My Weimaraner

I was sitting in the waiting room of my local HMO with a sinus infection and happened to pick up the recent issue of Outdoor Life magazine. Actually, it was the only thing to read, but that didn’t bother me as most hunting publications usually include at least one article on dog training.

I was lucky, as this month’s dog training article was interesting enough for me to tie into this week’s e-zine issue.

On page 36, sandwiched between the ‘Professional Bass Tournament’article and the “His camo-painted truck and ‘Kiss My Bass’ bumper sticker are the only endorsements you’ll ever need” advertisement, I found a story by veteran dog man, Larry Mueller.

Mueller recants meeting 82 year-old James Evans, of Naruna, Va. who owned an 11 year-old Lab-weimaraner cross that could allegedly multiply numbers!!!

Mueller states that, “Evans decided to teach [his] dog to count to 10… ‘What’s the first number?’ One bark. ‘What comes after one?’ Two barks. And so on. [His] dog counted backward, too, in addition to correctly answering what comes before or after any number not exceeding 10.”

As a professional dog trainer, I hear amazing stories like this all the time. The only problems is that upon further investigation… they NEVER turn out to be true.

Mueller writes, “Evans began to suspect that [the] dog was reading his mind.”

However, anyone who has studied the dog’s mind (and canine behavior in general) knows that:

1.) Dogs can’t read our mind. They read our body language.

2.) Dogs can’t do math. Especially multiplication.

Mueller must have come to the same conclusion as I did, because he decided to review several video tapes of Evans and his dog performing their multiplication trick. But it wasn’t until he actually met with Evans that he was able to ascertain how the dog was figuring out the math problems.

“All I knew for sure was that James Evans was no trickster trying to deceive the public for gain,” and that the old man had wanted to know how the dog did it, as much as anyone.

Mueller continues, “I studied the video tape and recognized that the word, ‘ What’s ‘ could be the cue to start barking. I thought the signal to stop might be Evans withdrawing his hand from his pocket with a kibble reward. But it didn’t correlate, so I asked Evans if I could rig something to tell us the approximate location of the cue, if there was one.”

To make a long story longer, Mueller found that when the dog could not see Evans, he stopped getting the answers right! After further study, Mueller noted, “I noticed an almost imperceptible twitch– a reflex action like a blink occurring without conscious thought… I asked Evans to stand motionless. He found it difficult, and [his] dog’s barks in answer to his questions [became] random.” When Evans wasn’t allowed to subconsciously cue the dog, the dog was no longer able to come up with the correct answers.

In sum, the dog was relying on his owner for the answers. Which, in and of itself is a pretty impressive feat, even if it isn’t comparable to knowing your multiplication tables!

Here’s two examples that probably apply to your daily training:

1.) Many owners tend to start bending over before telling their dog the, “Down” command. Because of this, the dog starts to cue off the owner’s body language (just as Evan’s dog did) and lays down anytime the owner bends over… but not if the owner stands up straight and issues the command!

Solution: Always give the command FIRST, before bending over and making the dog do it. This way, the dog will link the behavior with the command, rather than with your body language.

2.) Amateur handlers tend to tell their dog “Heel,” and then walk with their shoulders angled back towards their dog, so that they can look at their dog while they’re walking.

The problem with this is that the dog reads your body language and attempts to align himself with your shoulders, thus lagging behind the owner, rather than walking in the heel position (aligned with your left heal.)

Solution: Keep both shoulders straight forward as you walk. If you need to look at your dog (you should)… cock your head, without angling your shoulders. This will keep your dog lined up right alongside you.

That’s all for now, folks!

Adam

Technorati Tags: command, Efforts, Invisible, Sabotaging, training

How old should she be when she is able to play fetch:

All the toys i have given her she doesent want:

She enjoys eating leaves and grass more than her toys/treats:

I looked for videos how to teach to walk on a leash (NICELY) and how it says stop and wait until the dog looks at you and give her a treat and start walking again… but the problem is she wont stop pulling even for a treat:

im probabaly gonna enroll in some petsmart puppy training classes, cuss the videos made it look so easy but its so much harder when you actually do it, especially with a new puppy:

What are some good weimaraner female names, specifically something polish, but easy to pronounce so you can say it in English and polish:

She wont stop biting the leash and it makes it even harder to walk on a leash:

i got the puppy a little early 5 weeks instead of 8, but its a good reason, so dont start yelling at me for that, and its too long to explain.. could her age be part of the reason she is so “difficult” right now?

It is a purebred weimaraner if your wondering, the breeder says its a blue weimaraner im not sure what that means cuss all weim puppies have blue eyes and this weim has a metallic shiny coat (which i think looks cool as hell :P)

Any other advice on “difficult” puppies would be great, i really am devoted to this dog, i might just have to work on my patience, but im never mean to the dog, when he bites ppl i yell no or whenever he “goes” inside, i take him out right after, im crate training him and he does seem pretty good about going outside hes only had one “mistake”..

how much time should i spend bonding with him until i start training him? i read on the petsmart training classes he has to have 10 weeks so ill go enroll in 5 weeks.

Technorati Tags: questions, training, weimaraner

The Weimaraner, or “grey ghost” as it is commonly nicknamed, is an intelligent, loyal dog originally bred in Germany for hunting large game. The Weimaraner’s majestic beauty, friendliness and loyalty are enough to win over any dog lover, though a Weimaraner does not make the perfect pet for just anyone. The Weimaraner thrives on adequate exercise, intellectual stimulation and being a part of a family in which the dog’s role is clear.

The Weimaraner is an exuberant lover of life who needs an active and equally enthusiastic owner. To say the Weimaraner is boisterous would be an understatement. If you are looking for a lethargic couch dog, steer clear of the Weimaraner. If you are looking for a companion ready to hike miles into the wilderness with you, join you on regular runs, swim with you in the lake and curl up in bed with you at the end of the day, the Weimaraner may be the family member you are seeking.

High energy and stamina along with a strong scenting ability and intelligence make the Weimaraner an excellent hunting dog. Intense loyalty, a protective nature and an eagerness to obey its leader make the Weimaraner the perfect member of the right family—and a member of the family is just what a Weimaraner wants to be. However, a Weimaraner who does not receive adequate exercise, discipline and stimulation will take out its energy through unwanted behavior, and that could mean destruction to belongings and a headache for the entire family.

If you decide to bring a Weimaraner into your home, obedience training and discipline are absolutely critical from the start. While a disciplined, well-exercised Weimaraner will be eager to fulfill your every command and come back for more, an undisciplined one will exhibit unwanted behaviors such as chewing, jumping and being a colossal pest. Such behavior is simply a show of dominance or an outlet for releasing pent up energy, and can be prevented through exercise and proper leadership. The Weimaraner is headstrong and determined, and will naturally assume the role as leader of the household if not taught otherwise. Every member of a household adopting a Weimaraner must be willing to actively participate in creating an environment of structure and discipline in which the dog will thrive.

Before adopting any purebred dog, it is encouraged to educate yourself about the temperament, care and health issues associated with the breed in consideration. If possible, speak with others who have owned or had experience with the breed. Resist the temptation to take home a puppy of a breed with which you are unfamiliar, even if an adorable puppy dog face is luring you in. Dogs of different breeds vary widely in personality, energy level and maintenance. Be sure that you select a dog based on your lifestyle and ability to fulfill the needs of the dog.

Technorati Tags: Right, weimaraner

Top blood lines and training from Graystalkers weimaraner Dam Caledonia & Britfeld weimaraner Sire Xardiko, litter starting their scent training in the yard on rabbits,deer tails,deer feet & quail.

Technorati Tags: Graystalkers, pups, scent, training, weimaraner

Alpha-Dog ~ Dog Obedience and Training Consultants

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My last dog took no time at all to train, but this one can’t seem to get it. We have her in a play pen and then I take her to the yard and she goes and I give her a treat. But if I don’t accompany her outside she will pee on the porch instead of the grass. If we let her down in side the house to run around for even 5 minuets she will go on the floor, even if she just went. I don’t feed her after 2pm or let her drink after 6pm. It’s been 3 weeks and she is worse then ever. Help! I know she is smart I already taught her how to sit, stay, come, very easily.

She probably potties on the floor when you let her out in the house because she gets overly excited. My dog gets so excited that she pees when my dad gets home from work everyday, and this has been happening for 2 years. The reason it’s not fixed is that my dad won’t ignore her so he makes it seem like a very exciting experience and gives my dog lots of attention. This could be the same for your dog, so don’t let her out in an excited state, and keep her on a leash for a while until she calms down. As for going potty on the porch if you don’t go out with her, maybe she thinks she’ll only get a treat if you come out with her. Start cutting back to only giving her a treat every few times you accompany her outside and give her praise when you don’t have a treat. If she goes potty on the porch, don’t scold her or anything, but don’t give her any treats or praise either. Eventually she will figure out that going in the grass is the only way she’ll get positive attention. Remember, dogs are like kids, negative attention is still better than no attention, so try your best to refrain from yelling at her if she goes potty in the wrong place.

You could also try crate training her. I’ve found that many of the dogs that get adopted from the humane society I work at do extremely well when they get crate trained. Here’s an excellent website about how to do it: http://dogs.about.com/cs/basictraining/p/crate_training.htm

The only requirements for crates are they need to be big enough for your dog to sit, stand, lie down, and turn around. Because your puppy will grow into a larger sized dog, I would recommend getting a bigger crate with a dividing panel so you can let your puppy only use part of it for now, but you won’t have to purchase another one down the line. You don’t want the puppy to have enough room to potty on one side of the kennel and lay on the other.

Good luck! Hope this works out for you!

la parola d´ordine… vincere…. weimaraner johnny under mussolini instructions…

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05.10.2008

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We have a one year old weim, she is crate trained, but when she’s not in her crate and we let her on the bed its a constant battle to keep her at the foot of the bed, she wants to lay (curl up) at the top where our heads are…is this normal?

YES! my male weim sleeps with me. I don’t mind it (king size bed) he also wants to be covered up!

I have a ten month old Weimaraner who is about to drive me crazy. Incase you don't know anything about them, Weims are very high strung dogs that need a lot of exercise. This is fine with me though, we run every day and he seems very happy. The thing that drives me nuts is that I can't get him completely housebroken. When I am home and awake, he is fine, but when I am not home, or if I am asleep, he goes on the floor (thank goodness it is at least on the linoleum of the kitchen). I can't put him in a kennel because he will go in the kennel and lay in it, which I know is very unusual, but he does it, so then I have two messes to clean, him and the kennel. I have raised several other dogs and I have never had this problem. Does anyone have any ideas? I have had him tested for infections and he is fine. I am at a loss…

I have encountered this same problem with a young Boston Terrier. I went through a lot of trouble to get her trained, but with some consistency, it was accomplished–here is how I did it: First, she was kept in a kennel ONLY large enough for her to move in comfortably, and not moving freely. Make sure there is a cover over the kennel on 3 sides (use a blanket, sheet, etc.). This makes the kennel appear as though it is a natural den for the dog–they will always "hold it." in their den–but it must feel like a den to them, so the cover is essential for this to work. Remove your dog directly from the kennel and take him to the the door, and use a "key word" for him to associate with, and make sure they are walking there, do not carry him. There will still be mistakes from time to time, but I have noticed that the turning point was using the cover on an otherwise open cage kennel. Good luck and if you have any other questions feel free to contact me–I have done extensive studying on this and dog behavior.