The Deming Dog Park (located on Granite St across from the Senior Center) is a double gated off-leash area for socialized dogs; a peaceful setting with large shade trees, extensive lawn, benches, picnic tables, and a doggy drinking fountain.
Pet Dog Training In Deming, New Mexico 2010 Winter Classes Forming Now!
Talkin Dog 101
* Kinderpuppy Classes * Basics of Behavior & Learning * Clicker Training * Rally Obedience * Canine Musical Freestyle * Behavior Problems *Private Training *New Levels Training
(Scroll way down to see Levels Brochure)
Positive, Fun & Effective Training for Your Dog
Mary Parsons, Member of Association of Pet Dog Trainers 575-694-5672
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AKC’s Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) Program
Training/Testing: CGC Test Items
Before taking the Canine Good Citizen test, owners will sign the Responsible Dog Owners Pledge. We
believe that responsible dog ownership is a key part of the CGC concept and by signing the pledge,
owners agree to take care of their dog's health needs, safety, exercise, training and quality of life. Owners
also agree to show responsibility by doing things such as cleaning up after their dogs in public places and
never letting dogs infringe on the rights of others.
After signing the Responsible Dog Owners Pledge, owners and their dogs are ready to take the CGC Test.
Items on the Canine Good Citizen Test include:
Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach it and speak to the handler
in a natural, everyday situation. The evaluator walks up to the dog and handler and greets the handler in a
friendly manner, ignoring the dog. The evaluator and handler shake hands and exchange pleasantries.
The dog must show no sign of resentment or shyness, and must not break position or try to go to the
evaluator.
Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to touch it while it is out with its handler.
With the dog sitting at the handler's side, to begin the exercise, the evaluator pets the dog on the head
and body. The handler may talk to his or her dog throughout the exercise. The dog may stand in place as it
is petted. The dog must not show shyness or resentment.
Test 3: Appearance and grooming
This practical test demonstrates that the dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit
someone, such as a veterinarian, groomer or friend of the owner, to do so. It also demonstrates the
owner's care, concern and sense of responsibility. The evaluator inspects the dog to determine if it is
clean and groomed. The dog must appear to be in healthy condition (i.e., proper weight, clean, healthy and
alert). The handler should supply the comb or brush commonly used on the dog. The evaluator then softly
combs or brushes the dog, and in a natural manner, lightly examines the ears and gently picks up each
front foot. It is not necessary for the dog to hold a specific position during the examination, and the
handler may talk to the dog, praise it and give encouragement throughout.
Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
This test demonstrates that the handler is in control of the dog. The dog may be on either side of the
handler. The dog's position should leave no doubt that the dog is attentive to the handler and is
responding to the handler's movements and changes of direction. The dog need not be perfectly aligned
with the handler and need not sit when the handler stops. The evaluator may use a pre-plotted course or
may direct the handler/dog team by issuing instructions or commands. In either case, there should be a
right turn, left turn, and an about turn with at least one stop in between and another at the end. The
handler may talk to the dog along the way, praise the dog, or give commands in a normal tone of voice.
The handler may sit the dog at the halts if desired.
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
This test demonstrates that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in
public places. The dog and handler walk around and pass close to several people (at least three). The dog
may show some interest in the strangers but should continue to walk with the handler, without evidence
of over-exuberance, shyness or resentment. The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise the
dog throughout the test. The dog should not jump on people in the crowd or strain on the leash.
Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
This test demonstrates that the dog has training, will respond to the handler's commands to sit and down
and will remain in the place commanded by the handler (sit or down position, whichever the handler
prefers). The dog must do sit AND down on command, then the owner chooses the position for leaving the
dog in the stay. Prior to this test, the dog's leash is replaced with a line 20 feet long. The handler may take
a reasonable amount of time and use more than one command to get the dog to sit and then down. The
evaluator must determine if the dog has responded to the handler's commands. The handler may not force
the dog into position but may touch the dog to offer gentle guidance. When instructed by the evaluator,
the handler tells the dog to stay and walks forward the length of the line, turns and returns to the dog at a
natural pace. The dog must remain in the place in which it was left (it may change position) until the
evaluator instructs the handler to release the dog. The dog may be released from the front or the side.
Test 7: Coming when called
This test demonstrates that the dog will come when called by the handler. The handler will walk 10 feet
from the dog, turn to face the dog, and call the dog. The handler may use encouragement to get the dog to
come. Handlers may choose to tell dogs to "stay" or "wait" or they may simply walk away, giving no
instructions to the dog.
Test 8: Reaction to another dog
This test demonstrates that the dog can behave politely around other dogs. Two handlers and their dogs
approach each other from a distance of about 20 feet, stop, shake hands and exchange pleasantries, and
continue on for about 10 feet. The dogs should show no more than casual interest in each other. Neither
dog should go to the other dog or its handler.
Test 9: Reaction to distraction
This test demonstrates that the dog is confident at all times when faced with common distracting
situations. The evaluator will select and present two distractions. Examples of distractions include
dropping a chair, rolling a crate dolly past the dog, having a jogger run in front of the dog, or dropping a
crutch or cane. The dog may express natural interest and curiosity and/or may appear slightly startled but
should not panic, try to run away, show aggressiveness, or bark. The handler may talk to the dog and
encourage or praise it throughout the exercise.
Test 10: Supervised separation
This test demonstrates that a dog can be left with a trusted person, if necessary, and will maintain training
and good manners. Evaluators are encouraged to say something like, "Would you like me to watch your
dog?" and then take hold of the dog's leash. The owner will go out of sight for three minutes. The dog
does not have to stay in position but should not continually bark, whine, or pace unnecessarily, or show
anything stronger than mild agitation or nervousness. Evaluators may talk to the dog but should not
engage in excessive talking, petting, or management attempts (e.g, "there, there, it's alright").
Equipment
All tests must be performed on leash. Dogs should wear well-fitting buckle or slip collars made of leather,
fabric, or chain. Special training collars such as pinch collars, head halters, etc. are not permitted in the
CGC test. We recognize that special training collars may be very useful tools for beginning dog trainers,
however, we feel that dogs are ready to take the CGC test at the point at which they are transitioned to
regular collars.
The evaluator supplies a 20-foot lead for the test. The owner/handler should bring the dog's brush or
comb to the test.
Encouragement
Owners/handlers may use praise and encouragement throughout the test. The owner may pet the dog
between exercises. Food and treats are not permitted during testing, nor is the use of toys, squeaky toys,
etc. to get the dog to do something. We recognize that food and toys may provide valuable reinforcement
or encouragement during the training process but these items should not be used during the test.
Failures – Dismissals
Any dog that eliminates during testing must be marked failed. The only exception to this rule is that
elimination is allowable in test Item 10, but only when test Item 10 is held outdoors.
Any dog that growls, snaps, bites, attacks, or attempts to attack a person or another
dog is not a good citizen and must be dismissed from the test.
(The above CGC exercises are the basis for Level 4 training with your dog at Talkin Dog 101)

(This easy to do, positive training method is highly recommended)
Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) Dog Behavior Program
By Lisa Rosenberg
Dogs, by their very nature, are pack animals. They are pre-programmed to believe that someone must
be in charge – responsible for the good and well being of all members of the pack or family unit.
Beginning your life with your dog must start with a good foundation, a foundation that gives your dog
the security that ‘someone is in charge’.
The NILIF program is remarkable because it's effective for such a wide variety of problems. A shy,
timid dog becomes more relaxed knowing that he has nothing to worry about; his owner is in charge of
all things. A dog that's pushing too hard to become "top dog" learns that the position is not available
and that his life is far more enjoyable without the title.
It is equally successful with dogs that fall anywhere between those two extremes. The program is not
difficult to put into effect and it's not time consuming if the dog already knows a few basic obedience
commands. I've never seen this technique fail to bring about a positive change in behavior; however,
the change can be more profound in some dogs than others. Most owners use this program in
conjunction with other behavior modification techniques such as coping with fear or treatment for
aggression. It is a perfectly suitable technique for the dog with no major behavior problems that just
needs some fine-tuning.
ATTENTION ON DEMAND
The program begins by eliminating attention on demand. When your dog comes to you and nudges
your hand, saying, "pet me! pet me!" ignore him. Don't tell him "no", don't push him away. Simply
pretend you don't notice him. This has worked for him before, so don't be surprised if he tries harder to
get your attention. When he figures out that this no longer works, he'll stop. In a pack situation, the
top ranking dogs can demand attention from the lower ranking ones, not the other way around. When
you give your dog attention on demand you're telling him that he has more status in the pack than you
do. Timid dogs become stressed by having this power and may become clingy. They're never sure when
you'll be in charge so they can't relax. What if something scary happens, like a stranger coming in the
house? Who will handle that? The timid dog that is demanding of attention can be on edge a lot of the
time because he has more responsibility than he can handle.
Some dogs see their ability to demand attention as confirmation that they are the "alpha", then
become difficult to handle when told to "sit" or "down" or some other demand is placed on them. It is
not their leadership status that stresses them out; it's the lack of consistency. They may or may not
actually be alpha material, but having no one in the pack that is clearly the leader is a bigger problem
than having the dog assume that role full time. Dogs are happiest when the pack order is stable.
Tension is created by a constant fluctuation of pack leadership.
EXTINCTION BURSTS
Your dog already knows that he can demand your attention and he knows what works to get that to
happen. As of today, it no longer works, but he doesn't know that yet. We all try harder at something
we know works when it stops working. If I gave you a twenty-dollar bill every time you clapped your
hands together, you'd clap a lot. But, if I suddenly stopped handing you money, even though you were
still clapping, you'd clap more and clap louder. You might even get closer to me to make sure I was
noticing that you were clapping. You might even shout at me "Hey! I'm clapping like crazy over here,
where's the money?" If I didn't respond at all, in any way, you'd stop. It wasn't working anymore. That
last try -- that loud, frequent clapping is an extinction burst. If, however, during that extinction burst,
I gave you another twenty-dollar bill you'd be right back in it. It would take a lot longer to get you to
stop clapping because you just learned that if you try hard enough, it will work.
When your dog learns that the behaviors that used to get him your attention don't work any more he's
going to try harder and he's going to have an extinction burst. If you give him attention during that
time you will have to work that much harder to get him turned around again. Telling him "no" or
pushing him away is not the kind of attention he's after, but it's still attention. Completely ignoring
him will work faster and better.
YOU HAVE THE POWER
As the human and as his owner you have control of all things that are wonderful in his life. This is the
backbone of the NILIF program. You control all of the resources. Playing, attention, food, walks, going
in and out of the door, going for a ride in the car, going to the dog park. Anything and everything that
your dog wants comes from you. If he's been getting most of these things for free there is no real reason
for him to respect your leadership or your ownership of these things. Again, a timid dog is going to be
stressed by this situation; a pushy dog is going to be difficult to handle. Both of them would prefer to
have you in charge.
To implement the NILIF program you simply have to have your dog earn his use of your resources.
He's hungry? No problem, he simply has to sit before his bowl is put down. He wants to play fetch?
Great! He has to "down" before you throw the ball. Want to go for a walk or a ride? He has to sit to get
his lead snapped on and has to sit while the front door is opened. He has to sit and wait while the car
door is opened and listen for the word (I use "OK") that means "get into the car". When you return he
has to wait for the word that means "get out of the car" even if the door is wide open. Don't be too hard
on him. He's already learned that he can make all of these decisions on his own. He has a strong
history of being in control of when he gets these resources. Enforce the new rules, but keep in mind
that he's only doing what he's been taught to do and he's going to need some time to get the hang of it
all.
You're going to have to pay attention to things that you probably haven't noticed before. If you feed
your dog from your plate do you just toss him a green bean? No more. He has to earn it. You don't have
to use standard obedience commands, any kind of action will do. If your dog knows "shake" or "spin
around" or "speak" use those commands. Does your dog sleep on your bed? Teach him that he has to
wait for you to say "OK" to get on the bed and he has to get down when you say "off". Teach him to go
to his bed, or other designated spot, on command. When he goes to his spot and lays down tell him
"stay" and then release him with a treat reward. Having a particular spot where he stays is very
helpful for when you have guests or otherwise need him out of the way for a while. It also teaches him
that free run of the house is a resource that you control. There are probably many things that your dog
sees as valuable resources that I haven't mentioned here.
The NILIF program should not be a long, drawn out process. All you need to do is enforce a simple
command before allowing him access to what he wants. Dinner, for example, should be a two or three
second encounter that consists of nothing more than saying "sit", then "good dog!", then putting the
bowl down and walking away.
ATTENTION AND PLAY
Now that your dog is no longer calling the shots you will have to make an extra effort to provide him
with attention and play time. Call him to you, have him "sit" and then lavish him with as much
attention as you want. Have him go get his favorite toy and play as long as you both have the energy.
The difference is that now you will be the one initiating the attention and beginning the playtime. He's
going to depend on you now, a lot more than before, to see that he gets what he needs. What he needs
most is quality time with you. This would be a good time to enroll in a group obedience class. If his
basic obedience is top notch, see about joining an agility class or fly ball team.
NILIF DOES *NOT* MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION YOU GIVE
TO YOUR DOG. The NILIF concept speaks to who initiates the attention (you!), not the amount of
attention. Go ahead and call your dog to you 100 times a day for hugs and kisses!! You can demand his
attention, he can no longer demand yours!
Within a day or two your dog will see you in a whole new light and will be eager to learn more. Use
this time to teach new things, such as 'roll over' or learn the specific names of different toys.
If you have a shy dog, you'll see a more relaxed dog. There is no longer any reason to worry about
much of anything. He now has complete faith in you as his protector and guide. If you have a pushy
dog he'll be glad that the fight for leadership is over and his new role is that of devoted and adored pet.
CALMING SIGNALS
Dogs are masters at throwing calming signals. Watch 2 dogs meet for the first time. Often, eyes will
be down, ears back, head slightly bowed. You may see yawning or stretching or sneezing. One dog
may roll over onto his back. These are all signals dogs send to each other that they mean no harm;
they are not challenging each other. It’s doggie lingo for ‘I’m not looking for a fight so please don’t
hurt me’. You can help your dog overcome any fears that s/he may have by imitating these calming
signals.
Is your dog afraid of thunder? Get down on the floor with your dog – stretch and yawn. Very often
your dog will yawn right back at you. Fake a sneeze – I bet you’ll get one back. What you’re telling
your dog with your body language is ‘everything is fine, life is good’. Never, allow yourself to ‘comfort’
your dog in what s/he perceives as a scary situation. Telling him that ‘it’s ok – I’m here – don’t be
afraid, good dog’ is only reinforcing your dog’s thinking that his fear is ok, his fear will get you to stay
with him, and that he’s a good dog for being afraid.
If you’re out in traffic and your dog panics, stop walking and start throwing some calming signals. If
you act confident, your dog will believe you that nothing is wrong. Once you have him under control
again, begin your walk, head up, easy strides. Remember that you’re the pack leader. If you are
unafraid, your dog will believe that you will protect him and therefore, there is nothing to worry about.

Mary Parsons (Talkin Dog 101, Professional Trainer) is a member of APDT.
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Updated Jan 21, 2010
Or scroll down for a copy of the Canine Good Citizen Training Info.
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More Recommended Reading:
Bones Would Rain from the Sky by Suzanne Clothier
Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor
How Dogs Think by Stanley Coren
How To Teach a New Dog Old Tricks by Ian Dunbar
Visiting the Dog Park by Cheryl S. Smith
For the Love of a Dog & Feeling Outnumbered? How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-dog Household both by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.
Any Book, CD, or DVD by any of the above authors highly recommended.
(Most these authors and books can be found at DogWise.com or used and new at Amazon.com) _________________________________________ ADVANCED READING:
The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
Canine Behavior, A Photo Illustrated Handbook by Barbara Handelman, M.Ed., CDBC
Animals In Translation & Animals Make Us Human Creating the Best Life For Animals by Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
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Logo and Website designed by Laura Leveque, 2009
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The Following Is An Example of Dog Park Rules:
Members of a dog park committee should establish and enforce reasonable health and safety rules for the park, such as the following:
• Owners are legally responsible for their dogs and any injuries caused by them. • Puppies and dogs must be properly licensed, inoculated and healthy. • Animals should wear a collar and ID tags at all times. • Owners must clean up after their dogs. • Dogs showing aggression toward people or other animals will be removed from the park. Animals who exhibit a history of aggressive behavior will not be permitted to enter. • Puppies using the park must be at least four months old. • Owners should not leave their dogs unattended or allowed out of sight. • If young children are permitted in the dog park, they too should be under constant supervision. • Dogs in heat will not be allowed inside the park. • Owners must carry a leash at all times. Dogs should be leashed before entering and prior to leaving the park. • Violators will be subject to removal from the park and suspension of park privileges.
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Deming Animal Guardians is a Luna County, NM all volunteer, non-profit organization that provides discount spay and neuter coupons to low-income pet owners, and operates a pet food bank and pet food delivery program for needy family and homebound senior citizen pet owners. Please join Deming Animal Guardians and donate any amount of money or time to these much needed programs. Thanks.
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DAG Membership:
Regular ------------------------ $15.00
Students or Seniors ------- $10.00
Family ------------------------- $30.00
Life Member ---------------- $100.00
(Please include your mailing address, phone number, and email address. Thanks.)
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Donate $5. or more dollars to Deming Animal Guardians. Thanks!
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Mary with her 3 yr old Golden Retriever, Rigel, a Registered Therapy Dog.
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Mary and Rigel enjoy the new sports of Canine Musical Freestyle, and Rally Obedience.
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Information Site For Luna County Dog People
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Training and Play Group Sessions mainly held at the Deming Dog Park and indoors in the Jackass Junction Bldg 4 1/2 miles North of Deming on Hwy 180, 4815 Silver City Hwy NW
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A copy of this t-shirt logo design is at All Things Created & T-shirt Print Shop is at 118 E. Pine, Deming, 546-9616. The logo is available for your t-shirts, mugs, or license plates. You can also have the print shop replace the dog head with your own dog breed, or add any other wording you want. (Due to set-up costs, the more shirts you order, the lower the cost per shirt.) Contact Sharon, Steve, or Saul at All Things Created: data@atcreated.com
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