Archive for the Category »Dog Training «

Basic Dog Training

By martin
07
May 2008

Everyone likes to be rewarded for a good deed that they have accomplished, everyone likes to be praised for a good action that they have carried out & everyone likes to be made a fuss of for just being themselves. This is also true in the world of basic dog training.

The average dog generally absolutely adores four main items in his/her world:

1. Food
2. Toys
3. Walkies
4. Their Owner

The average dog generally absolutely despises four main items in his/her world:

1. Vets
2. Being Disciplined
3. Taking Tablets
4. Bathing

During basic dog training rewards are essential to praise the good behaviour but just as important, much to your dog’s distaste, is discipline to correct the bad behaviour. To reward your dog when he/she has behaved & completed a task correctly is a great routine to adopt. Your dog will learn from this so quickly, he/she does as requested & receives something nice. Your dog assimilates through repetition, so each time it’s good the dog picks up that he/she receives a treat.

Now this ‘treat’ need not always be an item of food, it could be the dog’s favourite toy. This works well with basic dog training leash control. One of the best methods that I have utilized with my own dogs during their basic dog training for walking nicely on a leash is the stop & start approach. Simply have your dog walking beside you with their focus on their toy, when he/she pulls ahead, stop, totally ignore your dog until he/she approaches you. Once your dog is settled by your side again you can permit the dog to have one small food reward, praise whilst feeding the reward.

The biggest reward on this particular basic dog training method though is the dog’s favourite toy/ball. When your dog reaches the park or field let him/her have their toy. You need to do this when the dog has been walking well, so I advise to make it a short distance to walk before you reach your destination. This way your dog’s focus will not wander too much. more…

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House Training a Dog

By martin
06
May 2008

If you are planning to get a new puppy or you have recently purchased one, you may be worrying about how difficult it will be to house train your new puppy. Believe it or not, house training a dog really does not have to be difficult. As a general rule, most dogs are actually quite clean animals, and it is in their nature to want to keep their living space clean. You can take advantage of their natural instincts while you are house training a dog, and with just a few short steps training your new puppy can be a cinch.

The first thing that you need to do when you are house training a dog is to establish an area for your new puppy to live in. Make it a small place where there is not a great deal of room and get him used to the idea that this is where he lives. Place his bed, food, and water in this area so he knows that this is his living area. It is important that you train him that this is where he lives and that you also establish regular feeding times as well.

The next step when you are house training a dog is to set up an area where he can go to the bathroom. This needs to be somewhere other than his living area, and you need to be sure that you take him to this area each time he has to go to the bathroom. After a few times, your dog will soon associate this place with where he is allowed to use the bathroom, and in no time, your dog will start to go there on his own.

When you are house training a dog and you have established the area where your dog can use the bathroom, then you can start allowing him to have greater freedom while he is in the house. It is important while you are house training a dog that you do not let him roam the house when you are not around to supervise. There may be accidents and you need to reinforce where the bathroom area for him is when the accident happens. Only after you have fully finished house training a dog should you allow him access to various areas of the house when you are not around. more…

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Dog Training Tips

By martin
06
May 2008

You have picked out the perfect dog to bring home to your family, just to find out that perfect dog may be your worst nightmare! How did that happen? The answer is your cute little angel was never taught how to behave in certain situations.

You would not leave your toddler alone in the living room to have free access to the remote controls, DVDs and snacks. You should not leave your puppy, either. If you do, you will likely come into a huge mess where your puppy had a blast while you were gone. The thing is that if you did not try to train your dog on how to behave, than this is your own fault! But sadly, it is the dog that is blamed and punished. How do you expect your dog to know what to do when put in certain situations?

You have brought your puppy or dog into your home to love and nurture, not to yell at and scold all of the time. This causes frustration for you and your puppy.

Teach one thing at a time. Your dog has a single track mind.

Do not demand immediate action. Give your dog a moment to carry out your command.

Be decisive and know exactly what you want from your dog.

Always be considerate of you dog. If your puppy is tired, do not expect him to get up and go through a training period. It is not a very nice thing to do, and your dog will likely be too tired to comprehend what you are trying to teach him.

A bond should be developed between you and your dog. You will be able to train your dog more effectively if your dog respects you as his leader. And, he will want to please you much more.
Be clear when you say your commands, and the commands should be the same each time in the same voice and manner. If you try to change these things, your dog will only get confused and you will only get frustrated.

Patience is the key to successfully training your dog. With patience, you will be able to accept the fact that your puppy is just that, a puppy. He is not a human, and therefore you will need even more patience to get you and your puppy through this trying period. more…

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