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Dog Training Tips And Tricks-Effective Methods

Rick — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 04:48:45 +0000

They can ruin everything from your bags to your clothes, your bed sheets to your curtains. Dog Training Tips And Tricks saves you from

Five free tips for clicker training dogs

Rick — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:45:19 +0000

Clicker training is a fairly new approach to training dogs. It’s used to train show dogs to do special tricks, but it can also be used to train your family Labrador retriever to sit or lie down. Clicker training works on the assumption that dogs want to learn to do what their humans want.Dogs like to learn new things. They want to be included in family activities. It’s hard for them to succeed because we have trouble communicating what we want from them. The clicker tells the dog, “What you did THEN was great!” and rewards the behavior. The dog says, “Hey that was fun! What did I do?” and tries to get the human to repeat the click and reward behavior. It’s almost as if the dog and trainer train each other.With clicker training, you bring up dogs with all positive reinforcement. A dog who has had clicker training is happy and confident. Here are five tips for clicker training your dog.1. Get everybody, including the kids, involved in the training. Physical strength isn’t a requirement, because you don’t use a leash. All you have to have are clicker, treats, and time. You’ll want to supervise little ones, especially with big dogs, but the clicker training quickly have the whole family using the same words and rewards — making it much easier for the dog to learn.2. When you’re starting out, click anything that approaches what you want. The dog learns the behavior first and then the sound you make when you’re asking for the behavior. If the lesson is “sit,” you’ll click and reward any time the dog moves toward a sitting position. As time goes by, you’ll get pickier with your clicks, and the dog will keep playing the game for rewards.3. Play clicker training with your dog every day, even if it’s just a few minutes. Pick a behavior to concentrate on, and click and reward anything that approaches that behavior. We get used to thinking dogs understand us, even though they don’t. The word “sit” means nothing to them until we teach them to associate it with “rump on floor.”4. Once the dog understands that “butt on floor” means click and treat and associates that behavior with the sound “sit,” then you can refine the behavior. You can use the clicker to distinguish between a “sit” that gets a reward and a “sit” that just gets a “try again.” The progression moves naturally, and eventually you can put the clicker away until the next time you want to teach something.5. Make the clicker training a time for fun for you and the dog. Dogs are simple-hearted creatures who really enjoy being with their people and interacting with them. If you’ve got a cheery voice and a pleasant manner with them, they will return your joy multifold and try to do anything that you want them to.Clicker training is a great way to raise a dog to expect good things from people. If your dog is confident and happy, he will love to learn to do what you want to teach.

Collie Training Tips – How To Train My Collie

Rick — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:45:18 +0000

If you have just adopted a new Collie, you probably have several questions that you want to ask about dog training.

1) Should I Train My Dog

Regardless of the breeds of dogs you are getting, be it a German Shepherd, Boxer Dog, Golden Retriever, Great Dane or Collie, they all require training.

When talking about training, we are not talking about dog tricks training. Yes, it will be nice if your Collie knows how to perform dog tricks. It will make you so proud in front of your guests.

But what is more important in the very beginning is dog obedience training. Every dog should go through a proper dog obedience training program in order to become a well behaved dog that will be a joy for the family.

Without the proper training, your dog may exhibit a lot of behavior problems that is only going to cause you a lot of headaches. Some common dog behavior problems include but are not limited to aggression, biting, barking, chewing, whining, digging, chasing, licking, jumping etc.

2) When Is The Best Time To Start Training My Collie

The best time to start training your dog is definitely when it is still a young puppy. When your dog is still a puppy, it is certainly much easier to control and handle as compared to an adult dog.

This is especially true for dogs that will grow into a very big size when they turn into adults.

Of course, if you are adopting an adult dog, then you can’t turn back time and train it as a puppy. In this case, the next best time to start training your dog is obviously now.

The fact is, the best time to start training your dog is as soon as you possibly can. The longer you wait, the more bad habits your dog is going to pick up and it will become much harder to train.

Puppy Training Advice, Tips, and Techniques

Rick — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:19:38 +0000

Puppy training can be quite challenging if you do not know the right techniques and strategies to apply. Also – with all the puppy training advice available on the internet, how can you tell who’s worth listening to and who’s not? So the question to ask yourself here is – “Is there really a “right” way to obedience train your puppy?”

Fortunately – there is, even better – with the right training advice, tips and techniques, you can make puppy training fun and fast. To ensure success for you and your puppy, you need to first set realistic goals, and then you need to make sure you have the know-how for executing them effectively.

So here are is a list of my best puppy training advice:

Tip 1: Employ positive reinforcement for best results.

This basically means that you train your puppy, by teaching him that every time he does something the right way (pees in his potty spot, comes when called for, sits when you’re giving him his food, etc.) he gets rewarded for it – either with a treat, with his fvourite toy, or with love and praise.

The way this is different from conventional puppy training techniques is that you reinforce positive behaviors, as opposed to punishing negative ones. That way you’re effectively teching your puppy that you’re there to support and love him.

Tip 2: Use the NO command right from the start.

So if you want to curb a negative behavior – just use your most authoritative voice and say NO – but without shouting. Even though your dog does not understand the meaning of NO, the tone of your voice will serve as a warning to him – he’ll pretty soon learn that this command means he has to stop the given behavior. Note that your NO voice should always be the same.

Tip 3: Teach your puppy the basic dog commands such as SIT, COME, and NO.

OK, let’s be clear on this. At first your puppy will not be very good at following orders – he’s too young. So for the time being, start teaching him, but don’t expect miracles. All you’re doing is setting the foundations.

You can start teaching him the SIT, for e.g, every time you feed him, or every time you wan to give him a treat. The NO command we’ve already touched on. And to teach him the COME, start by calling him to COME every time he’s already on his way to you. So basically you’re associating the sound and tone of a word command to an action he’s performing – that way he learns what you want from him.

These commands are interconnected; one command is necessary to carry out another. In order not to confuse your dog, concentrate on one command only at a time. Once your dog successfully understands it, you can move on to the next one. It does not matter which command you teach first.

Tip 4: Use a leash.

OK, for this one you’d actually first have to teach your pup to use a leash. Some puppies take to it like ducks to water, some may create a bit of problems. But presuming your puppy would stay on the leash use it while training – it will help you tremendously in keeping him in attention.

If you decide to use a leash – buy a long leash so that your dog can move freely and won’t feel restricted. Whenever your dog’s attention wanders, tug the leash ever so lightly to bring his attention back to you.

Tip 5: Your puppy’s crate can be an indispensable training aid.

Some people think putting your puppy in a crate is cruel – but that’s not right. A crate is a great training aid. Use it to help you with feeding time training, with bed time training, potty training, and when leaving your puppy unsupervised in your home.

Dogs love having a routine and a crate gives them exactly that and the security of having their own space. Crate training can be tricky, some dogs will just not want to stay alone, but if done correctly crate training is the silver bullet of my puppy training advice to you.

Tip 6: Does your puppy need obedience training school?

What do you do when you cannot keep your dog under control anymore? Is it necessary to send him off to obedience training lessons? The choice is all yours of course. But my advice to you is to get your puppy trained either way.

If you think training your dog takes too much of your personal time and you just can’t get the hang of it, then send him to a good obedience school. Find out what the best in the are is and go for it. The bottom line is that you need to instill rules in your relationship – or later on in life you will end up with behavior problems that may be harder to resolve.

Tip 7: Consider your dog’s breed.

If you haven’t yet go a puppy – now’s the time to learn a little about the different dog breeds and how easy they are to train. Toy breeds can be a bit more work, while hunting ones just need a more specialist approach. The latest trend is for cross breed and designer dogs, because they are more trainable, but some of the bigger dogs are also a good choice – a Labrador Retriever being one of the best examples.

At the end of the day, although puppy training can be frustrating at times, remember to enjoy the whole process. It’s the perfect time to bond with your dog and establish a truly loving relationship. Remember to be be consistent in your teachings, confident in your commands, loving and persistent – and things will fall into place. Once you get your puppy’s trust, you can count on him to be your loyal friend for a very very long time.

Puppy Potty Training Indoors Tips

Rick — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:56:38 +0000

The dachshund, a hound in origin, might seem to be out of place in this group, as its background as a digger accustomed to chasing foxes and badgers underground would more logically make it a terrier. Puppy Potty Training Indoors save your flooringBoth routinely in the top five breeds, the Labrador retriever and the golden retriever together account for nearly one-quarter of the more than 1 million dogs registered with the AKC every year. This is the list of dog Herding Breeds according to The American Kennel Club:Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Bearded Collie, Beauceron, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren, Border Collie, Bouvier des Flandres Briard, Canaan Dog, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Collie, German Shepherd Dog, Old, English Sheepdog, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Puli, Shetland Sheepdog, Swedish Vallhund. Sporting dog breeds. Terrier breeds are diverse, and some of them are listed here:Airedale Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Australian Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Border Terrier, Bull Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Irish Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Manchester Terrier, Miniature Bull Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Parson Russell Terrier, Scottish Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Skye Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Welsh Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Wire Fox Terrier.

Their individual skills, original purposes and temperaments are almost as varied as their origins. Children and dogs make potentially blissful partners, but choosing a dog that actually likes to play with children is your best bet in orchestrating a match made in heaven. Today the slow, prodding bloodhound is usually used by law enforcement to track renegades or missing persons. Let loose in your backyard, a terrier can build an entire golf course in a day at least, 18 holes. For best results, choose from known kid-friendly breeds such as Golden or Labrador retriever, boxer, beagle, West Highland white terriers or Shetland sheepdogs. They are familiar faces from numerous media spots, including the movie Air Bud and the TV Show Full House. Kid-Friendly Dog Breeds. Unfortunately, the sheer popularity of some of the sporting breeds, most notably cocker spaniels but also Labrador and golden retrievers, has led to a rise in health and behavioural problems. Combining the taut muscles and compact power of the bulldog with the tenacity and aggressiveness of the terrier, some controversial bull terrier breeds have been involved in some highly publicized biting incidents, several involving small children. Some breeds were even bred to finish the job themselves. The fur can be puffed up to trap warm air in cold weather or held closely against the skin to release heat on warm days. Consider its body parts too Consider the most noticeable dog feature first- the hair. Such hot-weather species as the fennec fox, a tiny African desert dweller, sports oversized ears to maximize heat loss. How would our dog eat? Take their mechanical grinding machine into your consideration too- their teeth. Because of this heightened sense of smell, it is important to be sensitive to the types of household cleaning products used. How about their hearing? It is, of course, essential, especially when you’re giving your commands. Rose Ears.

Special taste receptors on their tongues are believed to allow canids to recognize chemical composition variancessuch as salt and impuritiesin different water sources. Staying Cool. Called thermoregulation, this ability allows canids to thrive in all types of climates, from the subarctic to the Sahara. A lot of information can be garnered from a quick sniff.

You can actually see your dog wait next to the door when he/she needs to go out to use the bathroom. This program works with any dog breed. You would have a well trained obedient dog that obeys you. You won’t need any dog training equipment. Puppy Potty Training Indoors should not be a nightmare for you.

Hunting Dogs – Basic Training Tips

Rick — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:48:32 +0000

Even if you were an avid hunter, there would have been many instances of misfiring and even if you have aimed right you would not have fetched the hunt for obvious reason that you could not track it.

Should you be carrying a hunting dog with you, this would not have been the result because a hunting dog would simplify your job whilst not cutting any frills on the thrills you maybe experiencing while on a hunting expedition per se. Be it a small game of hunting a lakeside duck or a countryside turkey to a big game of hunting an elk or a buck, a hunting dog can smell blood in a jiffy and would take you to the target. With this snap shot of a hunting dog, you need to know that a great hunting dog is not available in a nearby canine store or even an online store. All you need to know is that you should train your canine to make one great hunting dog. And, no means this training is easy and to get desired results, you need to know some tips and probably you can tame even a hardheaded canine.Picking the right breed for hunting

Remember that a show-style breed is far different from a hunting dog. The first and foremost quality is a breed that has a good sense of smelling. You can look at those that are tamable as well as those that can endure long outdoor activities; in fact, the breed should love to stay more of outdoors. They must obviously possess decent stamina and built. Hunting dog example breeds include the bloodhounds, dachshunds, basset hounds, German pointers, Labradors, beagles, mountain curs, feists. Know some characters of the breed and check if their temperament suits yours even to tame.Bring the canine when it?s very young

Yes, for the reason that it will have time to bond with you and follow your communication.Time and patience

Time needed to train a hunting dog is far greater than training a canine for other jobs, and it calls for good patience on the part of master.Condition the canine

Train your canine to be resilient when faced with adversities of outdoors. And for this take him out more frequently and allow it to freak around the areas under your vigilance. This will be perfect priming for your canine before the game of hunting begins. Take him out more often, say at least once a week and see that you are supplying him with adequate nutrition for this extra exercise as well as normal development. Give him good quantities of water so he is not dehydrated. Train him to chase a target or follow a trail Use dummy rabbits or fowls to tease the canine and allow him to learn chasing the target and teach him to bring the target to you. Use a whistle as an indication of command and let him get used to your commands. Teach him to focus even when there are disturbances around. You may simulate a noisy surrounding yet command him to chase a target or follow a trail. However, this can be done during advanced training and not at pup stage.Training as fun

Most important is to make your training as much fun as possible. Reward your canine for any signs of excelling in the training and he should find it interesting and exciting. And, remember that if you have trained your dog properly, he will never like to eat the hunted animal but will love to return to his master.

5 Tips For Lead Training Your Dog

Rick — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:57:38 +0000

Any dog owner knows how difficult it is to walk a dog that pulls on the leash or simply refuses to walk. While basic dog training for any breed should involve lead training, the larger breeds in particular need to learn this as puppies. There’s nothing more unpleasant than trying to take your Husky or German Shepherd out for an evening stroll and having them fight the lead all the way.
With that in mind, here are five tips to make lead training your dog a little easier
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1.Start young. It’s far easier to start with puppy training than it is to teach an older dog not to pull on the leash. While not impossible, it’s best to start out with a young dog that hasn’t yet picked up any bad habits. You can easily accustom a young puppy to the lead and he will be happy to treat it with respect for the rest of his life, but the trick is not to wait too long.
Start your puppy off with a collar and then progress to the leash and you’ll find that the entire process is far easier on both you and your dog. This can be one of the first puppy training methods that you use.
2. Be gentle. This is not a time to be rough. Whether you are working with a puppy or an adult dog, obedience is not going to come about through intimidating your dog. That’s why it’s important not to use a choke chain on your dog while lead training, as this will give it the wrong idea about leads. Dog training should be done gently, with respect for your canine and you’ll find that he responds better.
3. Go slowly. There’s no need to leap into walking down the street with your dog. Training can be done slowly and it will be much smoother for it. For example, start with the collar only at first. Once the puppy is used to this, you can progress to attaching the lead. Try doing this while the puppy is being fed so he’ll associate it with something good. Then, once he’s used to having something attached to the collar, you can start picking it up. Don’t rush and you’ll be fine.
4. Nip bad habits in the bud. It’s important not to let your dog training go the wrong way. If your puppy is starting to pull on the lead, you’ll need to make sure you stop that little problem right away. A firm “no” and a little tug on the leash will usually work when used consistently, but you’ll have far more success with rewarding the right behavior. Which brings us to our next tip . . .
5. Praise and reward. Dogs want to please their humans and yours will be no exception. Even a few words of praise will go a long way toward making your dog want to continue the behavior. The great thing about this method of puppy training is that you can’t go wrong! As long as you are consistent with the reward or praise, your dog will rapidly learn the new behavior . . . in this case, walking on a lead.
There are a lot of advantages to having your dog trained to use a leash and not pull. For one, you’ll be able to enjoy walks out with your dog and so will your canine friend. It’s also safer, as any dog obedience class will teach you, since you don’t need to worry about your dog getting loose and running out into the street when he’s walking happily beside you.

Puppy Training Tips

Rick — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:36:04 +0000

You can start training your puppy practically as soon as you get him home. You can take him to puppy training classes of course, but it isn?t so difficult to learn puppy training techniques and teach him yourself. Dogs are like children and learn quickly through games. Try to play with your puppy as often as you can, and if possible get down on the floor with him. That way a bond will be established between you and the puppy and you can strengthen it through training. When he is about eight weeks old your puppy will be old enough to start learning how to retrieve things, bring them to you and lay them at your feet. He will find this fun and enjoy playing ?fetch? for the rest of his life.

The best way to teach him this game is to keep him on a 10-foot leash. Rather than using a stick, use a toy he is familiar with or a soft ball. It is important to ensure that it isn?t too small, to prevent him from swallowing it. Take the toy and wave it in the air around his head to catch his attention, and then throw it at a distance of about 5 feet. Be careful not to throw it further than that or he might injure himself when he suddenly reaches the end of the leash. Make sure you use his name, for example ?Prince, fetch!?

Run after him as he goes after the toy and give him a bit of praise, especially if he picks it up, but do not praise him too much at this point. If he fails to pick it up with his mouth, shake it in front of him until he does, and then return to where you were, trying to get him to follow you. Should he drop the toy you must make him pick it up again. When he brings it back, get the toy out of his mouth saying ?Out? as you do so, so that he will learn to recognize this command. After that you can lavish all the praise you want on him.

It is important when training a new puppy to make sure he always has fun with this game and that it is not a source of stress for him. Little by little he will begin to understand what you want and what he needs to do to get praise from you. Once you no longer have to move towards the toy to get him to retrieve, you can begin to throw it in other directions.

Although Labrador retrievers are good swimmers, this is something they need to learn, and they need to strengthen their swimming muscles through exercise. It is not a good idea to push your puppy into the water or make him go in. When he is about three months old you can encourage him to enter a pond or lake and he will quickly understand what to do. You can help him get started by wading in with him at the beginning, and if he sees other dogs having fun in the water that will encourage him to get in on the fun.

Puppies that are raised by the sea become great sea-lovers, but you have to be sure to protect a young puppy from big waves. Take him to the shallow part of a sheltered bay to begin with. When you throw an object make sure it does not fall into deep water as it is easy to misjudge distances and your puppy might not be able to swim back if the object is too far away, and risks drowning from exhaustion.

Don?t make the mistake of thinking that it?s safe to let your puppy swim in your pool. He might go in alone when you are not looking and not be able to climb out when he gets tired.

German Shepherd Dog Breed Information and Best Tips

Rick — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:25:33 +0000

The human-dog correlation forms an essential part of the society. Legends and tradition have surrounded a part of the character and teaching guidance for the dog. With the introduction of science and human psychology, many scientists have made efforts to characterize and identify the activities of the dogs and the methods involved in training them. Difficulties in the relationship of dog and human aroused during the middle of the 20th century. But, in the 21st century, researches have proved that, hardships were removed depending on the selection of breeds of dogs appropriate to human needs. This small but momentous march may help in maintaining a good relationship with the owners of the dog and the public. There are several breeds of dogs available. A family can select a dog on the available breeds depending on their security requirements.
This article deals with the German shepherd dog also called as Alsatian Shepherd. This breed of dogs shows self-assurance, friendliness and devotion to the owners than other breed of dogs. The recognition of German Shepherds still holds good as they have an unjustified status as aggressive Shepherds, because of their similarity to their far-away predator, the wolf. These dogs become hard to be handled if meddled harshly. They act as watch dogs for houses and also are used for protection purposes because of their courage, heroism, stubbornness, power and vigor. German Shepherds are generally not used in the security services like in army and police. But they are used at homes, since they show loyalty, love and affection to their owners.
German Shepherds are medium sized dogs and normally weighs about 40 kgs. Ears of these dogs remain wilted and droopy and become hard after they grow. Shepherds have sparkling eyes with a package of dense fur and have a proportionate structure towards their adulthood. These dogs develop some problems around the waist called dysphasia due to over jumping and shaking of the body and this leads to joint problems. Skin problems are common in Shepherds and everyday grooming is a must for these dogs. Perfect good food is essential to avoid skin problems.
These dogs eat normally 800gms of meal per day. They normally prefer fresh foods like meat and vegetables, other than dried dog foodstuffs. Shepherds normally prefer long walks and like straying outside the home. These dogs usually sleep outside the door of the house and provide safety and security. In short, these dogs are called as pet dogs. Socialism and instillation of good habits can be made possible by providing proper training to these dogs. It is more important to keep them psychologically and physically engaged.
Scientific researches have proved that by ascertaining a dog’s physical structure and behavioral characters, it becomes possible to decide on the breed of dogs appropriate to specific tasks and environments. More significantly, community may be enhanced with a dog or breed of dog, reducing the occurrence of activities arising from unsuited human-dog interactions. However, further study needs to be done to simplify and recover the functioning and social interactions with dogs.

German Shepherds – Some Tips When Looking For A New Dog

Rick — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:04:33 +0000

German Shepherds have been an immensely popular breed for over a century. This large breed was first introduced outside of Germany during the first World War and has steadily gained a loyal following. German Shepherds are intelligent, loyal dogs and make great family pets. They are also well suited to work in such occupations as seeing eye dogs, watchdogs, police work and more. These canines are well rounded and make great additions to any family.
Choose a reputable breeder. German Shepherds, just like any other breed, have their share of health problems. You can avoid picking a puppy that’s prone to such problems by choosing a good breeder. A good breeder will be concerned about the health and quality of all their German Shepherds. If you aren’t sure where to look, contact your local breed council for recommendations.
Diet is important. Just like with humans what you feed, your German Shepherd ultimately is one of the deciding factors in its health, growth and development. Talk to your veterinarian about what types of things should be in the diet of a large breed like the German Shepherd.
German Shepherds, like many large breeds, commonly suffer from hip dysplasia. This is a disease that affects the shoulder and elbow joints much like arthritis. One way to reduce the chances of this German Shepherd health problem occurring is to keep exercise to a reasonable level for the first six months. This is a crucial time in your puppy’s development and overdoing it can cause problems down the line.
Other German Shepherd health concerns include Hemophilia A. This blood clotting disorder affects the males and can be hereditary. Although not subject themselves, the females can be carriers. Pancreatic Insufficiency causes food to not be digested properly. Treatment is a life long process. Bloat or Gastric Torsion is also common. Feeding two smaller meals a day instead of one large one can help prevent this painful condition.
Many of the health conditions that German Shepherds suffer from are hereditary. This is one of the reasons why a reputable breeder should be picked. They will know their German Shepherds and their histories and can inform you of anything you need to watch out for. To keep your German shepherd healthy and happy, be sure to exercise your dog regularly. It is also a good idea to get yearly check ups. German Shepherds are also very social creatures. So taking them to a dog park or allowing them to interact with other dogs and people is also a good idea. German Shepherds are also very trainable, so have some fun and teach your dog some interesting and fun tricks. These are all sure ways to keep your German Shepherd healthy.