Pit Bull Training Tip of the Month:
Make a Plan and Work it to the End

Recently my cousin was visiting me and asked me how I went about training a dog. His question caused me to ask myself the same basic question. How do I go about dog training?

When I sit down and think about what I'm going to work on with Angel and Honey I have a plan. Well, not always, but 99% of the time the exact nature of the training is worked out on paper and in writing and I go from there.

This month I'd like to share a little bit more about why it's critical to have a plan and stick with it until it either proves successful or proves unsuccessful.

Far to many people (me included) start off by doing this or doing that. Going from one behavior to the other or one method to the other without any real idea about where they want their dogs to be when it's all said and done.

Planning the process of training, what you are going to be training, and how you will train the behaviors you've chosen gives you and your dog something to work off of. Will it be exactly to the letter? Not likely, you may decide that you really don't want your dog to learn something and instead you want to replace that with something else.

This isn't a bad thing, but having a plan allows you to build your dog from the ground up.

My personal training plan looks something like this:

You can see from the table above this gives you something to work off of and track your dogs progress with whatever you are teaching them.

I have to train two dogs, I know my girls like my own hands, but sometimes I tend to push them a bit to hard. By tracking their progress in such a way I can refer to my notes before trying something new and know whether it's okay to move them forward or not.

By doing this you can save yourself a lot of time and frustration and avoid making too many mistakes.

Training should be fun and I'm not saying you should go out and start doggy boot camp with your pooch. However, having a goal in mind and working toward that goal will help you train your dog better. Your dog will benefit from this too because you will be consistent with your training efforts.

Be as creative as you want to be. You can make an elaborate chart to track your progress or you can do as I did and make a simple "notes" chart to keep you on track to your chosen goal.

Whatever you decide. Remember to have fun! :o)

Subscriber Questions
I know thunder storms can affect dogs by scaring them, but can they become crazy and uncontrollable during this season also?

I get a lot of questions regarding thunderstorms, firecrackers and guns causing dogs to well, freak out.

If you want the short answer, yes, it can cause some dogs to become nervous and "iffy" acting during storm season.

If you want the long answer, the reason they are acting skittish all the time is they pick up subtle noises we can't hear. They hear the thunder long before we do. This causes them to appear "crazy" and controlling them becomes a challenge.

All is not lost though. You can help your dog get used to thunderstorms by introducing them to the noise when there isn't a storm going on.

One way I've found to do this is using one of those relaxation CD's of a thunderstorm. Start with the volume turned down at one and slowly increase the volume as your dog settles in at the previous volume.

DO NOT sooth your dog or pet them or reassure them. You are reinforcing their fear. Not their good actions. If you act like nothing is up, your dog will start to act like nothing is up. Why? No clue, I don't speak dog.

I guess it could be they sense you are calm and work off of that. You might be tense waiting for them to freak out from the storm and this is helping cause the problem. Relax, act like it's not a big deal, and continue your day as you would normally.

Resources:
Where to find the items and products mentioned in this months issue

Legal Stuff and Conclusion

Every thing in this email is Copyright © 2005. Jason Mann & PitBullLovers.com

You can pass this entire email to friends if you would like as long as it stays unchanged and left as is.

That concludes the legal talk.

In Conclusion

Fall and winter can be tricky times for our dogs. By taking the added precaution and being aware of the possible dangers like frostbite you can help make this time of year fun and safe for your dog(s).

I want to add to the training tip a little here. Planning is essential. Use a day planner or a calender chart to make your notes and keep track of your progress. After you do work your plan using this strategy for a week or two you'll see how effective it can be.

Thank you for reading this months issue. I hope you are looking forward to next months issue as much as I am. :o)

Have a great week!

Best Regards,

Jason Mann
Senior editor - The Pit Bull Lover Gazette
Proud Doggy Dad - Angel and Honey. Two of the wildest dogs I've ever had the pleasure of sharing space with.