Do You Make These 4 Common Mistakes In Dog Training?

February 4, 2010 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


Everyone begins training a dog with a number of unknowns. First, no one can truly know how a dog will react to training and even if you know the breed, there can be differences with each individual breed. Another unknown is the type of dog training that you use. Some dogs do well with food based reinforcement and some do not and owners will need to learn as they go along. While most of the unknowns with dog training can be overcome quickly, many owners make some pretty common mistakes while they are training your dogs. To avoid those dog training mistakes, it is important to be aware of them and that is exactly what I will be doing in this article; alerting you to common dog training mistakes that every owner has or will make at one time.

Mistake #1: Not Setting Firm and Consistent Rules: One of the most common mistakes that owners will make actually has nothing to do with the physical act of dog training and is actually a daily occurrence that usually plays in the background. As every parent will tell you, children require rules and dogs are no different. There should be rules set in place the moment that a dog is brought home. This means that if you have a rule for no dogs on the furniture, then you need to stick with it, regardless of how cute a puppy is. Not establishing those rules right from the beginning can lead to long term behavior problems and your puppy will quickly learn that he can ignore the rules and eventually simply ignore you. It is important that you avoid this dog training mistake right from the start and make sure that everyone in your house will follow the same rules with your dog to ensure the best success.

Mistake #2: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat: Okay, this may be a little confusing since dog training consists of the repetition of an action but while repeating an action over again is fine, repeating a command is not. When it comes to dog training mistakes, I would say that this is the biggest mistake that owners will make and I have been found guilty of this little offense myself. It is only natural to repeat a command when a dog doesn`t listen but it is something that you should train yourself not to do. When you repeat a command, you are teaching your dog that he doesn`t have to listen to a command every time. This means that a command stops having any affect on the dog and you end up having to retrain with a new command, which can take time and can be very frustrating for both you and your dog.

Mistake #3: Rewarding Bad Behavior: Although there are several types of dog training available, most trainers and owners will use positive reinforcement training, which consists of treating your dog, usually with food, whenever he does something positive. While this is an excellent way to train your dog, many owners make the mistake of treating the wrong behavior and end up reinforcing bad behavior. Bad behavior in dog training is anything that you don`t want your dog to do. So, for instance, your dog is in the kitchen while you are cooking a meal. At first it may not seem like he is doing anything but spending time with you and that may have been the case in the beginning but when you drop your first bit of food, or you toss him a little snack, he will quickly learn to beg whenever you are in the kitchen. Fast forward a year and you have a full grown dog under foot whenever you go to the kitchen simply because you have reinforced that begging in the kitchen is okay. To avoid rewarding a dog for a bad behavior, don`t praise him, comfort him or treat him when he is doing something you don`t want repeated. So if he barks at the door, don`t praise him for being a good guard dog and if you drop some food on the floor, pick it up yourself and take it to his dog bowl if you want to give it to him. By controlling the environment, you can quickly stop yourself from rewarding his bad behavior.

Mistake #4: Saving it for a rainy day: The last common dog training mistake that I am going to mention is the desire to put off training. Many owners feel that dog training should be done after a certain age but it has been shown time and time again that the longer you wait, the harder it will be to train your dog. Dog training should begin as soon as you bring your puppy home. It starts with establishing rules and house training first and then it quickly moves to basic training such as sit, down, stay. Puppy socialization class usually begins around 11 weeks of age and from there you will quickly start dog training. Never leave training until your dog is 6 months of age or older since many negative behaviors are established by that time. In the end, if you are aware of the dog training mistakes that you can make, you will find that you are less likely to make them and your dog will quickly respond to dog training with only a small amount of fuss.



The Bond of Dog Obedience Training

January 31, 2010 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


Getting your dog to understand what you want him do when given certain commands is the purpose behind dog obedience training. It is a communication process between owner and dog that creates a bond that is vital to the safety of the dog, his owner, and those around him.

Dogs are naturally social creatures that in the wild live in packs. When brought into a home a dog becomes a part of the family pack, and just like in the wild there is a natural order to things with a leader of the pack, or alpha dog, on down. One of the primary purposes of dog obedience training is to show your dog who is in charge. Without proper training or discipline just about any dog will naturally try to take over and be in charge.

This is where obedience training comes in. It lets your dog know who’s in charge and at the same time creates a bond between him and his humans. It is one of the most important things any dog owner can do to establish a strong relationship between owner and dog.

Training your dog subtly but efficiently establishes to your dog that you are the leader of the pack and they are not, but it should not involve any negative or punishment-based components. Training your dog to be obedient can be an extraordinary learning experience as well as being a fun and rewarding activity for you and your dog.

Obedience training is great for your dog because it is a good mental exercise that enables your dog to live happier and with more freedom. It is a way of fostering communication between owner and dog. Although obedience training doesn’t solve all behavior problems it is the foundation for solving just about any problem including house training, chewing up your belongings, excessive barking, digging holes in your yard, fighting other dogs and aggressive behavior. The goal behind dog obedience training is the idea that a dog will respond with a certain reaction every time a certain command is given.

Almost every dog owner will have to use some sort of behavior modification techniques at one time or another when training their prized pet. It helps avoid temperament and behavior problems. Many dogs develop behavior problems because their owners fail to set rules and enforce them. Proper training allows you to communicate with your dog, helps to foster the bond between you, and keeps him safe from both injuries and behavior problems.

Dog obedience training is about setting boundaries that must be enforced on a daily basis and is the most important thing a dog should learn as it is the foundation to solving many of any dog’s behavior problems. Obedience training is the perfect method for both you and your dog to establish a connection, to relate to one another and to make living together more enjoyable.



How to Stop Bad Dog Behavior

September 8, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


Dogs belong to the Canidae family which includes wolves, foxes and cayotes. Since dogs came from ancestors with wild behaviors, it is not surprising for dogs to demonstrate a wild or aggressive behavior. Although dogs are now domesticated, there are still tendencies for dogs to exhibit their natural behavior. Humans take this behavior as bad dog behavior and expecting their dogs to behave and live with them in peace and harmony.

Here are some guidelines you can follow to stop bad dog behavior:

Early separation from the mother. Dogs are pack animals and they don’t like to be alone. When puppies are taken away from their mothers early before behavior development, this will result to behavior problems. It is advisable that puppies stayed with their mother and other puppies for about 8-10 weeks old. He will learn his behavior under the care of the mother dog. If he tries to bite other puppies, for instance, the mother dog is there to growl as a warning that his biting and bad dog behavior is not acceptable. Puppies will learn to modify their behavior if they stay long enough with their mother and by the time you take them home they are already equipped to communicate properly. It will be easier for you to house train your puppy and stop dog bad behaviors.

Reprimand when needed to stop bad dog behavior. If your dog displays bad behavior, do not ignore it. Use punishment or be strict when your dog does something that displeases you, but do not hurt your dog. Just let him know or feel that you don’t agree with his bad dog behavior.

Don’t be afraid to show appreciation or acknowledge your dogs’ good behavior. Through praises and affirmations, dogs learn that they are doing the right thing that makes you happy. Remember that dogs like to please you and if he feels you are happy with his behavior he will keep doing it until it becomes a habit.

Train your dog. Dog obedience is not innate; you must put time and effort to train your dog to stop bad dog behavior. Lack of obedience training will result to bad dog behavior. You cannot communicate properly to your dog if he is not acquainted with the proper dog trainings.

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The Best Way to Stop Dogs Behavior Problem

June 15, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


Dog owners must put attention to dogs behavior problem and understand why dogs behave differently. Dogs behavior problem includes growling, non stop or unnecessary barking, snarling and other threatening behavior like physical attack to people or other dogs. Does your dog display these behavior problems? You have to recognize your dog’s behavior problem before it became a serious behavior and aggression problem.

Do you feel you want to give up on your dog and you feel it’s hopeless to solve your dog’s behavior problem? Understanding dogs behavior and how to handle the situation correctly will solve dogs behavior problem. Dogs behavior problem and aggression maybe a result of fear. Aggression is an automatic defense of dogs when they are afraid either from human or another animal’s presence. Age and maturity has something to do with dogs behavior problem too, there are dogs that are friendly as puppies but start to display aggressive behaviors on the 2nd or 3rd year. Pain and injury may also lead to dogs behavior problem. These things and a lot of factors leading to dogs behavior problem must be recognized by dog owners.

Dogs behavior problem is a serious problem that requires immediate action before it could get worst. Seeking professional help is important to evaluate your dog’s medical and behavior condition. You can also keep records of the occurrences of your dog’s behavior problem. Record how it happened and the possible triggers of the bad behavior.

Building an effective communication with your dog is the first step to solve the behavior problem of your dog. There are many ways to communicate with your dog when your dog is misbehaving. Obedience training is one way to communicate with your dog. It will give you techniques on how to make your dog listen to you and behave properly.

A well behaved dog is a pleasure to be with. Transform your dog’s behavior problem immediately. Dog obedience training will reveal proven strategies how to make your dog understand what you are communicating to him. Transform you dog’s behavior problem and get immediate results visit Dogs’ Corner

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