Dog Training Basic Reviews

It is very important to house train your dog as soon as possible. They do not instinctively know that they need to mess outside and therefore has to be trained to do so. Punishing your animal when he makes a mess inside, only teaches the animal not to mess when your around. It will only become scared of you, but it will miss the point of waiting to make its mess outside in a designated area.

Accidents will happen at the most inconvenient times, so expect them. However, try to anticipate when it is about to ''do his business" and then act swiftly. Dogs , by nature, goes mostly when they have just woken up or just after they have eaten. This is the ideal time to take it to the ''designated'', mess area. Do not change this area to often as it will only confuse the animal. It will soon get the idea. It will at first want to go at awkward times, but remember it will settle into a routine that will suite everyone. So during this time your patience will be tested to the limit but remember, in the end it will be worth it.

In these early stages of your pets life, boredom is a real problem and they will do things to drive you insane. For example they will dig up your garden, be too playful, pulling at lead on walks and they will chew on everything. The latter is the problem we will deal with first, because its probably the most annoying.

You will have to take the role of being the "watchdog'' for a while. You have to follow it around or be very mindful of what your animal is up to. If it shows any inclination to chew on something, Stop it from starting with a firm ''NO'' . Repeat yourself ''NO'' , and then keep it away from the item for as long it takes. This takes some dedication as some dogs are headstrong, but with loving persistence it will get the idea.

You will have to substitute those restricted items with something. This will make the training easier and it will soon forget about its urges. One way of doing this is to give your animal toys to play with. A good toy are those squishy, soft toys. This toy will supply your pet with hours of fun. This is all dependent on the size of your animal though. If it is a large dog it will probably destroy the squishy toy, so we need a more durable substitute. In such a case those bone type toys, that can withstand your animals assault and at least last a month or so.

If all fails, consult an expert. At the end of the day it is cheaper to pay for a professional, than to pay to replace your valuable items.

On the topic of toys, no toy is really the property of your dog and one has to train it to give the toy back whenever so commanded. This type of training is important because it can become aggressive if someone wants to take its toy. Also its no fun if only pet plays with the toy and there is no interaction. It is best to take a toy that it likes and whilst on the leash, throw the toy in front of it, with the command ''fetch''. Do this until the animal understands what it means. After it pics up the toy, encourage it to bring it to you by bending down, stretch out your hand followed by the command ''give'' . When he brings the toy back, make him sit next to you before you throw the toy again. Keep following this routine. Your pet will get the point.

If it pulls on the lead he may want to show you how dominant he/she is. So instead of getting into a tug of war situation that can hurt the animal, we rather want to train it , so it can enjoy the walk without pulling. When your animal starts to pull, stop walking. Reach down and grab the collar near its neck and pull it back gently, to a position next to you. Get it to sit and then wait until there is no more tension on the lead. When you are ready start walking and repeat the process if it starts to pull again. It will associate pulling with stopping and that you are in charge of the walk. Repeat this and it will get the idea.

If your pet learns and applies these simple techniques, reward it with love and lots of play. Frisbees, ball, tug-of-war toys are all things that are there not only for your dogs enjoyment but also encourages exercise. We are the only ones who can keep it from regular exercise use this time to get some exercise yourself.

I am in the automotive industry, have a wife and two daughters and then of course there's our Jack Russel ''MILO''. For more links go to my blog at: http://theos-dog-training.blogspot.com/

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Training Your Dog to Sit

The "Sit" command is a simple way to have your dog to display his good manners. He can sit when guest come over, when you meet up with a friend while taking a walk, when you are preparing his meal, or when he has to wait for anything. It is also one of the simplest exercises to practice because you can ask your dog to sit whenever you want. A Sit is great for everyday things, like having your dog's his leash attached.

Say his name and then "Sit!" All commands you give should be followed by the dog's name; that is to capture his attention so he knows you are not talking to someone else. Dogs are proud to have a name. It is when they reach adolescence that dogs, like teens, pretend to ignore you. Any time you notice that your dog about to sit, say, "Sit, good dog." If he is already in a sit position calmly give him a "good sit" reward.

The simplest way to train a young dog to sit is to capture his attention with a treat dangling in front of him right above his nose to make him look up. Then slowly remove the treat in a backward motion over his head. You will notice that he will want to keep his eye on the treat; his back will have to drop to the ground. It takes a little practice but it is a tried and true means of getting a voluntary sit. As he takes on the position, say, "Sit" and hand out a tiny portion of the snack.

This is known as motivational dog training. Your dog performs the preferred action by himself. The other way is to have your dog right on your left side, dangle a snack in front of him with your right hand, and calmly press down on his hindquarters with your left hand. If you have a large dog, you can place your left arm around his hindquarters and with a calm forward motion, lower his knees, forcing the sit. As you are managing with all that, happily say, "Sit."

If you did the first method, and your dog is doing a quick Sit each time you give the command, you will soon start to use just the hand signal, making the exact upward motion with your hand, palm up as you did in dangling the snack over his head, and your dog will sit as you desired.

Helping With Other Dog Feats

After or while you are trying to successfully manage this sitting feat, attempt other training techniques, too, with dog training videos, workshops, training sessions at the local Humane Society or pet store, or via other books, articles and resources. There are all types of CDs, cassettes, DVDs, videos and other interesting training aids available, too, online and off. So search keyword phrases like, "dog training aids" and then review the top listings that show up for more ideas. Hint: some even offer freebies!


Written by Kelly Marshall from Oh My Dog Supplies - to visit the largest provider of dog car seat covers online, go to http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/dog-car-seat-covers/

Dog Training: 6 Key Principles

1. Start Training Early- Six to eight weeks is the best time to begin training, this can vary a little depending on the breed. It is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks though.

2. Stay Patient- This is one of the most important aspects of training your dog or puppy. If you are getting frustrated after only a minute or two of working with your dog, you should stop and try again later when you will have more patience. Dogs can tell when you are upset or angry and will tend to learn to be afraid of you instead of learning anything useful. Also, keep in mind this is supposed to be a fun bonding time!

3. Positive, Positive, Positive- Using positive reinforcement during your dog and puppy training is the way to go. Do this by giving praise and treats when your dog does something good. In the beginning use both treats and praise to reinforce positive behavior; later on you don't need to rely so much on treats as in the beginning. Always remember that you should reinforce positive behavior, never let it go without reward.

4. Tone of Voice- There are two different tones to use when training your dog. The first is the high pitched, soft, and sweet tone generally used when your dog has done something good. The second is the deeper and firm tone of voice that is used when your dog has done something bad, but this tone is also used for commands. Using the correct tones in relation to what you are trying to teach your dog is extremely important. For an example of how important tones can be try telling your dog he or she has done something bad in the "good' tone of voice, and also try to congratulate your dog using the "bad" tone. Usually your tone will be the first thing your dog will respond to regardless of what you are saying.

5. Setting- When training you should find an area that is as free as possible from distractions. A quiet room is ideal. When there are other animals or people around that your dog wants to play with he or she is not going to focus on what you are trying to teach. If you don't believe me try taking your dog to the dog park and try to teach your dog some new command. Do both you and your dog a favor and free both of you from distractions.

6. Time Frame- Training should only last around fifteen minutes for simple commands. Stick to one command during each session. If your dog has successfully completed a command several times praise him or her and also use treats as you feel necessary to positively reinforce the commands. After training take some time to play with your dog so that he or she will see training as a positive and fun activity, and remember that this is supposed to be fun for you also.

Understanding Your Dog - Part 1 - the Pack Mentality

This is Part 1 of a series of articles to follow, discussing how to understand your dog.

Pack Mentality:

Let's face it. Sometime dogs do the strangest things. Like sniffing everything, rolling in the dirt right after you gave her a bath and eating some items that are repulsive to us.

Does your dog occasionally do things you thought she knew not to do? Does she stand and stare at you when you call her? Does she bark at inappropriate times? If so, you have a dog that owns a pet...you! Your dog is in control of your relationship instead of the other way around.

To understand your dog, you need to understand a dog's mentality. This is a large subject and could consume books, so we will discuss just one of the most important aspects of a dog's mentality. And, it is this...dogs are pack animals. Although dogs have been domesticated for hundreds of years, they still have an inherent pack mentality. This means your dog considers you and every member of your household members of her pack.

Your dog expects (actually requires) that the pack have a leader and followers. Someone must be the boss. There is no democracy expected within the pack. In light of this, you must assume the role of leader. Because if you do not, your dog will!

When the dog is the leader, it usually leads to discord in the household. The dog begins to take you for a walk rather than you taking her for a walk. Eventually, you become unhappy with the dog's behavior and the dog becomes unhappy because you are unhappy.

Being the leader of the pack is not something the dog knowingly pursues. She does it if there is no other clear leader. She is perfectly happy for you to be the leader. And controlling her food and access to the house or yard does not make you the leader in her mind.

There are several specific things you should do to establish that you are the leader. Here are a few:

1. Do not allow your dog to sleep in your bed. Dogs expect the leader to have the best sleeping quarters. When she sleeps where you sleep, it confuses her as to who is the leader.

2. When passing through a door together, do not allow your dog to lead. Gently, position her behind you so that she follows.

3. If you and your dog eat around the same time, never feed your dog before you eat. And never feed her from your plate while you eat. She must learn that the leader eats first (actually she expects this) and she always eats after you.

4. Do not allow your dog to dictate when she gets attention. If she jumps, scratches or barks, ignore her until she stops. Then give her attention. She will learn that you determine when she gets petted or a treat.

Some of these actions may appear a little cold or harsh but, in the end, they will provide you with a happier pet and more tranquil household.

Above all, in every interaction with your dog or any other pet make sure you comply with the following rules:

1. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER hit your dog. Not with your hand, your foot, a newspaper or anything else. This will instill fear in your dog. You want a dog that loves and respects you, not one that fears you.

2. Do not scream or make threatening motions at your dog. Same reason as above. A stern voice and your natural body language is all you will ever need to discipline your dog. Your dog can sense when you are angry through observing your body language. And, when the leader is unhappy, she knows she has misbehaved. It may take her a while to figure out just what she did wrong, but she will understand when the scenario is repeated a few times.

3. Dogs are social animals (remember "pack"?). It is unnatural and cruel to leave your dog alone for extended periods. And, please, never tie a dog to a rope in the yard for days alone. If you must do this, why do you even want the dog? Give her to someone that will take care of her.

Your dog truly can be your best friend. She never questions your motives. She can have fear, but she does not know how to hate or deceive. She will never lie or seek revenge. All those traits are reserved for another species of this world. So love your friend and she will repay you with loyalty, love and companionship that is so very rare.

Ken Miller is a free lance writer and webmaster for several web sites. For more info about caring for your pet, read his blog, Understanding Your Dog

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Understanding Your Dog Part 2 - The Golden Rule(s)

Owning a dog comes with a great responsibility. It's almost like having a child that will never grow up. And that perpetual child will be around for about 10-14 years. It is said that dogs in their lifetime never exceed the intelligence of a 7 year old child. So when you bring a dog into your household you should be prepared to care for a 7 year old for many years.

Hundreds of years ago dogs were wild animals that lived off the land. They had an inherent ability to take care of themselves. But man has domesticated the dog and in today's modern world, dogs can not survive without the care of humans. Today, a dog living on the street is undernourished, diseased and destined for a short, miserable life.

Since it is we who made dogs dependent upon us, it is we who are now responsible for caring for them. Unfortunately, there are many people who should never own a dog but, they think they must have one. The dogs they own are the miserable animals that wind up tied to a chain in the back yard. Or, the one that cowers when their owner approaches because they fear their owner.

Dogs are not "things". They are living creatures with feelings. If you view a dog as a possession rather than a companion and if you believe that a good swat will teach your dog to behave, you are one of the people that should never own a dog. Which leads us to the first Golden Rule of dog ownership.

Golden Rule #1:
NEVER, NEVER hit your dog. Not with you hand. Not with a newspaper. Not with anything. Why would you want a dog that fears you? You should want your dog to love and respect you...to be a companion...your buddy. And with the simplest, slightest attention and care, your dog will return an unselfish love and loyalty that is rare among humans.

Golden Rule #2
Protect your dog as you would a 7 year old child. Dogs do not understand that cars will hit them if they run out in the street. Nor does a 7 year old child. No matter how you explain it to them they will not understand. Therefore, it is up to you to protect your dog (and child) from things they do not understand, which can harm them. Another example: if you feed chocolate to a dog, they will eat as much as you will give them. But chocolate will make them sick and, in sufficient quantities, can kill them. Dogs do not understand this so it is up to you to protect them.

Another example: Ever noticed the mangled bodies of dogs on the freeway or highway? Do you know how most of them got there? They fall from the back of pick up trucks. Dogs love to ride, unrestrained, in the back of open pick ups. Their owners think they giving the dog a treat to go for a ride. But they are jeopardizing their pets life when they do so. (It's also against the law in some states). Dogs do not sense the speed with which the truck is moving and do not know the consequence of falling out. Remember, they have the intelligence of a 7 year old. Would you allow your 7 year old child to ride alone, unrestrained, in the back of an open pick up truck?

Golden Rule # 3
Give your dog attention. Dogs are social animals. They are not "loners". To leave a dog alone for extended periods is as cruel as not feeding him. Make a point every day (especially if the dog is alone all day) to spend 15 or 20 minutes playing with your dog. It is good for the dog and studies have proven that a few minutes with a dog lowers the blood pressure and relaxes people too.

Golden Rule #4
Be aware of what you feed your dog. Your dog can not go to the fridge and prepare what he wants. He must depend on you for food. Please, do not feed your dog the cheapest dog food in the store.

There is much controversy over commercial dog food. Some maintain that all store-bought dog food contains preservatives which are poison. Also, that it contains the bodies, dog tags and plastic containers of euthanized animals sent to the dog food manufacturing plants from vets and animal shelters.

It is not the role of this article to render an opinion on this subject, however, perhaps you might want to investigate the many recipes available on the internet (free) for cooking your dog's food yourself. At least you will know what's in it. And it is cheaper than store-bought dog food.

If you love your dog, make some effort to understand how dogs think, follow these Golden Rules and you will be rewarded with the best companion one could ever want.

Ken Miller is the author of the Understanding Your Dog blog where you will find a wealth of detailed information on how to understand your dog and improve your relationship.

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Teaching a Puppy Not to Bite

Puppies don't know the difference between nibbling and biting and as the dog owner you'll need to get him to understand the difference between the two. Teaching a puppy not to bite is one of the first training issues you'll need to learn.

When your puppy bites you, or anyone else, firmly say, "No" to the puppy. If the puppy persists you can use a spray bottle full of water and spray the puppy in his face and say "No" at the same time. Some trainers have used bitter apple spray that they spray on the area of the body that the dog is biting, such as your legs. When the dog tastes the bitter apple, they won't like it and that can help teach the puppy not to bite.

Always correct any bad puppy behavior immediately so the puppy knows why you are correcting him. Now there is a time when some puppies will automatically begin growling and possibly bite and that's when he is eating. Be certain to teach your children to leave the puppy alone while he is eating, because dogs are naturally prone to bite if they are disturbed while they are eating.

Teaching a puppy not to bite doesn't have to be a difficult training process. There are puppy and older dog obedience training lessons you can do right at home without having to drive to ongoing physical classes. The lessons will teach you how to train your dog for every problem area you are having.

By teaching your puppy the correct positive behavior hand signals, you will have a well behaved and happy dog at home. One person in the home should be appointed the master, yet other family members need to learn the signals as well. Training your puppy can be an enjoyable experience and puppies are fast learning and want to please their owner so training is worthwhile for your puppy and for the family.

Is your puppy still biting? Are you having trouble training your puppy? Visit Kelly Richmondson's site on training your dog at home for more information.

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Dog Behavior Questions - Are Your Dog Training Problems Because of You Or Your Dog?

One of the biggest dog behavior questions that people have is centered around why their dog isn't progressing faster in his behavior training. If you've tried and tried to train your dog and aren't making any progress, the problem might not be with your pet - it could be with you!

Are You Too Easily Frustrated?

Let's face it, training a dog can be frustrating. It requires a lot of patience to develop cooperative behavior in your dog, so you need to take this into account and be sure not to let your own frustrations get in the way of good training sessions.

You need to set aside at least ½ hour each day for training and have nothing else scheduled for that time. Then be patient with your pet, remember your dog understands things at the level of a 2 year old so you can't expect him to learn a new trick in the amount of time it would take you to teach your spouse.

Do You Give Up Too Easy?

Your dog is a pack animal and you are the leader of the pack, so if you give up in frustration halfway into the training session, your dog will probably follow suit.

You also need to act like the leader and don't let your pet take control of the training session. Be firm with your commands (but not to the point of being harsh) and have the patience not to get angry when your dog doesn't obey your commands as you want.

One of the most important dog behavior questions you have to ask yourself is why you are training the dog?
Hopefully the answer is so that your dog will be obedient and thus safe. So isn't it worth taking the time to make sure your dog learns basic obedience commands to be safe?

Do You Expect Too Much?

Even if your dog is well behaved, he probably won't do what you want all the time. Expecting too much from your dog - either that he responds in impossible situations or that he learn new commands too quickly is simply unreasonable and if you do, you will be setting yourself up for disappointment.

One thing to remember is that a dogs mind works very differently from a humans, but much like humans each dog has his individual "way " of responding as well as memory capacity. Take the time to learn the specifics of your dog and your training will go a lot better.

Your dog behavior questions can be answered by understanding a bit about dog psychology. Learn how your dog thinks and you'll be able to figure out how to train him more effectively.

Lee Dobbins is an avid dog lover who has owned many different types of dogs from a 90 pound Shepherd mix to a pure bred Pomeranian. She shares her years of research and experience in an Ebook and newsletter which you can download for FREE at http://www.dogcareandtrainingtips.com

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