Important Dog Training Techniques That Everyone Should Know

Dog training can be one of the most important investments that you make in your dog. If you can instill obedience and loyalty in your dog as a puppy, you will have a family friend for life. You can learn more about how important training your dog is.

If your dog possesses specific triggers associated to bad behavior, try to keep him busy while the temptation passes. For instance, if your dog reacts negatively to other dogs, you need to keep his focus on you as you come into contact with them. This will help him correlate the relationship between that stimuli and the positive things that come from it.



 Stay consistent when you are trying to train your dog. Make sure everyone knows the right commands to give the dog; keep a list if necessary. Behavior should be rewarded or not depending on the affect that is being sought. Your dog will become very confused if each person responds differently to a single type of behavior. This will make training very hard.

 Consider using a clicker to help your dog learn great behavior. If you give your dog an award when you used the clicker, it will be easier to train. Making the sound and giving a treat is a good way to build this association. Eventually, your dog will learn that the noise means "good," and this will help shape their behavior by using this tool.

 A wise tip in canine training is to always call the dog by his rightful name, rather than using any nickname or other deviation. To maintain control of your dog, you must be able to encourage a favorable response. Try this with your dog at least ten to twenty times. Avoid confusion by not calling your dog to you for punishment.

 Include plenty of physical activity in your dogs training routine. Dogs can get bored easily. A bored dog will try and find something interesting to do, and training is not usually interesting. It is easier for your dog to focus if he is happy and well exercised. A long walk or a brisk run are great ways to get rid of some of your dogs excess energy.

 If you are training more than one dog, remember that some breeds of dogs can be trained together, but some breeds cannot. If your dogs cannot focus during training, you may need to start with one-on-one before training them together.

 Training a new puppy can be much easier if everyone in the the family participates in the training. While they may have a single person working with them regularly, getting everyone involved can enforce that they must always follow the rules and it will make it more consistent.

 Keep count of the number of treats you feed your dog because you do not want him or her to get fat. It is easy to forget about treats when you consider how much you are feeding your dog. This can happen especially when you are training him.

 Include plenty of physical activity in your dogs training routine. Dogs can easily get bored. A bored dog will try and find something interesting to do, and training is not usually interesting. Keeping your dog exercised and happy will help them pay attention more due to releasing all excess energy that often distracts them from your commands. Go for long walks and runs with your dog.

 Any behavioral issues that suddenly occur should be checked by a vet to make sure there are no health conditions causing it. Certain health conditions, or even pain, can completely change an animals demeanor. It could even be to the point that the dog may become more aggressive and lash out at people. This behavior is an indicator to humans that there is something wrong.

 Dont bog your puppy down with more information than he can process. You need to keep your training sessions short so that your puppy pays attention. If training sessions are too long, the puppy wont remember the specifics of the training session, just that is was grueling and exhausting. This will make it harder to train him next time.

 Training should be done when the dog is young. This is not concrete, but it is known that puppies respond easier to training. If you start training your dog when he is young, he will be almost as well-behaved as a child.

 When your dog reaches six months, make sure that your dog is spayed or neutered. This should coincide with the beginning of obedience classes. A dog that has been spayed or neutered will be a more obedient dog. You and your pet will enjoy a longer and happier life together.

 If you prepare your dog for veterinary exams, it will help both you and your dog. Gently place your hands over its body, acknowledging your dog when he responds positively. Prepare your dog to accept someone handling his paws or looking at his teeth. Ask your friends to help out, as well.

 If you know that your dog will react negatively in response to certain triggers, distract him until the moment is over. If your dog is antisocial around other dogs, distract him with something interesting if you get near other neighborhood dogs. This will allow him to make the relation between the positive stimuli and positive things happening.

 If you want to get rid of inappropriate chewing behaviors, you need to set up the dogs environment so that he will have fewer temptations. Additionally, make sure there is nothing that can pose as a threat to your chewing canine. Any objects which your dog could choke on or become entangled in should be kept out of reach.

 Use dog treats that are tasty for your dog, and are of high value in order to obtain great results. Since these treats will be handed out sparingly, it should not matter too much if they are usually off limit items.

 Try not to use wee-wee pads as a tool in potty training your day. The problem with the wee-wee pads is that they leak and leave enzymes from urine and feces behind. The pads may also confuse the dog because of their shape. It could cause the dog to think that a bathroom mat or welcome mat is a place to go potty. The best option is to toilet train your dog outdoors.

 A clicker works well when training most dogs. Using a clicker is as simple as showing your dog that good things happen when the clicking noise is heard. Try using this technique right away, doing it frequently over a span of a few days. Your dog will soon know that the clicking noise means that they are doing a good job.

 Dogs that have received no training are likely to destroy your possessions and try your patience. If you use the advice in this article, you will be ready to teach your dog that skills will help the owner-pet relationship..

Read more

Dog Begging Why Begging For Food Should Never Be Allowed

The one thing you can count on with your dog is that he will absolutely insist on eating whatever it is that you and the rest of the family are having for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! And without training to teach them otherwise, begging for food, while seemingly cute in the beginning, will become a complete and total annoyance to everyone in due time.

Why Is Begging A Bad Thing?

Once you decided to raise a dog, your family officially became a "pack". This means that your dog looks up to you and the rest of the household as a natural hierarchy, with a leader at the top. When you allow your dog to beg, even if it seems innocent, this behavior becomes a form of control that the animal is gaining from the pack.

In the beginning, begging for food, or begging for other stimulations such as a belly rub, is obviously adorable, but in time, the dogs actions become more and more demanding, thus becoming aggressive and unbearable as he grows into an adult.

How Aggressive Will Your Dog Become?

Many of you might be reading this and are thinking to yourself that your well-behaved doggie would never become aggressive while begging for food and nip at your hand. However, I beg to differ.

A perfect example would be recalling the experience that a friend of mine had with his dog. For several years he would hand-feed his puppy bits of food whenever he himself was eating. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks in between - all were shared with his dog.

Eventually, his dog grew into an adult and was a fairly large size. The mistake that my friend made was not realizing that he was actually programming the dog to be a dominant leader every time the animal expected to be fed, and my friend of course would share his food without thinking.

The begging became a big problem and when he decided to train the dog not to beg for food, the animal got extremely aggressive and literally jumped on the table to snatch up a plate of food, and while biting into my friends hand.

Proper Training To Eliminate Begging

Although the true story above was on the extreme side of dominant, aggressive behavior, as a result of begging, the problem is indeed real. And although your dog may not be so demanding right now, the key is to completely eliminate the possibility of begging by proper training early in your puppys life.

The process is simple. All you have to do is train your dog to be still and remain in a specific area of the house when the family is eating their meals. It may take a little time, but imagine your dog sitting quietly, remaining in the sit position, all the while you and your family are eating dinner, with him not moving until you allow him to do so.

Daniel Waser is a dog lover since his childhood. He owns 3 dogs of his own and has a lot of experiences with dogs. At his websites hes providing helpful information and tips about Dog Health Problems and Dog Training.

Dog Obedience
Dog Housebreaking
Dog Housebreaking
Dog Obedience
Puppy Housebreaking
Dog Training
Puppy Training
Puppy Housetraining
Dog Obedience
Dog Obedience

Read more

What should I do if a dog fight starts

I always enjoy watching Snoopy fight the Red Baron. However, real dog fights are not a matter to be taken lightly.

The issue came back into my mind when I read a story on the news about a dog fight that happened in a Petco Store in Austin, TX. The local ABC TV affiliate in Austin has the story on their website at http://www.kvue.com/news/Petco-responds-to--214415401.html .

Appearently, this particular Petco is located in a higher crime area than the one at which I worked in Peachtree City, GA. The Petco in Austin felt it necessary to hire an off-duty law enforcement officer as a security guard. A fight broke out when a dog got away from its handler and attacked another dog. For some reason that is obscure and nebulous the off-duty law enforcement officer decided that the best way to handle the situation was to fire two shots from her handgun into the dog who was the aggressor. This all happened inside the store.

I realize that I may not have all the facts regarding this situation however, it appears to me at least ,from my reading of the story, that there are multiple things wrong here. Readers and friends, I have been around dogs for the vast majority of my life. I have seen many fights break out among dogs over the years. I have never used deadly force to break up a fight. There are too many less dangerous options.

It is particularly remarkable that the shots, in this case, were fired inside a store that was open and presumably had other customers inside. The officer did move folks out of the line of fire before killing the dog however that does not give me much comfort regarding the situation.

I am no physicist nor am I a firearms expert. However, my common sense and rudimentary knowledge of physics and firearms leads me to the conclusion that discharging a firearm under any circumstances in this type of environment was a very dangerous undertaking. Even with people outside the line of fire, the projectile fired from the weapon could have ricocheted off any number of surfaces and hurt someone or some other animal.

I am also perplexed about why the security guard was handling this situation in the first place. This store presumably has a dog trainer. I was the Dog Trainer at the store at which I worked. As part of my training to become a Petco Certified Dog Trainer I was taught the proper procedures to use in the unlikely event that a dog fight broke out in my store or in one of my classes. The store management and other staff knew that I was qualified to respond to urgent situations involving dogs in the store (a dog fight, a dog running loose in the store, etc.) . I was never armed and would not have shot the dog twice in any attempt to break up a fight.

Okay..... Now that you have a wonderful example of the absolute wrong way to handle a dog fight perhaps I should explain the proper way. It is not rocket science. Dogs are not all that complex.

The best way to address this is prevention.  When you are out in public with your little buddies, I strongly suggest that you adhere to a three foot rule regarding other unfamiliar dogs. I always maintain a three foot separation between my dogs and other unfamiliar dogs. Remember, if the other dog is unfamiliar to you, there is a great deal of important information regarding the other animal that you do not have.  If the other dog has not been properly socialized or is not up to date on vaccines an up close encounter with your animal could be dangerous and ill-advised. Some dogs have severe dog aggression issues sometimes these dogs are great with people but dangerous with other dogs. This can happen for a variety of reasons but, for our purposes here just realize that some dogs are great with people but very aggressive and perhaps ever territorial with other dogs.

No matter how careful we are however, sometimes things, beyond our immediate control, occur and we are confronted with a dog fight. Sometimes they are just little disagreements that can be broken up pretty easily and are more noise than actual fight. Other times however, they are very dangerous for the dogs and any people who attempt to break them up. So, you must understand how to do this properly.

First, as I have written before, dogs take their cues from you. Remain as calm as possible! If you yell at the dogs and are overly agitated the dogs sense this and it makes things worse.

Next do whatever you can to divert their attention from a distance. Make a noise. There are little air horn like devices sold for this purpose. In a pet store you could kick a shelving unit or something like that
to get their attention. If the fighting does not immediately stop try throwing a blanket or towel or something over or between the dogs. We would utilize the big dog beds for this purpose at the store.

If this still does not stop the fight, you can use water. We always had a bowl or two of water for the dogs in the training area. These can be dumped on the dogs. We also sold citronella spray. The dogs hate the smell of this stuff and it can be useful in redirecting their attention.

In the extremely unlikely event that the above measures fail, you will have to take more up close physical action. Please read this carefully. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU GRAB THE COLLAR OR THE FRONT OF THE DOGS THAT ARE FIGHTING. You dont want to be this close to the mouths and more importantly the teeth. If possible have a helper handle one dog while you handle the other. Grad the HIND legs. In order to prevent further injury to the dog grab the leg as close as possible to the dogs body. This will prevent it from twisting. Lift up kinda like you would lift a wheel barrow. Then spin the dogs away from each other. Get them as far away from each other as possible. And get them medical attention if needed.

Remember also, any breed can be aggressive and dangerous under certain circumstances. So, please be careful with your little buddy when meeting new dogs. I used to always cringe when I saw strangers in the store letting their dogs sniff each other on leash in the store. This is not a good idea. A great deal of problems can be averted by simply following the three foot rule.

Also learning about dog body language is helpful. I will be happy to teach you what I have learned over the years about reading a dogs body language. Many times situations can be averted if you just know the warning signs and entirely avoid dogs that are showing aggressive or stressful body language. I give these stressed or aggressive guys much more than three feet. It is beyond the scope of this blog to teach the body language. But if you are interested, please contact me and I will happy to teach you what I have learned.

Be safe out there with your little buddies!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Read more

DOG Training THE FIRST 2 COMMANDS EVERY CANINE SHOULD KNOW

                                             

There are numerous dog training strategies and approaches that declare to be the fastest, simplest or most affective means to practice your canine. The 2nd thing that all training methods have in usual is that the first action is to teach the pet dog basic commands. The very first command you must teach is SIT. With a couple of slight differences, most suggestions about dog training agree. The simplest method to teach this command is to trigger the preferred result to take place without much effort. For very young puppies, hold their food bowl above and behind their head. Your puppy looks up, loses his balance, and sits. You reinforce by saying the command, SIT, then commend puppy and reward with a treat.    Repeat this procedure during each meal time and with treats till he will SIT on command without a food stimulus. Older canines have better balance so an additional step could need to be utilized. Some dog training techniques recommend making use of a leash without any slack to keep your pet dog still, then simply using a treat held above and behind his head, command SIT. If your dog withstands, utilize your forefinger and thumb to use pressure simply in front of his hip bone or slide your turn over rump and use pressure as you tuck legs and tail under to trigger him to SIT. As constantly, praise and treat for preferred result Every other basic command will develop on the success of the SIT Command. Every dog needs a calm and confident leader to feel secure. Any dog owner can show that he is a strong leader by encouraging and rewarding good behavior. Proving to your pet that youre a strong leader makes training easier and establishes a bond between pet and owner. TIP! Rewarding your dog generously and properly is essential in training your dog. Treats are great to give your dog when he does something good, but timing is very important when doing so. The 2nd command that you have to practice your canine is NO. This command needs consistency from you, as the trainer, and every member of the family. The NO command need to always be talked in a sharp guttural tone and alone. Do not use with your pet dogs name, or in a run scared or high pitched tone that just comes normally if you were to walk in and see your dog chewing your preferred pair of shoes. Your tone needs to be authoritative sharp and strong to relay your annoyance. Withhold attention as punishment. Consistency is the secret to practice your canine. If you want to teach your dog to get down off of your chair, train OFF as your command. To instruct your dog to lay down, very first command him to SIT. As you train your dog each brand-new command, be sure to combine each command so patterns do not establish and the action of each different command is rewarded when accomplished. Always use the same words when giving commands to your dog. Using different phrasing for basic commands can confuse your dog. Saying "Come" today and saying "Come here" the next, in the dogs mind, is like teaching two different commands, however, the behavior is expected to be the same. Keep it simple and keep it consistent. TIP! If your dog tends to chew on your shoes or other household items, you can stop this behavior by giving the dog a yummy substitute, such as a raw hide bone, to chew. The dog will likely abandon your shoes in favor of the raw hide, as the only reason he or she is chewing your shoes is that he or she is bored and needs something to do. Work out all excess energy and practice your dog in a quiet distraction complimentary location. Start at SIT, utilize your pet dogs name and command HEEL. If your dog does not remain with you and darts away, turn in the other direction and repeat command HEEL and pet dogs name. The last essential command that is a should while beginning to practice your pet dog is the command COME. This command appears so simple, after all all dogs desire to come to you? The trouble with training your pet dog to COME is that owners do not utilize it commonly enough in daily communications. When you open the fridge door, your canine will COME. The command has to be enhanced by putting your canine in SIT and STAY, then by changing your place,  command COME, and utilize your pet dogs name. Praise and reward with each and every preferred outcome. One essential indicate remember is NEVER EVER correct or discipline your pet dog for replying to the COME command. When you need your pet dog to react to COME the most is when his safety is at danger, the reality is that. Your dog has actually run out and might be in risk of street traffic,. COME returns your pet dog to the safety of your home. Your fear feedback will naturally make you wish to fix your pet dog for going out. Stay constant with your training, praise and reward your dog. Get your dog train with doggy dan $1.00 Trail  Click here Now

Read more

Microchip 101 Should I Microchip My Buddy

A microchip is a very good safeguard in case your dog is ever lost. The microchip is actually a passive RF device. For those of you that are not former engineers, what this means is it is effectively a tiny radio transmitter. The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is injected under the dogs skin. This is done  on the back of the dogs neck. A hand-held scanning device is used to activate the radio transmitter. When activated, the transmitter sends identification information to the hand-held scanner. The scanner has to be very close to the dogs neck when this is done. Most animal shelters and veterinarian offices have these handheld scanning devices. Once the dog is scanned the information on the microchip is used to look up information on the dogs owner. Information like your name and telephone number.

The microchip is not really a replacement for a collar id tag. An ID Tag is actually human readable and the microchip has to be read by a scanner. The obvious advantage is that the microchip will not fall off the dog.  The microchip itself is actually very affordable. Copper and Cody both have microchips the cost of the microchips was included in their adoption fee.

The microchip is useless however, if the registration information is not updated. The microchips that Copper and Cody have are both from Home Again. We have them registered nationally with Petkey. It was about $45 for lifetime registration.

The microchip is a really useful device but it is not a GPS or LoJack device. It can not locate your dog. The dog has to be found and taken to a location that has a scanner (i..e a veterinarian or a shelter). It is a very good tool but it is not a fool-proof way to get your dog back. You must keep the registration information up to date (accurate phone number, etc.).

The engineering of the microchip is pretty cool. It is designed to have a lifetime of about 25 years. While it may move around slightly after implantation, it will not get lost in the dog. Aside from the needle stick, the implantation is pretty much painless.

In my opinion, the microchip is very much worth the cost.

When it comes to my little guys pictured on the left, I think it is well worth the cost for the peace of mind.  But, I also have ID tags for them.

If your dogs do not have microchips, I strongly encourage you to talk to your veterinarian about this soon! Particularly if the dogs are scent hounds. As I have said many times before, the scent hound breeds (i.e. Beagle, Basset, Bloodhound, etc.) really love to follow a trail and can get away from you easily while on the trail.

I also think it is pretty cool that when discussing  the technology of microchips two of my favorite things Ham Radio and Dogs sort of overlap. I am a recovering engineer, ya know :) If any of you are also Techies, Nerds or recovering engineers like me, there is some really interesting technical information about how these chips work at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchip_implant_(animal).

If you have any questions about identification for your dog or if you have any training questions or issues, please contact me at any time.


Till next time

-William-
William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Read more

Proven Dog Training Tactics That Everyone Should Know

It is very common in households around the world to incorporate dogs and other domestic animals into the family home. Puppies, like most baby animals, have mischievous streaks. Read on for some ideas on training your dog.

Learn alternatives to treats as positive reinforcement when training your dog. You will find that treats do work. However, most people dont carry treats in their pockets 24/7. Learning to give praise or attention in the way of patting and hugging is a great way to reinforce good behavior, and can be a treat replacement.

 Training is a great way to help your dog with separation anxiety. It is quite possible that if your dog frequently barks unceasingly or damages your belongings when you leave, he or she is actually suffering from separation anxiety. You need to take the time to train your dog to not engage in these undesirable behaviors while youre not home. A great way to ease your dogs anxiety is through love and compassion.

 If you are welcoming a guest into your home, give them clear instructions about how to interact with your dog. These reactions may actually encourage dogs to jump up on your guests or attempt to dominate them.

 Many people are bitten by dogs because of their fears of that exact thing happening. A dog will bite if it feels unsafe or trapped. Force is not necessary to train a dog, and should never be used. Your dog might snap and bite you. By doing this, pleasing you will be one of your dogs life goals as it will see you as the pack leader.

 A crate can come in handy when housebreaking a dog. To make crate training work, make sure you take your dog out often and on a stable schedule. If youre patient you will find a dog who has been crate trained will make less messes inside.

 You do not want to use wee-wee pads when potty training your dog. The pads eventually leak; leaked waste marks certain areas in the house as "potty areas". Wee-wee pads can also train your dog to think that other items that are the same shape are a potty area as well. The best way to housebreak a dog is not to allow them to use the bathroom in the house; there is really no alternative.

 Dogs tend to concentrate on one thing to the exclusion of everything else unless that concentration is interrupted. With enough training, you will have your dog focusing solely on your signals.

 Destructive chewing is often a result of anxiety. Putting your dog in his crate with a chew toy will reduce the chance of destructive events and give him something to do while he waits for you.

 When possible, puppy training is the most effective form of dog training. This is not a hard and fast rule, but young dogs do respond better to training. When you train your dog as a puppy, he will be a well-behaved dog throughout his life.

 It is important to take your dog on a rather long walk if you plan on being gone for several hours. If your dog is exhausted, he wont experience as much anxiety when you leave.

 Feed your dog a healthy diet. Too many table scraps can unbalance your dogs diet. If your dog isnt getting what it needs to stay healthy, it could really struggle to find the energy for training or may act out in other ways. Something as simple as improving their diet can sometimes have a huge impact on how receptive they are to training.

 When house-breaking your puppy, choose a specific phrase to use when its time to go outdoors. When you take your dog out, repeat this command. This will help him form an association between being taken outside and doing his business.

 Dogs have tunnel vision and will focus on one thing to the exclusion of all else. If you do it enough times, your dog will wait for your signals instead of focusing on other things.

 Mentally stimulating your dog is important to its health and happiness. Frequent outside walks, chew toys and even healthy snacks offer great options for entertaining your dog. Any dog who is bored will find a number of ways to amuse himself and spend his time, such as chomping your favorite pair of shoes or digging up your prized botanical collection!

 Dogs are just like people; they love hearing the sound of their own names and the use of the name will call them to attention. It is especially important to do this during the first weeks of training, in order to establish that name-attention association. Make the name simple and easy for the puppy to recognize.

 A dog needs to be trained from the outset. The sooner you start training the dog the better, because they have not learned bad habits that you will have to correct. If you never give your dog any scraps from table food, they will never start begging for it.

 Remember that more difficult behaviors should be approached in steps. A simple example is teaching your dog to get the morning paper. You first need to teach him exactly what a newspaper is and then how to hold it. He will then need to know what the object is by name. Then, he needs to be taught to pick up the object. The last step is to train him to bring the object to you. If you break it down, your dog will understand the linear relationship of the behavior.

 When looking at dog trainers, do a lot of research. Check user reviews on the Internet and learn their training methods. Make sure that the specialist has ideas in line with yours.

 A clicker works well when training most dogs. Using a clicker is as simple as showing your dog that good things happen when the clicking noise is heard. Try using this technique right away, doing it frequently over a span of a few days. Your dog will soon know that the clicking noise means that they are doing a good job.

 Since you now have what you need, you can use this information to properly train your dog. If youve struggled to determine the right place to start your training efforts, you now have a clear answer..

Read more

Dog should enjoy being trained by you

It is very common in households around the world to incorporate dogs and other domestic animals into the family home. Puppies, like most baby animals, have mischievous streaks. Read on for some ideas on training your dog.

Your dog should enjoy being trained by you. Keep in mind that your dog does not have an attention span that goes beyond fifteen minutes. Keep your rewards coming and vary what you give them. Your dog should enjoy lots of praise for a job well-done. Your dog will be more receptive if you make training time fun!

 When you know that you need to be gone for a few hours, take your dog for a long walk before you depart. If you tire them out, they will be better able to handle feelings of anxiety when they are alone and separated from you.

 Use the dogs name often when training to ensure that you have their attention. By using his name all the time in the first month of having our dog, he should associate his name with focusing on you. Choose a short name that is easily recognizable from other words.

 To ensure your training sticks, everyone in your household needs to treat your dog the same way you do and use the same training methods. Consistent methods is your best bet to get your dog to remember something. If teaching methods between people differs, it is easy for your dog to get confused.

 Keep your dog outside while you are away from home to prevent it from chewing on your items. When this is not possible due to weather or living in an urban area, close your doors to all of your rooms. This keeps your dog out of your things. Be sure to leave chew toys out for them.

 Always get your dogs attention by using his name. To train your dog, you need a certain level of control. Getting them used to their name and coming when you call will help you achieve this. Repeat this several times daily. Also, dont punish your dog if he comes over when you call him by name.

 Get your dog used to the things they will encounter when going for a vet visit. Practice gently moving your hands all over your dogs body and reward him for staying calm. You also need to get him ready to have his paws held and looked at, as well as his teeth examined. Ask your friends to help out, as well.

 Before you train your puppy, teach him his name and bond with him. Repeat the name as much as possible, and reward your puppy when he responds. You should make sure your puppy learns their name and knows to respond to it. Its important that the time spent with your puppy is quality time. Spend your time playing with your puppy. This way he will get to know you quicker and will begin to trust you faster. A puppy that trusts you will respond better your training.

 You can train most forms of anxiety out of your dog. Non stop barking and the destruction of your house while youre away occurs when your dog has separation anxiety. You can train this behavior out of your dog, and teach him the proper activities for when you are not home. Allay his fears and apprehensions by showering him with compassionate affection.

 You wont get anywhere in your dog training routine if your dog feels unsafe. If they do not feel safe, they may show bad behavior. Make your dogs surroundings comfortable and safe in order for this not to happen.

 Always give your dog the tools for success. If you are training it to stop chewing things it shouldnt be chewing on, give it things that it can chew on. In addition, keep the household objects that could be dangerous away from your pet. Items like hairbrushes can cause a dog to choke or could block their airway.

 You cannot rush through the training process. Remember that all dogs have short attention spans and puppies even more so. A training session that wears your puppy out is going to turn into an unpleasant memory, making him less likely to respond well to subsequent sessions, and more inclined to ignore what you are trying to teach him.

 It is vital to train your dog when its still a puppy. Younger dogs learn more quickly and easier than older canines. Beginning your dogs training when he is still young will help him to be a well-behaved dog as he ages.

 If you prepare your dog for veterinary exams, it will help both you and your dog. Gently place your hands over its body, acknowledging your dog when he responds positively. Prepare your dog to accept someone handling his paws or looking at his teeth. Ask your friends to help out, as well.

 If you know that your dog will react negatively in response to certain triggers, distract him until the moment is over. If your dog is antisocial around other dogs, distract him with something interesting if you get near other neighborhood dogs. This will allow him to make the relation between the positive stimuli and positive things happening.

 Although there are many benefits to using a harness, you will have less control over your dog than if he is wearing a cinch collar. Keep your dog on his harness, but also use your cinching collar. Tug on his collar when its absolutely necessary, and your dog will soon learn how to obey wearing the harness alone.

 To help you train your dog you should know what kinds of foods your dog likes to eat. Since these will be the rewards for good behavior when you are training the dog, it should be something that really motivates him. Make note of your dogs reaction when the reward is offered.

 Communication is one of the essential aspects of training your dog. Make sure you are clear and consistent when you are working with your dog. This means to be consistent not only with words, but with corrections and rewards. Be well aware that your dog is telling you something too. They will inform you of whether or not they are overworked, anxious, or having a great day.

 A clicker works well when training most dogs. Using a clicker is as simple as showing your dog that good things happen when the clicking noise is heard. Try using this technique right away, doing it frequently over a span of a few days. Your dog will soon know that the clicking noise means that they are doing a good job.

 Dogs that have received no training are likely to destroy your possessions and try your patience. If you use the advice in this article, you will be ready to teach your dog that skills will help the owner-pet relationship..

Read more

How Much Training Should I do Each Day With My Dog

This is one of the first questions we get when owners embark on a new training program, whether it be a group class or private lessons. The answer is simple...do as many short (3-5minutes) training sessions as you can. But, the most important thing to remember is to incorporate your training into your every day activities. For example, practice your wait command as you head out the door for your walk on the El Dorado Hills trails. Or, practice a quick down stay while you make a sandwich or are getting some dishes done.

If you set up one big "training session" per day, your dog will do great during that "training time" and then it all goes out the window when you need it in real life situations...

Remember, every time you interact with your dog, your dog is learning something!!! Make it count!

Read more

Should the dog sleep in the bed with me

There is really no consensus among trainers about the subject of dogs on the bed. There are varying opinions and pros and cons on both sides of the issue. However, in my opinion, it ultimately is about two things: Do you want the dog on the bed and is the dog well suited to be on the bed.

If you do not want the dog on the bed, that is the end of the story. It is your bed. It is your resource to control. If you never allow your little buddy on the bed, he will not expect it.

The lovely Shane and I allow Cuddles and Copper on the bed with certain limitations. As long as they behave they can stay. If they start moving around too much, barking at each other, etc. it is time for them to get down.

Some dogs do not enjoy sleeping all night on the bed. Copper, for example will nap on the bed as he is doing after a long day of work in the picture on the left.  However, at night, he sometimes will jump on the bed to get petted, then lay on the foot of the bed for a few minutes, then he will make his way to his bed on the floor.

Cuddles, on the other hand, will sleep, most of the night, on the bed with us.

There are trainers who are concerned that the dogs see sleeping on the bed as a sign of the dog being dominant over the people. My thought is that if you have a dog who is aggressive or is guarding the bed then, obviously, it is time for the dog to get off the bed. However, from a training/behavioral perspective I do not see a need to ban dogs from the bed across the board.

There are also health concerns. I am not a doctor. I do not even play one on TV :). That being said, if you have allergies or medical issues that are impacted negatively by the dog sleeping with you, I think that is a so-called, "no-brainer" decision.  In that case I would not let the dog sleep with me.  I think what it all comes down to is that it is your bed so you decide if the dog can sleep with you.

I really like having the dogs close by when I sleep. If I did not allow them in the bed with me, I would want them at least in the bedroom. My reasoning is that if they need to go out to potty in the middle of the night they can (and do) bark to wake me.

Now , what I have written about thus far is adult dogs. If you have a puppy, I think you should seriously consider keeping the little guy in a crate at night. This will keep him from getting into trouble while you are sleeping (chewing up things, etc,) and will aide with housebreaking. It will also be safer for him. As a little guy, it would be easy for you to accidentally hurt him by rolling over on him in your sleep.

However, once the puppy is housebroken and has gotten a little older and bigger, if you are comfortable that he will not get into trouble, I see no issue with allowing him to sleep with you on the bed. He has to also be obedient enough to get down when you  give the command.

Well, I hope this has been helpful to you. Remember, the bottom line is that it is your bed if the dog is well behaved and you want him there it is fine, if he misbehaves or you dont want him there, that is fine too.

Remember if you have any questions about your dogs behavior or about training, please feel free to contact me at any time!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtraining@gmail.com

Read more