Easy Dog Training Tips

Category: Tips and Advice

  • Tips For Dog Obedience Training

    Tips For Dog Obedience Training

    If you keep a dog either for sporting, competing, or simply for leisure, you probably know how significant it is to have him go through dog obedience training. A pet dog that is well behaved is always pleasurable to take along because he is less likely to go wild and cause troubles to other people. You surely don’t want to tag along a dog that barks at everyone and run around therefore scaring away the crowd. If good manners are very important in your home, the same things should also be taught to your pet.

    Sure enough, keeping dogs at home should provide your loved ones with enough security and not that they will cause harm on anyone. You will not also like it when your neighbors complain that your pet has ransacked their properties or worse, have bitten someone in the area. Therefore, the more that you should pay attention to having your dog trained properly.

    Are you planning to train your dog by yourself? Here are the steps that you need to take note of in dog obedience training. But remember; don’t ever move to the next step when your pet has not yet mastered the previous one!

    The difficulty of the commands start from the basics to the most advanced. For starters, teach your pet the easiest instructions first. These are “sit”, “stand”, “stop”, “come”, and the likes. Be sure that he is able to learn all of these before starting with a new set. Always use these commands so he will be able to remember them.

    Keep in mind your dog’s genetic makeup. Some breeds have their specializations so you must concentrate on harnessing their skills and capabilities.

    Take note of the duration of time when teaching a new command. Don’t bombard your dog with several commands all at the same time. Also make sure that you use the praise or reward and punishment method. Your voice should likewise sound positive when giving praises and be unyielding when there is a need to reprimand him.

    Ensure that your dog is physically comfortable as the training exercises are performed. Dogs get tired easily so don’t strain him that much.

    Execute the dog obedience training sessions in a distraction-free area. As the response turns positive, gradually add more distractions like bouncing balls, doing the jumping jack, running around, throwing treats to him, and many others. But don’t overdo the use of distractions as it may frighten your pet.

    Practice giving commands in a variety of surfaces. Some of these include the cement sidewalks, on sand, on dirt, on the grass-covered lawns, on a chair or table, low wall, logs, and many others.

    Give commands while you are walking down the street, while you are in the pet supply outlet, or wherever you may be with your dog.

    There is actually no best time of the day to administer the dog obedience training sessions. What matters is that both you and your dog should be up to it, in the mood, and in good physical condition.

  • Useful Dog Obedience Training Tips

    Useful Dog Obedience Training Tips

    Okay, so you just bought that cute female puppy that you’ve been eyeing on for months. Now, what are you planning to do with her? Are you thinking about teaching her new tricks? If you are, then as early as now, you must accustom her to being handled for grooming and veterinary care so she’ll respond nicely. Whenever you have free time, take her in your lap and gently brush her.

    Speak to her softly and say words like, "That feels good, doggie, right?" Then, stroke her paws and simply run your fingers through her. That way she will learn that touch is pleasant and not something that is frightening. Once you are able to handle her well, it will not be that difficult to start teaching her new tricks like making her obey your "sit", "wait or stay", and "do not jump" commands. Anyway, here are some useful dog obedience training tips for you.

    For the "Sit" Command

    This is actually one of the easiest tricks to teach and often the most useful. Since your pet is still a puppy, as early as now, you must teach her how to obey the sit command because it is a great way to reinforce your status as her leader. How to do it? First, you have to get her attention. Start by showing her a treat and then slowly move it upward in a way that she has to raise her head for her to see it further. You’ll notice that in order to do this, she will move into a sitting position, just like most dogs do. If she doesn’t do this, slowly push down on her rump while you move your hand back over the head to give her the idea. And once she’s on that sitting position, give her the treat.

    For the "Stay or Wait" Command

    This one can be more difficult than the sit command as dogs tend to move a lot. To teach your dog to wait or stay, simply place her in a sitting position. Then, hold up your hand, on which the flat of your palm is towards her face, and tell her to wait or stay. Now, move a few steps backward. If she stays where she is, give her words of praise, like "Good girl or good doggie!" But if she moves towards you or away, do not shout at her or punish her. Just put her back in position and start all over again.

    For the "Do not jump" Command

    A jumping puppy is very cute to look at, but when her size has doubled and she still does a lot of jumping, it will not be too fun at all. So, you must replace that jumping behavior with the sit command. Instead of pushing her away, simply pivot so that she misses you and then tell her to sit. When she obeys, give her praise or a simple treat.

    These are just some useful dog obedience training tips that you can keep in mind. Take note, your puppy will be more lovable if she learns how to obey your simple commands.

  • Who Says You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?

    Who Says You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?

    To quote the rock band Chicago, they say it’s a hard habit to break. Perpetually stereotyping employment, marriage, and singularity: Age is but a hindrance but not for long. With approximately 15 minutes of training daily for 2 weeks straight, according to The Animal Planet, even the most stubborn dogs will give in. These enduring canines will sit, roll over, and do whatever your heart desires. All you need is a strong sense of consistency, and a mouthful of patience under your sleeve.

    In order to make this a quick fix, the trainers (or owners) should develop a positive attitude. To feel frustrated and angry will not help at all. As a matter of fact, pets somehow feel how their owners experience; and that would not speed up the progress for even a bit. As for the owner’s side, unreasonable expectations should not be made for their pets. Unlike children sent to school for a 12-year formal education to get the basics, it is quite irrational to invest an uptight 12-week course for your dog to acquire the desired behavior, and earn the respect and discipline needed. Remember: all relationships require a bit of work.

    It also involves recognizing the dog’s previous training, then deciding on what certain applicable and viable changes are needed for a greater effect. You highlight the dog after a day’s work with plenty of rewards such as treats, and verbal praises such as patting him on the head for doing a good job. Take it nice and easy, as not to shock and confuse the pet. It is necessary to change the behavior in small steps rather than a complete change all at one time.

    However, there is a difference. One has to put in mind that training an older dog is remembering that this dog has, most expected, to having been trained once. This means that it has an established thinking as to what acceptable behaviors are, and what behaviors are most not welcomed. It takes a great deal of endurance to train an older dog, and should be at the very least regular to receive the best outcome.

    But do keep in mind that although the owner is the master, the dog still is an individual, as in it has its own personality; so a little give-and-take affiliation will not hurt. The key is to enjoy the whole teaching-an-old-dog-new-tricks activity, as you build a better relationship with him. That is the sole purpose of dog obedience training.

    What you give is what you get; therefore being the educator, you are responsible for the way your pet responds. Dogs are social creatures, and are among of the most loyal. If you have a senior dog around who needs a bit of a push, do not fret; all you need is give your little furry friend some feisty motivation. Who ever said you can’t teach old dogs new tricks?

    That saying is meant to be taken more literally to humans, for we’ve got a lot of habits that are harder to break.

  • How To Master Dog Training

    How To Master Dog Training

    Dogs are no doubt man’s best friends. They are definitely fun to be with and make great companions. Sometimes, they are even considered as part of the family. It certainly feels great to be walking with a dog around either just within the neighborhood or along the beach.

    But if you happen to have a dog as worse as Marley, the dog in the movie “Marley and Me”, perhaps you’re more stressed than the usual because of your dog’s naughtiness. But why live up with a dog like Marley if you can turn your pet into a well-trained dog? The solution –master dog training. Here are some steps on how to do it:

    First, be considerate. You have to remember that a dog is an animal, so unlike humans, it has shorter attention span. You may be able to get its attention now, but a couple of minutes or so it will go back to what it finds interesting. So, try to put yourself into its situation and imagine how frustrating it could be to undergo a dog training class instead of doing more fun activities. Take note that most animals are trained easily when given treats before the training. So, before you enroll your pet in a dog training class, prepare some really good treats as rewards.

    Next, be consistent. It is not good to give your pet so many instructions at the same time or worse, give up on teaching it a trick just because it is not able to get it at first. Try to be very consistent in such a way that you will start with the easiest command first like the “sit” command before going for more difficult ones. Once it learned the “sit” command, proceed to others like the “stay” or “come” command.

    When giving instructions, make sure that you repeat them from time to time until your dog realizes and understands what you are trying to communicate. Again, do not give too many instructions at once for this will confuse your pet more. Take your time. Now, once your pet learned the trick that you’ve been teaching, give a reward or treat and make sure that you review the trick before jumping into another.

    And lastly, of course, be the boss. It is important that your pet recognizes you as its leader; otherwise you’ll end up having a dog that is as hardheaded as Marley. Once your pet recognizes you as the boss, it will be easier for you to make it follow your commands. However, you have to remember that being the boss does not necessarily mean that you have to be harsh to your dog whenever it fails to follow your instructions. Be gentle as possible because this is the most effective way to gain dog training.

    Mastering dog training is not as difficult as you think, right? With all these steps in mind, you are off to a successful dog training training. Remember: be considerate, be consistent, and be the boss.

  • Let Your Dog Attend A Dog Training School

    Let Your Dog Attend A Dog Training School

    Do you own a pet dog? If you do, are you able to make it obey the basic dog commands like sit, stay, come, or heel up? Good if you say yes, but if no, then it’s time you let your dog attend dog obedience school training. Although some dog owners attempt to train their pets themselves, it is always better to go for professional handling like the ones provided in dog obedience classes to ensure dog training.

    However, you might be hesitant to enroll in one because you don’t know exactly what are being done in dog training classes and how to choose the right one for you and your pet. So, to give you an overview, better read on this article before you let your dog attend any dog training.

    What will be taught in dog obedience school?

    First and foremost, you are concerned as to what will be taught to your dog in a dog obedience school, right? Of course, if you think the lessons or training will be that easy and you can handle them yourself, you will have second thoughts about enrolling. But you have to note that it’s an entirely different thing if you go with a reliable dog obedience school. Here, your dog will learn many things such as how to respond to commands, how to stay, sit, come, and heel up, and how to obey you in general. Of course, it’s not only your dog that will learn from this training, but also you.

    Here you will learn how to make your dog respond to your commands, how to properly treat and care for your pet, how you will establish dominance, and how to become the alpha of the pack. Things like these will sure help a lot to make your dog behave. Remember, there are no bad dogs; they will just tend to act like animals until somebody shows them other ways to act.

    How to choose a dog obedience school?

    Now that you know what will be taught in a dog obedience school, perhaps you become more interested than ever to enroll in one. However, since there are lots of schools offering dog training, you have to choose the most reliable one. First, you can check your community college if they offer one. Second, you can ask your veterinarian if he can recommend a dog training school near you. And lastly, you can inquire from pet shops or stores. Nothing is better than a recommendation from those you trust, especially when it involves the pet that you love dearly.

    Afterwards, list down all the schools suggested to you. If you want to be certain that it’s the right school for you and your pet, better observe its classes to see if they meet your requirements.

    Letting your dog attend dog obedience school training is the best thing that you can do for your pet. Actually, it’s not only your dog that will benefit, but also you. So, better enroll now and see the difference it will make to you and your pet.