Great Hair-Do's for Pets by
Dana

"Show Quality Grooming and Day Care Services always with Tender Loving Care"


813-684-4574 or 
1-888-309-8799

Tuesday - Saturday (Sunday/Monday: Closed)
8:00 - 4:00
210 Robertson St.
Brandon, Florida 33511

Monday - Friday
7:30 - 6:00
210 Robertson St.
Brandon, Florida 33511
The best care anywhere for your pets

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Training Tips for you and your dog!

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About Us.......

Dana Thomas loves dogs- all shapes, sizes and breeds. "If it barks and wags a tail, it's Family". In 1981 I went to school to learn how to groom my own dog. Fifteen years later, after working in partnership with a St. Pete Vet (for 8 years) I decided to open my own salon. Other than my self, I have two full time and two part time well trained in the art of  grooming.

Every dog that comes here is special and all are treated like family. This is not your typical salon and we do not run a assembly line operation. You can leave your pet with confidence.

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Digging House Breaking Training Session Breed Patients Be Calm Consistency Misc Tips

Training Tips

DIGGING

How to stop "digging" is a question I get asked most frequently. But the answer is never that simple. Asking a dog to stop digging is like asking a dog to stop eating. Digging is an instinctive behavior for a dog. Some dogs seem to dig more than others, but most will dig at some point.

Before you can try to control the digging, you must first understand why your dog digs. Dogs dig for numerous reasons. Some may dig to cool off, others dig to bury food. A large number of dogs dig out of boredom or anxiety.

No matter what reasons your dog may have to dig, there are a few helpful hints you can do to try to control the digging instinct. If your dog is left outdoors, make sure they have plenty of water, and shade. Keeping them cool may stop them from feeling the urge to create a cool spot in the ground.

Provide your dog with a few toys and chew bones to keep him occupied. Trying to relieve the boredom will hopefully slow the restlessness that comes with it. Startling your dog with the "no" command if caught digging will also do the trick. Anything from a water hose to a noisemaker will help him learn to associate the word "No" and his behavior at that time. Lastly, try creating an area that is just for digging. Show him where he can dig and entice him to dig. Then when you find him digging elsewhere, scold him and bring him to his digging area. Soon he will go to his spot to dig.

Remember that it is difficult to change an instinctive behavior, but you can try to control it.

House Breaking

The goal for "house breaking" your dog is to have it "potty" outside and not inside your house...right? Why do so many people train their dogs to do it inside ???. Let me explain further...people use the "old" newspaper method in some cases until their dogs are 4 to 5 months old, this is wonderful. It saves their floors from getting messed up...you bet...but it's also "IMPRINTS" the dog that its 'OK" to eliminate inside the house. Think about it, sure the dog will relate the scent of "printers ink" to elimination, but what does that have to do with "GOING OUTSIDE" ?.

Here's some hints to make house training a little easier.

• Keep your puppy up on a "consistent" housebreaking schedule. Feed at the "SAME" time ever day.
• Designate one area outside as a "potty" area.
• Take the puppy out every 2 hours to the "potty" area, whether it has eaten or not.
• The times that a puppy will most likely want to eliminate are after eating or drinking, after a nap, or after a period of play or vigorous exercise.
• Make up a written time log showing feeding and trips to the "potty" area, this really helps.
• Bring the puppy on a leash to the designated area. Initially you want to teach the puppy what the words "go potty" mean, but don't distract the puppy from its business by constant "YAPPING"...be quiet...say "go potty" just before you see it is about to, say "good Potty" (not too loud or distracting) as it eliminates, and then get really excited and be as loud as you wish, saying "GOOD POTTY" once the puppy has done the "business"....and give it a treat . I suggest "moist flavorful treats as opposed to the dry kind.
• The two most important words in house training are "WATCH" or "CONFINE". Never give a puppy full run of the house, start in a small area like a utility room or a small pen, don't graduate to a larger area until it has PROVEN (no accidents) itself in that area for a period of time. "Watching" means ....CONSTANTLY being aware of where the puppy is. I prefer most people to put the puppy on a leash when not in the puppy pen or crate. (Outside dog runs are a great investment too !!)
• Get yourself a suitably sized "Crate" the same day you buy your puppy. It's not inhumane or cruel (cruel is constantly reprimanding, scolding and possibly getting physical with the puppy for eliminating inside the house). DO NOT fill the entire floor area of the crate with newspaper or bedding of any kind, just put make a 1/4 of the crate a 'Bed", if you wish. Always make sure the crate is in a well ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Also, if you live in colder climates, be sure the room temperature stays fairly constant, not too hot...or too cold.
• NEVER BE PHYSICAL WITH A PUPPY FOR ELIMINATING INSIDE... In fact..."never" be physical with your puppy ...period. Being overly physical with the puppy will make it not want to perform in front of you, and will actually cause the puppy to leave gifts for you out of your sight .You know... "the ones your dinner guests find behind the furniture"
• You can start a very young puppy on newspaper, but get rid of the paper as soon as you can and begin formal crate training. Be patient, consistent, and diligent in taking the puppy outside, regulate what goes into your puppy's tummy, so you can regulate what comes out. "WATCH" or "CONFINE", gradually extend the puppy's living area, keep track on your "housebreaking log" and in a matter of a few short weeks....PRESTO !!! No more Accidents.

Keep Training Sessions Short

Most puppies do not have the attention span to concentrate for an extended amount of time. This can lead to boredom. When boredom hits a dog, the dog may "act up" and behave poorly, and make the owner look like a clueless idiot. Keep your sessions to 10-15 Minutes for 2-3 times per day. By keeping the session short the dog should enjoy the challenge of learning new lessons and sustaining old ones.

Always Remain Calm

Whenever your dog misbehaves, as hard as it not to, do not scold or smack your dog, but correct it firmly. Dogs will only respect an owner that is poised under pressure. As a pack animal, it follows the lead of the pack leader, You. If the leader screams at the dog, the dog will behave accordingly and repeat the action instead of correcting it.

Know your Breed(s)

Too many people fall in love with a breed because of their appearance or personality. Often the owner takes the dog's origins for granted. When the breed does not behave the way they expect a "normal" dog to behave, ie a Golden or Labrador Retriever, they think the dog is misbehaving. For example if a dog is bred for hunting like sighthounds the Borzoi, Greyhound, or Afghan, they were expected to be independent and not work with a handler like a herding or retrieving dog. Because of this, the modern breed will not and should not blindly follow instructions without consistent and extended training. By thoroughly understanding the breed background, you will eliminate many doubts about your dog or yourself, and enjoy the breed even more.

PATIENCE

Even if a puppy does well in obedience class, he will find other areas to frustrate the owner. He is still a puppy for at least the first 2 years of his life, and with the bigger breeds even longer. Because of this, they are still maturing emotionally. Like a teenager, this is a confusing time in their life, and they are trying to find their niche. Also like a teenager, their are various stages that occur before full maturity. Until the the dog has proven it over time, never take any of their behavior for granted, and always expect the unexpected. While this process is frustrating, it is also fascinating and mostly enjoyable, and if you endure it, your dog will remain your buddy for its lifetime.

Be Consistent

Dogs ask very little of us humans, and one of their small requests is to to be consistent in their training. They enjoy the sameness of their life, including sleeping time, play time and food time, and the same thing goes for their training. Always use the same commands and gestures, as well as praise.

Misc. Tips

DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT:
Do you want your dog to come to you when you call him/her? Do you want your dog to sit when you tell him/her to? Do you want your dog to be quiet when you want him/her to be quiet? Make a list of the things you want your dog to do.

LEARN HOW TO TRANSLATE WHAT YOU WANT TO YOUR DOG:
Dog training classes are not necessarily where your dog learns; it's usually the human who learns at dog training classes. You need something - whether at dog training class, a good book or possibly a friend who has already successfully taught a dog - that will give you the knowledge of how to translate what you want your dog to do.

As a person who has had lots of experience training dogs in basic home manners (sit, stay, come, lie down, quiet, etc.), and in basic stock dog (herding) work, I'll be putting onto this site various methods for you to utilize, making this page one of your 'sources' for learning "how-to." Of course, if you get confused and/or need extra personal help, don't hesitate to email me with your questions.

LEARN WHEN/HOW TO, WHEN NOT TO/HOW NOT TO PRAISE/CORRECT:
It is most important to praise your animal; it is equally important to know when not to praise your animal. It is also as important to know how much praise to give your animal. This varies with each animal (for instance: if your dog is unusually shy, (s)he'll need lots and lots of confidence-building support in the form of praise, but if your dog is usually very positive and out-going, you'll need to tone down of the amount of praise to reach that 'point of balance' needed to achieve good behavior).

It is as important to know when to correct bad behavior as it is to know how-to correct bad behavior. We humans tend to think in terms of words, while canines think in terms we humans call, "instinct." Our body language speaks volumes, while our words are often lost on our canine friends. Our dogs 'read' our body language better than we humans do. Thus, it's important for you, the human part of this relationship, to learn how to speak "canine."

ENJOYING YOUR CANINE/HUMAN RELATIONSHIP:
Once you and your canine friend have established a good, working relationship, you both become free to enjoy your relationship.