January 15, 2009

Dog Toilet Training: Start Early And Have Patience

Following a few simple as well as easy to perform steps can considerably ease the task of dog toilet training. You could begin by taking into account the type of food that your dog is eating because a dog that eats high fiber or sugar foods will generally defecate more often, and this can contribute immensely to your failing in your dog toilet training efforts.

Feed The Dog With Good And Healthy Food

It is thus important to feed the dog with enough good food without over indulging it with too many treats in between meals. Having decided to feed your dog with only healthy foods, you will then need to ensure that it is given a regular routine when feeding it. This will ensure that the dog has regular bowel movements. In fact about half an hour after it has eaten, the dog may show signs of wanting to defecate.

It is necessary that you take your dog out at regular intervals if you want to taste success in dog toilet training. Another important point to note is that you should indicate to the dog a spot that it should defecate in. Dog toilet training also involves taking the dog on a leash to a specific spot each time so that it gets the idea where to eliminate, and you should also remember to praise the dog when it does so. Pretty soon, it will get the idea and use the spot for its defecation needs.

It is also advisable to start the dog toilet training as soon as possible and the earlier the better. This is important from a hygienic perspective as well as teaching your dog where to defecate. Using a leash and collar to train the dog is effective and it may be used to restrict the dog to a specific spot, which will help in guiding the dog to an appropriate spot where to eliminate.

Another useful method of dog toilet training is to use a crate, which restricts the dog’s movement and since dogs do not usually eliminate where they sleep, it will reinforce the habit of going out and defecating. You should also have a mode of communication with the dog such as using voice commands or hand signals.

You should not expect to get immediate results when you begin dog toilet training and therefore you must be patient and give your pet enough time to get used to defecating in the right place.

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January 12, 2009

Dog Potty Training: Gentle Ways of Housebreaking Your Dog

The first few days with your dog are very crucial. Although some dogs easily adjust to their new environment, there are many dogs that are rather slow in learning new things. According to many experts, one of the most challenging issues that you will face with your little rascal is dog potty training. Make not mistakes about it, dog potty training can be a bit tricky and things could really get very irritating especially when your little rascal starts messing around the house. In most cases, it will take some time and a lot of patience on your part before your little dog will finally learn where and how to potty.

Training Your Dog

Dog potty training doesn’t have to be very stressful for you and your pet. The best way to start things right is to ask the breeder what time the puppy usually eats and what time it usually need to potty. The amount of food and the regular eating time of your puppy can help you determine the time when your puppy has to go potty. Note that when conducting dog potty training, you will need to closely supervise your pet during the training period. You can only effectively supervise you puppy if you are able to correctly gauge when your pet needs to go potty.

During dog potty training, it is important for you to accompany your puppy outside when it is time for it to go potty. Note that puppies has the tendency to simply play in the yard instead of doing their thing so make sure that your puppy does what it is supposed to do. Furthermore, it is important that when you take your puppy outside to go potty, you take it to the same spot all the time. Puppies learn faster if the act is constant and is repeated often. Establish a pattern and do not deviate from it so that your puppy will not get disoriented.

Praising and giving treats to your puppy during dog potty training is important. If your puppy does something right, it is important to let the dog know that you are please with it. According to experts, if you consistently praise your dog for its good deeds during dog potty training, your dog will associate the good deed with praises and treats. Since dogs love being praised and given treats, it will be more inclined to perform something that will most likely generate praises and treats.

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January 7, 2009

Dog Obedience Training Opens Communication With Owner

When a dog misbehaves it is not because they are bad, it is usually because they are dogs and they are simply acting like the animals they are. They will eat the furniture and everything else that strikes their fancy, jump up on things and people and even bite the hands that feed them. While dog obedience training may not solve every issue of behavior you have with your dog, it is a way of helping the dog understand what your expectations are.

In most cases, the dog will want to please its owner, once it understands just which of you is the boss, and once established will mostly do as directed. However, before the new dog will give itself over to dog obedience training, the social pecking order has to be understood. This by no means hints that harsh steps are needed to make the dog submissive to the owner. Simple commands such as sit, kiss or stay can be taught with an even, stern, not necessarily loud voice, can make the animal understand who is in charge.

By recognizing the dog’s submissive behavior with praise, the animal will become open for additional dog obedience training and additional steps can be taken. Certain breeds, however will only acknowledge one “big dog” in the house and the owner’s spouse or children may be ignored if they attempt to give the animal a command.

It Is Never Too Late To Begin Training

The old saying that it is not possible to teach an old dog new tricks is not valid as dogs can and will be open to dog obedience training, provided it is done in the right fashion. Beginning dog obedience training should start as soon as the dog arrives at its new home, regardless of the animal’s age, as it has learned behaviors that you may want it to “unlearn” before it begins to learn new ways of doing things.

Once a relationship and order has been established between you and the dog, it will be ready to start learning expected behaviors from you. Understand, however that some old behaviors may creep back into the animal’s daily routine and you must show the dog through your dog obedience training that you understand he is a creature of habit, but that the actions are unacceptable.

If you have never trained a dog before, it may be good to take you and the animal to a dog obedience class to learn the basics and then continue with dog obedience training at your home. Remember to be consistent with the training or the dog may become confused about what is expected.

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January 3, 2009

When it comes to Dog Grooming, Training is Paramount

Whether your pet has a short, sleek coat or long, thick fur, grooming will be a part of your normal dog care routine. Since this is a ritual that you will be performing every day or week, dog grooming training will make the process more comfortable and enjoyable for both you and your furry friend. There are a number of steps to keeping your dog looking and feeling his best, from teeth brushing, to toenail clipping, to regular baths and brushings. All of these tasks will go much more smoothly if you and your pet have completed a few dog grooming training sessions together. The main tools that you will require (besides a few basic grooming tools), are patience and rewards, and plenty of them. Are you ready to get your pet looking his best? Read on to find out how to make grooming sessions a positive part of your pet care routine.

Take it Slow

Dog grooming training will incorporate activities like brushing your pet’s teeth, keeping his nails clipped, and maintaining his shiny, healthy coat. All of these activities will require that you touch your pet in areas that might be sensitive or guarded, making it extremely important for you to take the process slow and pepper it with many rewards. Begin with brushing his teeth, since healthy teeth and gums will lead to the better overall health of your dog. Since many dogs are not comfortable with their owners handling their muzzles, begin with some gentle strokes to the nose that will eventually lead to pulling up the lip and getting the toothbrush where it needs to go. Praise your pet every step of the way and reward him with kind words and an occasional treat as often as necessary. Before you know it, your dog will allow you to brush all of his teeth on a regular basis.

The same process can be used when clipping your dog’s nails. Begin by touching his paws, and lightly pressing to expose the nails. With a bit of time and encouragement, your dog will sit calmly as you clip his nails, and you will be able to accomplish this task quickly and frequently. Brushing your dog’s coat may not be as traumatic for your pet as clipping and teeth brushing tend to be – until you begin to touch sensitive areas like his back end or tail. Wait until the end of your session to begin your dog grooming training in this area. Start by petting the area, praising your dog when he allows you to do so. As your pet gets used to you handling his tail and back side, he will eventually relax as you work a brush through the area. This will keep this very important part of your pet clean and free of mattes.

Dog grooming training takes some time and patience to complete, but it is not difficult and the rewards are far reaching. When your pet allows you to complete the cleaning process, you will both find these sessions to be pleasant and easy.

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December 31, 2008

Dog Behavior Training Leads to a Positive Owner/Pet Relationship

A new puppy can be cute, playful – and a furry bundle of terror if he is not properly trained. This is why dog behavior training is such an important first step in the puppy care process. A well-trained dog is a welcome addition to the family, and a source of companionship and enjoyment for many years. Training should begin from the first day that your dog enters your home, and will continue until your pet understands all of the rules of the house and abides by them consistently. The time that you spend working with your pet on dog behavior training will be time well spent indeed.

How to Complete Dog Behavior Training

When you do sit down to work with your puppy, there are some good rules of thumb to follow. First, make sure that the commands that you give your dog are always consistent. This means that if you do not want your puppy sleeping on your leather sofa, do not ever allow him to sit upon it. Get those rules of the house established early, and you won’t find yourself working overtime to try to break your pet of the bad habits that have been allowed previously. As you teach the rules to your pup, make sure that you stay calm and controlled in dealing with your dog. If you find your pet continuously misbehaving, a “time out” in his crate will allow both of you a cool-down period and show your dog that his behavior is not acceptable.

Don’t Over Train or Over Praise

Since puppies do indeed have a short attention span, keep the focused training sessions short and to the point. Ten minutes a day of intense work with your dog will be sufficient to help your pet behave properly. As your dog obeys your commands during your dog behavior training time, a response of “Good dog” and a stroke to the head is sufficient praise for a job well done. Let your pet know by your expression, tone and touch that you are pleased with his obedience and then move on to your next dog behavior training point. Dogs will respond much better to this type of approach that allows them to focus more effectively on their training session.

The most important thing to remember with your dog behavior training session is that you always bring along plenty of patience. With time and some effort, your dog will become a welcome addition to your family and an enjoyable companion for you for many years to come.

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December 27, 2008

Dog Agility Training Requires Time And Dedication

Those planning to institute a regimen of dog agility training need to be prepared to donate a lot of time, effort and praise on teaching their dog the tricks of the agility trade. Dog agility training can be common among breeds as well as size as most agility contests are based on the animal’s size and relative ability based on past competitions, as opposed to breed. Teaching the dog to conquer an obstacle course neither it nor its handler has seen before, will take a lot of dedication for the real competitor to become part of the team.

A competition of a dog’s agility goes beyond simple handling by command and begun in England patterned after certain horse competitions, dog agility training takes into account fence jumping, teeter-totter, wing jumps a tire jump and more. The idea is to have the dog complete the course, in a prescribed order with only voice commands given by the handler. The tricky part is the 100-foot square course and its obstacles are set the day of the show and the handler is allowed one walk through to become familiar with the layout.

Most believe that dog agility training should be done one obstacle at a time and once the dog successfully and repeatedly is able to overcome an obstacle, it can move onto the next one. Attempting to have the animal run a full compliment of obstacles everyday during training may cause the animal to become confused on the day of competition.

Dog And Handler Must Agree To Work Together

Similar to a dog show, the handler is not always the dog’s owner, rather the handler is the one who has administered the dog agility training and to whom the dog faithfully listens. However, the dog must be of the right temperament for agility competition and one that will not be intimidated by the obstacles. A shy or timid dog would not fare well when faced with obstacles and probably will not perform well.

In dog agility training the handler will have to know what motivates the dog to want to please the handler. The dog and the handler must both be in good enough physical condition to complete the obstacle course as, although no physical contact is permitted, the handler typically stays with the dog through the course, giving the voice commands.

The event is judged based on correctly completing the obstacles and is a timed event so speed is of the essence, as well as the dog being able to recognize each obstacle and know exactly how to meet it quickly.

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December 23, 2008

Understanding Deaf Dog Training

Learning that your new pooch is deaf is the first hurdle any owner must accept. But then learning that training a deaf dog is not very different from training a hearing one, can take some of the sting out of learning that your dog is deaf.

You don’t need to use any different methods in deaf dog training, only different cues. Training a deaf dog does not even take any more time or effort. The concepts are all the same, as hearing dogs learn the meaning of words and commands through repetition, deaf dogs learn the same way. Because we depend so much on speech to communicate as humans, we just assume that dogs do so as well.

Dogs do not understand the English language or any other language. When two dogs meet, there is very little verbal communication between the two. They use scent and body language to communicate. They tell each other almost everything through these two forms of dog communication. The barking, whining and growling that our dogs use as verbal communication are an additional form of dog interaction, but not the primary one.

Competition dogs who compete for Obedience titles are required to learn hand signals. Working dogs use either hand signals or body language cues to perform their work. Most trainers will teach owners to use voice commands first and then move onto hand signals. Hand signals are by far, much easier for a dog to learn. Therefore, training a deaf dog is really not difficult at all.

ASL

Deaf dog training does not mean that you have to hire a trainer. There are many books on the subject of training deaf dogs and learning the hand signals can be done visually in the training book. There is a famous saying, “you can train a dog in five minute, it takes much longer to train the owner.”

Consistency is the first and foremost important thing about training a dog, whether the dog is deaf or not. There are no ‘wrong’ hand signals in training a deaf dog; you can use whatever feels most comfortable to you. Some people use American Sign Language or ASL. This is the same sign language that is used for deaf people. The advantage to using ASL in training your deaf dog, is that anyone who can sign ASL can communicate with your dog.

There are some dog owners who make up all of their own hand signals. However, most dog owners who are training a deaf dog, will use a combination of ASL and their own signals. Any hand signals that you choose will be fine for you and your dog.

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December 21, 2008

do dogs like or dislike the sound of the dog training clicker?

i bought a dog training clicker for my grandma, thinking that is might resolve the problem of her two yorkies fighting…. do you think it will work?

It depends on how you train the dog. Some people use the sound as a reward when the dog is behaving or does a trick right. Others, like me, use it as a naughty sound. When the dog does something bad, scold him/her and click the clicker loudly 3 or 4 times. Works both ways very well.

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Dog Obedience Schools: 4 Tips for Choosing the Right Training School

Narrowing down your choices of dog obedience schools can be challenging, especially if you are a new dog owner that doesn’t know what to look for in a dog training school.

Many new dog owners believe that dog obedience school is only suited for puppy obedience training and that their older dogs will not be accepted into the class. Although some schools focus on puppy training, most schools offer classes for dogs of all ages and all levels of training.

Remember that while dog obedience training is to help teach the basic commands, it can also be a great way to spend time with your dog and to help them bond with you. If you are having a specific problem with your pet, such as they are rolling in stinky stuff or running away every time you open the door, there are also classes that are specifically geared towards this type of obedience problems.

Once you decide that you are interested in attending dog obedience training with your pooch, it is best to take a few minutes to research exactly what to look for in an obedience school.

Types of Training:

Some dog owners might be looking for basic command training, while others will be looking for advanced training to use their dogs for agility challenges, fowl hunting and retrieving and even for training. As well, some schools will focus on a certain type of training, so it is important to consider whether their training matches your needs as a dog owner. It is also helpful to look for a dog training school that offers various levels of obedience training, in case you would like to continue on with your dog training to help remain consistent with your dog.

Methods of Training:

Before you rush into the nearest dog training school and sign up for classes, you should attend an orientation or another training class to get an idea of what type of training the instructor or instructors will be using. Remember that just as you might not agree with the method a fitness instructor uses for teaching a class, you also might not agree with the training methods an instructor uses for teaching a dog obedience class.

Instructor Experience:

One of the most important things to look for is the type of experience the instructor has working with dogs. Are they simply a dog lover that is really good with animals or have they actually received formal dog obedience training? Remember that not all states will require dog instructors to have formal training, so it is up to your discretion to determine whether the instructor is suited to teach classes.

References:

Because there are so many different schools to choose from, you really should select a school that offers references from satisfied customer. You may also want to verify these references by asking veterinarians or local dog owners that have completed dog obedience schools.

When Richard Livitski isn't busy digging up information on Dog Obedience Schools, he's working on his dog names website http://www.dog-names-and-more.com where dog names as well as other helpful dog related topics can be found.

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December 20, 2008

Trying to find a book about running a dog training business?

I am looking for the single best book I could get that has the most information about starting and running a dog training business.

This one:
So You Want to Be A Dog Trainer:
http://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Dog-Trainer-2nd/dp/0966772687

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