Ian Dunbar talks about how dogs become shelter dogs.

The message in this short video is vital for anyone who is getting or has a puppy, works with shelter or rescue dogs, or anyone considering adopting a shelter or rescue dog.

(Photo credit: bk2000)

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Jake’s 7-month-old Bouvier de Flandres, Mona, makes her demo debut at the Southeastern Ohio Kennel Club Responsible Dog Ownership Day last weekend! This demo was recorded at East State Street park.

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“How old does my puppy have to be before I can begin training?”

This is a question I am asked often. The puppy in this video is 10 weeks old; but you don’t even have to wait that long! “Training” starts the day you bring your new dog or puppy home to live with you — dogs are learning all the time. This is why it is easier to prevent problems and bad habits than to solve them later.

(Check out our Puppy Kindergarten class in Athens!)

But what most people mean when they ask this question is, “How soon can I expect my puppy to start performing tricks and basic obedience behaviors?” Happily, the answer is the same — immediately. Clicker training is an easy and fun way to accomplish this.

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This is my friend Tracy Custer (foster mom to my cattle dog Gimli — Tracy has a littermate), practicing with a few of her 11 (yes, 11) amazing rescued disc dogs.

Most of the moves you see here are used in freestyle competition, which involves the handler throwing to the dog, who catches and performs tricks to music. Awesome stuff.

The good news is, anyone with a clicker and a dog with a little bit of drive can participate in freestyle disc (and if you’re more into throwing than fancy footwork, there’s a distance competition, too).

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This dog gives us an excellent look at arousal; in this case, predatory arousal. Note her dilated pupils and wide-mouthed panting. Watch during the first five seconds of the video as she licks her lips — this is a calming signal asking the person with the camera to please “back off.” Keep an eye on her tail position and movement. Do you think she wants to make friends with the squirrel?

There are at least two additional warning/calming signals in this video. Can you spot them? (Hint: Watching with the volume off helps.)

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A short video demonstrating how to get started with clicker training by introducing your dog to the clicker.

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