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Lucky Dog Lessons

Page 26

by Brandon McMillan

Food rewards

  and COME, 160–161

  effectiveness of, 33, 36, 66

  and hunger, 66, 97, 123, 160, 166, 172, 241

  and NO, 129–132

  and SIT, 87, 90

  Foot stomp, 124, 208

  Friendship, and building trust, 49

  Furniture, and OFF, 137–138, 147–148

  German shepherds, 50

  GET BUSY, 187, 188, 189, 191, 198

  GET UP THERE, 273

  Giving affection, and bonding, 52

  Glory (poodle mix), 87–89, 87, 90, 93

  Grab-and-slide technique, for DOWN, 107–109, 107, 108, 109

  Grover (poodle), 7, 275–277, 278, 282, 283, 285, 289, 289

  Halter-style head collar, 74–75, 75, 176–177, 176

  Harnesses, for COME, 153, 159

  HEEL

  big-dog technique, 163, 165, 166–168, 166

  and conditioning, 167–168

  and crowding, 171, 171

  as essential command, 6, 28, 163

  and narrow passage, 170, 170, 173–174

  and pulling, 173–177, 174, 175, 176

  and racing ahead, 172–173, 172

  small-dog technique, 163, 165, 168–170, 169

  teaching, 165–170

  training tips, 170–177

  Herding dogs, 12

  High-energy dogs

  and digging, 252, 258

  and focus, 68

  and HEEL, 165

  training considerations, 35

  Hounds, 12, 246

  House-training. See also Indoor marking house-training triangle, 184–188

  indoor house-training pads, 190–191, 191

  and instincts, 182, 184, 254

  outtakes, 198–200

  problems with, 181–182, 183

  puppies, 21, 183, 184, 186, 189, 192

  tools for, 185

  training tips, 189–192

  Indoor marking. See also House-training

  approach to, 193–196, 195

  and instincts, 196

  problems with, 192–193

  tools for, 193

  training tips, 196–197

  Intelligence, as training variable, 33–34

  Jemma (shepherd mix), 138–139, 138, 148

  Kobe (terrier mix), 7, 69–71, 69

  Large dogs. See Big dogs

  Leadership roles

  and mental preparation, 59, 60, 61, 312

  trust as basis of, 40, 44, 46

  Leah (golden retriever-corgi mix), 152–153, 152, 162

  Leashes. See also Double Leash Lock-Off

  for barking, 241–243

  chewing on, 197

  for COME, 153, 154–158, 156, 157

  for control, 62

  for door dashing, 203–207, 211–212

  as extension of arm, 90

  fear of, 276–277

  for HEEL, 166–170

  for house-training, 185

  for indoor marking, 195, 195, 196–197

  for introducing pet door, 214–218

  leash aggression, 303–305

  for NO, 133–134, 133 for OFF, 145–147, 146, 147

  off-leash dogs, 153, 158–159, 161–162

  for SIT, 87, 90, 91, 92 for STAY, 116

  two leashes, 75

  LEAVE IT, 129

  Lee, Bruce, 28

  Lemons, as deterrent, 229, 270–271

  Life experiences

  blank-board theory, 27–30

  and shelter shock, 30

  as training variable, 26–32, 37

  Lolita (Chihuahua), and door dashing, 201–203, 213, 213

  Low-energy dogs, training considerations, 35

  Lucky (spaniel mix), 228

  Lucky Dog (television series), 5–6, 7, 80–81

  Luke (shepherd-Lab mix), 53–54, 53

  Lulu (Chihuahua)

  building trust, 43, 43, 45

  crate for, 186

  fear aggression of, 293–294, 297

  and indoor marking, 195

  life experiences of, 29–30

  and OFF, 138

  playing with, 51

  profile of, 18–19, 18

  as shy dog, 34–35, 314

  Lure stick, 168–170, 169

  Maltese, 16–17

  Martingale-style collars, 73–74, 74, 159, 173

  Mature adult dogs

  and chewing, 221

  and house-training, 184

  as shelter dogs, 24–25, 201

  training considerations, 23–24

  Mealtime mischief

  begging problem, 263–265, 264, 265

  counter surfing problem, 265–270, 266, 267

  garbage raiding problem, 270–271

  problems with, 262–263

  training tips, 268–270

  Medium dogs

  DOWN command, 97–103, 98, 99, 100, 101

  HEEL command, 163

  and nipping, 232

  OFF command, 141–143, 142, 145–147, 146, 147

  Memory association training, 283

  Mental preparation

  “face you show your dog”, 59, 86, 124, 197, 281, 312

  as training component, 58, 59–61

  Mobility-assistance dogs, 2

  Monitoring camera

  and barking, 246

  and counter surfing, 266–268, 266, 267

  and indoor marking, 193, 194–196

  and separation anxiety, 282–284

  Murphy (Lab), 67–68, 67

  NO

  for chewing, 224, 229

  as essential command, 6, 28, 127–128

  for fence fighting, 301

  for house-training, 189

  for indoor marking, 194–195

  for leash aggression, 305

  leash for, 133–134, 133

  for mealtime mischief, 263, 264–265, 268, 271

  for stubborn dogs, 134–135, 135

  teaching, 129–132, 130, 131

  training tips, 132–136

  Noise as distraction, and NO, 132–133, 135

  Nonsporting dogs, 13

  Obedience

  and 7 Common Commands, 28–29

  tricks compared to, 29

  Odin (shepherd-chow mix), 291–293

  OFF

  as essential command, 6, 28, 137

  hold those paws technique, 141–143, 142

  for jumping on furniture, 147–148

  for jumping on other people, 145–147

  for jumping on you, 141–145

  and leash correction, 145–147, 146, 147

  for mealtime mischief, 263

  outtakes, 149

  penny bottle or Shake & Break

  technique, 143–145, 144, 148

  teaching techniques, 139–140

  turn your back technique, 140, 141

  Off-leash dogs, 153, 158–159, 161–162

  OKAY, 132, 134, 207, 208, 212

  Outgoing dogs, training considerations, 34–35

  OutKast, 4

  Overtraining, 79

  Owner-dog relationship

  7 Common Commands as foundation of, 26

  trust as foundation for, 39–40

  Patience

  for barking, 243

  and building trust, 45–46

  for house-training, 185

  for indoor marking, 197

  Pedestal, 70, 75–76, 103

  Penny bottle

  for barking, 238–240, 241

  for begging, 264–265, 265

  for counter surfing, 266, 267–268, 267

  for fence fighting, 301

  for leash aggression, 305

  for NO, 133, 135

  for OFF, 143–145, 144, 148

  for possessive aggression, 300

  for QUIET, 190, 195

  as training tool, 76–78

  Personality

  and building trust, 47

  common personality traits, 34–36

  and fear aggression, 297–298

  as training variable, 32–36, 37
<
br />   Pet doors, 214–218, 215, 216, 217

  Play, and bonding, 51–52, 51

  Play rewards, effectiveness of, 33, 36, 66, 67

  Plush toy with “heartbeat”, 287

  Poppi (cocker spaniel), profile of, 128–129, 128, 136

  Prey drive, 33, 36, 47, 161

  Pulling

  halter-style head collar, 74–75

  and HEEL, 173–177, 174, 175, 176

  and martingale collar, 74

  Puppies

  and chewing, 221

  and COME, 151, 162

  and digging, 251

  and dog poop, 254

  and focus, 65

  and house-training, 21, 183, 184, 186, 189, 192

  and nipping, 229–231

  and possessive aggression, 298–299

  socialization of, 21

  training considerations, 20–22

  Puppy prediction tests, 32

  QUIET

  for barking, 239–241, 242, 243, 244

  and conditioning, 79

  for crate training, 190

  for fence fighting, 301

  for indoor marking, 195

  Randy (Poodle mix), 7, 24–25, 24

  Raven (rottweiler), 4

  Reassurance, and building trust, 48–49

  Remote control hold, 230–231

  Reprimands, 226

  Rewards. See also Food rewards; Play rewards; Toy rewards

  and conditioning pattern, 79–80, 161

  effectiveness of, 33, 66, 67–68, 67

  lottery system for, 79, 159, 161

  verbal encouragement, 78, 92, 102, 104, 118, 154, 169, 173, 312–313

  Routines, consistency in, 48

  Sandy (golden retriever), 164–165, 164, 177–178

  Sawyer (Lab), 270–271

  Senior dogs

  and house-training, 192

  and pain-induced aggression, 301, 302–303

  training considerations, 25–26

  Separation anxiety

  appealing to dog’s dominant sense, 284–285

  and chewing, 222, 278, 279, 281

  layered approach to, 281, 284, 285

  lesson in object permanence, 282–284

  letting dog hear you, 285–286

  out-of-the-box alternatives, 287–288

  outtakes, 290

  problems with, 277–280, 279 tools for, 286–287

  treats and toys for test days, 287

  Serious dogs, training considerations, 36

  7 Common Commands. See also COME; DOWN; HEEL; NO; OFF; SIT; STAY

  assessment of, 89, 115

  daily use of, 28–29, 85, 313

  and dog’s learning style, 85–86

  as foundation of owner-dog relationship, 26

  and intelligence, 34

  repetition as key to success, 86

  in seven days, 85–86, 311

  teaching order for, 86–87, 154

  Shake & Break

  for barking, 238–240, 241

  for begging, 264–265, 265

  for counter surfing, 266, 267–268, 267

  for fence fighting, 301

  for leash aggression, 305

  for NO, 133, 135

  for OFF, 143–145, 144, 148

  for possessive aggression, 300

  for QUIET, 190, 195

  as training tool, 76–78, 77

  Shelter dogs

  as adolescent dogs, 22–23

  building trust in, 39–40, 42, 44, 49, 53–54

  and house-training, 192

  life experiences of, 30

  as mature dogs, 24–25, 201

  and mealtime mischief, 262

  as mixed breeds, 19–20

  placement of, 4, 5–6, 7, 14, 314–315

  statistics on, 3

  training of, 3–4, 5, 6, 314

  Shelter shock, 30, 32

  Shy dogs

  and clickers, 78

  and DOWN, 98

  training considerations, 34–35

  trust established with, 41, 43, 44–45, 45, 48, 50, 53–54

  Silly dogs, training considerations, 36

  SIT

  and conditioning, 92–93

  and control, 86

  DOWN starting from, 110–111

  as essential command, 6, 28

  leash for, 87, 90, 91, 92

  and STAY, 118, 125

  teaching, 89–93

  tools for, 87

  Skye (white shepherd), 41–42, 41, 45, 314

  Small dogs

  COME command, 155

  DOWN command, 103–106, 104, 105

  HEEL command, 163, 165, 168–170, 169

  and house-training, 188, 191–192

  lure stick for, 168–170, 169

  and nipping, 232

  SIT command, 90, 91, 92

  training pedestal for, 70, 75–76, 76

  Socialization

  and aggression, 297, 298, 304, 305–306

  and bonding, 52

  and life experiences, 26

  of puppies, 21

  unsocialized aggression, 305–306

  Sporting dogs, 12

  STAY

  and COME, 154, 155

  and conditioning, 123

  cornered STAY, 116–120, 117, 125

  and door dashing, 208

  and DOWN, 95

  as essential command, 6, 28, 113, 123

  and focus, 118, 123

  foot stomp, 124

  hand halt, 118, 119, 124

  hand signal for, 117–118, 117

  open area STAY, 122–123, 122

  and SIT, 118, 125

  teaching, 115–123

  tools for, 116

  training tips, 123–125

  wall STAY, 120, 121

  Stubborn dogs

  and door dashing, 209

  and DOWN, 100, 101, 104, 107–109, 107, 108, 109, 182

  and focus, 70, 77

  and NO, 134–135, 135 and OFF, 143–145, 144, 148

  and Shake & Break, 77

  and STAY, 118, 125

  training consideration, 36

  Taking it easy, and bonding, 52

  Technique

  and behavioral issues, 72

  and conditioning, 71, 93

  and plan B, 72

  as training component, 58, 71–73

  Terriers, 13

  Tools

  clickers, 78, 312

  collar and leash, 73–75

  pedestal, 70, 75–76, 103

  penny bottle or Shake & Break, 76–78

  for SIT, 87

  as training component, 58, 73–78

  Toy breeds, 13, 36

  Toy rewards

  for COME, 161

  effectiveness of, 33, 36, 66, 67–68, 67

  Training. See also Conditioning; Control; Focus; Mental preparation; Technique; Tools

  challenges of, 55–58, 309–310, 312

  as daily practice, 28–29, 85, 313

  in one week, 310–311

  results from, 313–314

  Training pedestal, for small dogs, 70, 75–76, 103

  Trust

  and bonding, 49, 51–52, 54

  building dog’s trust, 39–40, 42, 43–49, 50, 51–54

  as foundation for owner-dog relationship, 39–41

  and getting down on floor, 43, 44

  Tweety (Maltese mix), 261–262, 263, 272–273, 272, 314

  Ultrasonic collar, 245, 301

  Ultrasonic remote, 245

  Understanding, and building trust, 46–48

  Wild-animal training, 1–2, 46–48, 50, 60, 168, 284, 309

  Willing dogs, 36

  Working dogs, 13

  Zeke (German shepherd), 309, 311

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  BRANDON McMILLAN is a professional animal trainer and behaviorist who has spent his entire life learning about and working with all types of animals from household pets to the wildest and most untamed beasts.

  Born into a family of animal entertainers, McMillan joke
s that he’s been picking up animal poop for as long as he can remember. Even though his one-of-a-kind upbringing may not have always been glamorous, it gave him the skills to become an accomplished trainer at an early age. It also helped foster the attachment and empathy he feels for animals great and small. McMillan uses his unique skill set every day in his career as a Los Angeles–based animal trainer for film and television. As a result of his on-set accomplishments, he’s also frequently hired by Hollywood’s A-list celebrities to transform their out-of-control pooches into well-mannered dogs. His extensive client list includes Ellen DeGeneres, Rod Stewart, James Caan, Wolfgang Puck, Don Cheadle, Snoop Dogg, Eddie Murphy, Ronda Rousey, and many others.

  Although McMillan has a diverse background in working with all kinds of animals, his greatest personal and professional commitment is to rescuing and training shelter dogs. Long before Lucky Dog became a staple of CBS Saturday-morning programming and introduced his philosophy and methods to the world, McMillan was already regularly, quietly saving dogs from shelters’ death rows, then turning them into well-trained pets, service animals, and sometimes even movie stars. He takes every opportunity to remind his fellow dog lovers that over a million dogs are euthanized every year in the United States because they can’t find homes. With that devastating statistic always in mind, Brandon McMillan has made it his mission to reduce shelter populations, one dog at a time. He hopes his efforts will inspire others to do the same.

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  CREDITS

  Cover design: Faceout Studio; Cover photographs: Linda Peters

  COPYRIGHT

  Photographs © Litton Entertainment. Lucky Dog and Litton Entertainment are trademarks of Litton Syndications, Inc.

  Shake & Break is a trademark of Animal Expert LLC.

  The techniques presented in this book are for informational purposes only. As each individual situation is unique, you should use proper discretion, in consultation with a professional dog expert, before utilizing the information contained in this book. The author and publisher expressly disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects that may result from the use or application of the information contained in this book.

  LUCKY DOG LESSONS. Copyright © 2016 by Animal Expert LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  FIRST EDITION

  ISBN 978–0–06–2478955

  EPub Edition September 2016 ISBN 9780062478962

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