Trainer referrals for Phoenix
1. Jose De Anda - JD's Powerhouse K9 Bootcamp. Jose specializes in behavior modification, dog aggression, basic training and pack socialization. Offering bootcamp board & train, day camp, puppy socialization and CGC Certification.
www.jdspowerhousek9bootcamp.com
(480) 318-4050 call/text
Email:
jdspowerhousek9bootcamp@gmail.com
2. Tawni McBee IACP -All Greatful Dogs, Inc.
CDT/CDTA/PDTI
AKC CGC evaluator
All Greatful Dogs provides training for dogs and reiki based body therapy for animals and their people. We also sponsor a free dog professional network for the Valley of the Sun and beyond and will be happy to help if you aren't in our area.
www.allgreatfuldogs.com
480-586-5819
Be The Pack Leader
When you adopt a bully breed dog, you might find yourself defending it against some negative stereotypes about bad behavior or aggression. For this reason, it's important to start training your new friend as soon as you bring him home or for any unbalanced dog training is essential and extremely rewarding for a healthy relationship between you and your dog. The last thing you want is your dog jumping on a neighbor or nipping at another canine, reinforcing any wrong notions your friends might already have. To ensure you and your dog get off on the right foot, find out how to get started teaching basic pet-iquette, and learn when it might be time to enlist a professional.
Getting Started
Before you begin, make sure to set yourself up for success by finding the right location and tools to train your bully safely. You should make sure your dog has the correct type of training collar, a regular flat buckle collar is not suggested, regular flat collars, do not allow you to properly make corrections, these types of collars are typically not secure, many dogs can slip out, back out of the collar and they also break, the buckles can break and you will be left with holding a leash and collar while your dog runs off and if this were to occur, the outcome could be less than favorable for all. The training collars we recommend are collars such as a Martingale style, in addition, we are advocates of the prong style training collar (NOTE- the prong style collar is a training tool and only to be worn during training and this type of collar is recommended only after you have been instructed how to "correctly" use it and your dog has been "correctly" fitted for the prong collar). We also HIGHLY suggest if you use a prong collar, you ALWAYS use a back up "safety" collar which is also attached to your leash. This will ensure that should the prong become un-hooked, the "safety" collar is still attached to your leash. Successful training sessions and safe training sessions are achieved with the correct training tools, i.e. correct collars, a well made leather type training leash that fits well into your hand and allows you to firmly grip and allows you maximum control. If you have any questions regarding training tools, please contact Bully Pride and we are happy to assist you and make recommendations to help you find the collars and or the training tools that will work best for your dog and you. If you sign up with a local trainer, each trainer may have a different methods and they may also make certain recommendations.
The Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) recommends learning what motivates your dog. Rewarded behaviors are most likely to be repeated, so if you can figure out what motivates your dog, you will unlock the key to positive training. Some dogs respond to food rewards while others like toys or praise. Experiment with your bully until you find the right reward, and then you can really begin working on commands and correcting any behavioral problems. Start with teaching basic movement commands such as "sit," "stay"
and "come." Bully breeds are extremely intelligent and should master these commands easily.
Continuing Education
The general belief is that puppies are easier to train because they have a clean slate to work with. While this might be true, the old adage "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is not. You can teach an adult dog how to behave around others and to follow basic commands. In fact, some adult dogs might be easier to train, since they may be calmer and more settled than puppies.
Remember, regardless of your bully dog's age, consistency is key. Just because your dog has learned a command doesn't mean you can stop reinforcing it. Continue to expect the best behavior out of your dog and praise him or her for following your instructions. Once he's mastered the basics, consider signing up for a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program. This program is perfect for bully breeds as they generally excel at obedience, plus many insurance policies will give a discount on liability policies if your bully is certified as a CGC.
Accepting Advice and Assistance
Adopted bullies don't always have a violent history, as some people believe. Most shelters will have conducted temperament testing to see how your dog will respond to stimuli such as food, other pets and strangers, which will give you a head start in working with your new dog. If you would like to take it a step further, consider adopting from a reputable rescue, a reputable rescue will get to know their dogs to ensure a match for you. Plus, adopted bullies who have experienced neglect or dominant training techniques might be very eager to please a new owner who takes a gentler training approach.
However, if your dog exhibits behavioral problems or has a history that's affecting his level of learning, it might be a good idea to consult a professional dog trainer. Look for one who has worked with bully breeds in the past and believes in positive training methods.
On this page, we have provided you with a list of suggested trainers in the area, some specialize in different areas of training, behavioral, aggression, basic obedience, protection work, agility, pack work etc. and each have their own methods and style of training,
Bully Pride of Arizona will be happy to talk with you to better determine the behavioral issues your dog may be exhibiting or the challenges you may be experiencing or the training goals you hope to achieve, We can then suggest training tips and/or suggest a trainer that may best suit your needs.
Bully Pride of Arizona
bullyprideofaz@gmail.com
Training & Trainer Referrals
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Often people feel they must give up their dog for various reasons. If you can find a solution to the problems, and help make your dog a member of the family in good standing, that's one less dog that needs rescuing, and both the dog and the humans will be happier. Dogs are living creatures, capable of fear, love, pain, loneliness and joy. They should never be considered disposable property, for they should be considered members of the family.
Consider training your dog, its an investment into achieving a well balanced dog which in turn means happiness in the home. Do the work, help your dog become an ambassador to the breed.
Without strong Pack Leadership from you, your dog will feel insecure and try to take the leadership position, whether she wants it or not. This can lead to over-excitement, anxiety, aggression, and a lot of other misbehaviors. If your dog is misbehaving, do you think it could be because of lack of leadership from you? Be honest, and don't feel bad about it. Just step into the solution by educating yourself.
Owners must take their dogs for daily pack walks to satisfy their migration instincts. The dog must not walk in front of the human who is holding the lead, as the pack leader goes first. The dog must walk beside or behind the human. The objective in training this dog is to achieve pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in their pack.
When we humans live with dogs we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined and rules are set.
Because a dog communicates his displeasure with growling and eventually biting, all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. The humans must be the ones making the decisions, not the dogs. That is the only way your relationship with your dog can be a complete success.