The best dog obedience tips you can find

Do you watch The Dog Whisperer on television? I know, after a while, it seems like it's the same thing over and over again. But can you implement this kind of dog training yourself? Well, maybe you won't have a television star come to your home to train your dog.

Well, how to train my dog then you might ask? It sounds stupid, but I've actually found a decent amount of information at the library.

I know, it sounds very low tech. But also very true. If you've got aggressive dog behavior you're trying to solve, or really just need help with any dog problems, there's also some key ways to learn to correct certain dog behavior.

It's also possible to learn puppy training if you need it, because almost all dogs are alike. One dog training program I highly recommend is Sit Stay Fetch. This is a really excellent training site that helps with digging, biting, or jumping dogs, or if you just need to start puppy training.

Of course, you can learn a few dog tricks from television, but it's really not the same as taking on a meaningful dog training program. I tried Sit Stay Fetch and when people see me with Max they think he's a trained police dog he's so good.

I'll post more sources for how to train a dog as I find them. I wish you the best of luck with yours!

Check out SitStayFetch here if you want to research it.

Top 10 Dog Questions About Max

Here are the top 10 dog questions I get about Max. I'm sure they apply to you as well! There are plenty of bigger breeds than the German Shepherd, but it's reputation is made on television from police shows. These tips really apply to almost any larger breed.

1. Is it hard to take care of a big dog?

A. Its not "hard". Its just different than taking care of a little dog or a medium sized dog. There is a misconception that "big" equals "bad"...as in personality. This is far from the truth. The biggest issues are the amount of money you must spend on food, and the amount of energy your dog needs to expend. A big dog like my German Shepherd Max needs lots of room and time to run.

2. How do you train a German Shepherd (or any big dog) not to be aggressive?

A. Well, that's really the wrong question. You don't train a dog to be "not aggressive" you teach and nurture your dog so that he or she is loving and will respect you. That means giving them your time and helping to give them plenty of exercise. You don't need a formal training class if you give your dog enough attention. Yes, training classes have their place too, but what I'm saying is that if you really want to have your dog listen to you , you have to give them attention every day. My dog Max will even run on my treadmill. It only took two times at it, and now he gets on when I say, "Let's get on the treadmill!" He gets right up and doesn't even need a leash. (If he could, he would turn it on himself). This expenditure of energy is great for him, he gets exercise and is a lot less aggressive. The number one thing is that often "aggressiveness" is actually just pent up energy that your dog needs to expend.

3. Does your dog sniff out drugs? Attack criminals? Rescue hikers?

A. Um, no. Not really. Those are very specialized animals who go through years and years of daily training. Max is definitely a "finder," in that he is predisposed to being very good at finding something based on scent, but he has no formal training. His bread is known for being very smart, and he definitely has a high intelligence for a dog. If I let him sniff a piece of clothing of a friend and then put it on the other side of a six foot wall, he would find it in seconds. (See the picture, I've done this many times with many different items). He goes to it almost right away. However, he is disciplined to respond to commands like "come", "sit", "stay". This is only achieved through spending lots of time with your dog.

4. How do you trim a big dog's nails?

A. With a nail clipper! Ha. Just a little joke there. There are dog clippers that are made special for bigger dogs. Basically, you get what you pay for, so keep that in mind. I like the guillotine type. The most important thing though is to keep them trim and don't cut too deep. Don't be nervous about this - a dog will sense your nervousness and get nervous too! One trick I will use is to wait for my dog to be dead asleep, then come in when he is calm and trim one or two nails at a time. Most of the time he doesn't even wake up!

5. How do you brush a big dog's teeth?

A. Just like your own, with a tooth brush. You should have a good enough relationship with your dog that brushing his teeth is nothing confrontational. You should be able to brush his teeth and handle him in any way (that isn't painful) and he should never growl or be aggressive about it. Its really not a big deal. Some people say to do this every day, but at least a few times a month is good.

6. Do you feed him people food?

A. No. (Ok, I'm lying). I try not to, and you really shouldn't feed your dog rich foods or food from the table. This will just cause them to "beg" and to annoy you when you don't want them to have your food, and its generally not healthy. Now, some dog lover's will say raw meat is the best food in the world for your dog, but I stick with dry food as recommended by my vet.

7. Does he bite?

A. No. (I never say "no" when asked that in public). I always say, "he's never bitten anyone, but I always treat him with respect"). Any dog who is not treated well will have a tendency to bite or show aggressiveness. This is usually out of fear. Whenever I introduce Max in public, he is always leashed and knows that I'm there and in control.

8. Is it hard to groom him or any big dog?

A. No, it just takes longer than with a little dog! A lot longer. What can I say, though, Max loves taking a bath!

9. Does he love kids?

A. He loves almost everyone.

10. Should I get a German Shepherd?

A. If you can give a German Shepherd a good home, you can spend quality time with him, and your life style will permit a big dog in your home, then of course, go for it! The breed is one of the best - very intelligent and loving.

Who is Max?

Max is my four year old German Shepherd, who I got in 2005. (The picture is him as he is today!)

I was told through a friend that a dog had been abandoned and was going to be put down in just two days.

"Well, that's too bad," I said. But I lived in a one bedroom condo, and there wasn't much I could do about it. After a lot of coaxing throughout the next day, my friend told me to come and see the dog. He kept telling me the dog was a "mix".

"Alright, alright, but my living situation means that I can't get another dog!" I already had a very old Chow, and bringing a second dog into a one bedroom condo would just be irresponsible.

"Ok," my friend said, "but just come with me to say goodbye to him."

So...I went.

We got to the shelter where this dog was left, and of course you have the barking going on of tons of dogs who are in these little cages. Walking into the back of the shelter, behind the counter where the volunteers are sitting, my heart sank.

The dogs are twirling and twirling in concrete and chain link cages, because they are literally going stir crazy.

This college aged girl who was the volunteer who worked at the shelter walked us all the way in the back. I remember looking down at the back of her Nike running shoes because I didn't want to make eye contact with any of the animals who were craving so much attention. I wasn't being mean - I just knew I couldn't do anything about their situation.

Then, there was Max. In sharp contrast to every other dog in the shelter, he lay in a corner of his little pen, curled up and sleeping. He raised his head slightly as we approached the cage, then put it back down like he didn't care we were there.

He was beautiful. This was no "mix". Maybe he didn't have 'papers', but he had all the classic colors of a full breed German Shepherd - with one difference - he looked like a Greyhound he was so skinny.

"God are you starving him?!" I shouted.

"No, he has heart worms," the volunteer said. "This is his last day to suffer."

Now, maybe she was pulling on my heart strings, but it was working. It turns out, that Max was left on the shelter's door step because a former breeder did not want to pay a $600 vet bill.

That was it for me. This beautiful animal was going to die because someone didn't want to pay a vet bill?!

"I'll pay it," I murmured.

"What..." she began to interrupt me.

"I'll pay it, I'll pay it."

She explained to me that it wasn't just a matter of paying the bill, but that someone needed to administer the medication for him and nurse him back to health.

"I'll do it. Ok, I-WILL-DO-IT!" I had tears in my eyes at this point.

Max and I had our work cut out for us. When I say I almost had to carry him out of there, I am not kidding. Later that week, my vet was cautious to let me know that he might not make it, even with me treating him.

We had some rough patches over the next 8 weeks, and there were times when I would come up to him, and I would have to check and see if he was breathing... because he was so weak.

We got through it though, and I have to say that dogs are amazing. This sounds dumb, but somehow Max knows that I saved him. I'm not going to say I know why or how, and I am not a corny person, but he knows.

We are in a new house now with a nice fenced back yard for him to play in.

He follows me where ever I go. If I walk across a room, his eyes are me constantly. If I go into another room, he calmly gets up and comes into that room, resting at my feet or somewhere close by. He is instinctive - if I am tense, he is tense, if I am calm, he is calm, without me saying a word. If I go into a room and come out hours later, he's right there laying at the door.

Like a lot of dogs, of course, he is always loving, even when I am not so ready to give attention.

Today you'll be happy to know he is a healthy, 125 lbs. He is also a lover of people and kids - as long as I am not tense when meeting strangers, he will lick them to death. I have only seen him bare his teeth and go into what I call "Police Dog" mode on one occassion - and it was justified. I will have to tell that story sometime soon.

I would love to hear about your dog and your dog story!

Max enjoying the outdoors.