When you first bring a rescue dog into your home – especially an older one who may be very set in his ways – your first responsibility is to get to know your dog. This requires constant and careful observation. You must spend time getting to know your dog, learning how to read him so that you will understand which training techniques will work best with your dog.  For instance, if your dog has quickly assumed the role of “Alpha dog”, your task at hand will require immediate and influential action. However, if he is demonstrating tentativeness, he may be simply in the “role confusion” stage and only needs to see signs of leadership from you to learn where he belongs in the family hierarchy.

So job one is observing your dog’s behavior to determine what type of training will be required and in what doses. If your dog tries to “lead” you or other members of the family, he is trying to take charge. More specifically, if your dog exhibits some of the following behaviors, then you would do well to take the appropriate steps to assert yourself as Top Dog. It’s in everybody’s best interest – including your dog – that he learn from the get-go that he belongs in the lowest place in the family’s pecking order.

To determine if your dog thinks he is “leader of the pack”, look for the following behaviors:

Shows teeth, snarls, or even attempts to bite when you try to remove a toy or bone from him
Always has to be out in front – pulling on the leash, rushing out the door ahead of you
Challenges your authority, from simply ignoring your instructions to outright disobedience
Eats food on his schedule – that is whenever he feels like it – and not on your schedule
Is always trying to control his territory – like sitting in the middle of the hall – forcing all to walk over or around 
Pushes his way onto your bed despite your commands to the contrary

The recommended techniques required to establish you as “Alpha Dog” may at times seem harsh. But asserting yourself as leader will be doing your dog a huge favor. For a dog to assume the role as leader in a human environment can become very stressful for your dog. This could lead to anxiety, nervousness, constant barking or even aggression. Dogs simply want to know their place in the family pack and what is expected of them. Oftentimes, an “aggression” problem is really attributable to “role confusion”.

So, how do you go about reversing roles?  Start with these four general rules:

Rule 1 – go slowly. In fact the more aggression your dog has exhibited, the slower you should go.  You do not want this to become a challenge to your dog to compete with you, but rather a life lesson.

Rule 2 – no more “something for nothing”. Teach your dog that all the good things in life must be earned including play time, treats, walks, petting, even meals. 

Rule 3 – do not tempt bad behavior. No more dashes out the door unfettered. No leaving food on easy-to-reach counters. No more treats simply because you looked down and saw two soulful eyes beseeching you. 

Rule 4 – Make your dog totally dependent upon you. Become the provider of his every life-sustaining necessity and his every life-enhancing nicety.

Here are some tips and techniques to help you achieve role reversal with your dog:

When taking your dog outside, be sure to walk through the door BEFORE your dog
Always request and get a trick, even if just sitting, before receiving a treat or when you place his food bowl in front of him
When you dog occupies space that he shouldn’t – like the middle of a walkway or on your favorite seat or your bed – gently nudge him until he moves. If necessary, lead him to where you prefer he rest
Never give a command that you don’t intend to enforce. Don’t beg or yell.  Help him to obey if necessary, like gently pushing his rear to sit. Once he obeys, reward him with praise
Feed your dog afterthe family eats. And, give him ample time to finish, but do not allow him to “graze”. If he doesn’t eat in a determined time frame (15 to 30 minutes), remove the food
You determine play time
You determine which games to play. Avoid games of strength and resolve like tug-of-war and even rough housing. Hide and seek or fetch are more appropriate (if you play fetch, insist that he return the toy to your feet). Do not allow him to play keep away
Provide your dog with affection, but in moderate doses and preferably as positive reinforcement for good behavior
During this role reversal period, always remain on a higher level than your dog – literally. Be sure to administer praise and even petting from an elevated position. Avoid sitting down to play with your dog. When your eyes make contact, maintain your eye contact until he averts his stare. After you gain the dominant position in your home, you will be able to relax these silly techniques
Do not allow jumping up on people or furniture during this period. This is a dominating behavior. Either ignore the dog or use a command such as “off” or “no” while gently pushing the dog to the floor
Do not allow your dog to pick favorites among family members. This can be accomplished by having everyone involved in the “role reversal” training. Allowing the dog to dominate just one person will defeat your purpose
Do not hesitate to introduce crate training. It will be a safe haven where your dog can escape the stress of trying to be a leader until he learns his rightful place in the home

Be diligent, patient and persistent and your dog will eventually understand that he relies upon you to satisfy all of his needs and wants. This is a happy place to be for your dog, for you and your family. Now enjoy the wonderful benefits of dog ownership.

German Shepherds first started being developed in the late 19th century by a man named Max von Stephanitz. Stephanitz is still today credited as having fathered the entire German Shepherd breed. An admirer of the German sheep dog of the time, he chose to breed selectively to procure his most desired traits and weed out those that were unnecessary or undesirable. Stephanitz bred his dogs for years, creating the founding root of the German Shepherd breed and eventually become the dog we know today.

When the German Shepherd was brought over to the United States, the breeders in America changed up the bloodlines of the breed by mating it with other types of dog. It is still up for debate whether these breeders aided or damaged the development of the German Shepherd, as American breeders were working towards a show-quality dog while the original German Shepherd was intended primarily for work.

German Shepherds in the United States have coats that are on the shorter side of medium, usually brown and black, tan and black, or cream and black, but not uncommonly producing an all white or all black variety. The truly German variety of the breed has a longer coat which is occasionally (but rarely) seen in the U.S.

German Shepherds were initially developed by Stephanitz as a working breed. To this day, even with the American cross breeding, German Shepherds excel in the work force as hunters, farm dogs, service dogs, narcotics dogs, and law enforcement dogs. German Shepherds are an exceedingly agile, strong, and athletic breed, with a very malleable temperament. They can be trained to work as aggressive guard dogs or be gentle helpers on the farm.

In their native country, the breeding of German Shepherds is so meticulously monitored that a registered shepherd must have had both its sire and damn Shutzhund certified, which means that they have been evaluated for temperament and ability by professionals. Shutzhund certification pays no mind to the size, coat, or general appearance of the dog, which is vastly different from the American variety of canine judging.

The primary visible difference between true German Shepherds and American German Shepherds, besides the length of their coat, is the lack of sloped hips. True German Shepherds have hips level with their shoulders, as the original breed was intended to. American German Shepherds have a distinct slope at the back of the torso into the hips. Sloped hips are argued over by many international breed enthusiasts, being the desired trait for showmanship in America, but also leading to an earlier onset and more significant risk of hip dysplasia.

Whether you are choosing to acquire an American German Shepherd or seeking out a true German Shepherd, you must research your breeder thoroughly. Because of the popularity of this breed and its potential for strength, there are many unethical breeders out there who are trying to turn a quick profit by mating irresponsibly. With proper research, either variety of German Shepherd can provide you with a loyal worker or a loving family pet.

Teaching your dog tricks can be a great deal of fun. It can also help to make them smarter, and for you to have more control over your pets. There are some basic commands that should be taught in order to get your dog to do the things you need him to. Below are the best tricks to teach your dog.

Sit is probably the easiest trick to teach your dog. Most dogs who only know a handful of tricks know how to sit. If your dog understands this command, it shows that you are the dominant one between the two of you. Sitting can help you to introduce your dog to another person or animal without your pet getting too excited and unruly.

Down is another popular trick that many dogs learn. This is the word used to get your dog to lie down. Perhaps your dog is tired but is too busy running around to realize it. Having this command allows you to be in control and gets your pet to rest.

Stay is a beneficial trick for all pets to know. It is effective in the event that you need to step away from your dog for a moment. Getting something done without your dog at your heels helps you to complete the task and resume playing with your dog. This command tends to follow the sit trick, so that you can have your dog remain in that position until you say otherwise.

Heel is a trick that may take some time to teach dogs. It is very beneficial once your pet knows what the word means. Heel refers to your dog walking right beside you, and not pulling on the leash in order to get ahead. This is effective for walking your dog in the park or down the street. . This command tends to follow the sit trick, so that you can have your dog remain in that position until you say otherwise.

Fetch is a fun trick for your dog to learn, for both you and your pet. Tossing an item for the dog to retrieve allows the two of you to bond. It will also provide exercise for the dog. This can be used as more than a game if you can teach your pooch to fetch the newspaper or your slippers.

Shake is a social trick that makes others feel welcome in the presence of the dog. Many people shake hands upon seeing each other. Having your dog shake a friend’s hand is a gentlemanly gesture. It is also a fun trick to watch.

Play dead is one of the oldest tricks to teach a dog. It can be a difficult one though. Patience is needed to teach this command. It generally follows sit and stay, which is probably one reason it is so difficult. It requires attention and knowledge from the dog in order to follow all three commands.

As you can see, there are quite a few tricks that you can teach your dog. The best ones have been mentioned here. They are also the basic commands that almost any dog can learn relatively easy. The more tricks that your pet acquires, the smarter he will appear to those that watch the tricks being performed.

Getting training of self-defense is a thing that will always benefit you and you will always feel proud of what you have done because there comes certain moments in one’s life when one faces a known or unknown predator who is willing to harm the defender and when one has a good practice of different self-defense techniques then one does not need to get confused or afraid of the attacker because he is aware of all the possible threats of the predator and also knows how to deal with the predator efficiently and confidently. Here he will definitely seek help from the different self-defense moves and techniques taught earlier. Therefore we can say that self-defense training does benefit a lot and you never know when and where you feel the need to use your right of self-defense.

Now the question arises is that how to learn self-defense moves and techniques. The ideal way to learn the basics of self-defense is to get admission in any institution where you can get training of any of the self-defense courses like judo, karate, martial arts, kung fu, taekwondo etc. But there are some people who can afford to give time to such institute or they don’t have much money to meet the expenses of the required training course.

Therefore for such type of people there is a very easy way to learn some self-defense tricks and techniques without much investment because now Internet and advanced technology has solved lots of our problems. Now you can get online and download or watch videos in which you can see the tutors teaching you useful techniques of self-defense.

The videos of self-defense training are easily available on the Internet. Some of them might be totally free of cost but for more professional stuff you might need to pay some money but still the fee of this would be not so much and I think an average person can easily afford to pay for it. You can really benefit by watching these videos as they will show you a variety of useful tactics and tricks that how you can save yourself and apply some techniques against your predator for seeking your self-defense. You can also buy CDs, DVDs, and Cassettes about self-defense training. This is also a good deal but the idea is that you need to practice those techniques at home regularly to master them as early as possible.

DoggyDan Podcast – Episode #01 : Bringing a Baby Home Dog Training Please Subcribe me at : https://goo.gl/1CUsZl Episode Info Podcast Show No.1 is available now. This blog post is really to give you an idea of what to expect in my free podcast. I have outlined what it contains below, and if you are not bringing a new baby into the home, then dont worry there will be lots more free podcasts coming along very soon. Thats right, these podcasts are free, packed full of great information and will be covering off everything from getting your dog to come when called, stopping dog aggression, puppy training and helping dogs with separation anxiety. I love dogs, just like you, and this is my way of giving back. This first show is about something that many of you (and a number of parenting organizations) have requested information about. Bringing home a new baby is a wonderful experience although it can also be a stressful and testing time as you juggle to make everything flow smoothly for everyone in the family. This podcast provides you firstly with some solid advice in key areas to help you make the initial transition of a baby coming into the home a simple and relaxing experience. Then we look at how to ensure that long term your family unit includes your dog rather than pushing them away. Here are some of the things Ive covered off How to introduce your baby to your dog Some simple pieces of advice to ensure your babies safety, Why taking your dog for a walk beforehand can make all the difference Understanding how you create the energy of the room Safety of babies around dogs Two of the most common reasons a dog will snap Why babies, food and dogs can be a dangerous combination Space invading toddlers and the importance of a doggy safe place Establishing rules Establish rules and boundaries for both your children and your dogs A few simple rules that will have a profound effect on your dog How you can use your pram or baby buggy to get your dog to heel :) Helping to establish a bond between your baby and dog How feeding time for your baby can become a time for you to relax with your dog The importance of staying calm when your baby is screaming Training your dog how to behave around a baby mat or blanket If you enjoy the podcast please point your friends, baby organizations and parenting classes this way there are a lot of doggy-baby relationships that could benefit with some of this help. There’s also more on the blog about this topic: Managing your dog with a new baby at home. Listen now I do hope you to listen to this podcast, either