Dog Training - Good Boy Command

April 30, 2010 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


Before I begin, the ‘good boy’ name is only an example for ease of writing in this article and ‘good girl’ or any other words of praise may be used in place of ‘good boy’ throughout this article.

The god boy command is not so much a command as a general consistent learning or rewarding exercise, the aim of this exercise is to get your dog to associate ‘good boy’ with times when he has done something well and is rewarded, this will make your dog happy and glad that they have done good for you.

A lot of dog breeds actually enjoy performing tasks for their owner and it’s what they are used to and aim to achieve, these dogs are generally dog with a working background and breed past, such as sheepdogs and collies, this makes the good boy command a lot more rewarding for them and a good reason to perform well.

This exercise can be taught as soon as you get your puppy or dog and can be a natural reaction to good behavior by many already, also making the command easier to remember and be consistent with.

The good boy command is easy and is taught along with rewards you give your dog, if your dog behaves well you should praise them to get them to do the same command again, this is common sense in dog training and the ‘good boy’ command only ads to this so you are able to give your dog a different, emotional type of praise on the rare occasions when you haven’t got treats on your person or to hand (although not recommended but it does happen).

So when your dog behaves well and has deserved a treat or other form of reward, recite ‘good boy’ to them in an excited and impressed voice and give your dog cuddles and love. This over time will be seen as another form of reward that means just as much to your dog as treats do.

The good boy command gives more emotion to your rewards and gives your dog a new form of praise to aim for thus enhancing the relationship between you and your dog, making this a very important command or reward.



Dog Shampoo – Dog Training

April 24, 2010 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


There are literally hundreds of companies competing for the market share of dog shampoo and coming up with new ways of cleaning your dog all the time, so it is no surprise that the choice of dog shampoo is endless and anyone looking to buy the best shampoo for their dog for the first time or for their new puppy will be puzzled at all the different options that are available to them.

Dog shampoos are essential to maintaining your dog’s health and well being when it comes to hygiene; some dogs seem to have a great liking for mud and anything else dirty for that matter, so how do you know which shampoo you will need?

Well there are many different types of shampoo to be had, from many different suppliers that are used for different situation and dog types. Dog shampoos available are flea shampoo, Aromatherapy and relaxing shampoos, dry shampoos, Anti tangle shampoos, conditioning shampoos and natural shampoos.

If your dog suffers from a easily tangled coat or you suspect from the length of the dog hair, that tangling may occur then anti tangle shampoos will save you a lot of time and keep your dog so he/she is happier to be washed and cleaned in the future.

Flea shampoo is self explanatory and should only be used if fleas are found or suspected; using flea shampoo for safety shake would not get rid of the fleas for long in any case because of fleas around the house, so flea shampoo should be used only if essential.

Besides ordinary dog shampoo the only other handy and helpful shampoo for shy or easily scared dogs would be the dry spray shampoo, this does not give as good of a clean as normal dog shampoo but there are instances when dog cleaning spray is needed. If it can be avoided then avoid, but if your dog it terrified with water then it may be the only alternative besides a smelly house.



Dog Training – Train a Dog to Fetch

April 15, 2010 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


The fetch game is probably the most popular and most used dog activity for rewarding your dog and giving him exercise at the same time. Giving your dog regular exercise is essential in keeping your dogs health up to scratch and helping them live a more exciting happy life.

Playing the fetch game with your dog is very easy and takes as much effort as you want to put into it. Simply take some form of ball, Frisbee, or stick and get your dogs attention with it, as soon as your dog has their eyes on the swinging stick, throw it as far as possible and command your dog to fetch the stick and pointing in the direction you threw it in with some enthusiasm to make it seem fun for your dog.

Dogs love this game and are happy to play it al day long with you, some dogs like the game more than others due to breed tendencies to please the owners. There are many different products available to help you with this command if you suffer from a bad back or similar and are incapable of bending down or throwing, this product is a long stick that cups the tennis ball and makes it easier to throw and pick up the ball.

This activity can be an energetic exercise for both you and your dog if you want it to be. Running around after your dog and throwing for your dog to fetch is a way used by many to keep fit and not just their dogs. A helpful two in one exercise to keep both parties healthy can’t be a bad choice!



Dog Training Tips - Potty Training a Dog

April 15, 2010 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


 

When learning how to potty train a dog you must first realize that you have to be prepared to continue training your pet all the way through. You need to be committed. Also, you should have a leash and a designated area for going to the bathroom. It should only take about two weeks to have a routine established but if you are training a dog that already has bad habits it could take up to five or six weeks.

 

Make sure your puppy is completely healthy because urinary tract infections and parasites can prevent you from being able to house train your dog. The area that you choose should be outside and it doesn’t have to be somewhere too specific but it can be if you wish. When potty training a dog, your attitude and presence is perhaps the most important factor. You must be assertive and dominant. YOU are the leader of the pack, remember dogs are pack animals like wolves and they need a leader to follow. If you become that leader, they will constantly want your acceptance. Let your dog know when he/she does something wrong. Do not hit your dog! You can not be the source of pain, you just need to let him know you’re unhappy with him/her.

 

And the opposite side of the coin is also important. When your dog does the right thing and shows that he/she wants to please you, give it praise. Potty training is a great foundation for the rest of the training your dog will undergo in the future.

 



Dog Training-10 Guaranteed Tips for Dog Potty Training

January 19, 2010 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


Puppies are very cute and adorable and it is a good companion in the family. Unfortunately, they may bring nightmare to the family if they create messes all over your home. This is the time to start potty training for your puppy. Dogs will not understand our language in the beginning so it is common to yell at the poor innocent soul. So, I shall show you the 10 most effective and easier tips to potty train your dog.

1. Items to have for your dog potty. They must be easy to clean. Have a splash back or even a post to aim at for a male puppy. Last but not lease a ample room for the dog to grow.

2. Newspaper is the most cost effective and easy to use for dog potty in indoor.

3. In order to prevent the dog making messes again in your house, try to restrict its access to the house until it is house trained. A small room with an easy to clean floor will be great for this.

4. Please be reminded not to change the place for the dog until it is well trained because puppy tends to get use to the surface they potty.

5. For indoor training, paper potty training method is the most suitable one, especially for puppies which need to stay indoor.

6. Need to use nature miracle stain and odor remover to clean up and cancel the it’s scent. It can be gotten from local groceries store or online store like Amazon or EBay.

7. Places with accidents happened need to be thoroughly clean up and freshen. This is to prevent the dog from going back to the place to do its business again.

8. Beside that, play and feed them at the place where they had accidents. This is to prevent them from eliminate in the same spot again.

9. Every member in the family need to use the same method else will confuse the puppies, else it will have longer time to potty train them.

10. You must pay more attention to the puppy during the training period.

It will be easier to train younger puppies, you will face more difficult situation for dogs which are not home bred, so they need to be taking extra attention, time, patience and effort. The most important point to take note is dog potty training is to know the correct time IN and time OUT of the dogs. You have to understand their act and behavior probably as they might act different when they need to go. For instance, the dog will smell around the house.

Last but not lease, you need to praise and reward your dog when they do something what you expect them to do or in short do the right thing. This will strengthen the bond between you and your dog. Subsequently, it will help on the dog potty training and you will see the result in shortest period of time.



How Socializing Your Dog Prevents Aggressive Dog Behavior

January 10, 2010 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


Let me ask you a simple question.  Do you know how important it is to socialize your dog?  Do you even know what socializing your dog is?  Learn how this important aspect of dog training can prevent aggression in dogs later on.

What Does Socializing Your Dog Mean?

Actually, it’s pretty simple.  What you’re doing is getting your dog accustomed to strangers, both human and animal.  It also includes taking your dog lots of places so that he’s used to different environments. 

This process can be so much fun that most people don’t take it seriously.  But if your dog hasn’t been socialized properly, he may become timid and fearful.  A pup who’s scared is more likely to develop some dog behavior problems that are very hard to get rid of. Aggression toward strangers can lead to biting people, while aggression toward other animals leads to fights with other dogs.

Fear Aggression In Dogs

If your pooch is not exposed to lots of different people when he’s between the ages of three and twelve weeks, he may develop fear aggression in dogs as he gets older.  This is characterized by him displaying suspicion and mistrust around people he doesn’t know. 

A dog that shows a lot of fear around strangers when he’s very young has a good chance of becoming fear aggressive as he gets older.  If your pup backs away from strangers while barking at them, this is a tip-off for you that this condition could be his problem.  In this case, you really need to concentrate on getting your dog used to other people.

Aggression Towards Other Animals

If your dog is not friendly towards other dogs, he probably doesn’t know how to interact with other canines.  This is because he never learned the proper social skills as a puppy. 

Sometimes a dog owner unknowingly causes aggression between strange dogs.  If you tighten the leash and pull your dog closer every time you see a strange canine, you’re communicating your unease to your dog.  If this happens repeatedly, your dog learns to get tense whenever another dog gets close.  He wants the other dog to stay at a distance, so your dog growls and barks at the stranger to accomplish this.

Plus, tightening the leash tells your dog that he can’t run away.  The only option he has left is to fight.  Pulling back on his leash also forces him to lean forward on his front feet.  The other dog may think he’s being threatened, and the result can be a dog fight.

Socializing Your Dog Prevents Aggressive Dog Behavior

You can see that neglecting to socialize your dog at a young age can lead to many dog behavior problems as he gets older.  It’s important to expose your pup to a wide variety of people to be sure he doesn’t develop fear aggression in dogs when he’s around strangers. 

Even more important is to make sure your young puppy has plenty of opportunity to interact with other pups.  This is how he learns to be a dog, and how to behave around other dogs.

You need to watch your own behavior to be sure you’re not inadvertently training your dog to be aggressive towards other dogs. 

Now that you have this information, you can take steps to socialize your dog properly to prevent aggressive dog behavior.



Obedience Training Resolves Bad Dog Behavior in Most Cases

December 23, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


There is nothing worse then a dog that jumps on anyone who walks in the front door, barks all day long, doesn’t listen to your commands, or relieves himself in your house. These are just a few examples of the sorts of bad dog behavior that drives owners crazy. If you are having these types of behavioral problems with you dog then it might be time to try some basic obedience training.

Dogs are very social creatures and they love attention, even if it’s for doing the wrong thing. Dog obedience training is the best way to re-program the way your dog goes about seeking attention because it them a positive outlet to please you. It also teaches them the difference between good and bad behavior because once they understand what you want from them they will always work to earn your praise.

There are two ways to approach training your dog to correct bad behavior; you can do it your self or you can sign up for a dog training class. If you are having a particularly hard time with your dog’s behavior then a class run by a professional trainer may be your best bet. Not only do you get their years of experience working with just about every kind of behavioral problem you also get a chance to find out exactly how to best deal with your dog’s problems. Dog obedience classes also give you the opportunity to socialize your dog with other dogs, which is a big part of solving many of his behavior issues.

If you don’t wish to train your dog in a class setting then you can still use the services of a professional trainer. Many trainers will provide private lessons, either at their place of business or at your home. Again you will get their experience working with all sorts of dogs but it will be more cost prohibitive.

If you would rather train your misbehaving dog yourself there are plenty of resources available to help you. Your local pet or book store will have plenty of books on the subject, some even specific to your particular breed. This can be important because not all breeds respond as well to the same training methods. Getting a better understanding of the intelligence level, mood, and temperament of your dog can give you insight into why he might be misbehaving.

There are also good training methods available on the internet. Most of these are downloadable ebooks written by professional dog trainers. They cover a wide variety of bad behavior problems and give you the insight of a pro without having to pay to see one in person. One of the nice things about going this route is the ability to email the trainers with questions and problems you may be having. This personal touch makes the low cost of these products a good way to go.

Bad dog behavior in the majority of cases is simply a case of a lack of proper obedience training. No matter which training option you choose your chances of turning your misbehaving dog into a model doggy citizen are greatly increased if you take the time to train him properly.



Dog Obedience Training to Solve Dog Behavior Problems

December 14, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


As much as we love dogs, there are times when they can really drive us crazy. Usually this is simply because there are some behavior problems such as barking, begging, and destructiveness. For many, life would be perfect if their dog would curb their behavior problems and really start behaving most of the time. Unfortunately, a dog will never curb his own behaviors and it is up to the owner to take some time for dog obedience training.

Surprisingly, it can be very easy to solve a dog behavior problem with training and in many cases the training should be started with the owner. That’s right, I said it. Usually, when a dog has behavior problems, it has nothing to do with the dog obedience training that the owner took part in. What it does have to do with is whether the owner made some of the common mistakes when they were training their dog. One of the biggest mistakes that many owners make when it comes to dog obedience training is that they stop training once their dog reaches a certain level. While the dog is trained, they will quickly forget or ignore commands that are not used on a regular basis.

This in turn leads towards behavior problems such as barking and chewing. Instead of stopping training, it is important that an owner spends a few times every week with dog obedience training. This will not only reinforce the established training but it will also give the dog something to do and will prevent many problems caused by boredom or under stimulation, such as chewing. If your dog has some behavior problems, it is time to start dog obedience training, whether it is for the first time or again. The first step is to re-establish those household rules that your dog may have broken. Don’t allow your dog on the furniture and correct him when he is begging.

This can be done simply by distracting the dog from the behavior or removing him from the room. Correct the bad behaviors in a positive manner and praise the dog when he is doing a good behavior. In addition to establishing rules, it is time to break out the basics of dog obedience training. One activity that is often encouraged when a dog is participating in a negative behavior is to take your dog aside and begin “puppy pushups.” This is actually when you put your dog in a sit, then down into a lying position, back into a sit and up into a stand. Give the command for each step and reward the dog for every step if the dog obedience training is still fresh.

This is a great way to expel unwanted energy and it really gets the dog focusing on you and not on a negative behavior. It also provides time to reinforce training and is an excellent way to move onto the next areas of dog obedience training. While puppy exercises and setting rules is important, it is also important to teach your dog a “no” command. Choose a command that is fast and easy to say and also one that cannot be mistaken for a different command. When your dog is engaged in a negative behavior, simply clap your hands or make a loud noise to disrupt the behavior and then give a firm “no.” Don’t scold or punish the dog but display your displeasure through your voice. Using the techniques that you would use in dog obedience training will quickly correct many behavior problems that arise and you will quickly see the benefit of continuously training your dog on a daily or weekly basis.



Dog Training - Dogs on Bonfire Night

December 8, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


This time of year can be a worrying and confusing one for your dog, occurrences like bonfire night don’t happen very often and that’s what makes it a lot scarier for your dog or puppy.

Dogs do not like unfamiliarity’s and all the flashes and sudden bangs can make your dog extremely scared and afraid of what is happening. Unfortunately there have been many cases of dog deaths on bonfire night over the last ten years so it’s a must to keep an eye on your dog at this time of the year and any other similar time such as New Years Eve.

Accidents and injuries happen on bonfire night because of dogs or puppies being loose outside and the unfamiliar sounds and flashes causing them to go into a panic and running away from home, running into roads, or getting stuck in tight spaces trying to hide from the noises.

Fortunately, there are rules and advice that can be followed to prevent times like these and keep your dog in safe hands. To begin you will need to stop your dog being out at night and keep them reassured indoors and away from their outdoor home if they have one. This should be done from one week before the event to one week after the event so no fireworks before or after will scare them into trouble.

Make sure all the doors are locked and shut, if your dog sees an opening they will go for it if they become scared. Try to make a small sheltered area for your dog where they feel protected and in control, and cuddles and calmly playing with your dog may help your dog be less nervous and take their mind off the situation.

If your dog does escape, be calm and positive with them wile trying to get them back inside as quickly as possible, if all these rules are followed then everything should go to plan and you will be able to relax on bonfire night and not have to worry about your pet.



Dog Aggression - Curing Aggressive Dog Behavior

November 28, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Dog Training


Have you ever wished you could cure your dog of aggression and get your dog to stop being aggressive once and for all? Whether it is dog on dog aggression or an aggressive dog towards other people and children, it is important to take dog aggression training very seriously.

Luckily, as with all dog behavior problems, there is a solution for aggressive dogs with the right training and patience. The following is my formula for fixing aggressive dog behavior and ensuring that you no longer have to put up with aggressive dogs.

1- A high level of obedience training. This is step one and the most important part of fixing dog aggression. If your dog is obedient to you it makes aggression much more manageable. For example, your dog can’t be aggressive to another dog if he comes when called. He can’t bite someone who comes through the door if he reliably lies down and stays. There are many things that are made more simple if your dog is obedient.

More important than the functionality of obedience, though, is what obedience training does for your relationship with your dog. Obedience puts you in the leadership role. It is critical for you to be the leader if you are the owner of an aggressive dog.

2- Control the environment around your dog. I can’t tell you how many times I have spoken with the owner of a dog that suffers from dog on dog aggression who repeatedly takes their dog to a dog park for ’socialization’. Every time the dog goes to the park he gets into a fight! It is important to use common sense and be more careful of your dog’s surroundings and environment.

Don’t get me wrong. That doesn’t mean your dog has to live in a bubble. It just means that you need to be more aware of your surroundings if you have an aggressive dog and take extra precautions.

3- You need to correct your dog the next time he shows aggressive behavior. This isn’t done by shouting at your dog, swatting him, or any other means like that. The best way to correct aggressive dog behavior is by doing leash training. As your dog starts to show aggression, give a few firm corrections as you go the opposite direction. By going the opposite direction you prevent your dog from forming an association with the object of his aggression.

By following these steps you can fix dog aggression and get your dog to be much less of a liability.



Next Page »