Donald McCaig Quotes

Owners sometimes think their dogs have already suffered so much that they couldn't possibly inflict any more criticism. Yet it's that very firm, effective training that would make those dogs happier and more secure.

You have to train a dog to think.

Training a dog, to me, is on a par with learning to dance with my wife or teaching my son to ski. These are fun things we do together. If anyone even talks about dominating the dog or hurting him or fighting him or punishing him, don't go there.

When I'm training a dog, I develop a relationship with that dog. He's my buddy, and I want to make training fun.

You don't train a dog in a training hall, jerking his neck or even giving him food treats. You train him using life rewards.

Owners lavish love on their pets, which is why so many go from non-aggressive pups to being out of control when they're older. People just don't realise their dog must respect them as leader of the pack.

The pack is very important for a dog. Once you give him the right pack and the right energy, you look at him.

People say I train dogs, but in many ways I train people.

You really do learn every day with every dog; they are all so unique and different. But if you're patient and you understand where they're coming from, and if you are consistent, they will be fine. They teach you to give your full attention.

Do not wave stick when trying to catch dog.

It's natural canine behavior to chew on all sorts of things, roll in other animals' droppings, hump and fight other dogs, menace anything that invades the home. All these behaviors can be curbed, but that takes a lot of work. Trainers say it requires nearly 2,000 repetitions of a behavior for a dog to completely absorb it.

With a dog, people are not disciplined. They think that by spoiling a dog the dog is going to love them more. But the dog misbehaves more because they give affection at the wrong time.

Most owners are at length able to teach themselves to obey their dog.

Training a puppy is like raising a child. Every single interaction is a training opportunity.

It is very easy to forget how much of a pain training is when you have a dog for so long, but trust me, it's not as easy and quick as we all hope.

Many dogs grow up without rules or boundaries. They need exercise, discipline and affection in that order.

I believe a calm dog is a happy, obedient dog that won't get into trouble.

Yes, it will go through the disciplines that all puppies go through including house training and puppy walking, then at twelve month old it the training becomes a lot more rigorous which has to be done carefully otherwise you are in danger of stressing the dog.

It is the job of the dog trainer to summon the dog's genetics, not to impose man's will over dog's.

I took obedience, agility, and shepherding with my dog.

Any dog can be aggressive; it's basically the way they're raised.

My dogs have never been good at things like "sit," "stay," or even "come." I think that we've given the tourists a few laughs, especially when the dogs hit the end of their leashes hard enough to drag Gloria down the street.

Give your dog something to do before you share food, water, toys or affection. This way the dog earns his treat. For example, have him or her perform the "sit" or "down" command.

Like children, dogs want discipline and are most secure when they have rules to live by. The happiest dogs are those with gentle masters who quietly but firmly demand respect.

Americans are very big about loving the dog first, so when you tell them you have to set rules and limitations, a lot of people believe it's going to hurt their feelings. They're actually looking for you to be the pack leader.