Best Dog Training Methods

http://howandfix.com/dog
Who else wants their dog to be well behaved
around people and other dogs?
AND have them obey all of your house rules…
… even when you’re not around!

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Dog Training getting you down? Well for me it definitely was. It seemed that no matter what I did the outcome was the same. Sometimes I wondered what was harder- raising my son or raising my dog

I have a 2 year old Cocker Spaniel named Rocky which I have had since he was a puppy. It was the classic case of love at first sight (along with my son saying “can we keep him, mom, plleeaassee…I PROMISE to help walk him and feed him…..”). Of course, if you have children then I’m sure you will agree that as cute as they are, and as much as you love them, they lie like rugs!! Although, that is another article in itself.

When it came to dog training I had always done what I thought was right despite the overload of opinions and advice that was given to me. Not to say that I didn’t try different things. In the end the results were always the same. You see, my dear Rocky had a major problem with barking, chewing, snapping….amongst other common dog behavior problems. His barking was the worst of them all. He would bark at anything that went by my window…people, other dogs, cats, squirrels, birds…you name it! It also didn’t help matters that my windows were all so close to the ground (something I didn’t think about when I bought the place!). It was getting so bad that my friends and family wouldn’t even visit anymore. Needless to say I was at my ropes end and desperately needed to find something that actually worked.

I couldn’t afford professional dog training, and had tried all different books and techniques; non which actually worked. Every time I did any searches on my computer for dog training I would always see tons of ads for ‘Sit Stay Fetch’. I was reluctant to try it, but after spending countless hours reading every free resource available and not getting any further ahead I decided to buy it. Plus, it came with a full money back guarantee which helped.

The only thing that I can say is this…If you have any behavioral issues with your dog, or even if you are just looking to train your puppy….get it!! Not only did it work for me, it showed me some of the classic mistakes people make while training their dog; including myself. This guide is extremely thorough and even has step by step video tutorials so that you can actually see the techniques in action. It covers every topic you could imagine from barking to biting…even problems that I never even heard of! Also, if you have any questions, you get a free e-mail consultation with a professional dog trainer.

I highly recommend ‘Sit Stay Fetch’ for anyone who is a dog owner. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed!!

Tammy R
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/sit-stay-fetch-dog-training-review-121506.html

I want to get a dog

First of all please ask yourself these questions and answer honestly.

Do I have the time and the patience to give to a demanding animal?

Will I walk a dog every single day no matter how bad the weather or how tired I am?

Do the other people with whom I live also want a dog?

Am I prepared for the mess a dog can make remembering that dog’s moult and have four paws that can bring a lot of dirt into your house.

Do I know what a dog will expect from me and what do I expect to get from the dog?

Do I know what breed of dog I want and have I done any research on this?

If I want a puppy am I aware of just how much hard work is involved in house training a it? Am I prepared for the chewing and the peeing and the pooing?

Do I want to get a rescue dog and am I prepared for the possible problems a dog which may have had a difficult life may have?

Am I prepared to spend hours training a dog?

If you can answer yes to the questions then let’s think about the dog for you.

A dog can be a wonderful companion but it can also be a real nuisance. No dog will be perfect without input from the owner.

If you think that you have the time and patience to train a puppy and are at home for at least half of each day then the next step is to decide upon the breed. Do not imagine that a smaller breed will need less exercise. All dogs need exercise and training whether it is Chihuahua or a Great Dane.

Look in Dog Magazines and if you can go to dog shows and talk to the owners of the breeds that interest you. Read up on the breed you like on the internet or buy books about the breed. Find out all you can about the characteristics of the breeds you like before making the decision. Find out what health problems different breeds may have. A lot of larger breeds have hip problems and breeders should be able to show the ‘hip scoring’ on their stock.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, one of the most delightful breeds of dog also suffer from hip dysplasia and from Syringomyelia (SM) a disorder of the brain and spinal column.

Bulldogs suffer from breathing problems and this can cause them distress. Shar Pei’s regularly suffer from entropian, a condition where their eye lids turn in and the lashes turn into the eyeball, a painful condition which requires surgery to correct. Any rare breed will carry genetic problems because of the smallness of the gene pool so if you want a rare breed be prepared for health problems.

We do not want to put you off choosing a breed just to warn you to do your homework. on the breed you like.

Becky St Clair

My 1 1/2 year old dog still chews on my hand sometimes, I stop him each time, but why does he still do this? He doesn’t often hurt me, but its annoying in a dog his age, shouldn’t he have grown out of this by now? why would he do this? How can I get him to stop?
It is not agression, fear, or misbehavior…he does it when he’s calmly on my lap and I am petting him mostly. He doesn’t hurt me either just chews on me, but he’s not teething, anyone have a problem like this before? When he does it I just remove my hand and if he persists I put him in his crate, is there something else I should be doing other than this? Any help appreciated.

My Westie did the same thing after she was done teething. I would gently hold her mouth shut, look her in the eyes, and tell her no. Then I’d give her one of her chew toys and have her chew on that. When she started in on the toy, I’d praise her. Now, when she’s bothering me or my wife, all we have to do is give her a toy and she’ll leave us alone for a while. Took about 2 weeks for this to imprint, but we haven’t had a problem with inappropriate chewing for a year now.

My family has fallen on some though times and with that being said a family member has been evicted and moving in with me along with her 3 young daughters and their chihuahua until they get their own place which shouldn’t be long because she has a job. Just that her eviction is tomorrow and needs somewhere to stay in the mean time. Before I carry along, my question is about my 1 yr old pit bull. He is real sweet heart but he’s just too excited for a lot of people’s liking. He jumps (a lot) and at 80 pounds that’s a very heavy jump. My aunt has a 3 year old daughter I am particularly stressing over. He pulls on the leash very forcefully so I cant take him on long walk and tire him out. Also, even though he is EXTREMELY friendly he is very dominant with other dogs. He doesn’t know how to play well with other dogs but he doesn’t come at them with bad aggression. My aunt is coming with her chihuahua as well (like i mentioned). I have taken him to dog runs before and i trust him with other dogs, however, i don’t trust other dogs with him. A lot of dogs have not taken his forwardness so nicely and the chihuahua is very sweet but snappy! What are some ways I can help my dog?? I would like to know how to correctly train him. I don’t want to take him to a shelter because when my aunts gone, so will he and if I had money to room him somewhere, I would. So please no fostering/shelter opinions. I understand this is no overnight remedy. I’m willing to work on it with my family to improve his behavior. Thanks!
Let me clarify since Steve has just called me an irresponsible owner lol. I have two pit bulls and yes he is a pit bull mix!!!! They are not in no way shape or form aggressive! I rescued the pit bull mix less than a month ago!! Hence me not trying to take him back to a shelter!! He is still adjusting to my home, guys! The other pit bull is very polite and well behaved..I’ve had him for 3 years now and he’s very good friends with the chihuahua that’s coming. So that’s example enough that I actually am a very capable and responsible pit bull owner.I just came on here in hopes that I could get some advice from someone that KNOWS what they’re talking about so I can pass those training tips to my guests and we can all work on it together, instead of being a mess when they get here! THANKS!

You need to drain his energy, plain and simple and socialize him more. He will calm down with long walks and lots of exercise. If he pulls, which 90% of pits do because the owners do not know enough to get that under control, you need to get an HALTI. It is not a muzzel, they can fully open their mouth it allows you to control from the head and gives you an advange, their neck is very strong and you will not get the same control with the collar. Every time he rebels because the the HALTI pull up and have him sit until he relaxes then walk again. If he pull to see another dog dont stop and walk forward pulling him. These are two ways for you to show you are the leader and and the boss. Trust me this worked with my 1 yr old HYPER Pit and my 120lb Rotti. If you have a treadmill use that, it will help alot too, its really easy to train. I have trained my 2 Rotti/Cane Corso crosses, my 4 year old lab and 4 month old English Bantam Bulldog. It is really hand for super cold weather or after a walk if they are still not tired. This would be handy for your guy. But stright up, he needs to be walked at LEAST 1 hour a day, at least. After that he will calm down, you also need to let him get used to other dogs and people so he cares less when meeting them. Dog park is always great for that he will get tired out and meet dogs and people all in one shot! Take him for a long walk and time how long it takes for him to calm down each time with visitors, youll see the time gets shorter each time. Lastly Chihuahuas think they are pitbulls. He wont have a problem telling your pit what he thinks. Just be there so your pit doesnt get too excieted and starts pawing at him to play. Like someone said in another reply walk them both for a long time before they meet and then walk them together. Dont stop to let them play make them walk together without any fuss, be determined and dont get fruastrated. Walk them together until they are dead tired. Then bring them to the house together but make sure they are tired. Then have them meet the kids. Teach the kids some commands and how to tell the dog no, this will give them power and the dog will look at them as leaders too. If you dont do anything it will go exactly how you are worried it will, your guy will be excieted and will jump all over everyone and everything. Then he will get locked up in a room while they are there and that is not fair to the dog.

I have a dog who has a serious chewing problem. She is a beagle/jack russell and she is almost a year old, we think. The vet was just guesstimating because she was a rescue puppy.Anyway, ever since we got her, about seven months ago, we’ve noticed that she loves to chew. We figured that a lot of it had to do with her young age but, as time progressed, things never got any better. She chews on everything. We keep her in a crate when we are gone and she literally reaches out of crate and grabs on to things, pulls them into her crate with her and shreds them. We also reprimand her when she is bad when we are home but, by the time we get home from being out, we feel guilty because she may have shredded it hours ago. We’ve given her toy after toy and she shreds them in less than half an hour. We put blankets in her crate and they are shredded by the time we get home. We tried putting her next to the window so she could look outside and that tiny little dog managed to somehow reach up and grab onto the blinds and literally tear them down. She has eaten jackets and pillows and socks and books. Anything she can chew on, she chews on. She can’t possibly be bored, either. We walk her a mile to the dog park everyday and she loves to fetch so she will fetch for an hour, sometimes two, and then we walk back an hour. Plus, we also always have people coming to the house and they love to play with her. She is spoiled in that aspect. What can I do??

How long are you leaving her alone? Is she in the crate for more than four hours? That might be too much for her.
I have the same experience, only I have a lab and a boxer puppy. Together, they are the unstoppable eating machine. This morning, I woke up to my lab trying to take a bag of cereal out into the backyard so she could tear it open.
When you leave, move everything you have near her and her crate as far away as possible. If this means putting her in the center of a room with no blanket beneath her, so be it.
If possible, I’d get her one of those large femur bones. While my lab can tear one of those up in about an hour, your pup, since she’s a lot smaller than my dog, should be able to work on that while you’re gone, and may even have some more when you get home.
I hope it works out okay for you. I understand the money that can go into just trying to replace the toys and stuff that a dog has chewed up.

http://www.howdini.com/howdini-video-6697018.html

Dog training tips: How to train a puppy to sit

Cuteness will only get a puppy so far in this world—he needs to have good manners to be totally lovable. Dog trainer Mike DAbruzzo demonstrates how to teach a puppy to sit and lie down, with the help of a rambunctious Yorkie named Moses.

Keywords:
training dog
puppy training tips
how to train dog
how to train puppy

Duration : 0:2:55

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It is a common scenario – someone, maybe a single person or maybe a family, walks into a pet store or animal shelter. They hem and haw, pet and cuddle, and make all sorts of exclamations. A few moments later, they walk out with the “perfect” dog or puppy in tow, ready to start out on their new life together. It may be a big dog or a small dog, an older dog or a younger puppy – everyone’s idea of the “perfect” dog is a little bit different. However, all dogs, big and small, young and old, can benefit from dog training. Puppy potty training can take your puppy from a cute little mess to an ideal housemate and beyond.

The start: Puppy Training

The majority of training for puppies is designed to make them better household companions. For the average family pet, training will often not extend beyond this phase. Trainng your puppy to use a potty pee pad is one of the most daunting challenges for most new pet owners. For working and competitive dogs, this aspect of training is only the beginning. The most popular type of training for dogs(so popular, in fact, that many people do not even realize that it is training) includes things like training your dog to walk on the leash, house and potty training your dog, and simple commands like “sit” and “drop it,” as well as basic social behaviors. It is easiest to begin puppy training at an early age, though if you acquire an older dog, you can train with him or her as well. Dogs are happiest when they know what is expected of them, and training helps to make those expectations clear. Training your dog is also a great way to strengthen the bond between dog and owner.

Competitive Dogs

The next step in training would be for competition. Some owners use dog training to teach their dogs tricks, like catching Frisbees on command, fetching items, or helping them with a freestyle routine. Other dog owners will use training to teach them to run agility courses, pull sleds, or do other activities. This level of training requires a strong bond between dog and owner, as well as a willing subject. Puppy training at this level is not something that you can do once and then go on with your life – it requires daily practice and commitment. Many of the professionals you see competing in agility trials or other competitions have been working with their dogs for years to conduct the training required.

Working Dogs

An even more stringent dog training method is required for working dogs. Working dogs assist people in a variety of fashions – they can be trained to sniff out drugs or contraband in airports, trained to assist the handicapped or disabled, or even trained as members of the police force or military. The dog training required for these dogs often takes months, if not years. Specific dogs are chosen from a young age to participate in this type of dog training, and often specific breeds are preferred due to breed characteristics. Only a few of the dogs that start on this dog training program end up being successful enough to have a career as a working dog. Training can come in a variety of styles for a variety of purposes. Even so, nearly any dog and owner can benefit from dog training.

Nick Luvera
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/the-different-phases-of-dog-training-718563.html

I have a 7 year old American-English Bulldog I just got her from a coworker of my boyfriend. She was a breeder dog and spent most of her life off of a leash and behind a fenced in area. She has never had any obedience training or command training. Thankfully she is house-trained. However I need some tips in getting her to listen when she gets excited. If something excites her, forget it, the command sit goes out the window. Also, she wants to attack my cats. Who were here first. She’s never seen one up close or been socialized with them.
What kinds of things can I do to make this transition easier? What can I do to train her better? Thanks.

Our list of trainers includes only APDT certified trainers and training kennels. We’ve had all great feedback from owners that have used them. You have multiple issues to confront here.

Keep her away from your cats though, until you can start training. Have gates up isolating her to a main area. Cats can hop over the gates.

Start obedience over as if she doesn’t know any commands, using highly palatable treat rewards to train her to come to her name EVERY time, sit every time, etc. Walk her 20-30 minutes twice daily when it’s cool out, as she is brachycephalic and will have trouble exercising in hot climates.

http://www.apdt.com/petowners/ts/default.aspx

Most dogs will display a tendency to jumping up to people at times. How often will vary with breed and by individual. One theory suggests that, when jumping up, dogs are trying to get close to the person’s face, not to attack them, but just to interact. For dogs to interact with another dog, they have no need for jumping up as their faces are on a similar level, the dog will use its nose and eyes to explore.

So, one way to deal with jumping up is to give them no need to reach. Kneel down and interact with the dog at its level. Let it explore your face in a safe way, while keeping an eye out for excessive assertiveness. Very rarely will a dog bite its owner this way, especially if the human has taken the trouble to become the ‘alpha’ (leader of the pack).

Naturally, if you’ve only recently acquired an older dog, perhaps from a shelter (that has the habit of jumping up), you should take proper precaution when using this technique. You could try simply turning away from him as he is jumping up, so that your back is to him. If this does not stop him jumping up then try putting a collar on the dog and keep a thumb inserted under it behind the dog’s neck. Be prepared to jerk sideways, if necessary.

Sideways jerking is to be preferred to a sharp pull backwards, when possible. Dogs’ neck muscles are very strong, but throats can be too easily bruised. The movement is to protect the owner and inform the dog, not to punish.

Off-leash training to discourage jumping up is also possible. Wear a pair of well-protecting pants and have the dog stand in front of you. Training a ‘sit’ is, of course, a very good defence against jumping up. But they can’t sit all the time. Jumping up usually follows standing or running motion. So, start the exercise with the dog standing.

Watch for the body tension that precedes jumping up and when you see them about to jump order a ‘sit’. If the dog jumps anyway, lift your leg slightly and bump the dog’s chest with your knee or thigh. At the same time, thrust a palm near the dog’s face away from you. Issue a sharp command: ‘off!’. (‘Down’ is a separate behaviour, requiring a different word.)

The idea isn’t to slam the dog in the chest, nor to push a hand into its face. The raised knee helps to keep the dog off and puts it off balance. The hand in the face both obscures its vision and discourages a repeat jumping up.

If you have a partner you can work with, lead training may be useful in more stubborn cases. As the dog starts to jump up, have the partner jerk sideways as you issue the ‘off!’ command. You should issue the command, not the partner. You need the dog to focus on and obey you.

In the absence of a partner, and when working outside, it may be possible to wrap a long lead around a tree or post. The difficulty is that the jerk will then usually be more back than to the side.

Positive reinforcement techniques can be used, too. Take a treat or a favourite toy in one hand. As the dog starts to jump, hold out the treat or toy above and slightly behind the dog’s head. That distracts the dog and puts it slightly off balance. It also encourages a sit, just when the impulse was to jump.

Repetition and consistency are, as with any training, important when training ‘off’. Be patient and firm. With time, most dogs will learn to suppress this natural behaviour until and unless they receive permission to jump.

Valerie Dancer
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/dogsdealing-with-jumping-up-74794.html