Hating men or women is the most peculiar form of instability in dogs. They seem to be sweet and happy with one sex and nervous or vicious with the other. What form of neurosis causes this we don’t know. What can an owner do to make a dog with this nature livable?

First, examine the owner’s mind. Has he or she ever had a grudge against the opposite sex? Did an overpowering schoolteacher make the young boy’s or girl’s life a misery? Does he or she boast that they only get along with men or women? Alsatians are peculiar in this way and will hate men or women instinctively if thought transference comes from an owner with a similar dislike. Many women like big guard dogs, and the big guard dog thrives in this state of affairs and easily develops a dislike of the sex the owner wishes to dominate.

Corgis do the same. This has been particularly noted in these two breeds, partly because they are highly intelligent breeds and telepathy is very marked and partly because the shepherding instinct is uppermost and they have a natural suspicion of strangers. Correct them firmly when young and one gets no further trouble. Accept their suspicious natures, and you will have dogs that hate men or women, usually women.

Now how do we live with such dogs? The world being what it is, we can’t mix with only one sex. Even husbands or wives are a necessity, and it is often against the one or the other that the particular hate is centered. I think the solution is either to send the dog to be boarded or trained by a person of the sex it hates, or else get friends of that sex to feed it or take it for walks. If it shows any signs of being vicious, muzzle it and send it out for a long walk with the person it dislikes. Greet joyously that person when he or she returns and praise the dog. Make the person pat the dog and praise it before saying goodbye and, if possible, give it its food.

Of course there aren’t many good friends who will do this, but I think that if an advertisement was put in the local newspaper, some dog lover would respond. It might even help to employ a “dog sitter” of the hated sex when you go out so that when you are out, the only comfort the dog would get would be from the sex it dislikes.

Only by being made to tolerate people will it respond. Obviously, if a female owner has been jilted and hates all men, her dog will naturally pick up this feeling when the owner is talking to a man. In many cases, all these faults in dogs can be traced to some minor mental disturbance of the owner, although the owner may be unaware of it.

Selecting the right training gear and equipment is a vital factor in determining the outcome of your puppy-training program. You should be careful while selecting the equipment for your puppy. The primary consideration for selecting training gear is the breed and age of your puppy, your training goals and objectives, the quality of equipment and their user friendliness. User friendliness is the most important factor because if you are not able to use the equipment properly, you will face difficulties in accomplishing the training objectives. 

Parameters for Equipment Selection
Ensure that the equipment you select is in accordance with the following parameters:

Signal Perception: Select equipment that will ensure a proper signal perception. Most of the equipment is based on signal perception and equipment that is lacking on this count will cause unnecessary delays and confusions in your training program. The puppy responds after feeling the touch sensation of the equipment. If the equipment does not enable adequate signal perception, how can you expect your puppy to follow the command?

Avoid selecting equipment that requires large movements of your body for the puppy to perceive the signals. The puppy is a sensitive animal and responds effectively to even subtle body movements such as twitch of a finger or a minor hand turn. Your equipment should conform to this special ability of your canine friend.

Results: Results are another important consideration for equipment selection. The best way to judge the effectiveness of training equipment is by evaluating the outcome. Try to change the equipment if you are not getting the desired results. Persisting with equipment that fails to deliver will frustrate you as well as your puppy. However, make sure to evaluate your handling skills and training approach before changing the equipment.

Affects on Your Body: Select the equipment that you can handle with ease and with simple body movements. If you select the equipment without considering its user friendliness, you may end up delaying the training process. Some equipment can cause rashes or other complications for your body. Moreover, if you are having physical conditions such as arthritis or back pain you should select the equipment that you can use using without causing any discomfort. Select the equipment that is safe for your hands and body rather than the one that is in vogue. Equipment selected on these parameters will enable you to handle and train your puppy with ease.

Basic Training Equipment

Collars: Collars are the most important training equipment required for consummating puppy training. Selection of right collar is important not only for the training but also for your puppy’s health and appearance. Age and the puppy’s breed is the most important consideration for selecting a puppy collar. Neck size and coat are other important factors that you should keep in mind before selecting the collar. Select a collar made from soft and skin friendly material when the puppy is young because a hard collar can leave ugly marks on her neck.

It is better to procure two separate collars for walking and training purposes. The Martingale type puppy-collar is safe while you are walking with your puppy because it limits the puppy’s ability to pull. Classic collars are good for training purposes. You can also buy a waling harness if you want to restrict pulling behavior. Some puppy trainers recommend use of buckle slip type or choke collars for puppy training. However, using choke collars can be cruel and could be fatal for your puppy. Avoid using shock collars, ultrasonic collars or citronella collars for your puppy. These collars can develop fear and negative behavioral traits in your puppy.

Leash: Like collars, the selection of leash also depends upon the age and training requirements of your puppy. It may be better to select a longer nylon leash for your puppy. However, you can go for a leather leash at the commencement of formal training. You will also need a 25-30 foot long cord or lunge line for your puppy. The lunge line will come in handy to exercise control over the puppy before she is accustomed to leash and collar.

Training Toys: Toys also play an important role in puppy training and are good rewards for your puppy. Puppy toys are available in a wide range. Selection of the right toys can be a confusing affair. You can select some basic chew toys and some innovative toys such as treat holders and cubes that motivate your puppy to use her creativity and learn some tricks while playing with her toys. Select the toys that can attract interest of your puppy for a long time and are safe for playing in your company as well as when she is alone.

Clickers: Clicker training is gaining much importance these days. The clicker is a very good means for attracting the attention of your puppy. You can select a clicker that is easy to handle and produces a uniform sound each time you use it. However, you have to be very careful with clicker training because a wrong selection and timing of clicker training method can scare your puppy and cause confusion. 

Secondary Equipment: You may also require secondary training equipment like whistles, tennis balls, canvass dummies and specific equipments such as hurdles, jumping boards and hula-hoops for specific training requirements.

Begging food from the dinner table is one of the easiest things to teach a dog, and also one of the hardest habits to break. Your pet’s training to beg begins when he is a young, adorable puppy. It does not take too many repetitions before he learns that he gets fed from the table by begging.

Then he sits by your chair while you are eating and stares at you. Occasionally he’ll get up on his hind legs and paw you, or he’ll nudge your arm and remind you that he is waiting. And he drools, that’s the worst part. He looks as though you never feed him.

If you don’t have this problem, prevention is quite simple. Don’t start giving your dog food from the table. If you must give your dog table scraps, give them in moderation and in his own dish after you have finished eating or, better yet, with his regular meal. Once you have a dog that begs, it becomes a self-perpetuating problem. Begging is rewarded with food.

Chances are, if you have this problem, you’ve tried to stop his begging, you’ve yelled at him when he begs, pushed him away, and even gotten really angry, but he just gets more persistent. So you’ve had to give him something to be able to eat in peace. What you have done is to reward his persistence.

Each time you have tried holding out longer, but have ultimately given in, you have further trained him that no matter how far away the rainbow looks, there is a pot of gold at the end if he simply waits.

When you are tired of this behavior and want to end it, when you get to the point that you can’t stand the drooling, the whining, the pawing and the sad eyes staring at you, then you have to steel yourself for the cure.

Using the positive approach, give him the command “Down” and have him do a long “Down” by your chair during dinner. Be prepared for many interruptions initially, while you reinforce his “Down.” Each time he gets up, repeat the command and replace it if necessary so that he remains down during your dinner.

With a truly persistent begger, your first week of dinners may be quite a trial. Some dogs bark repeatedly and go through all manner of random actions to try to get you to feed them from the table. But once you have begun the training, stick with it.

If you give in at any time, no matter how small the tidbit you sneak him, not only have you lost that battle, you may very well have lost the entire war.

If you have made up your mind that you don’t want begging, then it’s just a matter of time before you have your dog resigned to the fact that the party is over, at least at the dinner table.

When your dog is steady enough to do the long “Down” away from your side during dinner, then establish his place where he stays while you eat. He should be put in his place every evening while you are eating, and praised when you release him at the end of the meal.

It won’t be too long before you will be eating dinner in the company of a well-trained, well- behaved dog lying quietly in the corner.