How long is your dog going to live?  If only there was a crystal ball to know the answer to this unanswerable question.

Just like humans, a particular dog breed’s life expectancy depends on genetic diseases, a healthy diet, exercise and good mental nurturing.  For example, a dog that spends too much time alone and is overweight may not live up to its estimated life expectancy potential.

The chart below lists dog breeds and their estimated life expectancy.  Remember, this is just a guide.

Training a dog to be bilingual in English and German is a lot easier than most people realize.  Dogs do not learn or understand language the same way as humans do.  Dogs do not comprehend words and their meanings.  They merely connect the sound of a word with the action we bribe them into performing.

Many dogs respond better to the deeper easily distinguished sounds of German, especially in the high stress environment of sport or police work.

For police dogs, sport dogs and working dogs, being trained in two languages is very common.  English is usually applied around the house, and German is reserved for when Fido is competing, training, working, or “on duty”.

Below are five easy steps to get you started training your dog to be bilingual in English and German:

Items You Need

• Fido
• Treats
• Clicker if applicable

1. Research the German commands that you want to use.  Common commands are “sitz” (sit), “platz” (down), “bleib” (stay) and “hier” (here).
2. Train your dog to sit using one language.  Ex: Using English, lure your dog into a sit with a treat, click once its bottom is on the floor, say “sit” and reward with a treat.
3. Once your dog has learned the original command you will start to incorporate the alternate command.  Ex:  If you trained in English first, you would say “sitz, sit.”  Your dog will respond to the second command but will become conditioned to the sound of the German command.
4. Alternate between languages and always have treats on hand to help your dog with the second and newer language if necessary.  It is very realistic for Fido to be bilingual within a week.
5. Repeat the steps above for each command you wish to train in both English and German.

A new home can be overwhelming and a frightening experience for any new pet in the best circumstances.  Add in children, other pets, a hectic household schedule, and you have all the ingredients for an adopted dog to experience stimulation overload.

Ease an adopted dog’s introduction into a new home with these five simple steps:

1. Keep a newly adopted dog safe and secure in a quiet place of their own.  A place where they cannot get out and other pets cannot get in.  Do this until your newest family member becomes comfortable with their new surroundings and people.  This initial separation is not a form of punishment so be sure to give a lot of love and attention to ease fear or anxiety.
2. Make introductions slowly.  Avoid introductions with new people, family members, and other pets all at once.  Start out gradually and on leash.  Keep interactions low key, positive and with lots of treats and praise.
3. Gradually expand the area the adoptee can roam.  Use baby gates and closed doors to block off areas as needed.
4. Always supervise interactions and redirect potential problems.  Keep an eye on kids and other pets and be prepared to jump in before growling or nipping looks likely to occur.
5. Keep your newest family member confined when leaving until you are confident they can be trusted at home alone.

The adjustment period for a newly adopted dog may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks or longer.  Until the adjustment period is over, practice patience and consistency to guide your four legged friend.

Training a dog is rewarding experience that produces a well-mannered pet and a loving, loyal bond.  When you command respect as the pack leader, your dog will obey.  Teaching your dog   their name is the first step in getting them to follow commands and obey.

Follow the five steps below to quickly teach your dog their name:

1. Bring your dog to an area where they will not be distracted.  In the beginning stages of training, your dog must be able to stay focused at all times to learn their name.
2. Say your dog’s name loudly and clearly. When they give you eye contact, reward immediately.  If your dog looks towards you but does not immediately make direct eye contact, praise for looking, but do not give the treat.
3. Be patient with your dog.  Some dogs and breeds are quicker to learn new things than others.  If you become frustrated, they will feel your tension and may become confused or anxious.  Train in short intervals and keep it fun.
4. Reinforce your dog when they do the right thing. When they immediately make eye contact, give them a treat.  Once your dog starts responding to their name, alternate positive reinforcement with treats, toys, verbal praise and nice rubs.
5. When your dog is consistently responding to their name it is time to throw in some distractions.  Follow the exact same steps that you did above.  When your dog consistently responds to their name in different settings, you can be assured that they know it. You are now ready to continue training with other commands.

Good Luck!

Choosing to train your dog with German commands can be a powerful training tool and has its advantages.  German dog commands have long been considered especially effective because the words employed are short and forceful.

Training a dog in German is very popular.  All commands, whether they are working dog commands or basic obedience commands should be consistent and fit the needs and the relationship of the owner and their four legged companion.

Training your dog in German is fun and will set you apart in an ordinary group obedience class.  One of the advantages of teaching your dog German is your dog will only listen to your commands – unless your acquaintances are fluent in German!

Are you ready to brag to friends and family that, (He obeys on German command) “Er gehorcht auf Kommando”?

Below are common commands that German trainers and owners use:

Training your dog to “back up” or put it in “Reverse” improves their coordination and is a cool trick to show off to your friends and family.  It is also practical as it comes in handy in tight spaces or when you just want to get in the door after a long day at work.

Here is how you teach it:

Decide on the command (back up, back it up, or reverse) and stick to it.  Be consistent.

With Fido standing and facing you, hold a treat just below his nose.  When he moves his head to reach it, move the treat slightly toward his chest.  He will instinctively take a small step back to reach it.  As Fido steps back give your command.  Praise and give Fido the treat.

Arrange chairs to create a narrow walkway.  Walk backwards into the walkway with a treat out in front of you coaxing Fido towards you, facing you.  Stop and lean towards Fido or take a half step towards him, slightly crowding his space.  When Fido shifts his weight backwards or takes a small step back, give your command and reward with a treat.

Gradually ask for more steps before rewarding.  Asking for too many too soon will cause Fido to back up in a curve.  One or two steps straight back are better than five or six that curve.  With a little bit of practice, your dog will soon be throwing it into reverse with confidence and ease.

Teaching your dog the “leave it” is a useful command to have in your training arsenal.  It is an easy command to teach and can be vital in keeping your dog healthy and your household safe and sane.

The world is a dangerous place for dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds.  It is your job as a pet parent to look out for your four legged companion.  Dogs are opportunistic by nature and will take the chance to snap up anything that seems appealing to them.  This can range from harmful foods or toys (for dogs) accidentally dropped in your household to dead animals, rodents, or feces you may encounter on walks or outings to your favorite park.  The command is also handy when you spot Fido targeting in on making the household kitty a new squeaky toy.

Follow the three simple steps below to teach any dog of any age to “Leave It”.

1.  The first step is to teach your dog to refrain from grabbing tempting treats at will.  Place your dog on their leash and place a desirable treat in front of them out of their reach.  Give the command “leave it’ and immediately offer a different, yummier treat.

2.  Do not reward with the same treat you are asking your dog “leave” as this can cause confusion. Use low value treats on the ground and high value treats as reward to teach that “leaving it” has a higher payoff.

3.  Initially you will reward your dog immediately after giving the “leave it” command.  Gradually increase your dog’s self control between the command and the reward.  Also increase the “leave it” item’s desirability to a toy or a tastier treat.

When starting out keep your sessions short and fun.  As you progress with the “leave it” command be sure to incorporate toys, praise, and play along with food treats as reward.  In no time at all you will have a new command that is a win/win for everyone.

It is widely accepted among the vast majority of dog training experts that the most easy, successful and humane way to train your dog is through positive reinforcement training. The theory behind the positive reinforcement method is easy.  Using positive reinforcement involves rewarding the behavior that you wish to see repeated, and ignoring the behavior that you do not.

This method is in direct contrast to some of the now-outdated but once-popular techniques for dog training.  Positive reinforcement works with your dog. Their natural instinct is to please you. The theory of positive reinforcement is that lessons are more meaningful to dogs and will tend to “stick” more, when a dog is able to figure out what you are asking them to do.  This is in contrast to, say, learning “down” by being forced repeatedly into a prone position, while the word “down” is repeated at intervals.

When you use positive reinforcement training, you are allowing your dog the time and the opportunity to use their own brain. To make the training process easier and more rewarding you need to pick and use meaningful rewards.  Dogs get bored pretty quickly with a routine pat on the head and a “good doggy”.  Keep the quality of your dog’s learning at a high standard by using tempting incentives for good behavior.  Food treats and physical affection are what dog trainers refer to as “primary incentives”. Or in simple English, they are both significant rewards that most dogs respond powerfully and reliably to.

Timing is everything.  When your dog obeys a command you must reward the behavior immediately.  This will help your dog understand exactly what behavior it was that instantly earned them a desired reward.   Some people use a clicker for this.  A clicker is a small metal sound-making device which emits a distinct “click” when pressed. The clicker is clicked at the exact moment that a dog performs the desired behavior.  If you ask your dog sit, you would click the clicker just as your dog’s bottom hits the ground.  You can also use your voice to mark desired behavior by just saying “Yes!” in a happy, excited tone of voice.

In the beginning be sure to use rewards consistently.  It is also important to be consistent with your training commands.  When you are teaching a dog a command you need to decide ahead of time on the verbal cue you are going to use and then stick to it. So, when training your dog to not jump up on you, do not use “get off”, “get down”, and “stop jumping”.  Pick one phrase such as “No jump”, and stick with it to avoid confusion.  Even the smartest dogs learn the quickest through consistent repetition, which are the actions associated with a particular phrase. The ease of a dog’s obedience training will be much better if you choose one particular phrase and use it every time you wish them to perform a certain behavior for you.

So how do you go about correcting your dog?  The great perk about positive reinforcement training is that it does not require you to undertake any harsh punitive measures.  All you have to do is ignore the behavior that you do not want to see repeated.  Not getting any attention because they are deliberately being ignored is enough to make just about any dog miserable.  This alone is a powerful correctional tool.

Contemporary belief in dog training states that we should simply ignore incorrect responses to a training command.  With no reinforcement from us, positive or negative, your dog will stop the behavior on their own.  Remember that negative attention, like verbal corrections, count as reinforcement and to some dogs, negative attention is better than no attention at all.  The bigger the fuss you make over Fido when they do something right, the clearer the connection will be between a particular behavior(s) getting no response at all, but other behaviors (the right response) eliciting massive amounts of positive attention from you.

Teaching your puppy to jump is a fun command to have in your training arsenal and it will instill confidence in your young companion.  Many people assume that teaching a puppy to “jump” will encourage them to inappropriately jump on furniture, people, or try to jump over the backyard fence.  This is a common yet false misconception.  Teaching your puppy to jump will provide boundaries of when it is acceptable and constructive to jump and when it is not.

If your puppy will grow into a medium to large breed dog, having a jump command will prove useful for car rides and vet appointments.

Follow the 6 tips below to have your puppy jumping on command in no time at all.

1.       Choose a jump command and be consistent using it.  The command you choose is a personal choice so decide if you want to use “jump”, “hop”, “over”, “up”, etc.

2.       Puppies should never jump higher than their elbows.

3.       Practice jumping on non- slippery surfaces and stay away from hard non- forgiving surfaces like concrete.

4.       Start off with an item or a board that is flat on the ground.  Put your puppy on a flat collar and on a leash.  Place your left hand close to their collar and as you approach the board give your command.  Once both you and your pup have cleared the board allow slack in the leash and immediately break into a trot.  Do not forget to praise your puppy and get excited.  Repeat this three to four time max per session.

At this stage your puppy may not actually be “jumping” over the item on the ground but that is okay.  You are teaching the command and with it, associating fun and praise by running at the end of the activity.  Running is fun for puppies but it also relieves stress.

5.       The next step is to place something low that your pup will actually have to jump over it.  A solid item is best.  If your pup can see under the item their natural instinct will be to go under it rather than over.

Have someone else approach the jump with your pup.  You should be on the opposite side of the jump.  Tap the object with your hand as they approach and give your puppy the jump command.  Back up excitedly to give your puppy enough space to safely clear the object.  Once your puppy is over the jump, transfer the leash and take off running.

DO NOT allow your puppy to go under the jump or go around the jump.  Be ready because they will try this.  If need be stop, back up and start over.  NO scolding – your puppy is learning something new and you want this experience to be positive and fun.

6.       After a few of the above sessions you are now ready to work to work together as a team.  With your puppy on a short leash and by your side, approach the hurdle and give your command.  Stay alongside your puppy and once up and over, jog away from the obstacle hooting and hollering like a complete and total nut!

Keep your approach to the obstacle close.  The obstacle should be relatively low so allow just enough of a start to build up a tad of momentum.   Remember to keep sessions brief and fun.  When your puppy understands the “jump” command it will be easier on both of you to implement “no jumping”.

Your puppy wants to please and will learn to jump quickly at your request if you are consistent with your commands, your expectations and your training routines.  Lead by example and “hop” off that couch and take your pup outside for some fresh air, exercise and training fun.

Some dogs are better at traveling in the car then others.  A dog that is happy to take a ride makes for a more pleasant experience for everyone involved.  A dog that is skittish in the car, or becomes car sick, is a distraction to the driver and makes simple trips to the vet or groomer a strategically routed plan.  To put it simply – it is a hassle and it is a stressful event for everyone involved.

How you introduce your puppy to car rides will affect their attitude about them forever.  A puppy that is bounced around on a sharp turn or a sudden stop becomes frightened.  Falling off a seat may injure your puppy making them reluctant to want to go again.

For your puppy’s safety and mental well-being, crate training is the best option.  After your initial ride home, familiarize your puppy with their crate inside your home.  When it comes time for a trip, talk to your puppy about it.  Tell your puppy excitedly that you are “going for a ride” or “going to the park”.  Build it up and sell it.

Next load your puppy’s crate and your puppy into the vehicle.  Start with short rides and gradually add distance.  Do not feed or treat your puppy two to three hours before a ride to prevent carsickness.  Getting carsick will make any puppy dread going for a car ride.  Also give a potty break prior to leaving to assure your puppy is traveling comfortably.

Upon reaching your destination be sure to praise and play after getting your puppy out of the vehicle.  You want your puppy to associate “going” with “fun, fun, fun”.  Visit new, exciting, safe places and before you know it your puppy will be racing you to the door ready for their next ride.