This is Uggie again! She loves to lay on my bed when I am not home. She is 13 years old so I let her lay where she wants.

              My Boxer, "Abby Gump" again. She loves to lay on the couch and watch TV. She is nothing but a big lump of love!

              The English bulldog I trained during August of 2009. She is showen with her owner, Roxann Soliz.
              Here she is with her "Daddy".
              One with her youngest owner. As you can see the whole family can walk with thier dog now!





                      This is my newest pup. She is a black and white Jack Russell mix. I found her one day in July of 2007, just sitting on the side of the dirt road, like she was waiting for me to find her. I picked her up because she was so small and I was afraid she would get run over. She was about 3 months old. No-one has ever claimed her, so I guess she is mine.


                      D---Decide you need a Savior!
                      For all have sinned and come short of God.
                      Romans 3:23

                      O---Open your heart to what God has done for you!
                      For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son,that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
                      John 3:16

                      G---Give your heart to Jesus!
                      For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Everyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.
                      Romans 10:10-11

                      The "Come" command is the second most ask about. I get emails and phone calls all the time from people who tell me that thier dog won't come to them. The first thing I ask them is, What do you do when it gets out of the house and you can't catch it? They always say that they chase the dog. There is a commercial on TV that shows a dog running away. The owner is doing all the wrong things to try and catch the dog. My next question is, Do you scold the dog when you finally do catch it? The answer is ALWAYS Yes,I do. That is your first mistake. The article below will help teach you what to do when your dog will not come to you when called. Follow these directions and in no time at all, you will have a dog that will want to come to you.
                      Terry

                      This is my Pekingese Pugsley again. He is so funny and thinks he is a great big dog. He has what I call "Big Dog Syndrome"! He will grab a toy and my Boxer will grab the other end. They look like David and Golieth!
                      My Dog Won?t Come When Called
                      The Come command is one of the most important commands to teach a dog. It can save the dog's life and make your life more enjoyable because your dog will come to you when you call.

                      The first step to teaching a good solid Come is learning NEVER to call your dog to you and then scolding the dog when it does as it is told. You MUST learn to think like your dog. The dog lives in the here and now. It is not thinking about what it did ten minutes ago. Nor is it thinking that it is getting even with you by not coming when called. It will learn to understand that when you call him/her to you and it comes to you, it will be rewarded. If it comes to you and gets into trouble or gets a spanking, You have just taught your dog that it is not fun to come to you. Would you come to someone who was going to scold you when you got to the person? I think not! You would run in the other direction to avoid the trouble. Why should your dog be any different!

                      Unfortunately, very few dogs respond reliably to this command in the presence of distractions. Several factors will influence the reliability of a dog's response to the Come command.
                      One such factor is the degree to which they are socially versus environmentally focused. Dogs that are more socially focused typically tend to check in with their owners frequently and are less distracted by their environment. Those dogs will usually have more reliable recalls than will dogs that are more environmentally focused. Environmentally focused dogs are more attuned to their surroundings and what is going on around them. In distracting environments, these dogs will typically tune-out their owners and, as such, will rarely have extremely reliable recalls. Breed, personality, and the particular environment or people involved all contribute to the degree to which a dog will be more socially or environmentally focused. Nevertheless, all dogs can and should learn the best recall they are able to offer.
                      Unfortunately, people often neglect the most important step in teaching a Come command creating for the dog a strong, positive emotional bond with the command. This step will provide a strong foundation for recall. Consider, for example, your emotional response to the word vomit. If you are like most people, you probably felt a nearly immediate disgust reaction. Now, consider your emotional response to the word flower. Dogs like people, form emotional reactions to words or phrases. How does your dog respond when you ask, "Do you want to go for walk", or "a ride in the car", or "Do you want a treat"? What about No! Bad dog!? Which of these statements do you think would be more likely to make your dog happy and excited? The Come command needs to elicit the same emotion for your dog as "Do you want a treat"?
                      For most dogs, the word Come is likely to elicit a negative emotional reaction. To a dog, Come usually means stop whatever you're doing (sleeping, sniffing, getting into the garbage, exploring, etc.) and return to your handler (which often is not nearly as exciting as whatever it was you were just doing) and get a scolding.
                      Before you even attempt to ask your dog to comply with the Come command, you must help the dog acquire a positive feeling about the command. The most effective way to do this is to repeatedly pair the command with whatever your dog likes. For example, immediately before your dog receives something good (dinner, treats, toys, going for a walk or ride, etc.) he should hear the word Come. During this time, it is also important to not ever use the word without pairing it with something good. For this reason, many people will begin training a recall command with a word the dog has not already formed an association with and is not likely to hear at any other times (Front, Mind, or Here). Although owners and handlers must understand that not all dogs will be able to respond perfectly to a recall command, the foundation for the best possible recall lies in removing any negative feelings a dog has formed for the command and building the strongest possible feelings.

                      The first step to teaching a Come.

                      A dog must first learn to come to you on a leash. Without the leash you have no control. You tell the dog to Come and it runs in the other direction. Without a leash, you would have taught the dog that Come means to run in the other direction. The leash teaches the dog to come to you, no matter what is going on around it. Never expect a dog to know how to do a command until you teach the dog what the word means. The leash will help you do this.
                      When you say Come use a happy tone of voice. Clap your hands or blow a whistle to get the dog's attention. Say the dog's name, blow the whistle or clap your hands. Gently but firmly pull on the dog's leash, taking up the slack as the dog comes to you. When the dog turns to face you, praise the dog. Get excited and make the dog want to see why you are so excited. Continue to praise the dog as it comes to you. Give the dog a treat or scratch it on its favorite spot when it reaches you. This is your dog's payment for listening and responding to your command. Start from a short distance away from you, two foot away, and gradually add a foot each day. Remember to praise the dog each and every time it comes to you. Do not progress any faster than the dog is able to learn or you are able to handle at one time. Keep the lesson short and simple. Practice calling the dog while it is in the house. Call the dog to you when you are watching television or sitting on the couch. Incorporate the command into the dog's everyday life. You will see more progress by doing this.

                      This is two of my 5 dogs. Abby is the boxer. She is 3.5 years old and really shaping up to be a wonderful helper to me when I do dog shows. Aggy is my 1.5 year old Jack Russell mix. She is getting more black spots everyday.
                      How to keep the dog Coming to you.

                      NEVER, under any circumstances chase your dog when it does not respond to your command. If you chase the dog when it does not come, it is rewarded by you playing a game of chase with it. You chase the dog and it runs away. It stops to look back at you to make sure you are still playing with it. When you get to the point where you can almost touch your dog, it runs away again. You are frustrated that you can't catch your dog and the dog is having a great time playing DUMB HUMAN CHASE with you. When you finally do catch your dog, you scold it. NEVER SCOLD YOUR DOG WHEN YOU CATCH IT! Your dog will be thinking that it had a great time playing chase with you, but the end of the game is no fun, because the dog got into trouble BY GETTING CAUGHT. Remember to think like your dog, not like a human. Make Coming to you a game and your dog will want to play with you everyday. By rewarding the dog EVERY TIME it is near you, the dog will soon learn that it is more fun to be with you than anywhere else.

                      TerryPfeff Dog Obedience

                    My niece Stephanie with Pugsly! Pugsly just loves this little girl and she loves him back!


                      Understanding Aggressive Behavior In Dogs

                      Dog aggression is any behavior meant to intimidate or harm a person or another animal. Growling, baring teeth, snarling, snapping and biting are all aggressive behaviors. Although aggressive behaviors are normal for dogs, they are generally unacceptable to humans. From a dog's perspective, there's always a reason for aggressive behavior. Because humans and dogs have different communication systems, misunderstandings can occur between the two species. A person may intend to be friendly, but a dog may perceive that person's behavior as threatening or intimidating. Dogs aren't schizophrenic, psychotic, crazy, or necessarily "vicious," when displaying aggressive behavior. Any dog who is not trained, that is, does not understand his subordinate position to you, will try to become "top dog". One example of this is when a dog repeatedly jumps up on you. An out of control dog is like a belligerent teenager, always pushing to test the boundaries. This behavior can be a prelude to aggressive behavior.

                      Because aggression is so complex, and because the potential consequences are so serious, we recommend that you get professional help from an animal behavior specialist if your dog is displaying aggressive behavior.

                      The body language or signs of defensive aggression displayed by a puppy are: a prolonged direct stare, raised hackles, growling, showing his teeth, arching his body, and curling his tail between his legs.

                      If any of these signs are present during the following circumstances, you should be concerned and need to get professional help:

                      • eating
                      • sleeping and suddenly disturbed
                      • being petted, especially when your hand is drawn over the top of his head
                      • approached by strangers
                      • approached by other dogs
                      • protecting toys
                      • protecting the house or yard
                      • being groomed or examined
                      • being around children

                      If your puppy or dog shows signs of aggression when people try to enter or leave your house or yard, you should be concerned and seek the help of professional behaviorist or a dog trainer with experience in dealing with aggressive behavior.

                      BEGINNING SIGNS OF AGGRESSION

                      Young puppies up to the age of six months will sometimes act aggressively and even snap at or bite someone. These beginning signs of aggression are usually easy to correct because of the pup's age, size, and lack of maturity.

                      Young dogs, six to ten months old, represent a different quality and degree of aggression but are still considered manageable and, through reconditioning, can be corrected.

                      A dog older than eighteen months, who is acting aggressively and has bitten someone, is much more difficult to recondition, and the aggressive behavior can sometimes not be changed.

                      No matter what solution one tries, there is no guarantee that a mature dog that has already bitten someone will never bite again. You have a potentially very dangerous situation on your hands!

                      Types Of Aggression

                      Dominance Aggression:

                      Dominance aggression is motivated by a challenge to a dog's social status or to his control of a social interaction. Dogs are social animals and view their human families as their social group or "pack". Based on the outcomes of social challenges among group members, a dominance hierarchy or "pecking order" is established.

                      If your dog perceives his own ranking in the hierarchy to be higher than your rank, it is likely that he'll challenge you in certain situations. Because people don't always understand canine communication, you may inadvertently challenge your dog's social position. A dominantly aggressive dog may growl if he is disturbed when resting or sleeping, or if he is asked to give up a favorite spot, such as the couch or the bed. Physical restraint, even when done in a friendly manner, like hugging, may also cause your dog to respond aggressively. He could, also interpret reaching for your dog's collar, or reaching out over his head to pet him, as a challenge for dominance. Dominantly aggressive dogs are often described as "Jekyll and Hyde" because they can be very friendly when not challenged. Dominance aggression may be directed at people or at other animals. The most common reason for dogs in the same family to fight with each other is instability in the dominance hierarchy.

                      Fear-Motivated Aggression: Fear-motivated aggression is a defensive reaction and occurs when a dog believes he is in danger of being harmed. Remember that it's your dog's perception of the situation, not your actual intent, which determines your dog's response. For example, you may raise your arm to throw a ball, but your dog, perceiving this to be a threat, may bite you because he believes he is protecting himself from being hit. A dog may also be fearfully aggressive when approached by other dogs.

                      Protective, Territorial And Possessive Aggression: Protective, territorial and possessive aggression are all very similar, and involve the defense of valuable resources. Territorial aggression is usually associated with defense of property. However, your dog's sense of territory may extend well past the boundaries of "his" yard. For example, if you walk your dog regularly around the neighborhood and allow him to urine-mark, to him, his territory may be the entire block!

                      Protective Aggression: usually refers to aggression directed toward people or animals that a dog perceives as threats to his family, or pack. Dogs become possessively aggressive when defending their food, toys or other valued objects, such as Kleenex stolen from the trash!

                      Redirected Aggression: This type of aggression is relatively common, but is a behavior that pet owners may not always understand. If a dog is aroused into an aggressive response by a person or animal that he is prevented from attacking, he may redirect this aggression onto someone else. A common example occurs when two family dogs become excited, bark and growl in response to another dog passing through the front yard. The two dogs, confined behind a fence, may turn and attack each other because they can't attack the intruder.

                      Predation is usually considered to be a unique kind of aggressive behavior, because it's motivated by the intent to obtain food, and not primarily by the intent to harm or intimidate.

                      Individual Variation Dogs differ in their likelihood to show aggressive behavior in any particular situation. Some dogs tend to respond aggressively with very little stimulation. Others may be subjected to all kinds of threatening stimuli and events, and never attempt to bite. The difference in this threshold at which a dog displays aggressive behavior is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. If this threshold is low, a dog will be more likely to bite. Raising the threshold makes a dog less likely to respond aggressively. This threshold can be raised using behavior modification techniques. How easily the threshold can be changed is influenced by the dog's gender, age, breed, general temperament, and by whether the appropriate behavior modification techniques are chosen and correctly implemented. Working with aggressive dogs can be potentially dangerous, and should be done only by, or under the guidance of, an experienced animal behavior professional that understands animal learning theory and behavior.

                      What You Can Do

                      • First check with your veterinarian to rule out medical causes for the aggressive behavior.

                      • Seek professional help. An aggression problem will not go away by itself. Working with aggression problems requires help from an animal behavior specialist.

                      • Take precautions. Your first priority is to keep everyone safe. Supervise, confine and/or restrict your dog's activities until you can obtain professional help. You're liable for your dog's behavior. If you must take your dog out in public, consider a cage-type muzzle as a temporary precaution, and keep in mind that some dogs can get a muzzle off.

                      • Avoid exposing your dog to situations where he is more likely to show aggression. You may need to keep him confined to a safe room and limit his people-contact.

                      • If your dog is possessive of food, treats or a certain place, don't allow him access to those items. In an emergency, bribe him with something better than what he has. For example, if he steals your shoe, trade him the shoe for a piece of chicken.

                      • Spay or neuter your dog. Intact dogs are more likely to display dominance, territorial and protective aggressive behavior.

                        What Not To Do

                      • Punishment won't help and,in fact, will make the problem worse. If the aggression is motivated by fear, punishment will make your dog more fearful,and therefore more aggressive. Attempting to punish or dominate a dominantly aggressive dog is likely to cause him to escalate his behavior in order to retain his dominant position. This is likely to result in a bite or a severe attack. Punishing territorial, possessive or protective aggression is likely to elicit additional defensive aggression.

                      • Don't encourage aggressive behavior. Playing tug-of-war or wrestling games encourages your dog to attempt to "best" you or "win" over you, which can result in the beginning of a dominance aggression problem. When dogs are encouraged to "go get'em" or to bark and dash about in response to outside noises or at the approach of a person, territorial and protective aggressive behavior may be the result.

                      • Never try to solve an aggression problem yourself. You will need to hire an experienced behaviorist to help teach you and your dog how to change the unwanted behavior.

                      • Never try to hold or pin down a dog that has shown any aggressive behavior. You will get bitten.

                        Not all aggression problems can be solved! Sometimes the kindest thing to do is have the dog euthanised to protect yourself, your family and the general public. The older the dog is before the aggression problems are addressed,the less chance you have of ever changing the behavior. If a dog older than 18 months has bitten someone once, the chances are 50% higher EACH TIME that the dog will bite again.

                        Assert your dominance! Get your dog trained! Teach him to respect you and others near and dear to you. If you are concerned about your dog's aggressiveness, seek the guidance of a professional dog trainer. In the meantime, confine or muzzle your dog whenever people are present.

                        TerryPfeff Dog Training

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