That Moment When...

BENJI LEARNING FETCH

BENJI LEARNING/PLAYING FETCH WITH STUFFED DUCK TOY AT 9 WEEKS OLD

BENJI AT ATTENTION IN FETCH

BENJI PAYING ATTENTION

LETTING BENJI PLAY FETCH AFTER SUCCESSFULLY DOING THE "DOWN" COMMAND THREE TIMES IN A ROW! MAMA'S PROUD

BENJI IN HIS FAVOURITE GAME AFTER OBEDIENCE TRAINING FOR FIVE MINUTES

BENJI, 9 WEEKS OLD, RED HEELER (AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG) MIX LEARNING FETCH!

BENJI BRINGS ME A STUFFED TOY FOR FETCH.

That Cute Puppy

As much as it seems I just complain about my Border Aussie, I really love him and enjoy him. Like many exasperated owners, it's all about navigating the waters of puppydom and dog ownership (including the advice every animal owner bestows upon you). Some people say you need to be experienced but if you want to enjoy a breed, why not? There is more information in our day and age than ever before, and an army of animal experts who can assist you in making life joyful with pup from your vet, dog trainers and dog walkers. 

BENJI LOOKING UP AT ME WITH THOSE INTELLIGENT EYES

AWKWARD GROWTH PHASE--LONG ARMS/LEGS

MY BENJI BUTTONS.

Benji is enjoyable and a bright, beautiful dog who I look forward to seeing every day and spending time with. I love the array of colours on his fur and smile when people compliment him in public. I love to see him happy, healthy and trained. We do the things we do for our pets because well....what's life without them?

Activities to do with a Working Dog

Some people ask me why I chose a large dog breed over a smaller one, and I tell them because I want to actually do things with a dog. He is my motivation to get out and enjoy nature. Here are some activities that you can include with your dog:

-summer camping : taking your dog into your provincial parks or a campsite and just living in the wild is a great way to let your dog enjoy being a dog, and for you to enjoy nature. 

-biking: with the right equipment and some practice, biking with your dog gives both of you exercise and tires out an energetic dog!

-jogging: running with your dog is a great way to bond and keep healthy. And all you need is a leash  and collar, it's something you can do every day, following the guidelines.

-swimming: if you're like me, and love the blue sea; then swimming with your canine is a wonderful sport. Dogs love swimming and who doesn't like this refreshing pastime in the summer?

-hiking -talk about great cardio! Not only will the view and fresh air be invigorating, but your dog will enjoy the earth under his paws.

-Frisbee-Of course every dog owner does this with their dog, but still, it's the classic game with dog and man.

Getting Things Under Control

The first part of yesterday had me seeing red. I was furious with my dog for not listening to me. Period. I know you need immense patience to deal with puppies but my patience was at its end. And then, I found a way to control my puppy and "assert my dominance" and keep his bad behaviour under control. 
 I put on his leash and harness in the house. Not only does he absolutely HATE it and calms down and doesn't bark or bite, but he is unable to jump up or bite the furniture because I pull the leash back--physically stopping him from doing so. After one pull, he realizes he is not in control and doesn't even bother to attempt to jump up on the couch. He sits like a good boy with his toy. It was miraculous! It also helps me potty train him. If I see him peeing on the floors, I can pull his leash and stop him and take him outside to remind him to do his business outdoors. 

Since he is a working dog and very energetic, when he is older, a muzzle will help him be less harmful in the house alone. He won't be able to chew all the furniture and walls and shoes to bits and pieces or bark like crazy. If anybody has heard a cattle dog bark, they will understand why this is cause for concern. Of course, he is still a puppy and I'm committing to training him 100% but if the muzzle helps erase some problems while we are not there, I do not see what is wrong with using it. It isn't like we are using it for punishment. If we go to the grocery store or somewhere dogs are not allowed, we know he can be trusted home alone outside of his crate as an adult dog without chewing everything to smithereens--thanks to the dog muzzle. And if he chooses to bark, he won't be able too and the neighbours won't complain. 

Right now, my job is to make sure he is going outside, he is healthy and he understands basic commands like his name, "come" and "sit". Last night, calm and relaxed, Benji was an enjoyment to his small family. There is hope.

Stopping Dark Barking

The first lesson we really should learn is to teach our dog their name. I know that sounds crazy, after all we gave the puppy a name and have probably been 'shouting' it for months! Exactly. Imagine repeating a family name, with no reason behind it. The one difference here is that your family member will eventually say "Well what do you want?"
But your dog cannot talk, so hearing his name being called endlessly means nothing to him and they learn to ignore it. So start to command your dog, teach him, call his name, and then direct him. Use sit or come or treat. A reason for his being called.
Once he begins to realise that his name is being used for a reason, training opens up to a lot of possibilities. The barking control can start with the 'come' command. When he is ready, introduce the word quiet.
Of course never forget to reward all training sessions, a treat can work wonders. Do not however expect big changes overnight. Gain his confidence, praise the small progress made day by day. By setting aside a short amount of time every day for training, your dog will come to enjoy his lessons. Treat them as a game.
Before long you will have an animal you can be really proud of and he will truly look up to you as 'Master'.

source: ezinearticle.com

Making Leeway

MY BENJI SITTING STILL FOR A PHOTO

ANNOYED WITH HIS COLLAR--WHICH HE HATES.

My dog isn't stupid, and neither is his owner. I don't believe in giving up and I think Benji is getting that. He's like "Oh man, she's a tough cookie" and he likes to test me but I like to remind him...I'm not going to crack. I'm not going to beat him, yell at him or ridicule him. I'm going to assume my role as Alpha 'Dog' and as the dominant one and he is going to be forced into the submissive role. These are the things I've done today to enforce that:


-Teach Benji "OFF" command when jumping on couch/eating cords; and praising him when he does jump off. (He responded well today).
-Getting him to "SIT" before meals, going outside to assert my dominance (works well--he did sit both times). 
-Teaching him "DOWN" command and "SIT" command with treats. 
-Praising him for relieving himself outside.
-Blocking off rooms so he is in my supervision and cannot relieve himself indoors.
-Holding his snout when he tries to bite me with a "No"
-Pinching him and saying "No" when he bites me.
-Using "shaker can" to get him not to jump on furniture. 
-Freezing chew toys


I think Benji is finally getting the idea he is in control. I have not gave him much attention today, petted him, picked him up or played with him. I let him play with his toys by himself, I patted him once on the head when he sat still for the photos and praised him minimally after each good deed. While most people think this might not work, it has helped my dog respect me and realize I am a calm, confident Alpha. He hasn't been perfect today, but he's a 9 week old puppy. I don't expect him to be perfect, just to listen, pee/poo outside and play with his toys and not my belongings!

Dog Jumping

How To Stop Your Dog Jumping

Got A Jumping Dog? Put an end to your Dog's Annoying, Excessive Jumping Today!

It can be a shocking, even frightful, situation: Your dog jumps on a family member, a visitor, even you. And when you want it to go down, it just won't. What's a dog owner to do?
Fortunately, it's not too difficult to stop your dog from jumping. With the proper amount of consistent training and know-how, any dog owner can teach his dog to get off people, and stop jumping.
Here are some things you should know:

Reasons Why Dogs Jump

There are three main reasons why dogs jump:
1. To assert dominance. Whether it's jumping on people or jumping on furniture, both instances illustrate a dog that wants to raise his station in life. By jumping on you or jumping on the couch, he's saying that he's the pack leader--something that you DON'T want to happen, as a dominant dog is much more difficult to train (and can become quite aggressive). In either case, you'll definitely want to institute the proper alpha dog training techniques, if you haven't already.
2. To greet people. Dogs identify each other by smelling scent glands around each other's faces. As humans are much taller than dogs, there's nowhere to go but up!
3. Because they have been rewarded for this behavior in the past, whether purposely or unknowingly. Some owners may, at one point or another, allowed the dog to jump on them or on their furniture, welcoming their dog's enthusiasm to see them. Other owners inadvertently reward their dogs jumping, simply by doing something good--such as walking or feeding the dog--right after the dog has jumped. Even if they told off the dog for jumping, by providing the dog with a walk or with food, they make the dog connect these positive actions, with a not-so-positive action: jumping! The dog sees thing in a very simple, linear fashion: if he jumps, he'll get to go for a walk--or even better, he'll get fed!

Top 5 Techniques To Stop Your Dog From Jumping

1. Do not let your dog make a big deal out of your arrival home. In fact, as the alpha leader of your family's "pack", you shouldn't even greet him or her for at least 15 minutes. If your dog jumps around and pesters you before that, squirt him with water pistol or shake a can filled with pebbles. This will startle him, and if done on a regular basis, calm him whenever you get home. He won't make such a big deal of your arrival, and thus learn that he can greet you without jumping. Follow the same technique for any visitors to your home. Do not introduce the dog to your visitors until after 15 minutes or longer.
2. Greet your dog on his level! In addition to waiting to greet your dog, you should also greet him in a stooped position, so that he doesn't have to jump up to greet you. Additionally, if you wish to pet or cuddle your dog, do so on his level. This removes the need to jump at any time. PRAISE HIM for not jumping. If he jumps, use the "Off" command until he stops.
3. Avoid rough play with your dog. This means no tug of war or wrestling games. These types of activities only encourage your dog to jump, and make him think it is perfectly acceptable ALL the time. It will also lead to aggressive behavior such as biting and unprompted attacks, so make sure to avoid overzealous play!
4. Use the "Sit" command. This is one of the most basic, and important, commands. As such, if your dog is well trained, he will respond to the Sit command before even thinking to jump. If he does not respond well to the Sit command, then more training is necessary, as this is the foundation for dog obedience training. Train him until he responds to it in everyday situations, such as greeting and going for walks. The better he understands the Sit command, the much less likely he is to ever jump at all.
5. Finally, teach the very necessary "Off" command.

Teaching Your Dog the "Off" Command

Ideally, this command should be taught immediately from the time your dog is a pup just brought from home. If not taught early, it will be MUCH more difficult to teach your dog, later.
1. When the puppy or older dog jumps (whether on a person or furniture), immediately say OFF.
2. Make an open-mouthed snarl without noise, but with your teeth quite visible. This way, you're talking a dog's language, one he will surely understand! This is a natural signal used by adult dogs to their puppies to calm down. Ensure you make direct eye contact.
3. Repeat this command several times, until your dog doesnt need to be told twice. Praise immediately when he stops himself from jumping.
Make sure other family members and visitors understand this command, as well. It is crucial that your dog understand that all family and visitors are above his rank in the pack. Otherwise, he will lash out and try to assert himself on everyone. While using the Off command may not be appreciated by most visitors, but it is more important that a dog has a good greeting manner with all people. A little effort on everyone's side makes your dog disciplined and docile.

Different Ways To Train a Working Dog

There is a world of information on how to train your puppy to do various things, and sometimes a hundred ways to train your puppy to do one particular thing. The thing is, not every puppy is the same and each method will work differently on various dogs. I find the best way to get my puppy to do anything is positive reinforcement. Using "shake cans" and "whimpering like a pup" when he bites me doesn't do zilch. 
My puppy is a very stubborn puppy. He doesn't like to listen. He is a stubborn breed but I am not giving up on him. I need a mountain load of patience to deal with him but I can make it easier on myself and him. By trial and error, I realize some things work and others don't. Why is he barking? It is probably because he needs stimulation or needs to go pee. There is no use at yelling at him. Why is he biting me? He probably is teething and will teethe anything. It won't help to tell him "no" because the urge to teethe is far stronger than the aroma of a little dog treat. So I came up with my own solutions.

I got Benji to pee/poo outside by positive reinforcement. Now, most of the time, when he needs to pee, he will look up at me or wait by the front door. When he finishes doing his business, I make sure to praise him lavishly...even if it is just a little squirt of pee. The fact he went outside and not in the house is tantamount and extremely important. He is proud of his deed and looks forward to receiving praise for pee/poo.


I have been unsuccessful in getting Benji to stop biting me, house members and guests using: clap, cradle and hold muzzle and "no", shake can, confinement, and whimper like puppy and walk away methods. I have instead looked him in the eye and said a firm "no" then give him a frozen toy to gnaw on. I only give him the frozen toy to gnaw on as a special "praise/treat" for refraining from biting me. Now, he is biting less and less and will gnaw on his frozen toy. I put the toy away when he is not gnawing it. If he bites me again, I start all over by staring, saying "no" and giving him a frozen toy to gnaw him (to soothe his gums). Hopefully he learns to chew on toys when teething and not people. 

Benji needs extensive training. His attention span, like every puppy, is extremely short. He is extremely stubborn, to add, and I am an impatient trainer. I am spending hours learning through books and videos how to train him and things NOT to do so I don't raise a puppy who will have bad habits, aggression, etc later on in life. The good news is, I was able to leave him for 15 minutes without him barking while crated in the house. This is a huge step!

AGILITY ANGEL DOGS

Perhaps putting Benji in agility will make him the pick-up-the-newspaper and sit by your feet kinda dog. Maybe he'll stop chewing the walls and howling when we leave the house. Okay, maybe my expectations are high but Agility Training sounds like the best things for dogs since leashes were invented. 
 Best of all, every other kind of training leads up to become beneficial for Agility--obedience, off-leash, etc. Teaching him "sit" "come" "down" will help him with his agility, apparently. He is too young for agility now--he needs all his shots but that doesn't mean I can't "pretrain" him at home with a baby's tunnel, etc. It will help him become familiar with it. I hope he has the right personality for agility. Agility will make a well trained dog out of him!
Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Consequently the handler's controls are limited to voice, movement, and various body signals, requiring exceptional training of the animal and coordination of the handler.
In its simplest form, an agility course consists of a set of standard obstacles, laid out by an agility judge in a design of his or her own choosing on a roughly 100 by 100-foot (30 by 30 m) area, with numbers indicating the order in which the dog must complete the obstacles.
Courses are complicated enough that a dog could not complete them correctly without human direction. In competition, the handler must assess the course, decide on handling strategies, and direct the dog through the course, with precision and speed equally important. Many strategies exist to compensate for the inherent difference in human and dog speeds and the strengths and weaknesses of the various dogs and handlers.

Apartment Living for Big Dogs

There is a great debate about large dogs living in apartments. Some people are against it, some people are for it. The truth is, some larger dog breeds are content with staying home and biting a Kong toy by the TV. Some dogs are far more energetic and need more than a daily walk. Like Benji, a working-dog breed. 

I know dogs are adaptable and Benji can adapt to apartment living. Where his masters are, he is happy. We have about 700 square feet and a backyard and we are close to 5 parks. Additionally, we are two active young adults so Benji will be spending the summers hiking, camping up North, swimming and going on long walks in the City. I can certainly imagine he will be tired out! Further more, perhaps a day when I will not be home all day he can be in a Doggy Daycare and/or I can hire a dogwalker. Benji is going to be a very energetic dog and he is going to be a big dog, but if he can be active outside he can relax inside with a favourite toy.

BENJI IN THE BACKYARD

BENJI EXPLORING THE SNOW

CHEWING HIS FAVOURITE DUCK TOY

If he is still very unruly I will have to put him in agility or some other "job" for working dogs, if "fetch" won't do. I don't think I can ever trust him alone in the house. He will likely ruin something that we would have to pay for. He would have to be crated. He would eat the walls, the tables--everything if we aren't watching. But he would likely eat the walls in a house too if left alone! If we are going anywhere--work or school or to a social outing--Benji would need adequate exercise beforehand so when he is home he is already tired out. I can't wait until he gets his shots so he can go for a walk and get tired out side!

Every Dog Gets Tired

Our friends came to hang out and brought their French bulldog, D, and Benji played and ran around with him for hours creating a very obedient and exhausted pup. Not only that, but he has gotten into the habit of (sometimes) scratching at the front door when he needs to go out to the bathroom before going in the house. This cue really helps me realize when he needs to go but we generally follow the rule of after every meal, 15 minutes after water, after every nap and playtime.

I have begun to use the 'shake can' which really scares him. I think the first step is understanding the dog before applying all this stuff that will only confuse him. I just want to understand why Benji is doing an action that displeases me before I decide how to deal with it. Why is he chewing the coffee table leg? Why is he peeing in the kitchen? Why does he try to jump up on the sofa? I know getting him tuckered out really helps immensely with dealing with him every day. When he is tired, he is just so much more of a joy to be around!

Stubborn Dog--How to Train Them

Obedience becomes a dominance struggle between the two of you. Once you have given the command, you must make the dog obey the command or he has won. If he wins, getting him to obey the next time will be even harder. These dogs need persistence, insistence, consistence and patience in training.

• Working with a stubborn dog will require you to use a shake can frequently. You can make a loud, yet easy-to-handle shake can with a soda pop can and 10-12 pennies. After inserting the pennies, tape the opening closed. You may have to keep one of these in every room you allow your dog. When the can is shaken, it must be done loudly and be accompanied by a loud and firm “NO.” When he quits what he is doing, praise him vigorously.

• Using jerk and release will be very important for these dogs. When they just indicate they are about to do something other than what they are supposed to be doing, give them a quick jerk and release and say firmly “NO” then use a jerk and release along with the command for what they are supposed to be doing. Once the dog is corrected, praise him lavishly for complying.

Always use a firm and robust voice. Your words, tone of voice, and body language must be authoritative and never tentative, tired, distracted or questioning. Always look directly at the dog when correcting him and always look directly at him when praising him. Always praise him when he does the right thing.

It is difficult to categorize dog breeds into Stubborn Dog Breeds. Labrador and Golden Retrievers are typically friendly dogs, but, abuse and malhandling can turn a well-behaved Lab puppy into an aggressive, stubborn dog.

Again, BloodHounds are typically stubborn in nature. But, proper handling and consistent training can turn even an aggressive BloodHounds into an obedient pet.

Effectively Train Your Dog Does your dog bark too much? To get the help you need to train and care for your dog, Subscribe to the FREE Dog Course. Learn the Commands to Obedience train your dog and Control his bad habits like barking and biting. Get the secrets to Housetraining and Feeding your dog and much more when you have the course delivered to your email Inbox for FREE.

Most stubborn dog breeds are also averse to and may show some resistance in potty training. Successful potty training sessions require knowledge of how to deal with Difficult-to-Housebreak Dogs. Patients, Persistence and Consistency is the key to succesfully training these dog breeds.

Bad House Manners

Training Benji is going to be a fulltime job for a while. I have to start from scratch all over again because some of the things I'm doing wrong is my fault and some things just take a while. It is nearly impossible to keep Benji away from human food when we are eating or guests feet when they visit which is quite embarrassing. Benji is beginning bad habits like chewing the trim and shoes, and I'm worried. One thing that HAS worked is taking him for a walk before his bedtime to tire him out. For the first time in the week we had him, he actually slept for the entire night without whining/barking. I was impressed but he ruined it by peeing on our new carpet. I try not to get angry but I am angry, frustrated and in despair. Is this ever going to get better?

What is the best method to training Benji? Should I write up a housetraining/eating schedule so I know when he should pee/poo and should I write a schedule to remind myself he needs exercise or he'll do destructive things out of boredom? I need to organize myself and prepare for the worst--have poop bags and shoes at the door at the ready; leash and collar ready; clean towels for his bed regularly and his toys in one place (they're all over). I think if I know he needs to eat at say, 1:00pm every afternoon it will make it easier for both of us to get some structure and routine.

To work on his separation anxiety issues, I wanted to get a baby gate and block him off in one area of the house. This is always useful when I'm painting or cleaning so he doesn't get near anything toxic or harmful. I think using a babygate will let him have independent time in a constructive  manner (eating, playing, etc) and will be the foundation for when I need to leave the house for an hour or so, and he can play quietly and be assured I'll return. The baby gates also helps me monitor where he is and keeping him confined to a small area makes it impossible for him to soil the carpets and floors.

I need to work on teaching him "come" and "sit" and especially "down" so he doesn't climb on the sofa. He is still too small to jump up on it, but if he knows he is not allowed on the sofa and we say "down", when he grows big enough to jump on it, he will understand he cannot. By the time he is big enough to jump, I'll likely have to use a spray bottle or rolled up newspaper to show him it is not acceptable behaviour.

BENJI BITING A FINGER--ONE OF HIS BAD HABITS

BENJI BEFORE A 20 MINUTE WALK BEFORE BEDTIME

Right now, I just want to start fresh and gain his trust and build our bond. I want to tell him "good boy" when he poos/pees outside, play with his toys with him, take him on short walks and brush his fur. I want him to realize I do love him and I'm not going to treat him badly. I want to get out of the vicious cycle we're in now. There is hope! I know there is!

All about Benji

All About Benji
   Benji is a puppy I share with my fiancee. He is a Border Collie and Australian cattledog mix and is 8 weeks old now. I bought him without doing my research on the ACD breed though I had done research on the border collie before. I think everything happens for a reason and Benji was meant to be our dog. We have had Benji now for 6 days and have detected a lot of issues. From day one we realized he will grow to be a large dog and secondly, he is headstrong and difficult to train which is why I started this blog to document and help navigate the murky waters of training a dog like Benji.
    ACD dogs are canines that work hard. They are work dogs who spend 10-12 hours a day working, usually herding cattle. ACD dogs are headstrong, active and agile. WIKIPEDIA says working collies (Benji) is able to run all day and has great stamina and extreme energy. They are also extremely intelligent and highly motivated to work. Since Benji is half border collie, he is not just bred to be a working dog. As a (half) border collie, he is gentle enough to be a companion and pet.
    Benji has recently been separated from his mother and littermates so he suffers from separation anxiety which is difficult to deal with, at times. My number one step after housebreaking him is to treat his separation anxiety. Since he is a new pup I have been home with him 24/7 but now I have realized he has separation anxiety I have to address it and many articles online have been helpful. He tends to bark (extremely loudly) waking up every dog on our street and squeal loudly until we come back to him. If he is not crated or in a blocked off area, he is by my feet constantly and will even sleep on my feet if I stay still. I want to teach him independence and confidence, and that I--his pack leader--will return!
    Like most pups, Benji is still being housebroken but he really enjoys peeing on carpets. Especially our brand new ones. Working on his housebreaking skills is number one on our list for sake of our furniture but he has been OK with going outside--I don't wait long for him to do something.
    Benji is a biter. He could be just teething but he is quick to snap at a face or hand and uses his teeth on any and everything. I am a bit worried he will bite something and harm himself and I try to get him to bite his toys and not people or innappropriate things like wires--or the TV!
    Benji has tons of energy. He is not old enough to go for walks yet since he's not fully vaccinated and the ground is covered in snow, but I plan to tire the heck out of him and enroll him in some kind of energetic dog classes like agility to give him mental and physical stimulation. I wanted a bigger dog so I would have a companion to run/hike/swim with and I know Benji will love those things. He is also going to be pretty big, so keeping him tired means he'll be at my feet when we return home. That's important!