Here are the best titles for the year 2009 is determined by the Rottweiler Club of Indonesia based on the results / points earned during the exhibitions organized by the Rottweiler Club in Indonesia during 2009:

BEST MALE ROTTWEILER INDONESIA 2009
(THE BEST INDONESIAN MALE ROTTWEILER OF THE YEAR 2009)
KRI CH. Grief VON SANT Niclas (IMP.)
Owner: Hermanto Gunawan / Surabaya

BEST FEMALE ROTTWEILER INDONESIA 2009:
(THE BEST INDONESIAN FEMALE ROTTWEILER OF THE YEAR 2009)
FUKSA JR. VON Himalaya (LOCAL)
Owner: Husen Lumanta / Bandung

INDONESIA BEST KENNEL 2009:
(THE BEST INDONESIA ROTTWEILER KENNEL OF THE YEAR 2009)
VON HAUS MAGNA
Owner: Iwan Margana / Jakarta

* Breeders INDONESIA BEST 2009:
(THE BEST INDONESIA ROTTWEILER breeders OF THE YEAR 2009)
VON Himalayas
Owner: Husen Lumanta / Bandung

2009 BEST ROTTWEILER males:
(THE BEST INDONESIAN ROTTWEILER STUD DOG OF THE YEAR 2009)
Gaston VON DER alten Festung (IMP.)
Owner: Hok Tan / Surabaya

First time in Indonesia, the exhibition is sponsored by the print media.

Exhibition KMPI 9-10 January 2010 opened the event with a 2010 dog show extraordinary. Entering the exhibition building at Hall B Pekan raya Jakarta Kemayoran, luxurious image can already be felt with the stage and the Cup photos are presented and a touch of flowers around the arena size. If the committee should have this exhibition, along with the main sponsor of Indo Dog’s Magazine, published this show quite well.

The number of participants who register more than 300 tails, can be fairly successful, considering the All Breed shows held by breed clubs, not by Perkin Area. The exhibition can be held fairly heavy due to the breed club KMPI exhibition held 2x All Breed and Specialty show exhibit 6. This is the first breed club was held for a very successful and fairly open in 2010 with high enough standards.

The winners in this exhibition can say the new champions and some give a different nuance to the perkinologian Indonesia.

Brief report written here has not told the whole richness of this exhibition event. Full report, awaited Indo magazine Dogs February 2010 edition.

When the pets took over

There have always been people who spoil their dogs, but it’s only now that they’re the normal ones

Jesse Kinos-Goodin

Combined four Purebred dog loving community in Yogyakarta social action fund for victims of earthquake in West Sumatra.

Action by Circle of Friends Golden Retriever Jogjakarta (PGRJ), Jogja “Rott” Community (JRC), Jogjakarta Germany Shepherd Community (JGSC) and Neo Siberian Husky Jogja (GSHJ) was held in Jalan Dr. Whidin Sudirohusodo and Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, the two main roads in Yogyakarta.

Involving 6 tails Golden Retriever, Rottweiler’s tail 6, AGJ and 2 Siberian Husky 3, this action is successful in attracting the attention of the citizens and they were moved to give donations.

In activities that were held for 2 hours had collected a fund of Rp 1,270,000, – (one million two hundred and seventy thousand dollars). Yogyakarta residents donated funds are then deposited into the account Kompas Humanitarian Fund (DKK) to be distributed to the needy.

Hopefully useful.

By drh.Ivan Satriawan

Expecting the birth of pet dogs are usually very encouraging for owners, but many are not yet fully understand how to treat and handle the new-born chicks to sapih (independent). After going through the birth process that is sometimes very stressful owner, which is not less important is the treatment of newborn chicks (new born puppies) until the chicks are able to be independent.

The new puppies are born very dependent on its mother, from food, sanitation and heat from the parent body. Food newborn chicks fully only from the mother’s milk. This phase will last up to 3-4 weeks afterwards. In this phase, the most noteworthy is the nutritional adequacy of chicks from their parents and the surrounding temperature. When one of two things is not met then the chicks could die or could result in impaired growth. Mother dog will try to get the milk the child as much as possible, clean the urine and feces as well as keeping chicks warm.

Owner, at this stage, simply by considering the adequacy of food and nutrition, parent, and the cleanliness of the saplings (whelping box). Meal plus up to 50% of the normal portion of food quality and improved by adding foods that contain high protein. If there is something that causes the child can not get enough milk, the mother did not breast-feeding, the parent udder infection (mastitis) or even a parent’s death, things to do as soon as possible the owner is giving milk substitutes and chicks warm place to replace parent body heat. Replacement feeding must be right, that is milk that does not contain lactose (lactose free). There are several brands recommended by veterinarians, among others Esbilac (Pet-Ag), First Milk (Royal Canin), veta-Lac (Vet-A-Mix). Or the owner can prepare yourself with the following formulation:

• 120 ml cow’s milk or goat’s milk

• 120 ml boiled water

• 2 to 4 grains of yellow eggs

• 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1000 mg calcium carbonate (Ettinger, et al; 2000)

To provide heat can be done with incandescent or glass bottles containing hot water and wrapped in cloth that is placed in the whelping box, shall be maintained so as not too hot (35-37oC), which can cause seedling death. This is done until the mother recovers or until the child can be independent (in the parent state has mastitis or death)

After the past 4 weeks, puppies are active, can begin to eat, milk teeth started to grow. At this stage the most important is the provision of de-worming for puppies. Why is this important? Because the worm is transmitted through the mother’s milk will inhibit seedling growth and could even lead to malnutrition (malnutrition). Helminthic provided is Pyrantel (Combantrin, Stop worms, etc.) liquid. Doses or dose can be consulted with a veterinarian first. De-worming should be repeated 7-10 days later, or a maximum of 14 days.

Next is the stage for learning to eat. Chicks can learn to eat since the age of 4 weeks, even at the age of 3 weeks may also have given the mother’s milk substitutes. The food provided is easily digested foods and semi-liquid form (like porridge). The day they ate 3-4 times, the big dog can be up to 5 times. With the chicks get older and smarter eating alone, viscosity can be added to food finally solid foods and soft (dogfood soaked water / milk until soft). Usually at 5-6 weeks of age, chicks are able to eat solids themselves.

After 6 weeks of age and was given another worms drugs, chicks should receive the vaccine against parvo virus. It should be noted that the age of 6 weeks is the minimum age a puppy can be vaccinated and able to establish immunity. The vaccine should only be given when the puppies are in excellent health. Healthy signs include:

• Normal appetite

• There was no diarrhea or vomiting

• Body temperature in the range of norms

• Active

• Free from ekto-and endoparasit (lice and worms)

• Gums and lining of the lenders and pink eyes brimming with tears

If all requirements had been met and the vet said could be vaccinated chicks, the vaccine can be given. Only authorized veterinarian who can give the vaccine.

For approximately 7 days post-vaccination, chicks should be avoided from the stress (bath, sent out of town, to play until exhaustion and a sudden change of food) so that their immune perfectly formed.

Next is the routine maintenance for the daughter, where they will play and learn to socialize with the environment. Routine vaccination will protect them from diseases that kill. Regular consultation with a veterinarian to avoid handling errors.

Elbow Dysplasia (ED) is a hereditary disease – such as Hip Dysplasia (HD), which most Purebred dogs attacking medium and large. Many cases are found in Purebred Bernese Mountain Dog, German Shepherd Dog, Rottweiler, Golden Retriever, and Labrador Retriever. -Purebred Breeds such as Newfoundland, Saint Bernard, mastiff, Springer Spaniel, Australian Shepherd, Chow-Chow, Shar-Pei, Shetland Sheepdog, and some Terrier Purebred. Typically, both elbows had ED but sometimes only one of them.

Symptoms

Dogs who suffer from ED have abnormal measures. narrow and rowing. The position of the arms and legs when standing open and not tight. Dogs prefer to sit or tummy or do not like playing too long so lazy even mildly impressed. Dogs will be hard to wake up from a seated position or face down. Perandangan and swelling can also occur when the dog was forced to practice.

Diagnosis

ED Diagnostic radiology is the method (X-ray). Proper technique is necessary to know the structure of the elbow that is not fair. ED can be classified in several stages, from the mistakes of bone structure to severe inflammation in the elbow joint (severe arthritic change). Clinically, patients have ED cartilage (cartilage) is problematic on ligaments in upper arm (humerus) and forearm bone (ulna).

Prevention

The easiest method to prevent ED is to not breed dogs suffering from ED. The next step is to keep training so that chicks are not burdened with too much exercise for her age. Food and nutrition recommended balanced and not excessive for the growth of the dog remained normal.

Poverty

ED can not be cured completely, but the effect can be reduced through treatment and surgery techniques. The goal of therapy is to maintain the activities and performance of the dog without too much pain by controlling weight, mild exercise, and anti-inflammatory drugs. The operation – whether it is operating or arthroscopi normal operation – it is advisable to correct the wrong bone structure in order to avoid inflammation of the joints in the future.

Reference

1. Ettinger, Stephen J.; Feldman, Edward C. (1995). Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 4th ed., WB Saunders Company. ISBN 0-7216-6795-3.
2. Hazewinkel, H.A.W. (2003). “Elbow Dysplasia; Clinical Aspects and Screening Programs”. Proceedings of the 28th World Congress of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
3. “Elbow Dysplasia”. The Merck Veterinary Manual (2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
4. Demko J, McLaughlin R (2005). “Developmental Orthopedic Disease”. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 35 (5): 35, v. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2005.05.002. PMID 16129135.
5. Total Elbow Replacement, canine and feline (cat and dog) veterinary factsheets
6. LaFond E, Breur G, Austin C (2002). “Breed susceptibility for developmental Orthopedic diseases in dogs”.
7. Elbow Dysplasia (ED)

Standard teeth good Golden Retriever is a Scissor-Bite, So the upper teeth to cover the lower teeth. The jury could tolerate dental position underjaw if one or two that level (flat). Apart from that, the jury will mendisqualifikasi dog in the exhibition.

Most dental problems in Indonesia is Level-Bite (Position the upper and lower teeth equally) or Undershot (The position under the cover gear teeth above). This dental problem is also a hereditary factor but not an extreme problem and the other HD. Kalo in the USA, according to Suzanne, a golden-golden teeth do not meet the standards, will not dibreeding by breedernya.

Usually the golden teeth of the most difficult to grow a small tusk on the left and right side where the wall is attached to the gum lip (can be seen in the photo attached). This is a benchmark for some of the jury whether Golden specialists we have a good standard of teeth or not. The number of teeth is also a necessity that must be considered, especially if this golden intended for hunting / gun dogs, for lack of just one tooth will lead to weakness of the bite on their prey (birds and geese) are taken when retrieving. Can be imagined at the time of hunting, so a bird or swan shot, immediately after the Goldie and possibly through water and so forth, this condition will cause the prey to gain weight and if the number of teeth is not complete, this will cause the fall of prey at the time of the retrieve because of lack of solid bite on the prey’s position. Golden is a unique type of biting him, the bite should not be too hard, because at the time of assessment by the jury prey, prey condition should not be damaged. Apart from this function, if the world of beauty-contest, the Golden specialist jury especially not so concerned about the teeth because it’s in the USA many levels of dental problems than the Scissor-bite. Limit the lack of teeth is still tolerated is 3 pieces, more than that, usually the jury will mendisqualifikasikan dog.

Here are examples of dogs that do not Scissor-bite:

Trainability

Lesson 5: Teaching Your Dog to Lie Down

Why is it important to teach your dog to lie down on command? In a word: control.

A dog that is lying down is not chasing a cat, barking at other dogs, getting under your feet while you’re trying to cook dinner, or otherwise being a pain in the neck when you want peace and quiet. Sometimes a dog, like a five-year-old child on a sugar rush, can get so wound up and full of energy they can get themselves into trouble. They need to calm down. A dog that will happily lie down when you ask him to will calm down, and is less likely to get himself (or his owner) into trouble.

This lesson uses methods similar to the ones you used when teaching your dog to sit. But it may take your dog a bit longer to learn to lie down on command than it did to sit on command. Lying down, after all, takes a bit more effort… and being asked to lie down when you’re not even tired seems kind of silly, even to a dog. So it may take longer, but don’t get impatient or discouraged.

As with other lessons, you need to decide what command you’ll use. Remember, consistency is key with verbal commands; one word or phrase, one meaning. If you use “Down” for this lesson, you can’t use “Down” to also mean “Get off the couch” or “Stop jumping on Aunt Mavis!” Many trainers use “lie down,” but that’s a bit too close to “get down.” To make it easier on your dog, we recommend a totally different-sounding word: “Rest.” We’ll use that word in our training lessons.

So let’s get on with the lesson.

Lesson 5: Teaching Your Dog to Lie Down

Read this lesson first, and then practice it with your dog.

1.  Load up your pocket (or a bag or pouch) with treats.

2.  Take your dog to an area where there won’t be a lot of distractions.

3.  Put a treat in your hand and ask your dog to sit.

4.  With your dog sitting and you squatting or sitting next to him, hold your hand with the treat about an inch from his nose and slowly move your hand straight down to the ground. Important: move your hand straight down, right below your dog’s nose, being very careful not to move it away from him as this will cause him to get up and move toward it. We don’t want that. (If that happens, just start over.)

5.  Your dog should follow the treat down with his nose, and then lie down completely. You may need to hold the treat on the ground for a few seconds before he lies down. It may also help to tap the ground with your other hand. Be patient.

6.  As soon as your dog lies down, immediately give the treat and verbal praise (“Good!”)

7.  Walk a couple of steps away to a new location.

8.  Repeat Steps 3 through 7. Practice this a few times.

9.  Did you notice you haven’t told your dog to “Rest” yet? Just as you learned with the Sit command, do not give the verbal command until you can get him to lie down consistently by moving your treat-filled hand down to the ground. Once you’re sure he’s going to do this properly the next time you do that, say “Rest” in a calm, low voice a split second before you start moving your hand. When he lies down, immediately reward your dog with the treat and “Good!” praise.

10.  Repeat this process five times, saying “Rest” in a calm, low voice just before he does so and rewarding his correct response.

If your dog doesn’t do what you want

If your dog backs up instead of lying down, try having him sit with his back to a corner, so he can’t back up.

If your dog doesn’t lie down all the way, repeat steps 3 through 7 but add this: place your other hand (the one without the treat) on his back, just behind his shoulders, and gently push him slightly sideways and downward as you move the hand with the treat down to the ground.

If your dog still doesn’t want to lie down, try moving him to a rug. (Some dogs simply don’t like lying on cold, hard surfaces.)

As with other lessons, make sure your dog is not too distracted…or nervous. He’ll be more willing to lie down if he’s calm and relaxed. If he’s nervous or full of energy, postpone your lesson until he’s settled down.

Remember to keep your tone of voice calm and low.

Remember, the instant he lies down, give the treat and praise (“Good!”).

This Week’s Homework

Practice this lesson several times a day. Vary the time of day and location.

Also watch your dog when you’re not practicing the lessons, and when he starts to lie down on his own, say “Rest” as he does so. Then quickly give him a treat and praise.

In Addition to Practicing This Lesson…

• Reinforce Lesson 4, Teaching Your Dog to Stay. Vary the time of day and location. Make sure there are few distractions. Remember to use the same commands (“Stay,” “Free”) every time, using a low, quiet tone of voice.
  Practice using your “stop” hand signal, making sure it’s different from your “Sit” hand motion. Hold the treat in the hand you are NOT using for the “stop” signal.
  Give instant praise and reward after just a couple of seconds by bringing the treat all the way to his mouth so he doesn’t move to get it.
  If that’s consistently going well, try extending the amount of time for your dog to stay by a few seconds longer before being released.

  Important: Don’t be tempted to extend the stay any longer than a few seconds before you’ve built a very strong foundation with this command.

• Reinforce Lesson 3, Teaching Your Dog to Come when Called. Continue teaching your dog to come when called at various times throughout the week. Practice in various locations, at different times of the day.Remember the priority is to teach him that coming to you is a wonderful thing that will make him very happy.  Don’t use the come command when what you’ll do when he comes is something he won’t like.

If he’s responding well when you’re 10 feet away, try moving about 20 feet away from your dog before asking him to come.

Resist the temptation to give the come command (“Come! Come! Come!”) more than once if your dog doesn’t immediately respond. Instead, go to your dog and show him the treat in your hand. Give the verbal command in an enthusiastic voice, turn and move away while clapping. Be sure to praise (“Good!”) as soon as he looks at you, and then reinforce generously with treats when he reaches you.

Note: Remaining calm and patient when being ignored is difficult for most people, but please don’t get frustrated if your dog doesn’t come every time you call him. Some dogs learn more slowly than others. Also, like children, dogs tend to become more willful as they get older, and may occasionally decide that whatever they are doing is more interesting at the moment than coming to you. Sometimes even walking over to him and showing the treat won’t work. Don’t get angry, don’t raise your voice, don’t repeat the come command over and over. Instead, gently take him by the collar or snap on the leash and lead him away from whatever he’s interested in and to the destination you want—then give him a praise and a wonderful reward.

The worst thing you can do is lose your temper and yell angrily at your dog.

If your dog ignores your come command but eventually does stop whatever he’s doing and comes to you on his own, you can say to him whatever you want to vent your frustration—as long as you say it in a loving, happy, singsong voice. “You stubborn little bastard. If you ignore me like that again I’ll sell your ass on eBay.” J Remember, you’re saying this is a loving, happy voice. Pet your dog as you’re saying it. Make him happy he came to you. This little mental trick will help you feel better while still reinforcing your dog’s correct (though belated) behavior.

• Reinforce Lesson 2, Teaching Your Dog to Sit. By this time your dog should be responding to both the verbal and arm motion sit commands even when the level of distraction is fairly high. If your dog does so consistently, you can back off on the formal practicing of this lesson. But do continue the verbal praise (“Good!”) when your dog sits on command. Also use petting (make sure it’s the kind he likes) and play as rewards instead of treats. (An occasional treat is still a good idea.)

• Have fun playing with your dog! Don’t focus all your time together on training. Spend lots of quality time just enjoying each other’s company.

Trainability

Lesson 4: Teaching Your Dog to Stay

It’s not easy for a dog who loves being with you to stay where she is while you walk away. But teaching your dog to stay has many benefits. For example, a dog that stays on command can be kept out of harm’s way when you need to run across the street. The stay command will also help your dog to learn patience and impulse control.

A visual command to stay can help you keep your dog safe when you’re too far away for your voice to be heard, so we’ll incorporate a hand signal into this lesson.

You’ll use two verbal commands for this lesson: a word to tell your dog to stay, and a different word to let her know it’s OK now to move (release her from the stay).

As with all training, pick specific verbal commands and use them consistently. The obvious word for the stay command is “Stay.” (Don’t be tempted to lengthen that sometimes into “Stay there.”) The release command can be something like “Release” or “Free” or “Okay.”  Make sure it’s not a word you might use for another meaning in other circumstances (such as “Release” when you want your dog to let go of a toy). It’s probably best to use “Free,” as you’re not likely to use that for anything else. That’s the word we’ll use for this lesson.

Teaching your dog to stay involves working with three elements:

1.  Distance. Distance refers to how far you move away from your dog.

2.  Time. Time refers to how long you want your dog to stay.

3.  Distraction. Distraction refers to everything going on around your dog that is tempting her to get up.

It’s best to begin with easy challenges for your dog in all three elements: short distance, short time, fewest distractions. Eventually we’ll work on each element separately, gradually increasing the degree of difficulty.

Let’s get on with the lesson.

Lesson 4: Teaching Your Dog to Stay

Read this lesson first, and then practice it with your dog.

1.  First, load up your pocket (or a bag or pouch) with treats.

2.  Take your dog to an area where there won’t be a lot of distractions.

3.  If you’re right-handed, put a treat in your left hand (vice versa if you’re left-handed; you want the treat in the hand you won’t be using for your hand signal).

4.  Place yourself about two feet away from your dog.

5.  Ask your dog to sit. As soon as she does, say “Stay” in a low, quiet voice and raise your hand, palm open and facing her, in the universal “Stop” hand signal. Look directly at your dog. Try not to move any other part of your body.

6.  After a very brief pause of just 1 or 2 seconds, say “Good,” lean forward and give your dog the treat from your other hand. Important: Make sure to quickly move the treat all the way to her mouth so she’s not tempted to get up and move toward it.

7.  While your dog is still eating her treat, release her by saying “Free” in a low, quiet voice, and lean back away from her.

8.  Important: Let your dog get up or do whatever she wants, but do NOT praise or reward her for getting up. You want her to learn that the Stay action is the one that will reap the rewards.

9.  Repeat Steps 4-8. Be sure you don’t allow more than a couple of seconds to go by before rewarding after giving the Stay command.

10.  Repeat this process five times.

If your dog doesn’t do what you want

If your dog doesn’t stay still for a couple of seconds, she’s probably too distracted. Try moving to a different location, or waiting until she has less energy.

Make sure she knows you have a treat in your hand.

Keep your tone of voice low and quiet, letting it drop in pitch (versus going up, as if you’re asking a question).

Make sure your hand motion is distinct and does not look like the arm motion you use during the Sit training.

This Week’s Homework

Practice this lesson several times a day, with fewer repetitions. Vary the time of day and location. Make sure there are as few distractions as possible.

Remember to use the same commands (“Stay,” “Free”) every time, using a low, quiet tone of voice.

Give instant praise and reward after just a couple of seconds by bringing the treat all the way to her mouth so she doesn’t move to get it.

Do not be tempted to see if she’ll stay longer. Right now it’s very important to lay a solid foundation.

Practice your “Stop sign” hand signal and make sure it’s different from your “Sit” motion.

In Addition to Practicing This Lesson…

• Reinforce Lesson 3, Teaching Your Dog to Come when Called. Continue teaching your dog to come when called. Practice in various locations that are free from distraction, at different times of the day.

Remember the priority is to teach her that coming to you is a wonderful thing that will make her very happy. Don’t use the come command when what you’ll do when she comes is something she won’t like.

Resist the temptation to give the come (“Come! Come! Come!”) command more than once if your dog doesn’t respond. Instead, go to your dog and show her the treat in your hand. Give the verbal command, turn and move away while clapping. Be sure to praise (“Good!”) as soon as she looks at you, and then reinforce generously with treats when she reaches you.

• Reinforce Lesson 2, Teaching Your Dog to Sit. Continue teaching your dog to sit at various times throughout the week.

You can use a training area that is slightly more distracting than last week.

After a few successes when using both the verbal command and arm motion together, try them separately. First by saying the word alone, without moving your arm (or anything else). After a few successes with that, try using the arm motion alone, without giving the verbal command, during your next session. Alternate these during practice sessions throughout the week… separately, not during the same session.

Be sure to give lots of praise and several treats to reward the correct action.

Intermittent Reinforcement Begins

When you’re confident your dog will respond correctly when asked (verbally and via arm motion) to sit, you can begin “intermittent reinforcement” for this particular command. Continue giving verbal praise, but back off on giving treats every single time your dog sits on command. Give treat rewards intermittently, at random. This gradual withdrawal of treats is an important step, so don’t skip it. (You can delay it another week and continue with giving treats 100% of the time, though, if your dog doesn’t yet sit whenever asked to do so.)

Start using petting (make sure it’s the kind your dog likes—most dogs do NOT like pats on the head, for instance) and play as other forms of reward. Always include the verbal praise.

• Reinforce Lesson 1, Teaching Your Dog Her Name: By this time your dog should be responding to her name even when the level of distraction is high. If she does so consistently, you can stop practicing this lesson.

• Give yourself a treat! At the end of this week you’ll have been patiently being an excellent teacher for your dog for a full month! You’ve had to retrain yourself to focus on communicating in ways your dog understands, which may be contrary to what you’re used to. That’s hard work! So reward yourself for a job well done. Go out to dinner, indulge in your favorite food treat, do whatever you consider a great reward. Seriously, please do this. You deserve it… and it will help reinforce your correct behavior!

• Have fun playing with your dog! Don’t focus all your time together on training. Spend lots of quality time just enjoying each other’s company.

Teaching your dog to come when called is one of the most valuable lessons in this training course.

It can literally save your dog’s life.

A dog that comes when called can be kept away from traffic or other dangers. You can let him run at the dog park, in the woods or along the beach knowing that when you call him back, he’ll come. This training therefore gives you both more freedom.

But teaching your dog to come when called is also one of the most difficult lessons—for you, not your dog. You’ll need to control your normal human tendencies and pay close attention to your body language. What you’ll be learning to do is counter-intuitive to humans, but very effective. The end result—a dog that comes when you call him, every single time—will be well worth the effort.

Before we begin, you need to decide what command you’ll use. Give this some thought, because you’ll need to use it each and every time, without change. Consistency is key with verbal commands. You can’t expect your dog to learn that “Come,” “Come here,” “Get over here,” “Hey, come on,” and “Max, get your butt over here right now!” all mean the same thing. The simplest, of course, is “Come!”

Three things during this training are going to be different from other lessons.

First, your tone of voice. It should be upbeat and enthusiastic. Think of yourself as an excited coach yelling encouragements to a player running down the field, versus calmly telling the player what to do.

Second, repetition of the verbal command is good for this particular training, because a series of short, enthusiastic sounds works best when getting your dog to move quickly. Imagine a coach yelling “Go! Go! Go!” Also, clapping while giving the command is extremely effective.

Third, you’ll need to use your entire body (not just your voice) to get your dog to do what you want. Most people tend to stand facing their dog, or even step towards him, when they want him to come. That’s the opposite of what you should do. To get your dog to come, you’ll need to turn and move away from him as you call him. This will be the hardest trick for you to learn, but you’ll be amazed at how well it works!

Think of yourself as “pulling” your dog toward you. When pulling something heavy on the end of a rope, you can stand facing it and pull it towards you with just your arms… or you can do it the easy and much more effective way—by turning, putting the rope over your shoulder, and walking away from the object, pulling it behind you.

Here’s another tip: most dogs want to go where their owners go. They figure out where we’re about to go by looking at our feet. That’s why you’ll be turning and moving away from your dog to get him to come to you.

One more thing before we begin. It is very important during this initial training that your dog learns to love coming to you. As mentioned earlier in this course, your primary reinforcer (such as the treat) must be something your dog loves—not just accepts, but really loves.

Your tone of voice when giving praise must be encouraging and happy, too. Have you ever seen someone yelling at their dog that got loose? Typically they lose patience quickly and switch from a cajoling voice to a stern, angry yell if the dog doesn’t come immediately. Think about that. Would you want to run towards anger? Of course not! Remember, your goal is to make your dog very happy to run to you when you call. So be very careful to not patience during this lesson, keep your voice happy and enthusiastic, and give tons of praise when your dog does the right thing.

Now (finally), let’s get on with the lesson!

Lesson 3: Teaching Your Dog to Come when Called

Read this lesson first, and then practice it with your dog.

1.  Load up your pocket (or a bag or pouch) with treats. You’ll need more than usual for this lesson.

2.  Take your dog to an area where there won’t be a lot of distractions.

3.  Move about 10 feet away from your dog as he’s not paying attention to you.

4.  Enthusiastically call out your dog’s name, followed by the come command: “Come! Come! Come!” Do this while turning sideways (don’t turn your back, you need to watch him closely), and start clapping as you begin to run away from your dog.

5.  As soon as he moves in your direction, call out your praise (“Good!”) and keep going.

6.  Slow down and let your dog catch up to you; then stop and immediately give him a handful of treats and lots of enthusiastic praise—like coming to you was the best thing in the world!

Important: This method reinforces your dog’s actions twice—first for diverting his attention from whatever he’s doing (Step 4), and second when he reaches you (Step 5). Step 4 is just as important as Step 5. Be very good and consistent about praising your dog the instant he turns his attention to you. Considering how many smelly distractions there are in your dog’s world, getting him to stop whatever he’s doing and look at you really is quite amazing, and you need to show your appreciation. Give your praise (“Good!”) immediately when he looks at you and starts to move in your direction. And be sure that with Step 5, you give the treat immediately when he reaches you. Do NOT wait because he may sit down. If you give him the treat after he sits, he’ll think sitting was the action that’s being rewarded, not coming to you.

7.  Walk about ten steps away from your dog and wait for him to look away from you.

8.  Repeat Steps 3, 4 and 5.

9.  Repeat this process three times.

If your dog doesn’t do what you want

If your dog doesn’t come, he’s probably too distracted. That’s OK. Remember, he hasn’t yet learned that coming to you will make him happier than anything else he’s doing.

So here’s what you do: go to him. (This is difficult for some people to do as they feel it is “giving in” to their dog. But please trust us… this is the right thing to do at this point of training your dog.)  Let your dog know you have a treat in your hand, and use it to lure him as you walk away, giving your come (“Come! Come! Come!”) command. Stop after a few steps and give him the treat.

If the treat lure doesn’t work, put a leash on him and gently pull him along as you give your come command. Stop after a few steps and give him the treat.

Remember to keep your tone of voice upbeat, enthusiastic and happy.

This Week’s Homework

Practice this lesson several times a day. Vary the time of day and location. Think of the training as a fun game for you and your dog.

Remember to use the same come command every time, turn away from your dog, and clap while running away. Give instant praise when he turns his attention to you, and instant treats when he reaches you.

Be aware of what your dog is doing when you call him to come to you. You want him to learn quickly and easily, so don’t call him when he’s focused on something else. Keep the degree of difficulty for this exercise as low as possible at this point.

Use the command also when you know you’re dog will be coming to you automatically, such as when you put his food bowl down.

Also remember the key to this lesson is to teach your dog that coming to you is a wonderful thing. So for now, do NOT use the come command to call him to you if the end result is something he won’t like, such as having his toenails trimmed. Instead, go to him, put on the leash, and lead him to where you need him to go. Keep your tone of voice upbeat, friendly, and encouraging, but be sure to avoid using the come command when your dog won’t like what happens afterwards.

In Addition to Practicing This Lesson…

• Reinforce Lesson 2, Teaching Your Dog to Sit. Continue teaching your dog to sit (as you learned last week) at various times throughout the week. Remember not to change your verbal command. If you started with “Sit,” do not say “Sit down” or anything else.

After a few successful sessions with the basic lesson, during your next session, put your treat in your other hand (not the one that is moving over his head toward his tail). This will teach your dog that he’ll get a reward for doing the right thing (sitting) even when he can’t sniff the food.

Remember to say “Sit” before moving your arm.

After a few successful sessions, during your next session, try saying the word alone, without moving your arm (or anything else). It may take him a few seconds longer to sit on just the verbal command, so wait until he does so before giving lots of praise and several treats. If your dog doesn’t sit on just the verbal command, resist the temptation to repeat the command. Instead, go back to using the arm motion with the verbal command. Don’t worry if he won’t respond to the verbal command without the arm motion at this point.

When you feel your dog is ready to move on, during your next session, try teaching him to respond to the arm motion alone. Modify the arm movement somewhat, so it’s more of an upward motion out and back towards your chest than a movement over your dog’s head toward his tail. Use just the arm movement alone, without the verbal command. Give extra praise and treats to reward him if he sits.

After he learns to respond to just the verbal command, and to just the visual command, alternate them (but not during the same session). Sometimes ask him to “Sit” verbally. Other times just use the arm movement. Give lots of praise for doing the right thing.

Be patient; this alternating of verbal and visual commands is a bit complicated for your dog. Don’t switch commands during the same session. Go back to using the verbal command and arm motion together if he doesn’t respond to either alone. All dogs learn at different paces. Just keep working at it. Make sure there aren’t too many distractions. Give lots of praise for doing the right thing.

Keep your practice sessions to no more than five repetitions per session.

• Reinforce Lesson 1, Teaching Your Dog His Name: Continue teaching your dog his name at various times throughout the week, allowing the level of distraction to increase during your practice sessions. Remember to say your dog’s name only once, wait for him to look at you, then immediately give praise.

Intermittent Reinforcement Begins

When you’re confident your dog will respond to his name each time, you can begin “intermittent reinforcement.”  Continue giving verbal praise, but back off on giving treats every time your dog responds correctly. Give treat rewards intermittently, at random. This gradual withdrawal of treats is an important step, so don’t skip it. (You can delay it another week, though, if your dog doesn’t yet respond consistently to his name.)

Start using petting (make sure it’s the kind your dog likes—most dogs do NOT like pats on the head, for instance) and play as other forms of reward.

• Have fun playing with your dog! Don’t focus all your time together on training. Spend lots of quality time just enjoying each other’s company.