Correct healing position is where the dog’s shoulder blades are in line with the seam of your pants. This is when the dog is sitting, standing, or in motion, heeling.

Lagging is where the dog is out of correct heel position behind you.

I have experienced this myself with my six year old yellow lab. Once puppyhood was behind him (which takes at least three years with a lab), and his skinniness wore off (about the same time as the puppyhood did), he would lag while heeling. Warmer weather seems to make it much worse.

Firstly, you must make sure that your dog is not experiencing a physical problem such as hip, leg or foot pain. Check that his toe pads are in good shape, nothing is lodged between the toes like debris or matted hair. Lastly, the toenails should not be touching the ground, they should be trimmed back neatly.

When I am obedience training him, this is how I correct lagging. First of all, I do not train him in the heat of the day. We choose early morning or in the evening and we work out in the shade. Secondly I keep lots of positive energy flowing. From the first mention of it being training time until we are done, I do my best to keep my voice lifted, to move in a quick, playful manner, and to give him lots of verbal praise.

While I am pumping this positive energy, he is wearing his training collar. If he begins to lag, I give him a quick tug on the leash and correct him verbally with verbiage such as “come on good boy, good job”. I am not harsh with him when it comes to correcting his lagging. He needs to want to keep up with me.

Another thing I do is use bait. This is very helpful for off leash work. I will have him heel and when it is done correctly I give him intermittent treats. Sometimes I hold my left point finger and thumb together and pretend there is a treat there. Because I have been handling the treats, he believes it and will keep up with me.

One more thing that works well if you have two dogs, and one does not lag, is to work the non-lagging dog first. The lagging dog watches, either tethered or in a down stay. Make it look like the best time ever, sparing not the praise or treats. The lagging dog should be ready to roll when his turn come up.

For a lagging dog, heeling training has to be positive. You must pump them up and make it worth the effort. Be ready for life changes and adjust with fun. The experience will be more fun for both of you and your dog will want to remain at your side.

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The breeds with terrier in the name are very light shedders as are the poodles. Those of you who chose to fall in love with these companions are sailing through summer with the occasional vacuuming.

The rest of us, well, it is vacuuming several times a week, dusting every level surface a couple of times a week, sweeping out the garage each week, etc. We may have fallen in love with one of the retriever varieties.

It is my understanding that dogs with a double coat will “blow coat” in the spring. This is a profuse shedding that can be handled by special baths, grooming etc.

The condition we are living with is labs that shed hard all summer long. The most useful tool I have found is the shedding blade. I tried the furminator, the ionic brush, a fine toothed comb. But the most effective tool is found at your feed supply or farm supply store for just a few dollars. This blade was originally used on horses, goats and sheep. It is a looped blade with a handle. The blade has teeth on each side.

The shedding blade, when used daily, rids your dog of a huge amount of loose hair. It feels really good too, by the reaction I get. Care must be taken, not to rake too hard against your dog’s skin, as the teeth on the blade are sharp. Go slowly around the face, especially the eyes, nose and mouth. Also use less pressure on areas with less hair, like the underbelly.

I have also noticed that the dogs are able to go longer between baths when we using the blade regularly. It removes debris and reduces odor.

You will see, as we have, a daily once over with the shedding blade really helps with summer shedding. It is also one more thing you and your dog can do together, create another ritual and reap the benefits of the closer bond.

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I had a friend introduce me to something that saved me. Cool wraps. It is a bandana like tube filled with gel crystals that when soaked in water, expand and become cool. You tie this to your neck, resting it on the arteries on each side and you are noticeably more comfortable. They are awesome. They last for several hours and if rotated, you have a measure of relief from the heat for the day, and night if needed.

I was so impressed by these inexpensive little jewels that I bought several when I got home. One Saturday morning as I was loading up for dog training, I realized that they would be great for the dogs also.

After obedience training for several years now, I have realized it is a winter time sport in the dog’s eyes. They are far better performers when it is cold out. When it is hot out, morale can go down quickly. You have a slow, sluggish and uninterested hot dog. So that Saturday I tied one on to each dog’s neck and went to training. They performed noticeably better. I left them on for a short while after we were finished during their cooling down period also. I think they are fantastic for any dog that is an indoor, outdoor dog or a dog that you are asking to work for you in the heat.

So this summer I highly recommend purchasing a few cool wraps for your family, including the dog. He will be appreciative, I promise.

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Here are a few I came up with, please mention more that have created a fun for both your dog and kids.

Try turning on the sprinkler and include the family dog in the running, romping and chasing through the water. This is a great place to fetch a ball or frisbee!

A great way to increase physical fitness for the kids and the pup is to institute an early morning or evening walk, during times with the heat is not at its peak. New parks and trails and places neither has been before will keep it interesting. This will instill responsibility in the child and keep unwanted pounds off the dog during the months when laying in the ac sounds better than just about anything else.

When it’s just plain hot and everyone has chosen to stay indoors, teach the kids and the dog how to “find it”. Have the dog sit out of site, then have the kid hide a smelly sock or dog toy. Then give the dog the command to “find it”. This game is so fun that it can last half an hour easy.

Challenge your children to teach your dog 10 obedience commands before the summer is over. It is a fun challenge for the kids, which will require research, involvement with the dog and practice. Plan a special reward for achieving the goal. You will witness better behavior from your dog and a sense of pride in your child, not to mention better bonding between them.

Remind your children that what your dog loves most in the world is to be with them. If you can include a dog in any game, inside or out, or take them along (but never leave them in a car in the summer) on errands even for just a few minutes, it will break up the dog’s day and the monotony of everyday being the same for them. Try these ideas out this summer and let summer go to the dogs!

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When faced with a litter of precious baby puppies, it can be hard to decide which one is right for your family. A decision this important cannot be made quickly or ruled by emotion. Choosing a puppy with a stable personality is a great investment and a wonderful start to this long term relationship. While this cannot be done with absolute certainty, there are a few things to look for that will provide you with information on personality.

The first and best clue, according to Karen L. Campbell, DVM and professor at University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine at Urbana-Champaign, is to meet the mother. By the time the puppies are six weeks old, they have picked up an incredible amount of knowledge from mom about how to behave. The things they learn during this period tend to stick with them.

Whether or not this is possible there are several other “tests” you can do to learn more about your potential companion. First, roll him over. Look for the puppy that does not struggle too much but also does not appear overly shy or timid or urinates during this test.

Secondly, check enthusiasm. Use a squeaker toy and toss it around. Alert, playful puppies will look at it with interest. You may also be able to predict fetching ability here. If the puppy is too frightened or shy to play with it after a minute or so, they may be too nervous for most family environments.

A test to gauge how compliant a puppy may be is to tickle his toes. Pick up the pup’s foot and see how the puppy reacts to having his foot manipulated. This is a practical test because the feet will need attention, for care and nail trimming.

Fourthly, look the puppy in the eye. This is a huge indicator of personality. Puppies who stare back at you intently may certainly be dominant and harder to train as they grow up. Those who avoid all eye contact, may be too timid. The pup that will look at you but look away when you continue to stare is the one to choose.

Lastly, look how the puppy treats his littermates. Dr. Campbell recommends. There are two puppies you want to avoid, the one who seems to be the leader, and the one who isolates him self from the group. The puppies that land in the middle are the best choices.

It is very important that you make sure you know your potential puppy’s history. Attempt to meet at least the mom, ideally both the parents. Puppies who have been handled by humans from the start and given lots of love and attention from the start are the best puppies from which to choose.

The best advice when looking for a new puppy and attempting to predict personality is to take your time, ignore the “cuteness” factor and go through the simple tests slowly. This is an investment that will pay off and ward off many behavior problems and ensure a good fit for your family.

Food aggression in dogs can stem from many things. A dog who was jail broken from the shelter who may have had a questionable past as far as food availability could be an example. In a multi-dog household, a more dominate breed could exhibit aggression over the other dogs is another example. Sometimes there is just no obvious explanation.

However, there are solutions to this problem. These solutions should work no matter the source of the problem.  Food is a very powerful reward. Dog Trainers have used food as a reward forever and some believe that food was the way mankind was able to domesticate the canine initially and put him to work in his different capacities.

Food aggression will manifest its self at feeding time. For those that have multiple dogs and leave food out all day, you may see one dog bully the other dog and keep the other dog away from the food and water dish. For owners who choose to feed at a certain time of the day, you may see a more powerful display of this aggression. It may take the form of blocking, knocking the other dog out of the way, on the mild side, to snarling and biting on the more severe side.

To solve this problem where food is left out all day, a couple of things can be attempted. First, and most obvious, is too change to set times to eat where you are present and in control of the feeding.  If that is not desired, use the following methods that are described.

For most all food aggression, several things can help. First make sure all food and treats are earned from you. In nature, nothing comes for free. Dogs need to earn their food and will respect you and understand their place in the hierarchy, which will mentally defuse some of the aggression.

Another thing to try, since the food is a reward is to cover it with a towel or box when the dog becomes aggressive. Then discipline the behavior verbally or verbally with a quick firm jerk on the collar. When the behavior is extinguished, uncover the food. The connection should be made quickly.

A few days of diligence should restore peace to feeding time and make life more pleasant for the dogs who show aggression and for the dog who had to expend the energy on the aggression.

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The competition, the bond exhibited between dog and handler, and the idiosyncrasies that are inevitable at the dog show have become common place to my family members.

A perfect example is last weekend when I competed in a UKC show in Fort Worth, Texas with my chocolate lab. I just finished my run and my daughter, with her thumbs going a thousand miles an hour on her texting keyboard, says, “Mommy, when do you go in the ring?” Sigh….well, I guess I’m lucky I get anyone at all to show up to dog shows with me anymore.

However I got a refreshing look at the atmosphere the day before my daughter went, when my dad came along with me last Saturday. As far as I know, he has never been to a dog show.

For someone who is not accustomed to it, he pointed out some things that made me see it with fresh eyes again. He commented on the beauty of the pure bred dogs. He is so right. A dog that is a great example of his breed is a beautiful sight; the way he moves, the personality exhibited and the ability to work.

Dad asked me, “Do you think they like to do this?” The answer is simple to me, but I explained it to him the best I knew how. It boils down to this: Dogs want to spend time with us. They want to work for and especially with us. Its in their history, it’s in their DNA. After watching dozens of dogs compete, he agreed. He watched the body language of dog and handler, the way the dog would intently watch the owner for signals and commands and then respond appropriately. The way the upper level dogs were “all business” in the ring, and then jump, turn and flip after a successful run when the owner made a huge celebration out of their effort.

It was a great day for me not only to do what I love to do with my dogs, compete with the skills we have been practicing day in and out. But to also show someone else what obedience dogs are capable of. To show someone else the wonderful bond between dogs with jobs and owners who know how they are hard wired and capitalize on it. It’s a moving thing to see a dog listen, watch and try so hard for its owner.

It is also moving to find the non-competing family member kicked back with the show dog in his lap, both fast asleep as the afternoon wears on. This reminds me that in the end, it’s the love of dogs that motivates us to do what we do.

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Teaching the stay command is pretty simple. Like every other command, you just must stick with it and not compromise until it is solid. Then practice it daily afterwards.

In my opinion, the best position to teach the stay command is in the sitting position. It can also be taught in the down position or standing. The general idea is that the dog is placed in a position and then does not move or “break”.

Have your dog sit with you standing in the heel position. For those of you new to the blog, the heel position is on your dog’s right side with the seam of your pants lining up with your dogs shoulder blade. Then give the command “stay” and take a step forward. If the dog stays for at least a few seconds, reward him. If not, say “no” in a low voice, set the dog up and say “stay” again, in a neutral voice.

Once this has been accomplished you want to be able to move in front of the dog, facing him, and increase the time before the reward. Once the dog is staying for at least 30 seconds, then leave him and cross the room and face him. Here you can increase the time. In obedience competitions, you will see this exercise performed with the handler out of the dog’s site and left to sit for three minutes before the handler returns.

There are so many ways the “stay” command makes life more pleasant, besides the ones mentioned above. Having your dog stay at a reasonable distance while you enjoy your dinner, or while you answer the door or as part of fetch or retrieve games are all great examples! Teach this command and watch your relationship with your dog become more enjoyable.

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