Dog Training

Behavior

2008-10-01T00:24:00.004-07:00

Many dog owners are afraid to train their dogs themselves because they feel they lack the experience necessary to do the job well. There is no simple, short, "to-do" list that will tell you everything you need to know. It takes a lot of information to train dogs well. Professional dog trainers spend years of trial and error to narrow down the most effective techniques. Some of what these trainers have learned has been packaged into complete training manuals, but the extensiveness of such a manual goes beyond a simple list of tips.

There is one important advantage that you have over a professional dog trainer. You will spend more time with your pet than anyone else. You will be more familiar with your dog's behavior than anyone else. Knowing and understanding a dog's behavior places you a big step ahead on the dog training ladder. There are two types of behavior you should be familiar with. Those are the Nature behaviors, and the Nurture behaviors

Nature behaviors:

Learn the history of your dog. Do research on the breed. Was your dog bred to be a hunter? Does it have a history of scavenging? Is it an indoor lapdog, or a more aggressive outdoor dog?
It is important to use your dogs history in training. Understand that if your dog was bred to hunt, you need to focus your training more around those instincts. Play more fetch. Make those types of dogs work harder for their rewards. It is in their genes that they have to stalk, chase down, and then tear apart their prey before getting to enjoy a meal. Work with that genetic instinct rather than against it.

Nurture behaviors:

If you got your dog as a puppy, you will be familiar with how it was raised. If there were small children in the house, the dog may not think of itself as being bottom in the "pack hierarchy", since there are smaller creatures than itself living with it. This can be dangerous if the dog thinks it is in charge of small children, resulting in harmful playing and bites.

If your dog was raised somewhere else, and you got your pet from a pound or elsewhere, try to find out as much information as possible. If the dog was abused or ignored, it will need special care. It is important to show the dog as quickly as possible that it won't be treated the same way in it's new home. The sooner those issues are resolved, the sooner you can move to other types of training.

There is one last general guide to training that is important to follow. Always be consistent with your training, and never show indifference to your pet. Being consistent keeps your pet healthy. If it is sometimes rewarded for good behavior, and other times ignored, this will just cause confusion. If your pet is often shown indifference, then it will show indifference in return, and it will be difficult to train.

You can find more dog training resources at http://www.dogtrainerpro.info

Allen McDaniel has spent time learning from leading dog training experts and behaviorists and is happy to be sharing what he's learned with the online community.

Train Your Dog Yourself

2008-10-01T00:24:00.003-07:00

Every dog lover wants their dog to be well-trained and obedient, and what would be better if that could happen without ever having to register in obedience class or hiring an expensive professional dog trainer? What would be better than for you to be able to train your dog at your very own house, at your own pace and your own convenience? If these questions put a smile on your face, you have come to the right place! This article provides you with easy tips and directions that will enable you to be your own dog's trainer at your own time and convenience, and create an everlasting bond of friendship between you and your pet!

You should always start your dog's training in an area that has little or no distractions at all. This way it would be able to completely focus on you. Eventually when your dog has learnt to follow your commands perfectly, you can start practising in parks so that your dog can be focused on you despite all the distractions!

You must ensure that you do not overburden your dog with a lot of different commands in too little time. You need to remember that because dogs do not understand words and only respond to actions, motions and tones of their trainers, they need time to fully understand the command. Teach your dog only one command at a time, and only after you are a hundred percent sure that your dog has completely understand and learnt the command should you move on to another one. If your dog is slow to respond, you must be patient and let it learn at its own pace. Keep in mind that you must give it as much encouragement and support as it needs till it is ready to start learning a new command.

Even after your dog has learnt the command completely, you must make sure that it gets a lot of practice. If you start teaching your dog a new command, make sure you spend about fifteen minutes at least on the new command everyday and also consistently make your dog practise the old commands that is has learnt.

No matter what commands you are teaching to your dog, you must ensure using positive reinforcements during training so that the dog continues to associate its correct actions to the pleasant rewards and treats it gets for doing so. On the other hand, if your dog acts in a manner that is incorrect or unreliable, never try to use negative reinforcements. Never hit your dog. Never scream at your dog.

This may have very negative consequences for your relationship with your dog. If the dog feels threatened by you in absolutely any way, it will not respond to your training and actually may get violent and attack you back!

Remember, training your dog can be very easy but it requires a lot of patience on your part. With these tips and some patience, you should be able to get your dog to be well behaved in no time!

Save yourself a lot of time as a dog owner and train your dog to be obedient. It gets so much easier for both you and your dog when you have trained your dog´s obedience. Click here to learn more about training your dog.

Tips For Dog Obedience School

2008-10-01T00:24:00.001-07:00

It may be that you have brought a dog in your residence and have also learnt that it due to its own breed is more intelligent than others. What should do you after that? Will you start thinking that there is no such necessity of training? The dog is so intelligent that it will obey your commands without any training! If you think in this way, you are certainly living in a fool's paradise. Each and every dog should be trained and that's the only way to groom it and make it obedient.

It's better to remember that no dog is so intelligent for which there is no requirement of training. For all these make sure that you start the obedience training without any further delay. Now where should you go? There are many obedience schools in the market. But in any way the dog owner seems to be the best trainer since none can understand the pet like him. As the trainer it will be best if you start your own school in your residence.

Now everyone asks of the essence of obedience training. Perhaps they forget to realize that this course is very important for a healthy relationship between the pet and the owner. However this relationship is not synonymous to friendship and never the owner and the pet can be good friends. A dog always lives in packs. Due to genetic influences it bows before the leader only. For this reason you shall have to be the ideal leader and thus earn the reverence or obedience from it. You have perhaps found that a dog doesn't heed to commands of others. But it will do just the opposite if his master commands. This is a way to please the master.

Through training obedience to the pet the dog owner makes the dog an acceptable member of the society. There are several dogs that remain rowdy and annoy every member of the family. Moreover through ceaseless barking, jumping and frequent urination it perturbs the homely atmosphere. The obedience training will groom it for the betterment. On the other hand the training will make it realize the approved behaviors. The rigorous and daily training will at last become able to tame it and bring him out of the bad behaviors. Remember if you succeed in the training only then you can invite others to your home. If not, hell will fall upon you!

In accordance with this the dog obedience training provides a great support to the mental and physical development of your pet. You are the only person who can energize the dog at every time and this makes the acceleration of the training course more than even you can imagine. This is the reason for which dog owners are found to chat with their pets. Never try to evade or ignore the dog. Even for once! Dogs are very emotional. You must keep a close watch on its reactions

Obedience training is necessary for the dog's overall development. Make your own school straight away and also the dog presentable.

Save yourself a lot of time as a dog owner and train your dog to be obedient. It gets so much easier for both you and your dog when you have trained your dog´s obedience. Click here to learn more about training your dog.

Dog Training - 3 Top Tips for Puppies

2007-01-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

By Rachel Annarve

Before we brought our Bullmastiff puppy home (at 7 weeks old !) we invested in 3 things and these have become the basis for this article on 3 top tips for dog training.

Tip 1 ; Get a dog crate !

We invested in the extra large crate, as a Bullmastiff isn't exactly a small dog ! In order to make her more comfortable, we sectioned it off to make it smaller.
The crate became her safe place where she feels secure. Also It was used as a calm time out spot.
Truly, the best investment ever made !

This option is recommended for puppies and adult dog training alike.

Tip 2 ; Invest in a good quality leash with a snap on latch as well as the correct size choke chain or collar for your dog.

As we have a very large dog, and have used them before with success, we bought a choke chain for training.These allow the puppy or adult dog to become familiar with something around their neck, and eventually after corrections, what their owners commands mean.

Tip 3 ; Invest in either puppy classes or an excellent program.

We personally selected the program so that there was more contact with our puppy and could make training sessions shorter.
Even before we put the course into practice, it taught us more than was ever expected (and we've raised 2 dogs before...).
Puppy classes can be fine for socialisation of your dog, but the training sessions are a little long for optimum training results.

Check out the program that covers all the bases Here; http://dog101training.blogspot.com

Remember, these are investments in your dogs life.

Your dog is not just a possession but a lifelong companion.
If you train them and take time with training your dog, they will have a long happy life with an owner who loves them.

Next time;
Dog Training - Basic Dog Obedience

Rachel Annarve

Getting Rid of the Mess: Dog Potty Training

2006-12-24T00:28:00.000-08:00

By Randy John

Nobody wants or needs an extra mess in their house, especially from a pet dog. If you have just gotten your first dog, or haven’t been able to control the dog’s behaviors, then you can follow these simple tips to help with dog potty training. This can help everyone to have a more pleasant time when they are in the house.

Even if you have just gotten a new puppy, you don’t want to procrastinate dog potty training. As soon as the dog steps into your home is the time to begin the training. Every owner will have unique ways of doing this, but most agree on some simple things. The first is to make sure that you catch the dog doing their business in the wrong place right away. If you wait for too long, they won’t know why you are punishing them. Because of this rule, some owners will have their dogs on leashes where they can watch them in order to ensure they are catching them in the act.

As soon as you catch your dog, the dog potty training begins. You can do this by stopping the dog and tell them ‘bad dog.’ Make sure that they understand why by showing them the mess that they are making or have already made. Directly after you have told them no, you can then move them outside. Redirecting them to a different area, and specifically to a spot made for all of their bathroom needs is an effective part of the communication to offer for your dog.

After this point, you will need to make sure that you can use positive reinforcement in order to help your dog understand what is right. If they continue their business outside, wait until they have finished then tell them that they are a good dog. You can even let them know by giving them a treat to help them understand that what they did was good. You should never expect your dog to know what you mean with the dog potty training right away. Depending on the dog, it will take repetitive times for them to understand what you mean. It will take a dog anywhere from five to one-hundred times to understand what you are trying to communicate to them. Consistency is a key word to keep in mind as you train.

One of the other parts of dog potty training that you can keep in mind is to give the dog options. For instance, if you know you will be gone from your house for a long time you can use this same technique to teach them to go on newspaper in one area of your house. This will help them to keep you pleased. You can also keep them in a pet taxi for a specified amount of time while you are gone, which will not give them a chance to conduct their business while you are away.
If you are dog potty training, you want to make sure to let your dog know exactly what you want. When they get older, you will be glad that you did. Being consistent and communicative are the two keys to making sure that you are able to complete successful dog training.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_John

Dog Training Book

2006-11-08T02:31:00.000-08:00

Does your dog need a good seeing to? Does he act inappropriately? Those are just a couple of questions many people are answering in dog training books. Hundred of people are writing books on dog training as it is such a big market. Many people struggle to train their dogs on their own and people love the fact that they can make a profit out of it. I’m not saying that it is wrong to write a dog training book and charge for it, it's good that there are book resources available.

There are people writing dog training books that have never actually owned a dog and the nonsense they blether is quite funny but then you get the serious writers. People that have had about 30 years of dog training experience are putting their knowledge onto paper and making it available to the whole world which is fantastic. Many people need guidance when it comes to teaching their dog basic training and books are a great way to learn. You just have to be careful you are purchasing a book from a genuine dog trainer and not someone who can paint a pretty simple picture of dog training, because a pretty simple picture is not what dog training is about.

One of my favourite books was "Help! My dog has an attitude" written by Gwen Bohnenkamp. This book is an excellent read and full of great tips and advice. She tells you about the problems that dogs are facing in an ever growing scary world and the pressures it puts on dogs, whether it are trains that are rushing past, cars that are coming to close or even the drain in the middle of the street making that funny loud gurgling noise! There is one thing about her book, it makes you realise that a lot of a dog problems are made by us, we drive our dogs to do these things but we are oblivious to it, thank goodness she doesn’t make you feel guilty about it though!

Whereas "The Dog Whisperer" written by Paul Owens is one of the books I was telling you about earlier, where people that have had no experience with dogs put pen to paper. He writes about the simplest of training techniques and then fills his book full of psycho-babble about how to treat your dog and how to love him, that’s not what a dog training book should be about. It has had a good few write ups but I think it is not worth the money or time to read it. He starts of going on about how Jesus and Buddha might train their dogs and then goes on about how he felt spiritual enlightenment and a feeling of pure love for his dog. Basically he is a nut case!

Dog training books are easy enough to get and if you enjoy a good read then sit down to one, have a cup of coffee and get prepared for the next days step; actually training your dog!

Dog Training Aids

2006-11-08T02:30:00.000-08:00

You may think that dog training aids are out there for you to spend money and not actually reap any benefits from. That is not the case. Dog training aids are there to help you succeed in teaching your dog, this could be teaching him obedience, agility or any other type of teaching you want to do. There are many aids available but only a certain few will work with your dog and his temperament.

I find the best training aid to be treats, small pieces of human food chopped up and given to him when he has done something good has always worked wonders, that is unless your dog doesn’t really have an interest in treats. This is a really cheap method of a training aid but if you want to blow some cash there are hundreds of options available for you.

For dog agility training aids that are available are e.g. anti bark collars. Many dogs have a problem when they do dog agility. They start barking constantly basically because of the hype involved. Anti bark collars do one of two things or sometimes both, they give a small electric charge when your dog barks and spray some water up into their face. People may think this is cruel but it is completely harmless. It just lets your dog know that barking is not acceptable. These collars are available at pet shops and on the internet and are not too expensive.

For dog obedience some dog training aids that are available are dog clickers, the newest craze out on the market which allows owners instead of associating sit with a word they use a click instead and reward with treats, no punishment allowed. Another aid available is a harness; this gets fitted around your dog’s upper body so when you are teaching him to heel a slight tug on the harness pulls him back completely. The harness is a widely used obedience aid and is greatly used for bigger dogs such as German shepherds and Rottweilers.

There are also dog training aids available for around the home. These are simple and effective. Many people turn to dog training aids when nothing else has worked but they don’t have to be the last thing you try, with aids so cheap these days there is no reason why you can't invest in something that will make your dogs learning process a lot more exciting!

Dog Toilet Training

2006-11-08T02:29:00.000-08:00

Unless you have a sixth sense you can't predict when and where your dog is going to do the toilet, that is why dog toilet training is necessary. Dogs need to learn to “hold it” and go where he is supposed to as they don’t know any different. In the wild dogs can go when and where they please, but this is not the wild and they need to be taught the difference.

Dog toilet training can be something of a difficult task. Every day needs to be the same and you need to give him constant attention when you can; this will make the toilet training procedure a lot easier. Your training process will take longer if you are working out of the house quite often as your dog will need to go and the house is the only place that he can.

When you start out dog toilet training you need to give him a place of his own, maybe a corner of your back room. That should be where you put his food and his bed and his toys and cover the whole floor in newspaper. When you leave the house make sure he is in that room and can't get out.

When you are gone he will obviously need the toilet and will go where he is standing, but over time he will pick a place and start to do his business in the one place, when he starts to do that you can then start to remove the paper from the area furthest away from his chosen spot. Gradually continue this until it is only a small space available for him to go, if he misses the paper then you are moving a little bit too fast and need to go back a step or two until you get to as little papers as possible. When he gets older he will be able to control his bladder movements a lot easier.

When you are at home spend as much time with your dog as possible. Dog toilet training will be much easier if you do. Every 45 minutes or so take your dog outside and whenever he does the toilet outside make sure he is praised very happily and excitedly with lots of enthusiasm, and do this everytime that he “goes” outside. He will realise that this is where he needs to go to the toilet and when he can control his bladder a little better he will wait until you come to let him out. It does take a lot of time and patience though.

Never scold your dog for doing the toilet in the house as he does not know any better. We did the toilet in our nappies until we were potty trained because there was nothing else we could do about it, when we needed we went, well dogs are the same. No dog is properly toilet trained until he is about 6 months old so it is a lengthy procedure but a great one when the end results start to show!

Dog Puppy Training

2006-09-20T03:25:00.000-07:00

A new puppy in the home excites everyone especially children but make sure you got the puppy for a good reason and not just on a spur of the moment feeling. Like they say dogs are for life not just for Christmas. A puppy can bring lots of happy memories and times but they have a lot of training and work involved to, they are not all fun and no work!

A puppy’s temperament depends on where the puppy has been brought up and what type of breed he is. German shepherds, Rottweilers, bull dogs and boxers are all guard type dogs so tend to be very loving and protective. Border and bearded collies tend to be herding dogs and reared on farms and tend to be quite enthusiastic and never sit still (be aware because they are reared on a farm they may be a little bit nervous around modern day technologies, such as bridges, loud noises etc). Labradors, gun dogs and pointer are all hunting dogs so expect them to be full of energy and laughable moments. Of course these are just general expectations every dog has its day…and its personality!

Puppy dog training is something that can be achieved in a matter of weeks depending how much time and attention you spend on it. You don’t need to train for hours and hours a day, a few minutes several times a day is all it takes. The first thing you need to train your new puppy in is obedience, commands like sit, come, heel, stay and fetch are basic enough for them to learn. As they get older you can incorporate commands like paw, roll over and play dead! Training a young puppy is not as hard as you may think as they are like a blank sheet of paper waiting to be written on. The way and things that that they are taught will stick to them and will influence them later on in life, although training isn’t forever so you need spend a few minutes every day just to keep reminding them what to do.

There are not so nice consequences involved when puppies aren’t trained, for a start your house will constantly be a toiler ground for them and your furniture will have massive holes in it. Puppies are like babies and need to be taught the difference between right and wrong, to do this you need some puppy dog training!

Many handlers experienced or in-experienced are turning towards training products and aids but training can be done without these methods. Just a bit of good old hard work! A puppy may take several months to training but when it is complete the rewards will be well worth it, but don’t forget to top up on your training for several minutes each day or your dog will slowly forget and you’ll have to start all over again, with an even bigger task, training an older dog!

Dog Obedience Training

2006-09-20T03:24:00.000-07:00

Getting frustrated that your dog jumps up on people when you are visiting friends? Can’t understand why your dog runs away from you at the park while everyone else’s happily comes back? The simple answer is have you tried dog obedience training? It is simple, effective and very fun to do if you have the right attitude and patience.

The basics of dog obedience training and teaching your dog to sit, stay and come. These basic training commands will be extremely beneficial to you later on in your dog’s life. When you take your dog out you don’t want him to be running muck in the street, you want to show him off for the perfect dog that he is! Dog obedience training can be achieved in a matter of weeks with the right attention, dedication and patience.

There are a lot of obedience classes available. So if you can't teach your dog by yourself there is plenty support at the class, there are also other dogs there. Not only are you training your dog you are socialising him to which of course is the next step after sit, stay and come. Dogs are kind of like children to an extent, except with a lot of fur, they need to be taught right and wrong.

I always find that treats are a great method of dog obedience training; you award them with a special treat when they have done something you have asked them to. If they don’t respond they don’t get a treat. There is no point shouting at your dog as he will only become scared of you and you don’t want that, you want to form a happy relationship with him. Dog’s are a man’s best friend!

When teaching your dog obedience try and teach him away from distractions like his toys, take him to an empty field or park where there aren’t any people, only you and him. Tell him firmly but nicely that you want him to sit, then take your hand and place it on his back and gently guide his bottom down, when it is down say sit and tell him he’s a good boy then award him with a treat. Repeating this over and over again will make him realise that when you say sit you mean for him to sit and he gets rewarded, soon enough he will know to sit when you tell him to and the treats are no longer necessary.

Getting him to stay is another matter, you’ll probably need another person for that. Get him to sit (once he has learned how) and get a friend to hold him. Walk away from him telling him to stay, using your hand hold it up firmly (doing this will make him realise that when you hold your hand up in the future you want him to stay as well, not just when you tell him to) then give it a few seconds and let your friend release him, when he comes to you make him sit and tell him how clever he is! Don’t forget to reward him. While using this technique you are also teaching your dog how to come to you as well, so don’t forget to say "ome" to him, not just his name.

When dogs are born they are like soft clay, they need to be moulded and shaped. You can teach your dog from any age and the younger you start the easier it is. Like they say: you can't teach an old dog new tricks!!!

Dog Kennel Training

2006-09-20T03:23:00.000-07:00

There is great controversy about dog kennel training. Many believe that cages, kennels and crates are today’s answer to quick convenient punishment. Although not as much controversy as there is about dog collars that choke a dog and give them electric shocks. Many dogs find comfort in their own place and some find quite strange places to call their own- the washing basket, the tumble drier, the bottom drawer…..

When dog kennel training you must ensure that you do not put your dog in there when he has been bad as tempting as it may be. Also dogs can’t be in the kennel for more than four hours due to the fact that they will need to stretch and need to the toilet. Many dogs start to feel uncomfortable after four hours and then they begin to get anxious. Sometimes the kennel isn’t the godsend some think it is. A lot of people aren’t using kennels properly and therefore end up with more problems then they had started with.

You firstly need to identify the problem that you are using dog kennel training for, it is for housebreaking? Chewing? Making a mess? Once you have identified the problem you then need to utilize the cage to your advantage. All dogs should feel at home when they enter their cage. Food and water should always be available to them and comfortable bedding. For chewing problems chew toys should be available in the kennel and no where else and if he is caught chewing show him his chew toy instead don’t shout at him. Housebreaking is a little bit harder. Most dogs will not do their business where they sleep. So once you notice your dog start to get uncomfortable in his kennel take him out and let him do his business, once he has praise him and continue to repeat. Dog kennel training needs a lot of attention and probably aimed at dogs that are very stubborn and hard to train.

You may think caging up a dog is cruel but in truth its not, what happened to us when we were small? We were left in our cot or playpen to play, that is what you are doing to your dog, nothing cruel or inhumane just practical. Kennels are a little bit expensive to buy so make sure that you want to follow dog training kennels methods to the end before purchasing one.

Dog House Training

2006-08-28T03:15:00.001-07:00

When scolding your dog for doing the toilet on the carpet remember that we were once young and did not use the proper toilet either. Your dog needs to be house trained, and this can be done in a few easy steps, but over a long period of time.

Dog house training may be one of the hardest training techniques as it is the one that requires the most attentiveness and work. You have to be able to read your dog’s body signals as he can’t tell you when he needs the toilet. Many people make the mistake of assuming that their dog will bark when he needs the loo, sometimes they are lucky to find a dog that will but believe me there are many out there who don’t and accidents are found all over the house!

Dog house training requires a few simple steps as I said but they are time consuming ones. Firstly I would recommend putting newspaper in front of the door, that way if you see him doing an accident in the house you can quickly life him there and he will realise that if he needs to go and your not there to let him he has to do it on paper.

The next thing you need to know when dog house training is most dogs when they need the toilet will start to get restless and stat sniffing around, this is when you pick them up and take them outside, when they are really young you should take him outside at least once every hour. When you take them outside you can say things “do the toilet” or “do your business” or whatever command you want to use for your doing going out to do the toilet. Once they have done the toilet you must give them lots of affection outside straight away (of course it’s best to wait until they are done) They will soon come to realise that outside is the place to do the toilet and will after some time start asking to go out.

There are hundreds of books available on dog house training all of which use different techniques and routines. No dog is going to know straight away that outside is the place to do the toilet, they have to learn and you have to teach them (unless you don’t mind accidents all over the place) Oh and don’t forget to scoop!!

Dog Behaviour Training

2006-08-28T03:15:00.000-07:00

Bad behaviour in dogs can consist of many problems. Does he bark all night long and keeps you from sleeping? Are you afraid he is going to keep biting? Does he chew everything except his toys? If the answer to any of these questions are yes you need to invest some time into a little bit of dog behaviour training. A little training will go a long way.

Dogs that bark can be extremely irritating but the main thing is not to loose your cool, if you shout at him he will try to shout louder than you. Try and find out the cause of his barking. Is he barking because he is afraid? Is he happy? Is there someone out there? If you can’t find the reason for the barking then he is doing it because he doesn’t know it is wrong to bark all the time. This is where dog behaviour training comes in. There are lots of products available to help dogs with constant barking, there are special collars which gives them the tiniest of electric shocks so they know that it isn’t good to bark.

A biting dog is maybe one of the more serious behaviour problems, especially now that the laws are tightened and any dog that bites someone is more than likely to get put down. Teaching your dog not to bite is one of the most important teachings you can give him. This is where you have to be firm and stick to your guns. When playing with a young dog they will automatically nip and gnaw at your hand this is because when dogs play together they play with their mouths. When teaching your dog not to bite stroke him with one hand while offering something which is acceptable to be bitten with the other hand, something like a chew toy or a raw hide treat. Your dog will soon realise that hands aren’t there for biting. This process has to be done repeatedly for it to take effect.

Dog behaviour training is simple enough for the experienced dog lover but when it comes to beginners all the help available is needed. Accept help from friends and family and maybe even enroll in a dog behaviour training class, this will help you to meet other people, having the same problems with their dogs that you are with yours. You are not alone when it comes to having trouble with dog behaviour problems. Every dog will get them, it's just a matter of how you fix them.

Dog Agility Training

2006-08-28T03:14:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite activities is dog agility, it keeps you fit and makes you feel good picking up those trophies at the end of each competition.

Dog agility training is somewhat harder than other training options, but I find it the most fun. Firstly if you haven’t heard of dog agility it is a sport for dogs and owners. It is extremely popular in the UK and now there are reports of it happening in the USA and down under in Australia. It comprises of a main event, of which there are lots of different courses for your dog to run. In the courses there is a set number of obstacles. 26 is the average. Your dog has to complete the course without getting any faults in the quickest time to win. Sounds easy? Think again.

There are certain obstacles included in the course which need much training to master. There are two different types of courses, there are jumping and there are agility courses. Jumping courses are exactly what it says on the box, they are courses full of obstacles which your dog is to jump over, things like jumps (two stands which face each other that hold a pole, the pole stand is around 4ft high) which your dog has to clear without knocking the pole down, there are weaves (the weave is a straight line of poles. They can be 6,8,or 12 poles in length, your dog must weave through this) which your dog must not come out of before the end. In agility courses there are contact points on obstacles which your dog must touch with their paws. This requires a lot of dog agility training.

To run your dog in a show you must be registered with the Scottish Kennel Club (SKC) (or the AKC, the American Kennel Club if you are from the USA) and be part of an agility club. The members of these clubs meet up once or twice a week and train together, they set up practice courses, or just do certain obstacles their dog needs practicing on.

Dog agility training is not allowed in a club before your dog is one year old. Most agility enthusiasts have some equipment at home so they can start their dog from as young as six weeks, of course the poles from the jumps lay on the ground, and they don’t make their dog do anything dangerous. There are companies such as Jax which make obstacles and also training obstacles.

A lot of dog agility training must be done before you enter your first show. Your dog must be able to run a full course.

Forgive me for making dog agility sound like hard gruelling work, not the fun it really is. It is spectacular. The people, the atmosphere, the fun! The dog agility training is just what you have to endure to get there!

Clicker Dog Training

2006-08-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

The newest dog training craze is clicker dog training. A clicker is a small rectangular plastic box with a metal button on top that clicks, hence the name clicker. It’s the type of training that the dog decides whether or not it suits him. There have been a lot of success stories with clickers, but with my dog he just didn’t want to know!

Researchers in dog studies believe that the clicker promotes enforced training, without punishment! As we all know when we do something good and get rewarded for it we are going to do the same again, a dog thinks the same way. Dogs learn through consequences, if they do something and it earns them a treat and praise they are going to want to do it again because they like this consequence. If they do something that you don’t like and they get ignored or said no to in a strict voice they know that they aren’t going to get any treats so are not going to do it again.

Clicker dog training works in such a way it reinforces good behaviour. If your dog sits, click and give him a treat. The next time he sits do the same but don’t say anything to him. He will soon realise that when he sits he will get a treat and hear a click, so when you eventually come to click before he sits he knows to sit. Its not all that confusing when you think about it.

Punishment is not used with clicker dog training as researchers believe that although punishment does stop some bad behaviour it may also create another unwanted behaviour. Punishment is almost always carried out after the dog has done something wrong so dogs see punishment as a random consequence therefore punishment doesn’t really solve anything.

Clicker dog training is not only used or dogs! It is widely used for other animals such as dolphins and horses. It is a widely practiced training method and does produce results; if carried out properly.

Boxer Dog Training

2006-08-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Boxer is an amazing dog and is extremely playful, energetic and definitely a handful (in a good way of course). This breed if dog is extremely loyal and when a friendship is built it lasts forever. The boxer is very unique and not for everyone, if you’re a new owner of a boxer you have to be aware that they need a lot of attention and training. They are extremely intelligent dogs which can work to your advantage when it comes to training, but then again can be very disadvantageous as they know how to use their intelligence to get what they want.

Boxer dog training consists of training them up to become guard dogs, this is their main profession if you like. People who don’t know boxers tend to assume that they are naturally aggressive when they are in fact the opposite and couldn’t be more playful than any other dog! Because of their good stature and aggressive look, people are automatically assuming this dog could do more harm than good. If your boxer isn’t trained properly then he just might.

Because of their intelligence Boxers can be very stubborn but when it comes to training a boxer it can be very helpful. Owners must remember that there will be times when you ask him to do something and he’s going to look you in the face and basically tell you where to go, he knows he is supposed to do what you are telling him but he decides he can't be bothered and doesn’t. The main thing you have to remember in these circumstances is to be patient. From as early as 6 weeks old you should start your boxer dog training as this will help him when he grows up, socialize him, play with him and teach him, but do it in an exciting way and he is more likely to listen.

The main aspect of training for a boxer is socialization. Boxers can be very friendly dogs but they need to be trained to become one. They need to get accustomed to other dogs and people. The best way to do this is training classes. That way your boxer will be trained alongside other dogs.

When your boxer reaches 13-16 weeks old it's time for some serious boxer dog training, this is the stage where he is going to test for dominance, he will nip and try to show you that he is the more dominant one, mainly by not listening to you. You have to be a strong leader at this time, you must show him that him acting like that will not be tolerated no matter what!

Boxers are genuinely a lovable family dog and would make a proud pet for anyone, they are dogs that prefer to sit on you lap for a cuddle than anything else. Train your boxer early with some serious boxer dog training and you can be assured you will have a stunning, loyal family

Basic Dog Training

2006-08-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

“How does your dog sit when you tell him to and mine doesn’t?", “How can your dog heel to you like that?", “Wow! He comes when you tell him to” - Sounds familiar? If it does, you need to invest some time into a little bit of basic dog training. Starting to train your dog from a young age is crucial as the first few months of his life is when you will have the greatest influence on him; this is where he is shaped into the dog he is going to be when he is all grown up.

The most basic of dog training is to get your dog to sit and come. Teaching him those commands are essential for him to learn. These commands are used for various different reasons, if you are in competition, if your dog jumps making him sit will immediately get him off and "come" is the all important one. If you take your dog for a walk, you let him of the leash and you expect him to come back to you, not run around the park with you chasing after him shouting at him to “get here right this instance”. That would be just down right embarrassing!

To teach your dog how to come requires only the most basic of techniques but a lot of repetition. The simplest way to get him to come is have a toy in one hand and a treat in the other, when you are in the house simply walk away from him, hold out the toy and excitingly call him to you, when he comes over give him a treat, always use the command for come that you are going to use in the future. Doing this several times a day is a great way to teach him, but remember to have lots of long breaks so he doesn’t get bored and stop enjoying it, and don’t forget the treats!

Getting him to sit could be a slight bit harder but again only requires basic dog training. When you have mastered the come command call him to you, place your hand on the end of his back and say "sit" while gently pushing down on his backside, when he sits his bottom down give him a treat and a lot of praise. If you want him to sit longer just delay giving him the treat and the praise, get him to sit but take your time bending down to him and feeding him his titbit.

Basic dog training is simple and very effective. It should also be fun for you and your dog, it doesn’t have to be hours and hours each day just may be 5 minutes or so. Don’t forget to reward your dog and yourself for all the “hard” work though!!