hwvsil
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Dogs Nature
Dog Training - A Dog's Nature
Dogs are surprisingly complex creatures.
Some official estimates of the number of breeds reaches as high as 800 in Western countries alone. Even given that distinguishing one breed from another can be carried to absurd extremes, the variety is astonishing from a human perspective, who have, perhaps, a dozen 'breeds'.
Complicating the picture still further is the well-known fact that dogs have descended from wolves but began domestic interaction with humans over 10,000 years ago. As a consequence, there are behaviours that develop regardless of circumstances and some that are as unique as the human the dog is paired with. Still, some common traits stand out.
Dogs are predators.
That doesn't mean they necessarily hunt and attack every passing cat or rat, but the capacity is always in them. With acute hearing and head muscles that allow precise orientation of their ears, dogs can pick up a range of sounds and locate the source quickly and with high accuracy.
A dog's field of vision is higher than that of humans. Their field of view has been estimated from 180-270 degrees, by comparison to a human's 100-150 degrees, allowing them to track events better.
And, of course, there's that famous sense of smell. Citing figures such as having 25 times as many scent-receptor cells or being able to sense concentrations 100 million times smaller than humans conveys the fact one way.
Another is to report behaviour. Golden Retrievers, for example, can smell gophers through two feet of packed snow and a foot of frozen earth. And, they'll dig through it to get to the gopher. That's predatory behaviour.
Dogs are social animals.
That's common knowledge, of course. But, though known, it's often ignored. Individuals will often lock a lone dog away in a garage or pen, or on a rope in the yard for long periods. This isolation from contact with humans and other animals invariably leads to fear and/or aggression and other forms of maladjustment. Dogs need companionship in order to develop healthy behaviour.
Isolating a dog for brief periods can be a useful training technique. Fear of expulsion from the pack can incense overly assertive, alpha-status seeking dogs into alignment with the trainer's goals. In any human-dog pair, the human must be the alpha (leader). The alternative is property destruction, human frustration and unsafe conditions for people and dogs.
But excessive time devoid of social interaction with another dog, the human, or even a friendly cat harms the dog's psychology and leads to unwanted behaviour. Even guard dogs have to be able to distinguish between external 'threats' and members of its own 'pack'.
Dogs are exploratory.
Like the two-year-old humans at roughly their same mental level, dogs learn by exploring their environment. And like those humans, they can engage in destructive behaviour. Dogs are no respecters of property. Training and an appropriately selected set of objects and suitable area can channel that behaviour into something acceptable to humans and healthy for the dog.
Providing toys with characteristics very distinct from human property, such as rawhide bones rather than rubber balls that are hard to tell from children's, leads to less confusion and misbehaviour. In many cases, however, the problem is solved by scent. The dog's toys may look like the child's, but smell very different.
Some amount of digging may be inevitable as part of the dog's exploration. Be prepared to patch holes in lawn if the dog is unsupervised for very long. Plants can usually be protected with cayenne pepper paste, bitter apple and other preparations.
Dogs are scavengers
Dogs will eat deer droppings, even when they have perfectly sound and ample diets. They'll chew on dead rats, eat grass and ingest a wide variety of things that their own experience shows causes upset stomachs. And they'll repeat the behaviour day after day.
Acknowledging their limited ability to connect cause and effect when those are separated in time is a must in order to keep them healthy and safe.
Recognizing a dog's nature, and working within in it rather than against it leads to less frustration for both human and dog. Enjoying the beneficial aspects, such as spontaneous dog hugs (leaning into a leg), paw offering and a head laid on the lap are just a few of the rewards.
Valerie Dancer - I have owned dogs for 42 years. Learning to train from my mother who trained to county level. Over the years I have found that the old ways of training are not always the best, that praise is the best form of training, and the younger the dog, the easier it is to train. http://www.dogtrainingproblems.biz.
¶ 9:52 PM 0 comments
Dogs are surprisingly complex creatures.
Some official estimates of the number of breeds reaches as high as 800 in Western countries alone. Even given that distinguishing one breed from another can be carried to absurd extremes, the variety is astonishing from a human perspective, who have, perhaps, a dozen 'breeds'.
Complicating the picture still further is the well-known fact that dogs have descended from wolves but began domestic interaction with humans over 10,000 years ago. As a consequence, there are behaviours that develop regardless of circumstances and some that are as unique as the human the dog is paired with. Still, some common traits stand out.
Dogs are predators.
That doesn't mean they necessarily hunt and attack every passing cat or rat, but the capacity is always in them. With acute hearing and head muscles that allow precise orientation of their ears, dogs can pick up a range of sounds and locate the source quickly and with high accuracy.
A dog's field of vision is higher than that of humans. Their field of view has been estimated from 180-270 degrees, by comparison to a human's 100-150 degrees, allowing them to track events better.
And, of course, there's that famous sense of smell. Citing figures such as having 25 times as many scent-receptor cells or being able to sense concentrations 100 million times smaller than humans conveys the fact one way.
Another is to report behaviour. Golden Retrievers, for example, can smell gophers through two feet of packed snow and a foot of frozen earth. And, they'll dig through it to get to the gopher. That's predatory behaviour.
Dogs are social animals.
That's common knowledge, of course. But, though known, it's often ignored. Individuals will often lock a lone dog away in a garage or pen, or on a rope in the yard for long periods. This isolation from contact with humans and other animals invariably leads to fear and/or aggression and other forms of maladjustment. Dogs need companionship in order to develop healthy behaviour.
Isolating a dog for brief periods can be a useful training technique. Fear of expulsion from the pack can incense overly assertive, alpha-status seeking dogs into alignment with the trainer's goals. In any human-dog pair, the human must be the alpha (leader). The alternative is property destruction, human frustration and unsafe conditions for people and dogs.
But excessive time devoid of social interaction with another dog, the human, or even a friendly cat harms the dog's psychology and leads to unwanted behaviour. Even guard dogs have to be able to distinguish between external 'threats' and members of its own 'pack'.
Dogs are exploratory.
Like the two-year-old humans at roughly their same mental level, dogs learn by exploring their environment. And like those humans, they can engage in destructive behaviour. Dogs are no respecters of property. Training and an appropriately selected set of objects and suitable area can channel that behaviour into something acceptable to humans and healthy for the dog.
Providing toys with characteristics very distinct from human property, such as rawhide bones rather than rubber balls that are hard to tell from children's, leads to less confusion and misbehaviour. In many cases, however, the problem is solved by scent. The dog's toys may look like the child's, but smell very different.
Some amount of digging may be inevitable as part of the dog's exploration. Be prepared to patch holes in lawn if the dog is unsupervised for very long. Plants can usually be protected with cayenne pepper paste, bitter apple and other preparations.
Dogs are scavengers
Dogs will eat deer droppings, even when they have perfectly sound and ample diets. They'll chew on dead rats, eat grass and ingest a wide variety of things that their own experience shows causes upset stomachs. And they'll repeat the behaviour day after day.
Acknowledging their limited ability to connect cause and effect when those are separated in time is a must in order to keep them healthy and safe.
Recognizing a dog's nature, and working within in it rather than against it leads to less frustration for both human and dog. Enjoying the beneficial aspects, such as spontaneous dog hugs (leaning into a leg), paw offering and a head laid on the lap are just a few of the rewards.
Valerie Dancer - I have owned dogs for 42 years. Learning to train from my mother who trained to county level. Over the years I have found that the old ways of training are not always the best, that praise is the best form of training, and the younger the dog, the easier it is to train. http://www.dogtrainingproblems.biz.
¶ 9:52 PM 0 comments
Clicker Training Introduction
Clicker training with dogs is fairly well known, but all animals can be trained with the Clicker method, cats, birds, horses and most others.
Dogs soon learn that when they perform a particular action it gets them a reward immediately after hearing the click, this is a very positive way of training, which dogs react well to. They soon start performing the action in the hope of getting another treat. The training sessions are totally pleasurable for the dog so they learn very quickly, once they have realised that they get a reward.
The difference between clicker training and other reward based training methods is that with the clicker training method the dog immediately understands which action has resulted in his receiving the reward. As he hears the click, as the correct action is performed, he immediately receives the reward.
The clicker is a more positive way of training than the spoken word simply because the dog will very rarely hear the click at any other time, except when training, but he hears spoken words all the time, most of which he does not understand.
You need to exercise a little patience when you first start, but most dogs will start to understand after hearing the click 5 or 6 times. You will know when your dog understands, as he will look up at you when you click.
Start by going somewhere quiet so your dog is not distracted by other noises. Arm your-self with some really tasty treats, that are not usually given to him, like very small pieces of roast beef or chicken, cheese, liver or hot dogs. Use your clicker and give him a treat, do this say, three times so that he associates the click with a treat. Should your dog be of a very nervous disposition, and is frightened of the click then muffle it by putting it in your pocket to begin with. You can start by playing games. Have his toys with you. Throw one and as he picks it up click and reward.
Once you know that your dog understands you can start using words to go with the action. After a short while you can introduce the words fetch and give as he performs these tasks, click and reward.
You have to wait for the action you want.
Mark that behaviour by clicking.
Reward the behaviour.
Repeat.
He then quickly learns what is required of him.
You can also teach him to react to hand signals, in the same way. Once you get to this stage you only reward him when he has responded to your commands, you no longer reward him when he performs the action without the command.
To teach sit or down you have to use the toy as a lure to encourage your dog into the correct position, as soon as he sits or goes down click and reward. Do not use any verbal instructions until you are confident that your dog will perform what you want him to. Only then do you use a command, and when you believe that he will perform to command then you can stop using the toy, or treat, as a lure.
Teaching him to stay is an important lesson to learn. Start by putting him in a sit or down, which ever is your dogs favourite position. Tell him to stay but dont move, if he holds it for a few seconds click and reward. Do this a couple of times before you try taking just one step away, if he holds it click and reward. If he moves just return to him and put him back into position. Keep practicing until you can walk unlimited distances away, but dont try to go too far too quickly.
Teach your dog the difference between stay and wait. Stay is when you are going away from him and will return to him. Wait is for a variety of occasions;
1) You dont want him to jump out of the car until you say.
2) he may be ahead of you and you want him to wait till you catch up with him.
3) he may be about to cross the road without you, and you want to check it first.
There are countless needs for the command to wait.
If your dog is not good on recall then start using the clicker to get him to respond to his name, he will soon learn that he gets a reward when he responds. No dog will come to call if you cant get his attention when you call his name. So when he looks up at you click and reward. The next step would be to call him when he is a distance away, somewhere quiet where there are no distractions, click when he looks up, call him click again and reward. You will soon be able to have good recall when you are out.
The use of the clicker is generally only used while the dog is learning the cue, as in the word or hand signal, once it is understood then you no longer need to click, but the occasional reward is always worthwhile.
Clicker trainers prefer not to reprimand their dogs as they prefer to build a strong relationship with their dogs and they dont believe they can do this if they are punishing wrong behaviour. They also think that they get more enthusiasm from their dog if it is receiving no punishment. It is believed that any bad habits will slowly stop, as they get no reward. If the bad habit persists then the habit needs to be studied to understand why it exists, remove the cause and the bad habit should go away.
Valerie Dancer
¶ 1:23 PM 0 comments
Dogs soon learn that when they perform a particular action it gets them a reward immediately after hearing the click, this is a very positive way of training, which dogs react well to. They soon start performing the action in the hope of getting another treat. The training sessions are totally pleasurable for the dog so they learn very quickly, once they have realised that they get a reward.
The difference between clicker training and other reward based training methods is that with the clicker training method the dog immediately understands which action has resulted in his receiving the reward. As he hears the click, as the correct action is performed, he immediately receives the reward.
The clicker is a more positive way of training than the spoken word simply because the dog will very rarely hear the click at any other time, except when training, but he hears spoken words all the time, most of which he does not understand.
You need to exercise a little patience when you first start, but most dogs will start to understand after hearing the click 5 or 6 times. You will know when your dog understands, as he will look up at you when you click.
Start by going somewhere quiet so your dog is not distracted by other noises. Arm your-self with some really tasty treats, that are not usually given to him, like very small pieces of roast beef or chicken, cheese, liver or hot dogs. Use your clicker and give him a treat, do this say, three times so that he associates the click with a treat. Should your dog be of a very nervous disposition, and is frightened of the click then muffle it by putting it in your pocket to begin with. You can start by playing games. Have his toys with you. Throw one and as he picks it up click and reward.
Once you know that your dog understands you can start using words to go with the action. After a short while you can introduce the words fetch and give as he performs these tasks, click and reward.
You have to wait for the action you want.
Mark that behaviour by clicking.
Reward the behaviour.
Repeat.
He then quickly learns what is required of him.
You can also teach him to react to hand signals, in the same way. Once you get to this stage you only reward him when he has responded to your commands, you no longer reward him when he performs the action without the command.
To teach sit or down you have to use the toy as a lure to encourage your dog into the correct position, as soon as he sits or goes down click and reward. Do not use any verbal instructions until you are confident that your dog will perform what you want him to. Only then do you use a command, and when you believe that he will perform to command then you can stop using the toy, or treat, as a lure.
Teaching him to stay is an important lesson to learn. Start by putting him in a sit or down, which ever is your dogs favourite position. Tell him to stay but dont move, if he holds it for a few seconds click and reward. Do this a couple of times before you try taking just one step away, if he holds it click and reward. If he moves just return to him and put him back into position. Keep practicing until you can walk unlimited distances away, but dont try to go too far too quickly.
Teach your dog the difference between stay and wait. Stay is when you are going away from him and will return to him. Wait is for a variety of occasions;
1) You dont want him to jump out of the car until you say.
2) he may be ahead of you and you want him to wait till you catch up with him.
3) he may be about to cross the road without you, and you want to check it first.
There are countless needs for the command to wait.
If your dog is not good on recall then start using the clicker to get him to respond to his name, he will soon learn that he gets a reward when he responds. No dog will come to call if you cant get his attention when you call his name. So when he looks up at you click and reward. The next step would be to call him when he is a distance away, somewhere quiet where there are no distractions, click when he looks up, call him click again and reward. You will soon be able to have good recall when you are out.
The use of the clicker is generally only used while the dog is learning the cue, as in the word or hand signal, once it is understood then you no longer need to click, but the occasional reward is always worthwhile.
Clicker trainers prefer not to reprimand their dogs as they prefer to build a strong relationship with their dogs and they dont believe they can do this if they are punishing wrong behaviour. They also think that they get more enthusiasm from their dog if it is receiving no punishment. It is believed that any bad habits will slowly stop, as they get no reward. If the bad habit persists then the habit needs to be studied to understand why it exists, remove the cause and the bad habit should go away.
Valerie Dancer
¶ 1:23 PM 0 comments
Mont Tremblant Ski Resort - 9 Sure-fire Ways to Save Money On Accommodation, Lift Tickets and More
Officially inaugurated in 1938, Mont Tremblant is a unique gem among Canadas eastern ski resorts. For many people though, unique also means expensive.
Its true, there may be some truth in this instance. Mont Tremblant actually translates to Trembling Mountain, which may relate to the trembling of the tourists once they tally up their expenses and witness their quickly shrinking budget.
Yet fear not. Ive collected a number of practical tips to help you save money on your Mont Tremblant accommodation, activities, lift tickets, and more.
Tip #1 The Early Bird Gets The Mont Tremblant Accommodation Savings
If you know exactly when youre like to have your vacation, booking in advance often means increased savings. If youre flying, try to leave avoid leaving on the weekends, and instead try the cheaper middle of the week departures. Reserving accommodation in advance can also allow for negotiating cheaper nightly rates, especially if youre flexible by even a few days.
Tip #2 - Avoid Hotels & Book Your Mont Tremblant Condo Directly with Homeowners
Booking your Mont Tremblant accommodation directly with homeowners and independent companies saves you money by avoiding swarms of middle agent fees. Most owners also do not charge the non-refundable 10% hotel tax, and prices are quoted for up to the maximum sleeping capacity of the property, not per person. Plus, many owners offer free parking, whereas most rental managers and hotels have additional nightly parking fees.
Tip #3 Invite Your Friends And Share The Cost
When searching for your Mont Tremblant accommodation, check out the larger properties and consider inviting a few friends or even another family! When booking a bigger property, adding an extra two people could save you a few hundred dollars by our the cost.
Tip #4 - Buy Your Food Outside the Village
In that last stretch of the trip, most visitors to Mont Tremblant prefer to check into their accommodation rather than go preemptive shopping for groceries, where they get nailed with price markups at the local village food store. Instead, shop at a grocery store just off Highway 117 as you approach the resort, which offers more selection and lower prices than within the Mont Tremblant village.
Tip #5 - Secure Your Rental Gear and Avoid Being A Statistic
This is a more preventative measure than a money saving tip. Sadly, like every other resort, ski and snowboard theft is a possibility in Mont Tremblant. Lock up your gear with the lock plugs sold in every Mont Tremblant shop. The resort provides racks all over the mountain for you to secure your rental gear.
Tip #6 - Use the ATMs and Avoid the Banks
Short on cold, hard cash? There are a number of reasons to avoid the banks when you need to withdraw your money. For starters, most banks charge a $5 transaction fee for currency exchanges. And while its possible to exchange foreign currency at shops, restaurants, and hotels, the exchange rate is often much lower than simply using the ATM.
Tip #7 - Dont Buy Stuff In The Village
Strolling through Mont Tremblants Pedestrian Village is great for people watching and window shopping, as the actual prices can be quite high. A 3% resort tax is also added to your purchases at the checkout, further inducing wallet trauma. If you spy an item that activates your must-have meter, its possible the same item may be available back in Montreal or at another outlet on your way home.
Tip #8 - Look For Promotions In Tourist Brochures & Flyers
The local tourist brochures, newspapers, and flyers are a great place to scour for discount coupons and deals. These coupons may only save a few dollars here and there, but it definitely adds up when spread over a few days and combined with all the other expenses that accompany a memorable Mont Tremblant vacation.
Tip #9 - Discount Lift Tickets for Teens/College Students
A little known Mont Tremblant secret is the discount offered to young teens and post-secondary students. For some reason, Mont Tremblant doesnt apply much effort publicizing these deals. Instead, be prepared at the lift ticket window with ID cards showing your teens eligibility, and the same if youre a college or university student. Otherwise youre likely to end up paying for full adult tickets
Devon O Malley is a staff writer for http://AlluraDirect.com, a vacation rental website offering powerful search and instant booking features for owners and guests alike. On your next Mont Tremblant vacation, check out their Mont Tremblant accommodation directory and save money by booking your Mont Tremblant condos directly with homeowners.
¶ 5:08 AM 0 comments
Its true, there may be some truth in this instance. Mont Tremblant actually translates to Trembling Mountain, which may relate to the trembling of the tourists once they tally up their expenses and witness their quickly shrinking budget.
Yet fear not. Ive collected a number of practical tips to help you save money on your Mont Tremblant accommodation, activities, lift tickets, and more.
Tip #1 The Early Bird Gets The Mont Tremblant Accommodation Savings
If you know exactly when youre like to have your vacation, booking in advance often means increased savings. If youre flying, try to leave avoid leaving on the weekends, and instead try the cheaper middle of the week departures. Reserving accommodation in advance can also allow for negotiating cheaper nightly rates, especially if youre flexible by even a few days.
Tip #2 - Avoid Hotels & Book Your Mont Tremblant Condo Directly with Homeowners
Booking your Mont Tremblant accommodation directly with homeowners and independent companies saves you money by avoiding swarms of middle agent fees. Most owners also do not charge the non-refundable 10% hotel tax, and prices are quoted for up to the maximum sleeping capacity of the property, not per person. Plus, many owners offer free parking, whereas most rental managers and hotels have additional nightly parking fees.
Tip #3 Invite Your Friends And Share The Cost
When searching for your Mont Tremblant accommodation, check out the larger properties and consider inviting a few friends or even another family! When booking a bigger property, adding an extra two people could save you a few hundred dollars by our the cost.
Tip #4 - Buy Your Food Outside the Village
In that last stretch of the trip, most visitors to Mont Tremblant prefer to check into their accommodation rather than go preemptive shopping for groceries, where they get nailed with price markups at the local village food store. Instead, shop at a grocery store just off Highway 117 as you approach the resort, which offers more selection and lower prices than within the Mont Tremblant village.
Tip #5 - Secure Your Rental Gear and Avoid Being A Statistic
This is a more preventative measure than a money saving tip. Sadly, like every other resort, ski and snowboard theft is a possibility in Mont Tremblant. Lock up your gear with the lock plugs sold in every Mont Tremblant shop. The resort provides racks all over the mountain for you to secure your rental gear.
Tip #6 - Use the ATMs and Avoid the Banks
Short on cold, hard cash? There are a number of reasons to avoid the banks when you need to withdraw your money. For starters, most banks charge a $5 transaction fee for currency exchanges. And while its possible to exchange foreign currency at shops, restaurants, and hotels, the exchange rate is often much lower than simply using the ATM.
Tip #7 - Dont Buy Stuff In The Village
Strolling through Mont Tremblants Pedestrian Village is great for people watching and window shopping, as the actual prices can be quite high. A 3% resort tax is also added to your purchases at the checkout, further inducing wallet trauma. If you spy an item that activates your must-have meter, its possible the same item may be available back in Montreal or at another outlet on your way home.
Tip #8 - Look For Promotions In Tourist Brochures & Flyers
The local tourist brochures, newspapers, and flyers are a great place to scour for discount coupons and deals. These coupons may only save a few dollars here and there, but it definitely adds up when spread over a few days and combined with all the other expenses that accompany a memorable Mont Tremblant vacation.
Tip #9 - Discount Lift Tickets for Teens/College Students
A little known Mont Tremblant secret is the discount offered to young teens and post-secondary students. For some reason, Mont Tremblant doesnt apply much effort publicizing these deals. Instead, be prepared at the lift ticket window with ID cards showing your teens eligibility, and the same if youre a college or university student. Otherwise youre likely to end up paying for full adult tickets
Devon O Malley is a staff writer for http://AlluraDirect.com, a vacation rental website offering powerful search and instant booking features for owners and guests alike. On your next Mont Tremblant vacation, check out their Mont Tremblant accommodation directory and save money by booking your Mont Tremblant condos directly with homeowners.
¶ 5:08 AM 0 comments
