 CONSIDER THE PRONG COLLAR, PLEASE!Contrary to what you might believe about it, the prong or pinch collar (pictured here) is not a medieval torture device, but rather the most humane, safest and effective of all training collars. What makes it unique is its design. Unlike a buckle collar or choke chain, which can do irreparable damage to the dog’s trachea, a correction from a prong collar is evenly distributed around the dog’s entire neck. When a dog that’s wearing a buckle collar or choke chain pulls or lunges, the impact point is the dog’s throat and that’s how tracheal damage occurs. The prongs or links of the collar are rounded and cannot puncture the dog’s skin. Even the most sensitive dog can benefit from wearing a prong collar because the links are reversible and the collar can be fitted so that the prongs of the links can be pointed outward rather than inward. Another way to tone down the correction from a prong collar is to cut a sleeve off an old sweatshirt and slip it around the dog’s neck and then put the prong collar over the sleeve. Prong collars, which come in a variety of sizes; large, small and micro, are ideal for small people with big or rambunctious dogs because the collar acts like power steering on a car. With a prong collar, the handler is in complete control and corrections are minimal. Prong collars have been effectively used on tiny puppies to giant breeds alike. Ask your instructor for a demonstration. First and foremost, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
ATTENTION: If you're having trouble keeping your dog's attention while heeling, a simple solution is to wear a shirt with a pocket located on the upper left side, much like a Men's Pocket T-shirt or men's dress shirt. Keep your dog treats (like the ones in the recipe that follows) in the pocket and reach for them using your left hand always giving them to your dog WITH your left hand. Soon your dog will begin focusing his/her attention upwards toward your face.
 HOME MADE TRAINING TREATS: Chicken Franks (hot dogs) are a wonderful treat for your dog AND you! You can make oodles of them out of a one pound package, they're inexpensive to make and your dog will love them. Pictured from top to bottom are 1) whole chicken frank, 2) chicken frank sliced lengthwise into four sections, 3) chicken frank cut into 1/4" pieces, and 4) chicken frank pieces after being microwaved. NOTE: The chicken franks used here are Farmer Jack's BAR-S brand. Cost is 99 cents a pound. First, slice a whole hot dog lengthwise using a sharp, non-serrated knife. Next, slice it again lengthwise which will give you four sections. Repeat with process with another hot dog. Re-assemble the sections and slice them widthwise about a quarter of an inch thick. Arrange the pieces of two cut up hot dogs in a single layer on a paper plate and microwave on HIGH (2 to 10 minutes depending on the power of your microwave oven) until they puff up (and they will). The chicken franks pictured here were cooked in a 1250 watt oven for a total of 3 minutes and 15 seconds. As they cook the water expands the hotdog and the moisture is cooked out. Once the franks have puffed up, remove them from the oven to cool. As they cool they will shrink into what looks like beef jerky. Be careful not to cook them too long or they will burn and actually crumble into dust. Store them in an airtight container without worry of refrigeration. A one pound package of whole chicken franks will yield 500-600 pieces. Disclaimer: DGS Dog Training Club does not necessarily endorse Farmer Jack's stores, but they DO have the cheapest chicken franks out there. Questions or comments? E-mail Bob at: rjtinbc@aol.com
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HAS YOUR DOG BEEN SKUNKED? Here's a proven and effective recipe for removing skunk odor. First, towel off the dog with a clean dry terry cloth towel to remove the skunk spray which is oil based. Use clean towels. It's a good idea to throw the towels away as washing them will only spread the oil inside your washing machine. In a bucket, mix:
1 quart of FRESH hydrogen peroxide (available at your local drugstore or grocery store in the health care aisle) If the bottle you have on hand has already been opened, this recipe may not work. Hydrogen peroxide loses its chemical properties and turns to water over time. Go buy a fresh bottle just to be on the safe side!
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon DAWN ® liquid dish soap
The mixture will bubble. Thoroughly wet the victim in this mixture, taking care to keep it out of the eyes. Wash the dog with the mixture as if it were shampoo while it is bubbling. Rinse the dog and repeat. Be careful not to contaminate the rinse water.
The soap breaks down the oil in which the odor is suspended, and the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda neutralize the scent. Do not premix the solution or store this potion in a bottle (the bubbling would cause it to explode).
Speaking of skunks, we've heard tell that if you sprinkle mothballs around your yard it keeps the rotten little stinkers from returning.
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SIMON AND HUEY TRAINING TREATS: Georgette turned us on to one of the best dog training treats we, yes WE, ever tasted. All the ingredients are “human grade” which means no preservatives or additives other than what you’d normally bake with at home. Our favorite is the Soft Ginger Training Treats which smell like home-made gingerbread cookies. The ingredient lists reads like this: oat flour, molasses, honey, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, olive oil. The Peanut Butter Molasses treats are great, too. Normally these sell for $8.35 a pound on the Simon and Huey website, but we found them at Dogpack-dot-com for $6.49 a pound. Go figure. One of the nicest features of these treats, other than the flavor, is that there are 500-600 little bite-size pieces per pound. Here’s the exact link to the site:
(http://www.dogpack.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TDP&Category_Code=SANDH)
By clicking here you’ll go right to Dogpack’s Simon and Huey training treats page. Naturally, with all great products on the internet, there’s shipping costs. We found that Dogpack charges less for the product itself AND less for shipping as well. Either way, it’s a great product!
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LOOKING FOR LOW COST AGILITY WEAVE POLES? Then look no further. Bob Tatus is selling sets of 6 Weave Poles for the amazingly low price of $35. These Weave Poles set up and break down in a jiffy. They're not only portable, they're durable, too! We've checked the internet and haven't found a lower price yet.
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AGGRESSIVE DOGS: Many dog owners, even those who’ve had dogs for years, are unaware that they have in their possession an aggressive dog. Some behaviors are often thought of as “cute” or “amusing,” especially in puppies, when in reality the potential for aggressive behavior is present. Furthermore, some dog owners will even brag about the fact that their dog can take care of itself or that it knows how to “read” another dog’s behavior. Dogs are dogs, and an aggressive dog does not possess the ability to diagnose another dog’s actions and therefore should never be trusted.
Listed below are thirteen types of aggression recognized in dogs. Even if you think you don’t have an aggressive dog, check out the website listed below and see if you can recognize any of these traits in your dog, or perhaps someone else’s dog you might know.
1. Dominance Aggression
2. Fear Aggression
3. Interdog (dog-to-dog) Aggression
4. Protective Aggression
5. Predatory Aggression
6. Territorial Aggression
7. Food-related Aggression
8. Possessive Aggression
9. Redirected Aggression
10. Play Aggression
11. Idiopathic Aggression
12. Maternal Aggression
13. Pain Aggression
Click here: (http://www.allbreed.net/chows/Train/aggrtype.htm)
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