Puppy Training Basics

Dog Training Basic For The Average Person

2099-11-13T23:05:00.000-08:00

Congratulations on the purchase of your cute little puppy. Now you can love it and spoil it as your own child. Your new pet will need you and depend on you for many things. It is important to remember that owning a dog also means there will be responsibilities. A dog, like a child, needs proper care, attention, and training. Your new dog is an extension of your family and needs to learn to fit in and live by the house rules. Just as you would want your kids to be well behaved, your dog is no different. I have some very simple and useful training tips to help you along the way.

It is best to start training your puppy earlier rather than later. The best time to start is when your puppy is between six and eight weeks old. You would not wait until your own child turns five before you start the training process. Can you imagine starting potty training when your child turns five years old, yuck!

It is also important that you educate yourself with various dog training techniques. I am not suggesting that you immerse yourself by going back to school. However, there are some very simple techniques you can learn that won't cost you an arm and leg. I have found some very useful books online that will teach you basic techniques and outline simple training schedules. The level of performance your puppy will achieve depends on your ability to be prepared. It is best to follow a simple and methodical plan. Your puppy will learn best with step-by-step instruction. Always keep it simple so it is fun for both of you.

The reward system is ranked the most effective training tip by professional dog trainers. This needs to be the foundation for all types of training whether your puppy is potty training, leash training, or simply learning tricks. Using positive reinforcement will increase the effectiveness of your training schedule. Be sure that you reward your puppy when it reacts positively to the training. An effective, not excessive, reward system will produce quicker results as your puppy achieves higher levels of success.

During your initial training your puppy will have accidents in the house. Don't worry, this is will happen it's natural. Contrary to old school teaching, you do not need to rub its nose in it! This is not the the an effective technique. This is as far away from the reward system as you can get. The best thing to do is to immediately take them outside and show them where they need to go. You do not want to create a fearful training environment. You want the training to be effective and not counter productive. Not using the reward system will make the entire training experience frustrating and exhausting.

Persistence and repetition are necessary attributes you need when training your new puppy. Remember to be patient, don’t expect your puppy to learn after one short lesson. You need to keep at it. Training your dog is an ongoing process and the biggest reward will be having a well behaved dog. It should be fun for the dog as well as you.

Now the rest is up to you, begin applying these techniques and enjoy and love your new puppy. If you would like a good reference for online books to get you started, go to http://grasea.bezoogle.com/pp/dog-training/ where you can read reviews for the top dog training books. You can download and get started right away!

Dog Training Tips

2007-12-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

By Jim Kesel

Now that you have that cute pup that you have always wanted you have to decide how you are going to train it. A new pup can be very charming and lovable. With proper training methods you can teach him/her a lot of tricks such as fetching a stick or playing dead. The pup can guard your house and protect your young children. He/she can also guide your grandmother who is having problems with her eyesight. Dogs are considered as one of the smartest pets one can have. If you want to test your dogs limits when it comes to intellect and skills, then let a professional dog trainer do good job of training. However, if you will just have the right dose of patience and determination that a professional dog trainer has, you can teach your dog a lot of things and you can bring out the best of what your dog can ever be in no time. For the aspiring dog trainers, here are some good dog training tips:

Build a bond with your dog.

Spend time with your dog and create a familial bond with it. Ensure that he/she acknowledges you as his/her keeper. Show your love and concern for your dog so he/she can establish his love and loyalty for you as well. To make sure that he/she will obey you, you should talk, play with and offer treats to him/her. Show the dog that you are his/her caretaker and master. Remember no how bad a day you have your dog will always love you unconditionally. Love covers many training mistakes allowing you to correct them without long term consequences.

Use proper equipment.

Training your dog requires proper training materials. Prior to training, be sure that you have the right set of training equipment for the dog such as the right size of dog training harness, right kind of sticks or balls to fetch, right size of seesaw to balance on, and so on. Be sure that the materials you use do not have dangerous threats to the health and the welfare of your dog.

Be there for your dog.

Your dog needs guidance and it is your responsibility to provide him/her with such. When toilet training, be sure that you take him/her outside when you see the signs that of elimination. When you train him to do various tricks, do not leave him with the training tools and materials alone; teach your dog how to use them properly.

Praise and reward.

Whenever your dog does something good or when your dog responds properly to your training, give him a treat. You can take your dog to the park, lay with him/her, praise him, pat him/her, give your dog a cuddle, and/or provide dog treats such as biscuits or candies. Make all the training exercises fun and your dog will eagerly respond to your efforts.

Avoid punishments.

If your dog does something bad, if your dog does not respond to your training, or if your dog neglects what you have taught him, never hit your dog. You can talk to your dog, show him/her the treats that you should have given him, and then tell him that what he/she did was wrong. But, you should not hit the dog because this can only establish fear and hatred between the two of you. Never ever call a dog to you and severely discipline it. This one mistake can ruin a relationship with your dog

Start the training immediately.

For obedience training, toilet training, crate use or attack training, such course should start the moment the dog is under your care. The earlier you start your training, the more receptive that your dog is.

If you employ these basic dog training tips you will find that training your dog will be a lot easier and will reduce the chance of serious mistakes that can ruin a good dog.

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Table Scraps...To Be or Not To Be

2007-11-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

Should Your Dog Eat Table Scraps?
by: David Beart

It’s a familiar sight to every pet owner who has sat down to a meal with their dog in the room: Your furry friend scoots as close to the table as he can get. His big, pitiful eyes stare longingly - first at you, then at your plate. He licks his chops over and over again, hoping to get just one bite of whatever you are eating. As hard as it is not to give in to those sad, soulful eyes, there are many reasons NOT to feed your dog table scraps.

The most obvious reason is because many of the foods that humans eat are just not good for dogs. The best diet for a dog is a consistent diet. Talk to your vet about how much food to give your dog, and then feed the same amount at the same time each day. There are ways to make his meals more interesting, such as adding gravy that is made for dogs, without sacrificing his good health.

Dogs that eat a lot of table scraps tend to be overweight. If you are eating a steak and want to give your dog a treat, what part of the steak does he usually get? The fat. Eating pure fat isn’t good for your dog’s weight. Dogs that are overweight have less energy and are at greater risk for developing health problems such as cardiovascular diseases.

Some foods are a direct threat to your dog’s health. Chocolate is the best example of this. Chocolate contains a substance that is toxic to dogs. While humans love this sweet treat, it can cause great harm, even death, to your dog.

Digestive disorders are another common problem among dogs that eat a lot of table scraps. Again, the healthiest diet for dogs is a consistent diet. You’re not doing your dog any favors if you feed him scraps that cause him to vomit or have diarrhea. Even a food that isn’t always toxic to a dog can upset his digestive tract enough to cause these unpleasant symptoms.

Table scraps do not provide the nutrition that dogs need. Tossing your dog a scrap of chicken now and then is different than feeding your dog a diet that consists mainly of table scraps. Dogs need different things nutritionally than humans do, and the best way for dogs to get what they need is to eat a food that has been formulated for dogs. Even if you offer him nutritious dog food along with an abundance of table scraps, he is less likely to eat his own food if he is filling up on yours.

In addition to the health problems, there are behavioral problems that can develop as a result of feeding your dog table scraps. You need to ask yourself the following questions.

Do you really want him to beg? You need to ask yourself this question every time you are tempted to give in to your dog. If you start feeding your dogs scraps from the table, he is going to sit there like Old Faithful at every single meal. Do not reward begging at the table unless you WANT him to beg at the table. Rewarding that behavior even one time may make it difficult to train your dog to stay away from the table. Even if it doesn’t bother you terribly, you may want to entertain guests in the future who won’t appreciate Fido sniffing their plates as they try to eat.

Help your pet be a good dog by NOT rewarding bad behavior such as begging.

Do you want your dog to be a picky eater? Since the healthiest food for you dog is dog food, it’s a good idea to make that dog food as appealing as possible. Setting his dry kibble next to a juicy steak probably isn’t the most effective way to accomplish that. By feeding your dog a lot of table scraps, you are helping him develop a taste for your food. In some cases, this will cause your dog to become finicky about what he eats, and his dry food will not seem as appealing as it once did.

Do you want a dog who steals? A dog who is allowed to eat human food on a regular basis will begin to assume it is his right to eat the pot of spaghetti you left on the counter. He may also be more apt to rummage through the garbage to get a hold of some of the scraps you neglected to give him. This may cause serious problems as many items found in the trash are very harmful to your pet.

There are many good reasons not to give table scraps to your dog on a regular basis, but there are ways to treat your dog that are not harmful and that will not encourage bad behavior.

If you want to give your pet an occasional treat of leftover meat, just follow a few rules.

* Be sure that small bones are removed. Never give your dog chicken bones. Some dogs have a bad reaction (severe vomiting and diarrhea) to other types of bones, so it’s best to remove the meat from the bones completely.

* Do not feed directly from the table. After the meal, when the dog has stopped begging, take the leftovers to his normal eating place and put them in his bowl. Do not let him see you walk directly from the table to his bowl.

* Do not do anything that causes your dog to see a relationship between his begging and you giving him table food. Do not feed him table scraps every day. His main diet should be of a food that contains all the nutrition he needs. In other words: dog food. Only feed hand selected table scraps as an occasional treat.

As much as you might want to give in to his begging, you must keep his best interest in mind. Dogs don’t know what is good for them. It’s your job to help keep them healthy and to help them behave, not give in to their every whim.

Choosing Healthy Foods For Your Dog

2007-11-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

Today's pet food market is larger and more diverse than ever before. While this offers a large number of choices in various types of pet food, it also presents a dilemma in choosing the healthiest food for your dog. Are generic or store brands suitable for a dog? What about familiar name brands like Purina and Alpo? Are the pricier brands that advertise specially formulated ingredients (Science Diet, Eukanuba) really living up to their claims and worth the extra money? All of these are valid questions that loving dog owners deserve to have answered.

Dog Food Considerations

There are several factors to consider when choosing the right food for your dog. Different dogs have different nutritional needs at different stages in their lives. Some things to consider when selecting the food you will give your dog follow.

The Dog's Age

Puppies have different nutritional requirements than adult dogs just as human children have different needs than adult people. Senior dogs also have different requirements than younger adult dogs. Make sure that you select a food that is appropriate for your dog's stage in life.

The Dog's Health

Does your dog have a specific medical condition? If so, the food you choose may need to be partially dictated by that condition. Diabetic dogs need low-glucose foods and dogs with specific allergies (yes dogs can be allergic to all sorts of things, just like people) may require certain foods as well. Your veterinarian can help you choose foods that are appropriate for a dog with a specific medical condition.

The Dog's Size or Body Type

Some dogs are overweight. Some dogs are underweight. Some have a natural tendency to get lots of exercise while others tend to prefer to lie around a lot. There are, of course, small, medium, and large dogs as well as the ultra-tiny toy dogs. All of these different types of dogs will have different requirements for the type of food they need as well as how much of it.

Your Budget

Dog food can be expensive, there is no doubt about it. And where dog food is concerned, the rule really is you get what you pay for. Low cost generics and store brands will lighten the burden on your wallet, but may not be the healthiest choice for your dog as they are made with cheap ingredients and lots of fillers. You should buy the best dog food you can on your budget to help ensure your dog's nutrition. Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog travel.

Ten Important Things Your Dog Wants You To Know

2007-11-17T00:13:00.000-08:00

By Danielle Hollister

If your dog could talk, these are some of most important things she would like to tell you...
1 - My life will probably only last 7 to 14 years. It will hurt me more than you know if I have to be away from you for longer than a day or two.
2 - If you have patience with me and give me time to learn what you would like from me, I can promise you, you will never be disappointed.
3 - Trust me with your life and have faith in our future together. If I don't feel that you honestly believe in me, I will suffer great emotional stress. My sense of self-worth is totally dependent upon your confidence in me.
4 - Don’t stay mad at me for long or confine me to a cage to punish me. You have your friends, your job, and your recreation. I HAVE ONLY YOU!
5 - Talk to me about anything you want as frequently as possible. Even if I can’t comprehend your precise words, I can understand the meaning of what you’re telling me by the tone of your voice.
6 - Remember no matter how you treat me, I will NEVER forget it.
7 - When you consider raising your hand to hit me, remember I have teeth that could break the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.
8 - Before you scream at me for failing to respond to your commands as I usually do, take time to think about what might be wrong with me that would cause me to treat you differently. Maybe I haven’t been eating right or drinking enough water. Or maybe my age is catching up with me and I just can’t do what I used to do.
9 - Take good care of me when I get old. Someday you will be as old as me and you will see how it feels.
10 - Be there for me through good times and bad. Never say you can’t handle taking me to the vets for stitches or surgery. Nothing could make me feel worse. Everything in my life is easier for me to deal with when I have you standing by my side. Remember my love for you is unconditional and it will last for your entire life.
Resource Box - © Danielle Hollister (2004) Danielle Hollister is the Quotations Editor at BellaOnline and Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp

Dog Training: How To Perfectly Potty Train Your New Puppy

2007-11-13T23:03:00.000-08:00

Title: Dog Training: How To Perfectly Potty Train Your New Puppy

Author: Lisa Failla

Article:
If you have ever been the proud owner of a new puppy, chances are that you know what it feels like to step in a warm puddle in the middle of the night...on your new carpet...in your best socks. It can be a very frustrating thing when your new puppy just refuses to use the bathroom outside, and it is easy to feel like there is no end in sight. Luckily, there are some ways to perfectly potty train your new puppy, and although it won't happen overnight persistence and some good carpet cleaner should get you through the rough spots in your potty training experience. To help in your endeavors to get your floor back and put the carpet cleaner away for good, here are a few tips on training your puppy to use the bathroom in the right spot, all the time.

Remember: Puppies are Like People Too

First off, it is important to remember that your puppy is like a miniature four-legged person, and a young one at that. The younger your puppy is, the more trouble they are bound to have with this potty training experience and for this reason it is important to practice as much patience as you can. Getting frustrated does not help matters at all, but remembering that your pet has a personality, a will, and a learning curve all their own may help you along the way.

Punish the Deed, Not the Dog

One of the mistakes that many frustrated pet owners make when potty training their pet is to discipline their pet's accidents by way of physical punishment. Spanking your pet is not going to be the solution to your dog's bathroom problems and antagonizing them may only make matters worse. Remember that dogs have a tendency to be very willful actions, and while some type of negative reinforcement is in order when accidents do occur, rolling up a newspaper and swatting them with it may not always be the best idea. Also, keep in mind that someday your dog may be as big as you are; what will you do at that point?

Be Sure to Fulfill Your End of the Bargain

You cannot expect your pet to grab a newspaper and a match and head to the bathroom every time Mother Nature calls; potty training is a 50/50 responsibility between a pet who should be picking up on a bit of training, and a puppy parent whose responsibility it is to facilitate and enforce the potty training ideas and principles. No matter how well trained your dog is bound to be, refusing to let them out as often as necessary is a surefire way to get your potty training methods to backfire on you big time.

Be as Consistent as Possible

Being consistent is one of the most necessary aspects of potty training for your puppy. If you want them to learn that outside is where they need to get when the urge strikes them, you must be available to let them out or have some alternative worked out. Never allow them to get away with using the bathroom in an undesignated area; while spanking them may not always be the best idea it is important for them to know that they must always use the bathroom in the designated spot and that the floor in your home and other unauthorized areas is never okay.

Consider Crate Training

Crate training is one of the most commonly used tools between pet owners when it comes to potty training new puppies. Dogs are a bit cleaner than you think, and chances are that if they only area they have to defecate in is their living space, they will do their best to hold it. Looking into a crate is a great way to enhance your potty training methods, not to mention the fact that your furniture and houseplants will survive much longer as well.

Potty training your new puppy doesn't have to be the nightmare that so many people make it out to be. Make sure that you are aware of what you are doing, and seek help from your veterinarian if you think there may be other problems involved. Also, it might be helpful to get to know your dog a little better so you can anticipate the best way for them to learn. Potty training can come easy, and with a little help and a lot of patience you will have your home back in no time!

About the author:
A great selection of dog supplies can be found at Pamper Me Puppy. Choose from fancy dog
beds, luxury pet furniture, wicker dog crates, and more.

Puppy Obedience Training Basics

2007-11-13T22:38:00.000-08:00

Puppy Obedience Training Basics
By Tina Blackwell

Dog training is a must for every dog or puppy. It doesn't need to be difficult, but it does require a great deal of patience, as well as the ability to figure out which types of training are best for your dog. Dog training is, quite simply, part of being a responsible owner. One important point to remember is that training your dog in the proper manner, is much more effective than using punishment as a deterrent.

Puppy Training

An important principle many people don't know, or act on enough, is that the best way to change a puppy's behavior is to first change your own. A puppy does require discipline yes, but it also needs consistency in that discipline. Don't praise one day and scold the next for doing the same thing. It MUST know the difference between right and wrong.

Puppy training usually begins with potty training. Start this training early because it is always easier to teach good habits from the beginning than it is to break bad habits later. A puppy is like a young child, it is always learning, gaining valuable experience every single day. Waiting until the puppy is older and has already learned bad habits makes the training much more difficult. The sooner that you get started, the better. For most dog owners that means enrolling puppies in a dog training class.

Obedience

It is highly recommend that you set aside at least 15-20 minutes each day for a "Dog Obedience Training" session. Remember to have patience, the training will be worth it in the end. Don't expect your dog to pick up everything immediately. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience on their own, they must be trained. Both dog behavior training and dog obedience training are very important and need equal attention. After all, who wants an obedient dog who can't be controlled?

Dog training is very important for many reasons. It is not only for expensive dogs or show dogs and, importantly, is a process that we do WITH our dogs not TO our dogs. Dog training is far more easily accomplished when you take time to understand your dog and how it thinks.
Patience, with a lot of love and praise, is always the most effective method.

Tina Blackwell is the publisher of the free weekly Happy Dog Report.
You can sign up and receive your free gift by going to http://www.happydogreport.info/

Dog Training Secrets Revealed

2007-11-13T21:53:00.000-08:00

Dog Training Secrets Revealed
By Richard Waters

Outlined below are the critical techniques that must be followed when training you dog, no matter which training method you choose. Using these techniques will help the training process immensely and ensure that you get the most out your relationship with your dog.

Bonding.

Probably the most important part of building a successful relationship with your dog is the rapport you are able to create with him, Rapport will only be created if you spend quality time with your dog and become his best friend talking to him- taking him out for long walks, playing with him. This is the key to a healthy relationship with your dog,

Consistency

Delivering consistent clear messages to your dog will help him see his world as black and white rather than various shades of grey. By consistent messages we mean the commands you use to train praise and reprimand your dog should always be the same. It is important that all members of your family are using the same commands as you. When first training your dog it will help if just one person does the training. This is important because although the command may be the same the body language or the tone of voice may be completely different.

Timing

By timing we mean the amount of time allowed to pass before your dog responds (or not) to your commands and your praise (or reprimand). This time should be no longer than 2 to 3 seconds. If any longer the chances are your dog will not associate your words with his actions. Remember that you dog's mental ability is the same as a toddler.By the same taken it is important that any physical correction to your dogs response to you training command occurs within the same 2 to 3 seconds. If for example you have given the command sit and the dog does not sit then you could push his rear quarter down while giving the sit command

Repition.

Dogs are creatures of habit and learn by repition. It may take several repitions of the same command before the response becomes implanted in the dogs brain and the action you are trying to teach him becomes automatic. Your dog will also require refresher sessions so that the command or action does not become lost during his life. You should always praise him when he does something right.

Session length

Keep all training sessions short and enjoyable so that you dog's concentration is maintained throughout. Quality not quantity is the key, you should also always try to finish the training session on a positive note I you can.

Attitude

Always be reasonable in your expectations of what your dog can achieve. It takes time to get results. If your dog has difficulties in picking up a certain command try and look at why he is having difficulties. Come back to it another day.

Praise.

Always use praise whenever you dog has successfully completed an exercise. This should also be done as soon as your dog has done the desired act (remember the section on timing) When delivering the praise look directly into his eyes so that he understand the connection between the voice or touch and his action. Deliver the praise either verbally or with the hand by either patting or stroking him.

Eye contact.

Using eye contact can be more effective than using the spoken word especially if there is a close bond between the dog and owner. If a dog wishes to communicate with you he will look directly into your eyes trying to read your intent.

Hand signals

Using specific hand signals while at the same time speaking to your dog can be an effective way of training you dog. It will be useful in getting young dog to respond at long distances and you can eventually stop the verbal commands so that he responds to the hand signal only. Give hand signal in front of and above the dog's head as this is in their line of vision.

Voice signals

Dogs are known for their intelligence but they are only able to understand a few words, even those are more of an association between the sound you make and the action the dog has learned to respond to the sound with.Use one command for one action and pronounce the command with the same tone of voice. You should gain your dogs attention by saying his name before starting a command.

It is important to realise that you dog will not understand every thing you say and may misunderstand the meaning of what you say. For example if you have trained you dog with the "down" command he may well if he is sitting on the furniture not respond to the command "get down" as he has only recognised the word down.

Punishment and correction

It is important that the dog sees you as the pack leader. In the wild if a dog steps out of line the"alpha"dog will punish or chastise it immediately. For general disobedience use the "Alarm No Command" method. This method has three steps that you take when your dog does not respond as you wish. Use something to alarm your dog, such as a squirt from a water pistol or shaking a pebble filled can. Make sure that you do this while he is in the act of misbehaving.

At the same time say aloud No or Bad .Use a stern voice so that your dog recognises the difference in tone from your normal voice .It is important that your voice correction is sincere and that the delivery is consistent so that the dog associates the harsh words or words with stopping the behaviour. Then redirect your dog with a command. Sit and stay is a very good choice. A check collar offers an easier yet more physical ways to give a correction.

A third option would be to exile your dog from the pack. In the wild the alpha dog would growl and chase the offending dog away from the pack. The ostracised dog would not be allowed back into he pack until the alpha dog lets him. You could do this by growling at your dog and chasing him away from the family area say out side to the garden.

Hi my name is Richard. I live in the UK with my wife and daughter and our pet dog "Ollie". I have been a dog lover for a number of years. I have studied dog behaviour primarily to enhance our relationship with our pet but also because I feel that most behaviour problems are easily avoided if the correct training methods are adopted in the first place.

Check out http://dogtrainingproblemsolved.com/ for your Free report on 5 sure-fire ways to show your dog whose the Alpha male plus many other successful training tips.