By Jimmy Cox
 The history of dog breeding is a large subject, and to deal with each separate breed would entail a volume in itself. Here I shall give only a brief outline of the history of research in genetics. To begin with, the dog goes far back into antiquity. Just where or when he first originated it would be impossible to say, but we do know that he is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures.
To go farther back, somewhere around the year 1500 B.C., we find that the dog was not held in very great esteem. At the time in which Deuteronomy was written, the "price of a dog" was considered an unworthy offering to be brought to the altar.
In 1865, the Augustinian abbot, Gregor Johann Mendel, discovered certain laws for the inheritance of characteristics from one generation to another through the cultivation of the common variety of garden pea. He studied the relation of true-breeding types within a species, giving his attention particularly to the way in which sharply contrasted pairs of characteristics are inherited.
He kept accurate pedigree records, and
in each case found the results to be the same. The first cross or breeding showed only one of the two characteristics which had marked the parents. Mendel called the characteristic which came out most strongly the dominant member of the two, and the other, the recessive.
These plants were then allowed to become self-fertilized; the seeds were kept and sown separately. This second generation consisted of plants having the dominant characteristic, and also others having the recessive. In every four, on the average, three showed the dominant and one the recessive.
When the same experiment was carried out with the plants of this second generation, it was found that every one which had shown the recessive characteristic bred true, while of those which had exhibited the dominant, only one out of three bred true. In other words, the characteristics inherited by the second generation come from a chance combination and can only be predicted on paper.
Let us apply this to dog breeding for a moment and see what we get. Suppose a spaniel bitch that you own is well up on the leg, short in the body, with a good back line and tail set, but a little weak in head development. Obviously, if you can procure puppies which combine a strong head with the good points of the bitch, you will have made a noteworthy advance.
Your next problem is to find a stud whose dominant feature is a strong head, and whose body characteristics and blood lines approximate those of the prospective dam as nearly as possible. Then, provided a good body is a dominant characteristic of the bitch, and a strong head of the stud, the resulting puppies should combine these features. However, should these characteristics of the sire and dam be second-generation characteristics, the likelihood of the puppies inheriting them will be a chance combination.
Mendel spent ten years on his experiments, but when he had given his results to the world they were promptly forgotten, while students of heredity wrangled over the theories of Weismann and Lamarck. However, in 1900 three men simultaneously brought it all to light again. At the start of their investigations the exceptions to Mendel's laws received more attention than they should have, and many conservative investigators decided that Mendel was wrong. Nevertheless, it is now realized that Mendel's work was valuable and provided the basis for all future important work on genetics.
Mendel's experiments with the garden peas showed the way in which the laws of inheritance work, and brought out the truth of the conclusion that the chance of breeding good dogs increases in direct ratio with the quality not only of the parents, but of every dog in all the generations behind them.
Understanding the basics of genetics is an essential for all dog breeders. Only then can you make an informed selection of bitch and stud.
The above information will give you a good start on this fascinating subject.
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By MIKE SELVON
 There is more to being a dog trainer than meets the eye. It is not all about teaching it to sit or stay. It involves a level of control over the animal and that animal knowing his or her place in the pack.
You, and your family, are the pet's pack. In a pack there is an Alpha and a hierarchy of levels that each family member will fulfill. Training your dog involves a routine of rules that it is expected to follow.
In order to be a dog trainer for your pet, you have to know some training tips. The first is having the proper knowledge on the dog breeding. Certain dogs are more laid back than others.
Some dogs exhibit more aggression. As a trainer for your puppy, you must know its breeding. Once you have this knowledge ingrained then you will know what areas of difficulty you can expect as well as areas that will be easier.
Basic training starts off with teaching the pet how not to use the bathroom in your house. Dog books may recommend something called crate training to help with this aspect. Basically it begins with laying puppy pee pads out and into a crate designed to house your pet.
There will be some rough times when the carpet gets more of the pee than the pad or crate does but as a trainer you must come to expect this. Eventually the pet will lean to use the bathroom correctly.
Crate training can also be used as a way to secure the pet at night when the rest of the family is asleep. You probably do not want to wake up and find your best shoes chewed up because Fido became irritated at you because you were not there for him or her when they wanted to play.
Dogs are very smart. If you irritate them or abandon them, they will retaliate and the recipient is often a favored pair of shoes that become chew toys.
Dogs are not dumb creatures. They know when you leave them alone and they do not always like it. There are some dogs that take this absence very hard when other dogs may be okay with it.
You may find out the hard way about the kind of retaliation and defiance it can give when you have upset them. Crate training helps by securing your pet in a safe environment without fear of coming home to a destroyed house.
Dog forums are an excellent way a novice trainer can receive advice on the harder aspects of being a dog trainer. It will not be all sunshine and roses, you should expect some roadblocks.
Professional trainers have websites that can help you and your pet get past these barriers. You can also visit a local pet store for advice on everything from puppy pad training on up to teaching your pet tricks.
Mike Selvon has some great puppy training for the pet lover. Find out more about a dog trainer. We appreciate your feedback at our pet training blog. Match The Training Method To Your Dog
By Shane Morgan
 This week's training tip has to do with matching your training methods and approach with your dog's temperament and disposition. Unfortunately, this is something that is often overlooked by some dog trainers.
If done correctly, behavioral dog training should also help to shape and improve your dog's character. Self esteem, confidence and a sense of belonging - of loving and being loved should be the natural result of behavioral training as well as a well behaved dog.
In order to accomplish all of this it is vital that the methods used and your approach match your dog's personality. Although this sounds like common sense it can be a little trickier than it sounds. Here's what I mean.
It's pretty obvious that when dealing with a shy dog or sensitive dog you should lighten the methods of restriction and REALLY emphasize positive action and behaviors, acknowledging with exaggerated rewards. It also makes sense that when dealing with a excessively boisterous or even a dominant dog you need to handle things more firmly.
But what do you do when faced with some of the following scenarios...
* A dog who is very outgoing but is sensitive to any correction or Disapproval.
* A mischievous dog or trouble maker who has separation anxiety - can't stand to be apart from their owner.
* A timid dog who turns aggressive when you try to correct them or tell them "No!". (behaviors like 'fear biting')
* Or the usually well behaved 'happy' dog who is completely emotionally crushed by any disapproval shown by the owner.
These are just a few examples of dog-personalities I've worked with. As a general rule it's best to use neutral body language and expression when having to say "No!" to your dog. Also methods like the four Compassionate Control Actions that I teach do a lot of the communicating for you.
The only time I purposely express emotions when doing behavioral dog training is when I'm working with a dominant, stubborn confrontative dog (like my Indigo) who'll actually argue and grumble when they get into trouble. For this type of dog I like to express "profound disappointment" to help get through to them and to be taken seriously.
As an aside, anger is one of the least effective emotions to express when dog training. It tends to either trigger an undesirable response or scare the dog. Either response is not what you're aiming for and certainly doesn't help to build good character.
But no matter what you do, be sensitive and aware of your dog's emotional experience. If anything err on the side of caution at first. If, for example, you give your dog a "Time Out" for the first time keep it really short (1-2 minutes). When done this way the worst that can happen is your dog might not take you seriously the first time and you have to repeat it for a longer time.
If on the other hand you gave your dog a long "Time Out", say 15 minutes and they came out of there terrified and in shock, you may have caused emotional trauma that could take months to turn around.
So in the beginning take it easy, take it slow and carefully observe your dog's reaction. You can always up it a notch later on.
Learn more from Shane Morgan about how triggers and responses influence your
dog's behavior and how you can make it work for you instead of against you when
you get your free membership at:
www.Dog-e-Talk.com The Importance of Dog Obedience
By MIKE SELVON
 We all have rules that we must follow. These rules can come from our government or can be self-imposed rules to guide our behavior. Dog's are much the same way in that they must have rules to follow.
Dog obedience training helps show the animal how they should act and in what manner they must react to outside stimuli. Just as our past influences our behavior, a dog's behavior is the same way.
There are a variety of places a pet can come from. It may be as a puppy from a professional breeder or it could be an animal rescue organization. He or she can also come to you later on in their doggy years as a result of owners moving, being forced to get rid of the animal or from the local pound.
If you get your companion as a grown one, it may have had training. You can get an initial idea of the dog behavior by observing the animal when you go to pick it up.
There are some things you should and should never do when it comes to dealing with dog aggression. The first understands how an aggressive dog's stance can suggest how it will react to you. The first mistake most people make is assuming that all dogs are friendly.
They are not and you can find out this lesson in a very hard way. Always treat a new one with suspicion first. Do not immediately hug the animal or put your face on level with his or hers.
Do not make prolonged eye contact if the animal is growling or standing in a rigid way. The best way to approach an unknown one is with soft words and to allow the pet to gradually come to you.
Once the pet is in your possession you must immediately start working on the dog obedience lessons. You have to establish yourself as the dog's Alpha. In the wild or in groups of canines, the Alpha is the leader.
He or she is the dominant one of the pack. You must be dominant over your pet in order to have the obedience lessons stick.
Dog obedience training applies to all aspects of the animal's life, as well as your own. He must always know that you are the boss and that he must follow the rules. These rules could be house training, walking on a leash, eating food that he finds or from strangers and most importantly...not being aggressive towards other people.
Dog's bond with their Masters and will often show signs of aggression as a way to protect the Master from outsiders or dangers perceived by the animal.
Dog's make wonderful pets and can bring joy to you and your family's lives. Be responsible by training your pet. If you have questions you can look on dog forums for answers from fellow pet owners.
It is essential to show love to your pet and know that he is protected. If you do not think you can handle the dog obedience classes, or can not take the time, then be responsible by allowing someone else to have the opportunity to own and love the animal.
Mike Selvon has some great puppy training articles for the pet lover, where you can find out more about dog obedience. We appreciate your feedback at our pet training blog. Becoming a Certified Dog Trainer
By MIKE SELVON
 Television can bring to light many different types of careers. One of these is being a certified dog trainer. This is an ideal career is a person loves to work around animals.
It may not be a traditional job in an office but it is a career in which someone is doing what they love. The trainer is instrumental in teaching both the pet and owner how to bond and interact with each other. It is very satisfying to know that your knowledge and skill is being passed on to other animal lovers.
Becoming a certified dog trainer begins with a love of animals. It requires patience and a desire to interact with the animal. Dog obedience training takes knowledge and a compassionate nature in order for there to be success.
Most people do not turn to a certified dog trainer until there is an obvious sign of dog aggression and then the battle begins. Training starts when the animal first comes home and continues throughout the life-time of the canine.
Most training programs begin with the basics. The basics understand pet aggression, knowing animal physiology and psychology as well as learning how to communicate with the dog.
Puppy training is where most people come into contact with their first problems. A certified trainer takes classes on how to deal with a puppy just as a school teacher would a child.
Once the basics of dog behavior are down, then begin the specialized coursework designed to train a pet through a variety of methods. The instruction will teach how to use a variety of instruction in order to train the pet such as through a clicker or through positive reinforcement.
Other steps include teaching safety to the owners as well as the dog. It is also important to learn how to deal with dogs that are more difficult to deal with due to a past history of violence or pet fighting.
Once the coursework is complete, the certified dog trainer is ready to begin. There are a variety of places to work such as pet supply stores, kennels or even opening up a business.
One great example of a certified trainer is Cesar Millan who works with troubled dogs and their owners on his hit television show 'The Dog Whisperer' airing on cable.
A freelance trainer will not punch a clock or find them working day-in and day-out within the confines of an office building. There is the freedom of working outdoors and getting to play while being paid.
If you decide to work for a company such as Pets Mart then you can get benefits as well. You may never be famous but you will be important to the people you help.
Mike Selvon has some great puppy training for the pet lover, where you can find out more about the certified dog trainer. We appreciate your feedback at our pet training blog. Share Your Opinion. (0 posts)
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