points 160
LETTERS TO ME CONCERNING TRIANINGS and BREEDINGS
The following is a letter from a gal who is ready to get an American Alsatian but needs to train her pure breed White Ger-
man Shepherd dog first before a new puppy can come home.
Lois - Thanks for all of the info. Juliette is great with her training & would be off leash now, except I don't trust her 100%
because she challenges me here and there. I will tell her to sit and she will bark at me. It is almost like having a back
talking teenager! The training facility I am learning at has me going through the classes just like their customers do. I get
private lessons and dog theory with the owner to help further me along and learn how to train others. I do not know if the
classes are the same everywhere, so here is a brief description of where we are at.
We have our last beginner’s class on Saturday (heel, sit when stopped, come, sit, down, stay, basic household man-
ners).
Next will be Novice, which is a continuation of the first class, plus some tricks, agility, and bonding type exercises. In the
beginners class we use the lure and reward method to help the dogs understand what we are asking of them. Then in
the novice class it switches to expected behavior and no treats are used, just praise/ belly rubs as rewards and collar
pops as reprimands. Once I am in the Novice class I will assist in the beginner’s class. After these two courses we begin
off leash training.
The main problem is that I am the only one who trains her, and therefore the only one she really responds to. So every-
one in my family has a different day of the week where I practice instructing them while they work with the dog. The main
thing I have seen is that they sit there and go Juliette sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, JUST SIT ALREADY! At this point they get
annoyed and give up.
They have a lot of bad habits with her right now, but they are slowly gaining her respect. We start with some dog atten-
tion to get Jul focused on who she is with instead of running over to my side.
Then we practice walking- ssslllooowwwlllyyy, if Jul gets ahead we turn around, she hits the end of the leash and loses.
When she is focused, pays attention and turns with us she gets to play tug of war at the end for motivation.
Then we do some sit stays throughout the house and yard. I do stuff to distract her- throw toys etc. Then we let her relax
and move about the yard and practice the come command for a while. This seems to be working now that we are all be-
ing consistent.
She does mouth a lot and jump on my Mom. She (mom) is an indescribable character, and her attitude and opinions are
the main reason why Jul behaves the way she does. She feels that I am too hard on Jul and should let her be a pup. I
don't see a cute pup when she jumps on me or pushes her way out the door. I see her full grown knocking my butt over.
She (mom) is no longer allowed alone with Jul, because I will not have her ruin my dog. My Mom is getting better, &
learning more of a dogs mind set.
I used to keep her tired with 4 walks a day and frequent games of fetch, but she has Pano in the one leg now and we
have to take it easy.
My motto was a "tired dog is a good dog." I miss our old schedule of walks and play, so does Jul... She sits by the door
when it would be time for walks and brings me her ball when it would be time for play (heartbreaking!). So now I just walk
her slow around the block and bounce her ball for her so she doesn't think that I don't love to spend time on her any-
more.
Increasing her mental stimulation has been helping- I am running out of tricks to teach her (I wish there was a way she
could do my laundry hehehe). She likes the car, so I try to take trips with her to the pet store to meet people, and then we
get a bone and go home. It is tough, but we are showing her who is boss.
I am glad that Judge found a good home. You can put me in line for a Hero/Beamer & Isis pup, or Hero/Beamer & Annie
pup. Celeste's pups would be too expensive for what I want in a dog. I just need a smart companion, breeding and
showing does not interest me... for now at least. The monster is taking a nap as I type, with her head on my feet as a
pillow. She is tired- we just had one of those practice sessions where she tried to challenge me frequently. I think I need
a nap too! Thanks again~Missy
Here is a great all natural country farm food store where you can co-own cows and chickens and such.
Copeland Family Farms

1912 Timmons Rd. Grenada, CA 96038
530-436-2348
There are PLENTY more on my LINKS page in my web site. Every time I sell a pup, I will update the links page,
so be sure to go to my web site at least once a month. www.schwarzkennels.com
Ok, I hope I have given you some information that may help you in your quest for the next companion dog in
your life... And IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, You will LOVE the Breed book!
THE AMERICAN ALSATIAN A NEW

BREED OF DOG!
By L.E. Schwarz
Order the breed book by sending a check or money or-

der for
$29.00
To: 4175 Winnetka Rd.

White City, Oregon 97503
Be sure to drop me a short note to say Hi and to let

me know where I need to send it to as well as which
book you want as I am planning on writing many, many
more!
If you need me, just E-mail me, I’m always just a cyber-
link away...
Have a great day
Lois
schwarzkennels@aol.com
http://rarek9.tripod.com
http://schwarzart.net
“Handbook for New Puppy Owners”
The Owner’s Manual for your New Puppy!
The bond between your family and your new puppy begins with your experiences with the
canine family. Like a manual that comes with a new appliance, this book will help you to grow
in knowledge and gives you the hands on participation necessary to guide you in understand-
ing this new member of your family. With this manual you will be able to show your puppy
how he could be the best companion dog you ever had!
As a breeder for over forty years, I believe it is my job to give the new puppy owner all the
information I can to help with the transition from our farm to your home. As trainer and Ani-
mal Behavioral Specialist, I give the reader easy to follow systematic instructions to help you
communicate with your dog in what I call the
‘Universal Language’ (TM 1985).
This book is a basic instruction booklet for new dog owners and is not part of any struc-
tured dog obedience lessons. This booklet is for dog and puppy owners who want some kind
of training but not formal obedience training.
The “HANDBOOK FOR NEW PUPPY OWNERS” gives you the basic outline on dog training in
an easy to follow step-by-step instruction and check off list. There is no other book like this on
the market today. I give you lots of HOMEWORK and diagrams for you to follow along with the
handbook. Enjoy :>)
☻How does the canine think, or does he? ☻Should you get a puppy or not? ☻ Understanding yourself and
your relationship to the canine family. ☻Learn to communicate with your puppy ☻Teach your puppy manners
☻Homework that only ‘experience’ can teach.

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Handbook

THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR YOUR NEW PUPPY

Edited by: Jane Denny and Jennifer Stoeckl

This book was written for all the folks like:

I need to tell you that I begin a dog’s training at four weeks

Ninety-Eight percent of the problems in most animal

Most humans hold misrepresented information that

3. No jumping up on anything . . . unless I command it. The word for up is “hup.”

Your Acting Career ™

The Animal Trainer

ACT TWO: DISCRIPTIONS OF PERSONALITIES IN CANINES

GET THE RIGHT BREED AND CHARACTER FOR YOU.

Socialization = Education and Knowledge

Several Days Before the Arrival of your new puppy

a large doghouse that has a ______ 3. A food dish.

______ 9. A toy box and doggy toys.

______10. A “cookie jar” and chew’s.

The Day the Plane Arrives

Your Puppy’s New Home

Your New Puppy’s Schedule

Your Puppy’s Attire

Head Collars or the Halty Lead

Everyone in any profession understands the reason

Any kind of collar can become an instrument of torture in the hands of

THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOW COPYWRITTEN.

Never, ever, pull the leash taut!

This does two things:

Despite their harsh appearance, many

Why do so many use prong/pinch collars?

Everyday Collars (flat or rolled)

Dog Show Collars

Warning on usage of collars

ACT FOUR: YOUR FIRST COMPANION DOG

Sporting Dogs, Hounds, Working Dogs,

So, you finally got your first American Alsatian! Congratulations!

Molding or Training by Accident

ACT FIVE: UNDERSTANDING CANINE BEHAVIOR

Critical periods in a dog’s life

It was the reward!

Why put a chapter on grooming your puppy in a handbook or manual on puppies?

The fundamentals of Dog Grooming

Now, re-wash the dog.

Training your dog for his grooming session

A few things to remember:

Now the rules change

A non-reinforced repetition is a command or signal that is unaccompanied by the primary stimulus .

ACT EIGHT: DISCIPLINE

1. Observe your pup/dog at all times when he is ‘free’ to go and do as he wishes.

(oops, where ya going?)

Seven to Eight Week old puppies

This is your homework assignment for the first week.

______ Keep cut up hotdogs and cheese in a baggie in the refrigerator.

For three-month-old puppies:

For eight to twelve week old puppies:

Lap therapy at night. Watch the time

From sixteen to twenty-four weeks old puppies:

Check off each thing you do and write in the time

Name of pup ___________________________

DATE 1ST SESSION 2ND SESSION 3RD SESSION

DATE 1ST SESSION 2ND SESSION 3RD SESSION

DATE 1ST SESSION 2ND SESSION 3RD SESSION

DATE 1ST SESSION 2ND SESSION 3RD SESSION

SIX WEEKS OLD