Dog Health Questions: Hand Made Dog Collars?

I've been looking around for home made crafts i could sell on my site to raise money for the site and different organizations (maybe even get myself some pocket change that i could use to spoil my pets and maybe buy a dog training book or two i've been wanting!)

I came across the idea of home made dog collar and leash sets, and I even found a pattern or two. I was just wondering if anybody on here has ever tried to make a home made collar, and what pattern they used (or how they did it). And how do you know that one of these things is going to be sturdy enough? Safe enough?

Obviously i won't sell any until i've perfected the idea and tested them out to make sure they where safe (if i even do it). I'm just curious. There seem to be a lot of people in my area that are into custom collars, so i figure why not try and see what the demand is like.

Note: the patterns i found call for using 100% cotton materials with interfacing or nylon webbing.

Again, just curious.

Also, what would you want to see before buying a "home made collar/leash set"? Video demo, etc?

Dog Training - The First Steps in Training a Dog

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I have an idea for you, but you may think it's a stupid one. There is someone on my local Craigslist that has postings for hand made leashes and collars from time to time. I would wonder if this person does well with their sales. Maybe someone on your local Craigslist does this too, so you could go to the Pet Section and type that item/items in the search box. Then, if you found something, you could take a look at how you THINK the items are constructed, and maybe even contact them and talk to them about it. (without telling them that's your plan, so they don't think you would be taking business away from them) Safety and durability would be first on my list, rather than how fancy or pretty it was. I just don't get into that sort of thing, myself.

Dog Training

• Look up para-cord Survival Bracelets if you learn how to make those you can make them larger then make the dog collars aand leashes!! thats what i do and i also sell mine but the money i make goes to our care packages we send to the army (because we have a friend in the army)


• The first thing you will need is an industrial sewing machine. Most commercial machines cringe at the thought of anything that heavy duty. I have an old Singer model 66 that handles the job but its fairly slow. Just thought I would mention that before you bought a bunch of supplies.


• Honestly, although that's a sweet idea, I don't think that I'd buy one. I want something seriously seriously trustworthy for the safety of my dog. I think I'd only trust larger companies for that.


• I think that is such a nice idea but I think I would prefer buying my dog a collar in the
  petshop just cause of safety reasons I think a lot of dog owners would feel the same way


• I did it with leather. I bought the hide, cut the strips, hand sewn, 6' leashes, different widths, collars from 2" wide & down with buckle & D ring. Simple, basic, nothing fancy.


• Not dog collars, but I made bridles and halters when I was a kid, and actually used them.
  
  Mostly I braided them (four or three cord), but I also made some from leather. You could make collars the same way.
  
  Its not hard, and as long as you use nylon cord, webbing, or leather, you shouldnt have any problem with strength.
  
  You dont need to buy a professional sewing machine......they make heavy duty needles for leather, and you could stitch them by hand. You could also do appliques and apply them with hot glue. Nylon melts when it gets hot, so they would probably wear well.
  
  I would want to see samples before buying.

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Dog Health Questions: Cesar Millan 'The Dog Whisperer'?

I watch the show and love it and also love Ceasar and his methods. He does a great job of fixing dogs with problems. I have read posts from a small group of people that 'hate' him and say he is 'sending dog training back 10 years' and stuff like that. What do you not like about him. If a dog has a problem you sometimes have to be slightly forcefull with it. If a human is acting wrong do we keep praising in and giving it affection, no we disipline them too. I don't get what Cesar's haters don't like about his methods. Do you watch the show? Do you like it and him? Why or why not? Thanks for your time.

Clicker Training as an Effective Dog Training Tool

Recommended Answer:
I watch Cesar's show occasionally and enjoy it. I think it's worth noting that he works professionally with unbalanced dogs with socialization problems, not with dogs that need basic training. That said, I don't know why he has published works on training puppies unless, as may be the case, he teaches about how to avoid problems with certain breeds. The “Don't try this yourself” disclaimer appears on every show in which people interact with animals, so that's a CYA thing. It's true that you can't rehab a dog in 30 minutes, but neither can a surgeon perform a heart transplant in the 30 minutes allotted on a TV show.

To me, the value of the show is that it demonstrates that a dog's behavior can be modified and a “bad” dog can become a “good” dog with proper training. Maybe more important is Milan's focus on training owners rather than just their dogs. Pit bulls have gotten a bad rap and many people defend them by saying it's bad owners rather than bad dogs that are the problem. If Cesar's show gets that point across, I'm all for it. If his show teaches people how important it is to properly socialize their dogs through proper training, that's good, too. If people train their dogs correctly from the start, maybe there won't be a need for the Cesar Milans of the world. It's usually much easier to avoid a problem than to correct one.

I like Cesar.

Woof! :)

Dog Training and the Dog-Human Bond

• oh i love that show.. I believe that his methods are the right way to train a dog. and it does work :D


• I do not think much of him. I think he has great personality for TV but I do NOT think much of him as a trainer. Many people forget that it is just a show with LOTS of editing and he does NOT perform miracles. Some of his methods are outdated, cruel and dangerous, he has had some problems because of some of his methods and is even being sued.
  Also, I do not see the point of showing these types of corrective measures on a TV show if they can not be used in real life by ordinary people. His show is always preceeded by a disclaimer that says do NOT try this stuff at home without a professional. Most people watch the show to learn how to fix their dogs problem's, not just for entertainment purposes and the chances of him ever coming to help the ordinary person are slim to none.


• I watch and I like him,too.
  I think people don't like him because he goes against other conventional training techniques.


• It's entertainment - not training. People think they can do just what he does and bingo - their dog is fixed.
  
  No dog can be "fixed" or trained in 30 minutes. It's Television...


• god i hate that show


• Sometimes people dont like people being mean to animals.
  He's not being mean but hes harsh and yur completely right about being forceful. just people think that way.


• While i like him and will watch his show, and have gained a lot of knowledge by watching, i have to disagree with the way his show is so wide spread.
  
  At the beginning of every show it states to consult a professional but there are those people out there that will ignore that statement and try these methods on their own with disastrous results.
  
  I feel maybe that his methods should be available to trainers and professionals instead of the vast majority of the public.


• The people who hate him are also nuts that think that you are supposed to treat dogs the same way as people. Or actually they think you are supposed to treat them better than people.
  
  They're nuts, don't worry about them.


• At the end of the day, there are certain training methods for some dogs that work, and there are training methods for dogs that dont work. Cesar's methods work on some dogs, and not others, but of course we dont see the ones it doesnt work on.
  People get very defensive when their chosen method of training works and gets bagged. We have 4 dogs and they are all trained differently. It does run paralell to children in that some kids are pretty smart and dont need discipline, while others do.


• No, I do not like him, he does not do the dogs any good, his tactics are scripts written for him so he can look good on the show....alot of people that have used him, swear their dog was worse when he got finished with them,, it has been posted on the Internet before, he stinks....
  
  take the dog to a real trainer, not a wanna be.
  
  he is all show, and does not know that much about dogs.
  
  he never has and never will...if you want to take someone serious about training a dog, then get a real trainer, not someone that trys to practice at it without a license......
  
  He gives real trainers a bad rep........and his so called name of
  
  DOG WHISPERER, ,,,,,,,,he whispers to the dogs so you cant hear how much he is botching the job...ha ha
  
  no, sorry, I don't think he should be giving advice....
  
  Breeder/show/handler 15 yrs.
  
  we have dog trainers on here and they can out do his advice and tactics by far.....and they don't pretend to know what they are doing, they do.......and they give good advice on here.


• I sometimes watch the show, and think the biggest problem is that he makes it look too easy. Some of his methods work, but not in 2 minutes as he shows on the TV. I understand that showing a professional dog trainer and a class of puppies wouldn't make as interesting a program, but it would be more accurate.


• yes i watch it i have tried the techniqes and most seam to work.i enjoy watching him


• The fact of the matter is that most of the dog professionals that are speaking out against HAVE trained this way, and saw the negative side of it. Sure the behavior may go away for awhile, and then come back ten fold, or you end up with a dog that totally shuts down.
  
  Watching the show, those dogs aren't submitting, they are shutting down. A form of learned helplessness, because every submissive signal they give him is ignored. Study a bit of dog body language and you'll learn this. Watch the show with no sound, and see the absolute fear in the eyes of these dogs.
  
  The people that are speaking out realize there are far better ways to work dogs of all types.
  
  He is really doing more harm than good, we don't get follow ups on those dogs, maybe there is a reason for that, hmm?
  
  Remember TV is all about the ratings, nothing else.
  
  **Added: There is no science to his methods. His methods are based on flawed wolf studies that were done years and years ago. There are now much more accurate studies, and we've learned ALOT about animals learn between then and now. The wolf studies that alot of dog behavior explanations have come from was done on captive wolves, it has now been learned that wolves don't act this way in a natural setting. So yes, he is setting the dog training world back, back to time before we understood how animals learned, a time when the information we had was wrong.


• Well legend, the less people know about dog training, the more they love his stuff.. While I agree with you that there are some dogs that need a swift boot in the ***, Mr Milan is NOT the man for the job. When you find yourself in doubt of my words, check back with the first sentence I wrote, then wonder why I said it. Hope I helped!!


• I'm not a fan of Ceaser, his methods are what we were using back in the 70's & 80's. times change and if we can get the same results with posative training opposed to the forceful method then why not have a happy working dog rather than a fearful dog that is afraid not to do it your way.
  
  does anyone remember that Ceaser killed a dog that was in his care for training useing his method a few years ago. it was in the news for a while. this is not the person i would want training my dog or showing me how to train.
  
  but it is ok for him to go on TV and show people how to train difficult dogs with his forceful methods and his watchers think i can do that and end up makeing the situation worse. it's not the same as haveing a trainer there to guide you.
  
  i have watched my trainer take very difficult dogs and useing the posative method have the dog working in 30 min. yes you have to be firm but not abusive. believe me you can get a lot farther with posative and much quicker. i've done both and will continue the posative.


• I have noticed that people who want a short cut method or dont know much about any kind of dog training gravitate toward him.
  I myself think he is somewhat dangerous. He goes on TV and performs, and people try all his techniques on their own dogs the next day. The trouble with that is that most of the dogs dont need his methods.
  He calls himself a rehabilitator, but in reality, he masks the problems with fear instead of getting to the root cause of the behavior and resolving it. So short term he may get some results, but they wont last.
  As already said by another poster, his opinion of the pack heirarchy is very flawed and based on not much research and study. He sees the pack environment through a "macho" human view, which has nothing to do with animal behavior.
  If he had any kind of degrees in any kind of animal study or behavior study I would probably respect him at least, but he really is just an actor who has found a great way to make money from the people in this world who are too lazy to read and study dog behavior and training methods themselves.
  
  And yes, I have read his books and watched his show. My husband actually loves him, but then again, my husband has never read any books by real dog behaviorists and accredited trainers, or any books on pack behavior by people who actually go in the wild and observe it.

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Dog Health Questions: Dog training and obedience advice?

I have this dog named Evie that we got from a rescue home. The problem is that I'm the one who plays with her and our other dog, Jack, so when she sees me, she gets excited and gets herself into play mode. She jumps a LOT around me, and even this morning, she bit me (now this is very unusual for her, and I'm not even if it was a playful bite or an accident but I don't think she would ever bite me as if I were a stranger). She doesn't do this with any of my other family members, but obviously my mom and dad are bigger than I, and I play with her more, that might be why she jumps on me more. But anyways, I need help so that when she sees me, she doesn't jump so much. I know you can step on their back paws when they jump, but she jumps too fast for me to do that. And when I kick her in the stomach while she's jumping, I don't think it really gets the message across to her. Please help me.

Dog Training With A Clicker

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I think you know not to step on paws or kick the dog.
The instant the dog starts to jump turn your back to her and walk the other direction. This teaches her that jumping does not get what she wants which is your attention.
Teach her basic commands such as sit, down, off and drop it. The teaching process lets her learn you are the leader.
If you can't do these on your own enroll in a positive reinforcement obedience class.

Service Dog Training: Training Your Dog To Perform Human Tasks

• As an obedience trainer and handler for 40 years, I've found this site on the net works the best for the pet owner;
  
  http://www.dogtrainingbasics.com
  click on the word "articles" next to the picture at the top of the screen
  You will find ways to fix just about anything you come across as a problem and fix it with all positive methods. The site owner is a well known positive trainer


• Things not to do when your dog jumps:
  
  1. Step on her feet.
  2. Knee her/kick her in the stomach.
  3. Hold onto her paws and force her to remain in an uncomfortable position.
  4. Put on a "training collar" (choke or prong), and have someone step on the leash so that when she goes to jump she gets a painful correction.
  
  None of these work and if they DO work they use pain to stop the behavior while simultaneously not teaching the dog what you WANT her to do. Ultimately what you want her to do is keep all four feet on the ground or maybe to sit for your attention.
  
  What to do when your dog jumps?
  
  Cross your arms over your chest and turn your back to her. If she continues to jump, walk away (if this happens at the door, walk back outside and shut the door behind you). When she's calm and has "four on the floor," reward her with attention, praise, even a treat or two.
  
  If she jumps up again, turn your back on her, walk away again. Only reward her for calm behavior.
  
  If you want her to sit instead of stand, then once she is regularly standing with all four feet on the ground and not jumping on you, you can say "Good girl!" but then wait. She'll be puzzled at first as to why she's not getting a lot of attention and treats, but usually eventually a dog will resort to sitting. When she does, praise her extensively and reward her.
  
  Keep working on that and with a bit of time, she'll learn to sit when you approach instead of jumping.
  
  ~Crys~


• Your dog might be jumping on you more so than the others because she feels like she is higher up than you in the chain of command. Try some "alpha" exercises. Make sure you aren't giving her the wrong signals when you are playing and letting her think she is "higher" than you. When she does something you don't like, give her a firm "NO!" or "OFF!" and if she is within reaching distance, give her nose a little tap. NOT a hit... Just a tap. Also, immeadiately stop playing with her. Eventually she will learn that jumping up is a bad thing.


• I have fostered lots of rescue dogs and a lot of them have the problem of jumping up on people. The best way to break the habbit is this little trick, it sounds crazy but it works. When she jumps up on you, you take each one of her paws in your hands and hold her up like that while sternly saying the word OFF, over and over. She'll act like it's hurting, but it's not, it's just uncomfortable. After about a 30 seconds to a minute, let go and let her down. next time she jumps do the same thing.... every time she jumps on you, and every time you do it, use the same term OFF. after a few days, you can try just telling her OFF. It shoud work, but you have to be consistant. when its okay for her to play let her know by doing something like getting in your knees.
  
  Also, a good way to get her to stop a play biting habit is to wince and whine like a hurt puppy when she bites. She doesn't realize how hard she's biting and that it hurts since that is usually how dogs play with each other. Speak to her in her language. When she bites or scratches, whimper and whine like a wounded puppy and she will realize that it hurt.
  
  Good luck, I hope these tricks work.


• Obedience training is the foundation for establishing a better relationship between you and your dog. Obedience training helps establish the owner in the role of "pack leader". Obedience will lay down clear behavior guidelines that your dog can follow. A well-behaved, obedient dog is more than just a pet of pride. The difference lies largely in the training, and good training can save a dog's life.
  
  These articles will give you tips about how to best train your dog.
  
  Dog Training - http://www.dog-pound.net/dog-training.ht…
  
  Dog Obedience - http://www.dog-pound.net/dog-obedience.h…
  
  Repetition, consistency, practice and correction are what it takes to train a dog to be happy and responsive. If you follow these simple steps you will find that your puppy can grow into an obedient well-adjusted dog.
  
  Repitition and Consistency in Dog Training - http://www.dog-pound.net/repetition-cons…

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Dog Health Questions: Has any one ever used the "Dog Training Company" in NJ?

I was considering using them, but I wanted to see if any one has used them, and if they were satisfied with their work.

Service Dog Training and Selection - Train Dedicated Companions for Disabled People

Recommended Answer:
no

ricks canine workshop on long island is VERY GOOD

The Ultimate In Dog Training: Schutzhund Dog Training

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Dog Health Questions: Do any one have the dean Rankin dog training program?

If anyone have this program are any like can I please brower or get copy.Also anything you have on traing a maltese dog.

Thank

Therapy Dog Training, Helping the Infirm

Recommended Answer:
You can check out local pet stores...most of them have books on just certain types of dogs.

Small Dog Training - Small Dogs Need to Feel They Are Pleasing You

• http://www.oes.org/page2/3577~Dean_Ranki…
  
  Read through the above first. I found it very interesting.

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Dog Health Questions: Confused about dog training with treats?

I'm going to train my dog with treats and a clicker. Some articles suggest that treats are amazing and some say that after a while they won't do the tricks if they see you don't have any treats in your hand.

How do I begin training with treats and then wing them off of it? Or should i maybe after a while instead of a treat give them a a very enthusiastic "good girl!!!" and a quick physical reward like a pat on the back or something? Should I be doing something else?

Thanks!!

Do You Make These 4 Common Mistakes in Dog Training?

Recommended Answer:
You gradually increase the interval or number of repetitions before the dog gets the treat. At first, say they heel well for 50 feet, they get the treat, then 75 feet and so on. When you teach a behavior, reward each one and, when they know it, reward after a couple or after they do several things or only when they do it perfectly. It has to be done gradually and you can use verbal praise & petting them too, of course.

If you have ever seen obedience,agility & tracking and so on competitions, almost all those dogs were trained w/ food, but you are not allowed to carry it in competition. The dogs know they will get "paid" when the job is done. PS- throw the clicker away, it is a gadget you do not need.

Dog Training with Hand Signals - Hand Signals Help With Obedience Training Your Dog

• All dogs are different,
  Treats are mostly used to encourage behavior/do a trick not to be used just for "being cute"
  Try with treats at first but whatever you do praise the dog for trying and getting the trick,Things like treats can help a dog learn a trick but also patting their head and saying and saying good Girl!
  But don't only rely on treats,
  But be nice and firm,not mean or anything but be serious.But its okay to have fun just remember to focus,
  good luck!!!


• You should start off with treats, and once he/she will do every time you command, do the occasional treat, but mostly use very enthusiastic "Good Girl/Boy!",(while petting them plenty too), once he/she starts obeying thoroughly. I hope this helps!


• It's a personal choice. I do not train with treats. I want my dog to focus on ME, not the hot dog in my hand. It's a little more work, but I am willing to do it. I will never bribe a dog to do for me what it should WANT to do for my approval. As my dogs have always been extremely well behaved, I feel I am justified in my attitude toward treats. Now I DO use them for certain things. My girl gets treats when she uses the treadmill, and when she goes in her crate at night. I just do not feel the need to use them for basic obedience.


• First of all things make sure your dog is calm during this processs and then start from there. And if you feel that your dog shoud start off with treats but after a while when you wing her off of them say "no beg" and give her a light tap on the tip of her nose. Be stern if you need to....I hope this works for you!


• I usually change it up. Sometimes she gets a treat, other times she doesn't. Many people probably don't agree with this, but it's what worked with my little girl :) She always does whatever command, regardless of whether or not I have a treat.


• If the dog knows what you want and won't do it unless you have a treat, you haven't done it right.


• Be very enthusiastic, then after a while they should just do it, you'll still have to praise her but not as enthusiasticly.


• It really depends on the dog's combination of intelligence and defiance. More intelligent (not to be confused with "obedience intelligence" which is what the "intelligent dog" ranking is based on) won't likely be lured by treats if they don't want to do what you're asking, and those who are will quickly realise when the treats are gone. When my dog was a puppy I tried to train him a bit... he'd get to the point that if I said a command, he'd sniff my hand... if he smelled a treat, he'd do it. Otherwise, he'd just snub me.
  
  The more obedient breeds (labs, retrievers, GSD, poodles, etc...) will fall for treats, and get into the routine of listening to commands even without treats, but others won't. Also, aside from breed, each dog is an individual. Your best bet is to find a way without treats, though.
  
  Lastly, if you have a breed with a defining "no tricks" personality, don't try to change that. That's what makes them unique. So with such breeds (or such dogs), respect that and only teach them essentials (especially "stop" commands for their own safety), allowing them to show their natural personality. With breeds like labs, golden retrievers, and really any working dog, they often thrive of training so teach them EVERYTHING. To be effective, take your queues from her just as she take them from you.

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Dog Health Questions: Dog training tips please? How do you stop a dog from going up the stairs?

We just moved into our first house and we've been trying to train our 3yr old maltese/poodle to NOT go up to the second floor. He only ran up once and I chased him, carried him down. But since then he's been pushing his luck by sleeping on the steps. First step, second step, this morning was the third step and just now he was on the fourth!

Are there any training tips to stop him? I don't want a baby gate on the main staircase.

Thank you!

Professional Dog Training - The Easy Road in Dog Obedience Training

Recommended Answer:
Dont allow your dog to have access upstairs.While you are walking upstaris, ask someone to hold your puppy while you are going upstaris. soon your dog will know that going upstaris is forbidden. If you want anymore help on dogs you should check out my website

www.HelpWithDogs.Info

Good Luck :)

Would Purchasing a Dog Book Or Dog Training Book Be Useful?

• He will only jump the baby gate.what breed is he? Get a trainer in or watch a video how to stop it.


• Sounds like some boundary training is in order.
  These people give great advice:
  http://dogforum.org/


• Have you trained him on Leave It? If you have, you can use it for the stairs.

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