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dog obedience training

If a dog owner wants to train his dog, he should prepare for the right mindset. This would prevent him from violating any dog rules, an act that could really detriment the dog’s interest on learning.

Following the rules of training will also prevent the owner from doing the things that could harm his relationship with the dog. There are certain rules in dog house training that must be followed including the following:

Stay focused

Incompletion of a task usually leads to confusion. Make certain that when a command is given, both you and your dog will follow through. Refrain from being distracted every time you give a command.

If you are commanding your dog to sit. Once you give this command, be sure that both of you will see the end of it. Do not tug on the collar of your dog and stop halfway and be distracted. Always finish one command first then move on to the next.

The dog should sit completely and not just bend his rear legs. If you do not make this happen, the dog will think that next time you give the command it would be okay for him not to complete the task or to ignore it completely. Always stay focused, this way, you would eliminate the possibility of confusion and maximize the obedience to a command.

Rewards and punishments

Many owners are anxious to let their dogs hear a string of praises or be rewarded with several cookies instead of one whenever a command is accomplished. On the other hand, a lot of owners give too many punishments on a single wrong thing that the dog did instead of punishing him just once. Both may affect the training of the dog.

Never over do the rewarding or punishing of the dog’s behavior. If you are using praises as reward, do not over praise the dog. Single “good boy” praise will do to recognize that you are in favor of what the dog has done. This should be said immediately after the command is accomplished.

In the same way, a single pulling of the check cord will be enough if the dog did not follow your command. A signal will be sent to the dog to inform them that something is wrong.

Overdosing the dog with either rewards or punishments will distract him from learning. He would only remember the praises or the punishments and not the thing he did or he did not do.   

End with a positive note

For every training session, make it a point that the training will end with a positive praise. This would make the dog look forward to the next training since the last session fulfilled her need to please you. Also, ensure to it that the last command was accomplished correctly so that the dog is oriented properly to following commands.

Never lose your patience

Often trainers become impatient with the dog when the results are not achieved. Then they do something really stupid that could spoil the training.

Dog training lessons should be an enjoyable experience for you and your pet. You should try to determine your pitfalls if you begin to lose your temper and your dog remains disobedient.

Dog training is really a difficult business. If you are not prepared for it, you could get help from dog training classes and instructors.

dog behavior training

The truth is there are so many dog courses that offer their services to anyone willing to pay them. The problem though is not all schools will meet your standards or your expected guarantees. Here are some points of considerations when trying to choose a good school for training your dog.

Reputable

Reputation has different meanings to different people- for some it is the capacity to yield good results regardless of the means, for others it is the popularity of the school itself which makes it highly recommended. But reputation, in general, is a good gauge as to how popular the name of the training school and the appeal of the training methods it uses. It also is a good indication how many others have set their trust in them.

To find a school with excellent reputation you could ask around or search through websites. Veterinarians usually have several names of schools and trainers to give you, your dog breeder could also provide you with some references and ASPCA or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals can provide a list of registered names that are sure to use humane methods approved by the organization.

Methods of Training

Any self-respecting training school uses responsible dog training collar methods. The school must have equal concern to your dog as you do, treating your dog one of their own. Beware of schools that employ trainers who still use old training methods such as yelling or hurting the dogs for there exists many of this kind.

A good school should use humane techniques that promote positive training and limits the use of risky negative reinforcement techniques. The former covers praises and the use of dog treats in recognition of the desirable behavior while the negative reinforcement techniques include practices like alpha rolling, choking and yelling.

Sufficient knowledge

The latest training methods has to have a mix of traditional and the latest techniques for the dog. Having extensive orientation in this field would optimize the capacity of your dog to learn since it would be exposed to all possible trainings to which it could respond well.

In researching for training schools, secure information regarding the latest seminars that the trainers attended to and the up-to-date facilities they have. Remember that you would pay hefty amounts to get your dog trained, it is but proper that you and your dog receive proper compensation for your investment.

Another thing that you should keep in mind is that the school’s exposure to widespread training. There are schools that claim of specialization while others advertise that they have sufficient knowledge on all fields of dog training. Your choice should depend largely on the scope of knowledge the training school has.

Classroom Set Up

There are two types of classroom set-ups- group classes and private lessons. The main advantage of the group class is that it promotes socialization and good behavior in the presence of other dogs. When training alongside his dog, the handlers’ mistakes or techniques could benefit the owner.

On the other hand, private trainings could not yield these advantages. There is also a good chance that the transfer of learning and obedience to command given by persons other than the trainer is poor.

It is easy to pick any dog training school but choosing the right one for your dog could prove to be a tedious process.

Are you having problems with your dog behaving badly? Don’t procrastinate. It’s time to get down to some serious dog obedience training. This means you need to proceed with consistency and persistency with your training. However, make sure your training is always fun or your dog may get bored!

A Dog’s Basic Need

Having a dog is a responsibility. If you don’t provide your dog’s basic needs, don’t be surprised if your dog behaves badly. What are the basic needs? Here are the main ones:

• food and water
• exercise
• company and social interaction
• an environment which stimulates him.

The main point in dog training is to adopt positive and negative reinforcement. When your dog engages in a behavior that is wanted, you should reward him with a treat or affection. The treat or affection must come as soon after the behavior as humanly possible in order for it to be effective.

It’s best to focus on positive reinforcement for behavior you want to encourage rather than negative reinforcement for unwanted behaviors. This has been found to be a more efficient way of training.

Physical punishment is not productive or humane way to train dogs and will only lead to a  fearful and neurotic dog. You can say a firm “No” in a growling tone of voice to stop him engaging in an unwanted behavior. Perhaps most effective is to ignore your dog when he misbehaves. Dogs love attention and being ignored is negative reinforcement enough.

At all costs you should avoid humanizing your dog. It will help you to do this if you study dog communication and the dynamics of a dog pack. You need to learn what their body language means. They have various ways of communicating: with their tail, head position, ear position, mouth and teeth and vocally with various kinds of barks, growls and whines.

Another important aspect of training is to position yourself as the pack leader. If your dog is pack leader, you will be fighting a losing battle to get him to behave as you want. Why would he take notice of one of his pack member? Some pointers to set yourself up as alpha dog:
-eat a biscuit or two in front of your dog as he waits for his food. The pack leader always eats before the pack members.
-don’t allow him to onto the sofa or bed. The alpha dog sleeps on higher ground.
-don’t allow him to go through the door before you.

This is an introduction to some important points in dog training. I recommend you look into the most systematic of training methods: dog clicker training.

Dog breeds all differ, just as people differ. Housing your dog depends on many factors, such as your lifestyle, your dog breed and the amount of room you have to spare.

For those who dont know me, my name is Sue Walton, and I am a professionaly accredited Dog trainer and coach. This article shares with you some of my top dog housing tips, but for my best secrets and heaps more info, you need to visit my site on dog training tips, which has a huge section on choosing and siting a great kennel/dog house. 

Its best to start by assessing what dog you have. Housing your dog depends on its requirements to be warm safe and out of the weather.

Toy breeds, by virtue of their small size, make perfect house dogs. Many owners of pet breeds such as terriers, shitzu or maltese are happy all the time provided they are trained well!

These small breeds respond well to the house environment, providing they know their place in the home! You’ll find that a matt or a doggy bed approx the size of a cat bed will suffice for these small breeds.

Keeping them in garage or washhouse could be ideal, given that the dog feels safe and it has a little area of its own. Dogs after all are known to be territorial.

As for larger dogs, such as medum sized terriers, boxers and terriers, you will find that having them inside gets tedious or irritating. Not just for you but for your dog also.

They require the space that outdoor freedom offers them.

Secondly, you will needs to consider the size and space you can offer for housing your dog.

If your garage is well ventilated, cosy and there is not to much clutter, it might be a great area for your dog to live, if however its full of clutter and your dog has to live in a small area where it cannot make its own space, it will quickly become fustrated.

For those who live in small residential apartments or similar, you have to be very aware of how your dog will react with neighbours or strangers. Many dog breeds dont take to kindly to being kept where other people can annoy them and irritate them.

Youve also got to think about what sort of breed requires what sort of housing.

Your breeder will have evaluated you before selling a dog, to see if your lifestyle suits that breed, however people often obtain dogs in other ways. Do plenty of research into your chosen breeds living requirements. A lazy bulldog will surely be happy with a corner of the yard and not much space, but try and keep a livly variety like a doberman in a small yard, and you’ll drive the poor pet insane. Active breeds such as working dogs, needs space and roomy enclosures.

If your in this situation, and have a yard space for your dog to be housed and run around in, at all costs ensure that the fence you put up or have, is in good order and is very secure. Consider that your pet must not get out, but also consider if anything else can get in the yeard. Cats, other dogs and children are pretty handy at getting into places where they shouldnt be, and this can lead to obvious trouble!

Housing a dog can also have situational requirements. Think about your climate, and where your kennel will be. will your pet be cold? Windy? Directly sunny? Consider all these factors when pacing a dog house in your yard or chosen space. Insulated kennels might be required if the place you live is frosty or snow prone.

Obviously, in this circumstance a saint bernard will be happier than a greyhound, so exercise common thought about the breed your dealing with. Pay attention to hot climates also, because this can affect them very rapidly.

Black colour on that kennel might suit your house, but will it harm your dog….? As far as purchasing a kennel goes nowadays there are great off the shelf items that suit many lifestyles and homes. Moulded polythene ones are popular but watch out if your dog is a chewer!

Avoid GRP as the glass fibre can lead to pain and discomfort for your pet. Wood is ever popular, and looks good and is very dog friendly. If you can afford a nice wooden kennel, go for one!
My best dog housing tips, and some great examples of kennels and enclosure designs can be found at my dog resource page on housing your dog. Check it out, and the rest of my site www.dog-hobbyist.com

They are a naturally feisty breed.Bred to hunt badgers, they had to be resourceful and tough.  But that assertive nature should not be allowed to turn against you.You need to be the top dog.

Individual dogs will vary in degree, of course.  There are submissive Doxies though fewer than other breeds, on average.Some will try to demand on having their own way at all times, much like most terriers.But training can reform their behavior, especially if you start when they are young and stay consistent.

Zero tolerance should be the rule for all aggressive behavior, whether toward you, a family member, or strange people and animals.Chewing the leash during training is one mild demonstration.

Discourage it by stepping on the leash close to their head.Then with the other foot, slowly pull the lead down to the ground closer and closer to the collar.Take care not to stress their neck, as Doxies are inclined to back problems.When they have released the leash, praise them generously.

To discourage biting or snapping or excess barking a squirt bottle comes in handy.Give him a little squirt against the muzzle when your dog shows this behavior.  Avoid the eyes.That scares your dog and it is unpleasant besides.Repeat, when needed, but avoid making it a contest of wills.That only tends to make it seem to the dog that you are a competitor.Being consistently firm is preferred to counter-aggression.

If your Dachshund continues, seperate your dog and be prepared for some barking.Like spoiled young children, a dog will sometimes try to whine or shout its way out of chastisement.Assign your dog rugged chew toys and allow him to work out the aggression on those while he’s in the “time out” box.

Follow this negative reinforcement with some positive reinforcement.Look for illustrations of good behavior and praise it profusely.Use a modest amount of treats if needed.The point is to help the dog see for itself the different outcome of its own behavior in terms of your response.They are resourceful.  With persistence, they will catch on.

For instance, one may become moderately aggressive in the middle of fetch by refusing to give up the ball.Try to discern between genuine willfulness and a simple desire to play a different game, tug.  Make the difference clear by using a rope for tug, which they love.

It is key to tread a fine line, though, since tug can lead to encouraging aggression.Exercising them a little harder than you would a more frisky or serene dog will help.Aggression is partly caused by the frustration of repressed energy with no positive outlet.

An aide can be a big help here.Throw the ball to a friend several feet away, along the ground.Make sure the partner is the first to get the ball when the Doxie gives chase.Repeat the exercise a few times, then permit the dog to win.

With patience and a little creativity, you can channel your Dachshund’s aggression into more positive directions.

LuvUrDog.com

Dog Training

Dog Training

As humans and the more intelligent of the species, we must learn how dogs communicate in order to communicate with them. The human half of the pair is usually the smarter party, but watching the usual training sessions one can have legitimate reason to wonder.

Dogs understand and respond at roughly the mental level of a human two-year-old, but there the similarity ends. Their senses operate differently – their color vision has a different response pattern to reds and greens, for example, and obviously their noses are infinitely more sensitive – and their minds process information differently as well. Anyone training dogs has to take this into account in order to avoid human frustration and canine misbehavior.

Dogs are by nature pack animals. Descendant from wolves – where even the ‘lone wolf’ is an anomaly – they’re social and function best with active interplay and within a strict hierarchy.

So, set aside half-an-hour per day, an hour would be better, for at least the first few months of training. Start your training as young as possible. Four weeks is not too early with some breeds, provided one doesn’t expect too much.

Elimination (‘potty’) training details we leave for elsewhere, but all training follows similar guidelines.

Establish your pack dominance early on. The Law of the pack – there are alpha dogs, beta dogs and on down to the omega. For a sane household, and a well-adjusted dog, the human (whether male or female) must always be the alpha male of the pack.

This will be easier or more difficult depending on breed and even with individual dogs. Like humans, some are simply more assertive than others. Leashes, collars, commands and other training aids are all highly useful but most important is attitude. Never let your dog be the alpha.

You do not have to enforce your dominance with physical force. Sometimes, used appropriately, that will be necessary. Usually, simply being firm and willing to wait for compliance will be enough.

For many, placing them on their backs when young and placing a firm hand in the middle of the chest until they lower their paws – a sign of submission – will be enough. With some, reinforcing this by putting your face close to theirs, emulating dominant dog behavior, can help.

Start on a short leash to restrain the dog’s natural tendency to run and scamper. Allow plenty of time for free running behavior, essential to dog health, but that’s before or after training, not during. At least, not at first.

Start simply by choosing short, clear commands that sound distinctly different: sit, stay, down, come. Use a firm voice when addressing your dog. You’re in charge, but not angry. Avoid double-word commands like ‘sit down’ or ‘stay down’. These sound too much alike and quickly confuse the dog.

Accompany each verbal command with the same tone, look and hand gesture. Eventually these can separate, but at first it’s essential to provide the simplest, most consistent form of communication.

Just like two-year old humans, dogs have limited capacity for grasping the subtleties of language. Assist their understanding by rigid consistency. Don’t use a single command word to mean more than one thing. ”Down’ needs to mean only one thing, you must choose if it means ‘don’t jump on me’ or ‘lay down on your belly’.

Be clear, be patient and be committed and the result will be a dog who trusts and listens to you. And that makes it worth the effort. Find more on dog training at Luvurdog.com/dogtraining

Dog training is no simple process, and it can very easily push your patience to the limit. But keep in mind that the tough part does not last long. Shortly afterwords you will be able to enjoy letting your dog play and run without any misfortunes or incidents. You will be able to relax and enjoy time with your dog after its obedience training is complete. But getting through the initial dog training can be somewhat stressful. This is why it is important to make sure that you get all of the help that you can.

Housebreaking and obedience training are necessary for dogs, even though they might be frustrating or tiresome. The results of failing to train a house-pet are well known: property damage, biting and generally aggressive behavior, and of course the unwelcome “gifts” that are the result of failed house-breaking.

Keep control of the situation by establishing yourself in the parent role, which will lead to a better adjusted dog. You have to teach the dog right from wrong with dog training. Unfortunately there are people who think that dogs instinctively know right from wrong, but this is false. Since dogs follow their instincts, it is up to the owners to enact their dog training. The human rules and the dogs insticts are not the same concerning being the furniture.

It is up to owners to teach dogs the way everything works and not vice versa. Your dog wants to please you but until you teach it how to, it will be at a loss. Your dog will learn proper behavior through dog training. It will also show the dog how to receive your affection and little extra treats every once in a while.

Sources for Dog and Puppy Training Advice:

• Classes
• Books
• DVDs
• Magazines

Although there are a lot of wonderful dog training classes out there that will teach you about housebreaking and dog biting, it is important to know that these classes are mostly for information. These classes will not transform your puppy’s behavior overnight. After you bring your pet home, the actual work begins. Everything that you pick up from the dog training classes has to be enforced at home as this is where the magic will happen.

When you are dog training it is best to get a hold of any book, DVD, etc. Make sure that you are taking in all of the advice and putting it to good use. Depending on the breed of your dog, you could be looking at anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months of dedicated dog training. Stick with it and never slack off and the dog training will pay off in no time at all.

Housetraining

No training is more basic for pet owners than that first important lesson: Do it outside!

Teaching your pet to potty outside the home, not in it, usually starts between six and eight weeks of age. Dogs as young as four weeks have been started on the program, but at that age few have the muscular control to succeed.

With any dog training program, trainer patience is just as important as the dog’s temperament. ‘Sit’, ‘stay’ and other behaviors can often be learned in a few days. House breaking usually takes weeks – sometimes as short as two, often a month or more.

As with other learned behaviors, it helps to watch for signs of the desired actions and enforce and direct them with a voice command followed by praise. In this case that technique works even more to the trainer’s advantage, since all dogs will naturally eliminate. The tactic is to get them to do it when and where you want!

Observe for circling or squatting, then scoop up the pup, say ‘potty’ and run outside. The puppy may circle some more, but will often squat quickly. As it begins, say ‘Go potty’ (or some other unique phrase) in a clear, firm (but not angry) voice. When the puppy has finished, lavish her with praises.

You won’t always be able to catch the puppy about to eliminate, but don’t become angry or impatient when the dog eliminates indoors. It takes due diligence for the dog to learn to tell you it’s time to ‘go outside’. The puppy needs time for the muscles that control the bladder and bowels to develop.

On average, young dogs need to eliminate every 2-3 hours,. If you haven’t spotted pre-elimination behavior within that time, take the dog outside anyway. Issue the command ‘Go potty’ and wait. At first, usually, the dog will have no clue what you want.

Again, even when outside, it helps to wait and watch for the desired behavior then issue the proper command. That helps the dog associate the command with the behavior. If the puppy still hasn’t gone after a few minutes and a few ‘Go potty’ commands, take him back inside and try again in an hour. Of course, if you notice the pre-elimination behavior sooner, go outside again immediately.

Puppies have an astounding ability to quickly learn what their ‘alpha’ (the leader of the pack) wants. This is almost always accomplished by associating a verbal command with behavior, followed by praise. Punishment is usually counter-productive, and nowhere more so than in waste elimination training. Never rub your pup’s nose in waste.

Paper and/or crate training is preferred by some. A puppy can be trained to go on a newspaper, or on one of the chemically treated pads designed for the purpose. Some small breeds that live all day in the home may not need to go outside at all.

The technique has a couple of downsides however. Unlike cats, dogs will rarely go in a perfumed litter box. Newspapers (even with the top layer removed after the dog goes) will eventually leave an unpleasant odor in the house.

Also, long before the odor becomes unattractive to humans, dogs can smell their own distinctive aroma. They don’t find their smell unattractive – quite the opposite. So that spot continues to be the problem.

Dogs that are paper trained sometimes will prefer to potty indoors. Sometimes they’ll miss the paper by only an inch, creating a nasty mess to clean up.

Once the scent is in the carpet, the dog will often seek that area out as its proper ‘place to go’. This makes training the dog to eliminate outside even more difficult. Best to suffer a few accidents than to create a hard-to-overcome habit.

Lots of patience, praise and consistency are the keys to any dog training. Elimination training is the first order of business for you and your dog.

Get more tips and advice on housetraining or dog training at Luvurdog.com/dogtraining

Educating yourself about dog training should be the first step one takes prior to actually training your dog. There are plenty of sources one can access, but sometimes it becomes information overload.

Canine training is not really all that difficult. One thing to recall is that many dogs just want to make their owner happy. The problem can be communication. Obviously there is a language barrier, and you need to get your pet to figure out what you want.

Dog training can be summed up with just a few tips. Lets take a look at some of the methods that I have used in order to train my dog, making both he and I happier.

Try to avoid the negatives that often come with training. Hitting or striking your dog, either by hand or with an object will only teach the dog to fear you. A stern verbal NO, is OK, but don’t go any further than that, or you risk alienating your dog. Focusing on praise and rewards when your dog behaves as he should is the better way to go.

Praising your dog of course reinforces the correct behavior. Loving or petting your dog for acting positive behaviors is of course nice, but experience has shown better results happen when treats are distributed at the time the behaviors observed. Think about it, food motivates humans, so to it works with our four legged companions.

Body movement can also influence your pet’s behavior. Many canines can actually can actually sense and read your body language before any verbal communication is given. A method that works well in doing this is to match a verbal command with a particular movement of either the hand, arm, or even leg.

Never giving up is the final key to successful dog training. Sure at times it is frustrating. It would certainly be easier to give up, go sit on the couch and watch your DirecTV, but you need to be consistent in your training. Nobodys dog is going to train himself, and training always takes longer than you would like. It is so important to keep this in mind when things are difficult with your dog. Things won’t always fall into place, so don’t give up at the first sign of trouble.

Training your four legged companion can be both a challenging and rewarding experience. Keeping these brief tips in mind will help you keep on track in your natural dog training efforts.

Dog obedience training requires the use of some principles which differentiate effective training from training without results. Most dog training and dog behavior schools use these rules. These are:

Principle One: Consistency. You must be consistent in the use of words, the tone of your voice and your actions, that go with your command. During the beginning of the training, the trainer or the dog owner must decide what should be the parameters of training- what you are trying to teach the dog and how to do it. A word or a phrase, let’s say ‘come’, does not make sense to a dog. He does not understand things the way we understand, and he does not understand the language we use.

So to make the training understandable, you should use the command in a very consistent manner such that the dog will learn to associate the word with the meaning you attach with it. For example, if you are using the command ‘come’, make sure that everyone in the household use it in a singular manner. If you are using this command make it a point that you would not do actions that would make the command confusing for the dog. If your dog does not come to you instantly, do not punish him when he does. This would make him attribute the command with the punishment.

Then what would you expect?-If the command leads to punishment he will not follow it next time. The same command used, by all people, must be consistent. For example, if you use the words ‘come’ make sure everyone in your family uses that word also, not ‘come here’.

Principle Two:The hours devoted to training and the words used as command should be kept short. Remember that the attention span of dogs is extremely short so it is almost impossible to keep them engaged in the one activity. Combining children with your puppy obedience training is an example of keeping your training sessions short as they would lose interest very quickly.

Your dog becomes easily bored and their interest at the beginning soon fades. Training should be kept to ten to fifteen minutes and set at regular times.

Principle Three: Do not use force and punishment to hurt your dog when training. Also, never force the dog to follow the command if he is not prepared for it or punish a dog for something he did. Don’t push the animal too hard while training.

Your dog has no understanding of your impatience for his lack of learning speed. He only knows you are angry. So do not use force as this does not communicate your meaning properly, instead use negative reinforcement. Do not send him mixed signals, by making him feel praised for doing something wrong, only when he obeys the command, should he feel praised.

You have to be patient and understanding, especially during your dog obedience training sessions. The result will be a very obedient and well trained dog.