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Archive for November, 2009

The Top Ten Dog Obedience Tips

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Author: Lisa Nobles

A new puppy is a wonderful addition to any household. They provide love, and hours of enjoyment and happiness. However, they can often come with some early teething problems. There’s barking, potty training, chewing, and many more hurdles to overcome.

Be prepared, a new puppy does not come trained, so you will have to be the one to put your dog through some obedience training.

This article gives you the top 10 dog obedience tips on how to get your puppy trained and under control. Save yourself some time and frustration and read these tips. Put them to the test with your new puppy!

1. Use Praise and Correction effectively- If your new puppy does something right, give it praise- a pat or a snack. If your dog does something bad, make sure they know it. Don’t abuse them though.

2. Repetition is needed- Your puppy is not going to learn something straight away. You need to exercise repetition of commands for each thing you want your puppy to be able to do.

3. Don’t offer conflicting signals- You need to ensure that all people in your house offer the same signals for the same actions and treat your new puppy in the same way. Conflicting signals are only going to confuse your new dog.

4. Don’t punish a dog if you haven’t taught it something- Going on from the tip mentioned above, don’t punish your dog if you haven’t taught it how to do something. This is just confusing for the dog.

5. Have short training sessions- A puppy has a short attention span, so ensure that you keep any obedience training sessions short and sharp.

6. Take your obedience training slowly- Each dog will learn obedience at different speeds. Take your obedience training slowly and do not get frustrated. Your new puppy will pick up on your frustration.

7. Do obedience training with the dog yourself- Dogs are inherently pack animals and they look towards a leader. You need to make sure you are the leader they look towards.

8. Always practice obedience training- You could teach a dog obedience at all times. Teach them to fetch of a morning and sit before you feed them.

9. Only correct your dog if you see them doing something bad- Don’t punish your dog if you think it has done something wrong. Only punish your dog is you see it do something wrong and immediately after you see it do something wrong. That way your dog will stop doing things that you don’t want them to do.

10. Find out what motivates your dog- Is your dog motivated by doggie treats or is it more motivated by praise? Find out what motivates your dog and use that to help with obedience training.

Dogs are fantastic companions. But, a well trained dog is always better. Use the 10 tips mentioned above and you will be well on your way to having a well trained dog by your side.

About the Author:

Is Fido causing you to pull your hair out? Then stop fighting with your dog and start training your dog instead. Get the tips you need to keep your sanity at http://www.stopbaddogbehavior.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.comThe Top Ten Dog Obedience Tips

8 Dog Training Tips Every Dog Owner Must Know

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Author: Lee Dobbins

Every dog owner wants a well trained, obedient dog. You can enjoy your pet so much more if they are well behaved, and the dog is happier because you are happy with them. The ultimate goal is to have your dog obey your commands while off the lead. This level of compliance, however, takes much training and time. Here are a few great dog training tips to help you along the way.

1. One of the most important tips for training your dog is to start training early. Don’t wait for bad behavior to start. The sooner you teach your dog what is acceptable and unacceptable, the happier you will both be. Even a puppy can learn basic commands and household manners. Check out local puppy or dog obedience training classes and get enrolled right away.

2. Only reward desired or ‘good’ behavior. Never give treats or attention for bad behavior. Your dog wants your approval and attention. If you only give it to them when they are being good, they will learn to behave appropriately in order to get your approval.

3. Dogs have a lot of energy. Find an outlet for this natural energy. Many dogs enjoy activities like agility and fly ball. If that doesn’t appeal to you, try regular walks or runs, playing fetch, or take a trip to a doggy park where your dog can run and interact with other dogs. If you give your dog a way to burn off their energy, training will be much easier.

4. Find a regular time that works for you and your dog. Regular training sessions are another one of the key dog training tips that will insure your success as they will have more of an impact than sporadic ones. Make sure that you are both in a good mood, and that your dog has been well exercised before the training session.

5. New puppies need to be handled a lot to ensure that they will tolerate it and become a good pet. A crucial dog training tip is to make the handling of your puppy a frequent and pleasant experience for both of you.

6. Don’t ever hit your dog or yell at them. You want your dog to associate pleasant things with you. A dog naturally wants to please you, so if your dog is engaging in undesirable behavior, simply ignore them or remove them to a confined space where they are alone. Dogs are naturally social animals and not being with you is a very hard thing for them, therefore it is a very effective punishment.

7. After your dog has completed a command, make sure you praise them very quickly. You want your positive attention to be associated with the desired behavior.

8. Use a release word to end a command. For example, when a dog has been in a down, stay position and you are finished with the command, say a word like “free” or “release” to tell the dog that it is okay for them to get up. Try not to use common words like “Okay” since this can be confusing to the dog.

These are just a few dog training tips that you can use to successfully teach your dog obedience. Find the things that work best for you and your individual pet. Above all, the most important dog training tip is to have fun and enjoy your dog!

About the Author:

Get the latest on dog training by visiting http://www.complete-dog-training.com – a website that offers information and articles on training your dog including tips on clicker training, crate training and dog behavior training.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com8 Dog Training Tips Every Dog Owner Must Know

Uh-oh, I need some dog training tips for Buzz

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

For better or worse, we went to the local shelter and fell in love with Buzz, a 9 month old Lab/Shepherd mix. He had such an adorable face and he really looked like he needed us. We brought him home and committed ourselves to dog training. Afterall, we wanted an obedient dog. The first day Buzz was very docile and we thought that this whole training thing was going to be easy. But then Buzz turned into an aggressive dog, barking at everyone who came near him, grabbing things and chewing them up,  trying to jump up on the kids. Housebreaking was a nightmare with accidents everywhere.

We needed help. We considered dog obedience classes but couldn’t find one to meet our scheduling needs so we were locked in to home dog training. Then we tried crate training, but when we let Buzz out of the crate he became so aggressive that it was the kids in the crate for protection. After that we started searching for some dog obedience tips everywhere and anywhere.

We are really at our wits end and have even considered bringing Buzz back to the shelter. But we really can’t stand the thought of what that would mean. He’s our dog and we have to find a way to train him and take away his aggression without the benefit of dog obedience school or or classes. I really hope we can figure out what to do because I know that underneath this behavior lies a great dog.

Help me, I think we’re getting a dog

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

My name is Steve. I’m a family man – a wife and 3 kids. We live on a nice residential street where we enjoy a very busy but happy life. My wife and I both work while the kids go to school and then participate in numerous extra curricular activities. That’s why when the subject of getting a dog was getting kicked around over the dinner table one evening, I didn’t jump on the bandwagon right away.

I remember when I was a kid we got a dog and it was a big deal. We got a puppy and then we had to train him. He had to be housebroken of course, and then taught not to chew the furniture, or go crazy when someone rang the doorbell. We had to be able to walk him without him pulling us down the street or trying to run away. My parents were so patient and our little puppy grew to be obedient and well behaved. But let’s face it – my wife and I just don’t have that much time to spend training a new puppy, and of course the kids will lose interest.