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Once the dog progresses and is not trying to spit your hand out I move to a small diameter dowel and repeat the process. These are not a pleasant training session by any means but it is necessary to build a good consistent dog. It also helps to establish you as the authority figure making other training steps easier. Usually you start this once the dog has its permanent teeth around 6 months of age. However by using my hand I find I can start ealier because my hand is not as hard as the dowel and makes the process in my opinion a lot easier.

Birds and airplanes compete for airspace and runway dominance. Usually, the aircraft win, but not always.

Between 1990 and 2007, more than 82,000 aircraft-animal collisions were reported to the FAA, with birds involved 97 percent of the time. They caused $291 million in damage to planes.

Border collies are coming to the rescue for wildlife control at 20 airports in the United States, according to Flyaway Farm and Kennels, which supplies dogs to military and commercial airfields. The dogs look like a wolf or coyote to birds. When they run onto runways, they scare birds away.

Southwest Florida International Airport, near Ft. Myers, was the first to use a bird dog in 1999. It scares off the cattle egrets, blue heron, great egreet and grackels as well as flocks of migratory birds that stop by in fall.

New York’s JFK International uses dogs to chase off the gulls, geese and starlings. They also use falcons!

Charleston International in South Carolina uses dogs. Canada’s Vancouver International has two border collies, according to USA Today. At Minneapolis-St. Paul International, the dogs clear red-tailed hawks, Canada Geese and starlings from runways.

Some airports use fireworks or recordings of explosions. Tampa International plays recordings of seagulls screaming in distress.

At Bird Strike Committee USA, an association of aviation and wildlife experts, they say no single tool can fully solve the wildlife problem, but dogs do help.

Mark 315-729-7546

Let Fido do the work

Skijoring: A fun sport for you and your dog

Here’s a new way to enjoy snowy weather and have fun with your dog at the same time.

In skijoring, your dog pulls you across the snow. Any dog over 40 pounds can probably do it, but the bigger your dog is, the more fun you both will have. If you have two dogs, so much the better. Hitch them both up and get a great ride.

Here’s how it works. You outfit your dog in a special harness so it can lead you through the snow. You can do it without special training. But instructors from sled-dog clubs and skijoring clubs can teach you and your dog techniques and commands, like “Gee” for going right and “Onby” for keep on moving. Just make sure Fido doesn’t have a bad back.

Although skijoring has been popular in Europe and Alaska for a long time, it’s rapidly spreading to other parts of the world. As more tour companies feature skijoring, dog enthusiasts recognize it as an activity they can participate in with minimal equipment.

At www.boundrywaters.com you can order a Skijoring Kit for $59 (item No. E00207). It contains a waist belt, lines for one or two dogs, a neck line, and a panic snap. The unit has a built-in shock absorber. To order the X-Back harness for your dog, select item E60100 for $35.

The system allows you and your dog to exercise while you enjoy a fast-paced ride or a calm glide through snowy trails. Tow bars are also available. They make the experience similar to water skiing.

Another equipment supplier is skijornow.com.

Fast dog training

Here’s an easy way to house train your dog in one weekend if you have a fenced yard.

When training a dog, be sure to give your dog a way to get out of the house. The best solution is to install a dog door and fence but if this isn’t possible establish frequent and predictable walks for your dog. Don’t punish your dog for messing in the house when it has no way to get outside.

To train your puppy (older than 16 weeks) in one weekend: Put the dog out in the fenced yard every hour for eight hours. Praise him when he does his business. No food for two hours before bed and one walk before bed. Put the puppy in a crate for the night. The next day, carry the puppy quickly out before you do anything else, then out every hour for four hours, gradually increasing to two hours.

Watch for signs that the dog needs to go out. A restless puppy should be taken out immediately. If the dog comes to you or to the door, take it out.

With puppies, always take the puppy out a half hour after it eats or drinks.

If you have a dog door, even young dogs will easily learn to let themselves in and out in one or two days.