This was a good week with our daughter being accepted into the School of Communication Arts, a specialist advertising agency college that is there for “creative souls”. She wants to be an art director one day so nauturally we are thrilled. She has made against massive odds but it really is a good lesson for those who think it will not happen to me. Go on live your dreams!!!
Me, I shall stick to the portraits from my studio I think. I have 6 to do before the year end and my present one of Labrador and Springer is going well.
I put a note a note on the website to try and calm it down because inquiry after inquiry was coming and I do not want to let people down.
However I got a lovely mail from North of the Border, in fact someone who is out there risking life and limb on the rigs for us, he wants his animal done. I must of course give no clues here. More about that in the spring of next year.
I think that is now the 7th portrait for 2012 which is great. I really do understand how hard it is out there and what I do is a luxury for most people.
I am now going to add some training tips from friend Suzanne who has kindly linked me to her web site. I must of course say i am not a dog trainer. I just try and wash the fleas out of pepper and get her to come to me occasionally. So if you need to talk to Suzanne about these tips just go to her web site. I am not responsible as they say!!! Have a good week.
Often I am asked when is the best time to start training your dog? 5 months? Six months? A year?
Well the answer might well surprise some people; As soon as you get them home. The key to getting it right is how you train them.
You need to make it fun so your puppy doesn’t even realise you are teaching them something.
If your fortunate enough to have an older, trained dog your puppy will learn a lot from them. But be careful, if your older dog is not trained and has bad manners your puppy will learn those a lot faster than the good habits!
Most puppies sit naturally without being taught. Whenever they sit or lie down without you telling them get a command in straight away so they learn to associate the word with the action.
Puppies cannot be walked for long distances and it is important you keep walking to the level required for the age of your dog. A good guide is 5 minutes for each month of your dogs life. I think if you don’t let them just belt around off lead all the time you could walk them a little longer. Just remember they need their bones to develop properly and over doing exercise can give them problems later on in life, sometimes sooner, with arthritis and bone problems etc.
Instead of doing too much physical exercise try doing some mind exercises, hide a toy or tidbit under a cup and have 2 other cups so he has to find the toy. Encourage him, saying ‘find it’ Do the same around the house, get him to think. Thinking is more tiring than physical exercise.
Get the lead on them as soon as you can and use loads of encouragement to get them to walk along with you. If he starts to pull the lead don’t pull back but just stop, hold the lead tight and he will eventually let go because your not playing with him. When he lets go say ‘thank you’ He will learn when you say thank you it means for him to let go of whatever he has hold of.
If you have any doubts at all call in a professional before any problems start. All too often we get called out when the dog has developed problems and people have left them to get worse to a point a year or two down the line where their dog has started to get aggressive. Something easily avoided if you do things right from the start. (unless it is due to poor breeding)
Keep training sessions short and always finish on a high. Never train if you are not in the right frame of mind. The most important thing is to make it as much fun as possible and use loads of praise. Don’t overdo treats but try to use praise and play as a reward.
Have fun!
Kindest Regards
Suzanne Corgan
Paws Galore
