Training Your Dog With Using A Clicker Device

By Roger Hammond

Many people claim to have all of the answers about the most effective dog training techniques. Once you bring home a puppy of your own, virtually everyone you know who has a dog will offer various suggestions on how to best care for your new pet. Just like when you have a newborn baby, each person you talk to feels that they understand just how you feel.

The use of clickers for dog training has had a re-surge in popularity. When you push the clicker box with your thumb, it emits a clicking sound, that informs your dog that he has acted appropriately, and that you are pleased with his behavior. Teaching the dog the symbolism of the sound is the foundation of training with a clicker.

You will first need to buy a clicker, if you would like to utilize clicker training with your dog. In addition, you may want to browse your local pet store for clicker training books; they might help you along with your training. To begin, try to train the dog on one trick - sit. Attempt to get your dog to sit on his bottom, as you tell him to "sit". Once he follows the instructions, reward him with his favorite treat while clicking the clicker box once. Make sure that you discharge a click every time you reward the dog with a treat. You will be helping your dog to associate his appropriate behavior with the clicking noise.

Recently, there have been many dogs that participate in competitions that are using clicker training. The next time a competition is aired on television, watch as the dogs perform the various obstacles; if you look to the side, you will probably see their trainer with a clicker box in hand. As long as the method of "command, treat, click" is strictly followed, clicker training is one of the best ways to train your dog.

Through the use of clicker training, you are in control of letting your dog know how you feel about his behavior, along with dispensing punishment and praise when it is needed. As a result, the relationship between you and your dog will be strengthened.

It is also important to note that dogs really like and react well to rewards as opposed to discipline, so remember to use the clicker as much as you can to be effective. - 32366

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Puppy Leash Training - Here's How

By Chris Station

Training a puppy to accept a collar and leash is probably the single most important thing that you can work on when you start his training. Puppy leash training can begin almost as soon as you get him settled in his new home.

When you train your puppy to become used to a collar and leash, you are establishing the idea that you are in control. This is a really important point for your dog to understand if your training is going to be successful.

When your puppy learns that he must accept his collar and lead, you will be able to move onto other areas of dog training. Here's what to do to teach him to accept his collar and lead.

Buy a collar that will fit your puppy now. Adjust it so that you can comfortably fit two fingers between the puppy's neck and the collar. Be sure it is no tighter as you want your pet to be comfortable.

When you first put the collar around his neck give him lots of attention to take his mind off the collar. Don't rush this step. Once be gets used to wearing the collar you can move onto the next step in training your puppy. Lease training is so much easier if you have given your puppy enough time to get used to just wearing a collar.

After he has become accustomed to wearing his collar, the next step would be to attach a lightweight, short leash to his collar. The length of the leash should be about three feet or so. Then you are going to allow your puppy to simply drag the leash around for a few minutes at a time. You are trying to have him get used to the feeling of having something fastened to the collar.

It's important to watch him carefully when he is dragging his lead around. You don't want him to get stuck and become upset or afraid, which might happen if he gets stuck for any length of time. You want this to be a positive experience so it will be enough that he feels a slight restriction very briefly, but no more than that. So be sure to quickly free him.

Within a few days he will have become accustomed to the feel of the leash. Once this happens, attach the other end of the leash to yourself rather than letting it drag loosely. As your puppy explores, he will get stuck as before. The difference is that this time, you will not go to him to free-up the leash.

Instead crouch down and call his name. Reach out your hand and offer him a toy or treat to try to get him to come to you. Praise him lavishly when he comes to you. Do this for a short time each day. Undo the leash after he has successfully come to you a few times, but always leave on his collar.

You will know that your puppy leash training has been a success when he routinely comes when called after reaching the end of the leash. With this success, the rest of his puppy training will go so much more smoothly. - 32366

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Positive Experiences With Your Dog Training

By Adriana Noton

Dog training can be a very rewarding experience for both you and your pet when done in a positive manner and with the right attitude. Your dog just wants to please you and when you are both happy everyone has fun, so make it a fun experience. But when your pet starts bad behaviors you have to nip them in the bud. Like chewing for example.

Chewing is a natural behavior for a dog except when it occurs on your new Kenneth Cole boots. Chewing keeps their teeth and gums healthy and you will find a variety of toys and bones in the pet store. Dogs like to exercise their jaws so it is smart to get them a chew toy right away, like with the dog when you bring him home.

When a dog has his own toys to chew on he will be less tempted to chew on your favorite pair of Manolos. If you catch your puppy chewing on something he isn't supposed to tell him "No Chew" very monotone and sternly. Make him sit down and praise him for listening to your command to sit. Then give him a toy he can chew on to show him an example of what is okay.

Constantly praise him and reward him for good actions such as when they urinate in the correct area or when they play with and chew their toys. The reward system encourages good and consistent puppy training.

Keeping your pet off of the furniture is a big part of training him in the house. When he is on the furniture and he is not supposed to be tell him "Off" very sternly. Nudge him off of the furniture quickly by pushing his midsection with your knee or hand. Then make him sit. Praise him for obeying the sit command.

Crate training is a great way to train your puppy. It can be used to potty train your dog pretty quickly. Introduce the crate to your puppy slowly and put it in a place where he will get a lot of attention.

Put a towel or a blanket inside of the crate and play with the dog there. Encourage the dog to go inside by putting treats in there for him and leave his favorite toy just outside of the opening. Them move it to just inside of the crate and put treats inside. Don't force him to go in, let him get used to it and leave the door open during this time. It can take some time for him to get used to it.

The next step is to feed you dog near the crate, then after a few tries put the food inside. When you think he is comfortable close the door when he begins to eat inside of it and open the door when he is finished eating. Each time leave the door closed a little longer. If your dog cries leave him in there for about 10 minutes and don't react to his crying. Let the dog see you when he is inside. - 32366

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A Few Ways To Housebreak An Older Dog

By Stanley Duray

If you have a new dog that once belonged to someone else and has not been bought as a puppy it will be important for you to make sure that it is properly housebroken so that it does not start defecating and urinating inside the home. If this situation has been occurring and then it is very important that you find ways to housebreak your animal. There could be a plethora of different reasons why they are doing this and the most common to all simply because they have not been trained for all have gone through some difficult times in their lives. Here are a few ways to housebreak an older dog if you are having this problem.

You need to remember that there are three times in the day when the dog will commonly want to use the toilet. These will be during each morning after they woke up, in the night-time prior to them sleeping, and also between half an hour and one hour after they had eaten each meal that they have. It is therefore very important that you take the dog out at each of these occasions.

It is a good idea therefore to start taking the dog out at the times mentioned above. When you do take the dog out and they are correct in that using the toilet outside of the house as they should do, then praise them by giving them a treat and patting them on the head.

When the dog is inside the house and make sure that you contain it within certain areas of the house and shut off all places such as the living areas and bedrooms. You should also keep the animal in your sight at all times when you are nearby.

Any time that you take the dog out, and they do not go to the toilet as you expect them to, then you should bring them straight back in after about 10 to 15 minutes. You should then make sure that you bring the dog straight back outside about 20 minutes later, and see if they use the toilet then.

You also need to ensure that that you feed the dog at certain times of the day each day. This needs to be able to fit around your own schedule and needs to be at the same time every day of each week. You should make sure that you bring the animal outside half an hour to an hour after each meal.

If your dog ends up using the toilet inside then it is important to offer some punishment but not be too firm as to scare or frighten the animal. If you're able to follow these tips then you should be able to housebreak your dog relatively quickly. - 32366

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Reinforcement Techniques Used In Dog Training

By Kurt Dorey

An obedient dog is a good dog, but they do not get this way naturally. In order to get a well-trained dog, one must begin the dog's training and conditioning while the dog is still very young. For the most part, people attempt dog training on their own, however there are a few who may turn to an obedience school for very thorough dog training.

Positive reinforcement is the most widely recognized technique used in training a dog. This is normally achieved by a reward system. The reward can come in the form of verbal praising of the dog's actions or, an even more effective manifestation, in the way of a treat. The dog treat as a reward virtually guarantees cooperation from your pet.

On the other side of the coin, many pet owners use negative reinforcement to combat bad behavior. This can be as simple as the classic "bad dog" or a tap on their behind to let them know that they were bad. Many advanced forms of negative reinforcement use some sort of electric collar.

A bark collar is a common device used in dog training for dogs that bark too frequently. A bark collar can be fitted around the dog's neck and will send out a mild electric shock every time the dog barks. By doing so, the dog will eventually learn not to bark.

Another form of electrical negative reinforcement that follows the same theory is the shock collar for the invisible fence. The invisible fence will set up boundaries for the dog. After the dog gets a few shocks from trying to cross the boundary, the dog will eventually learn where it can and cannot go.

Housebreaking a dog is a very important step during training. Both types of reinforcements should be implemented, keeping the negative reinforcement extremely mild. When a dog goes to the bathroom outside, she should be rewarded. If she goes to the bathroom inside, use mild dicipline. A dog's name should not be used for negative reinforcement as the dog may think he is just being summoned.

Training a dog is by no means a picnic, but the reward for the owner come the end of it is invaluable. There is a large measure of patience involved in dog training particularly when the dog is quite young, but as the dog grows the patience pays off. A well-trained dog can be the perfect lifetime companion to any individual or family. - 32366

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Effective Dog Training Aids

By Rick Dupont

Just because you may not be entering your dog into any competitions, this doesn't mean that they shouldn't still be trained. Even house dogs need to have some obedience and other training, to make them the best dog they can be. You want to have a dog that's a joy to be around and not one that you're constantly having to discipline. Any dog can be trained regardless of their age and breed.

One of the best dog training aids is the bark collar. When the dog barks and is wearing the collar it will give a quick zap. It's not enough to actually cause pain to the dog but it will give them a little shock and over time they will start to realize when it's okay for them to bark and when it's not. The important thing is to make sure that you're only putting the collar on them when you don't want them to bark.

It's important to have the right supplies on hand if you're going to be a dog trainer. This means everything from dog treats to dog squeaky toys so you have things to use for the dogs to play with and items to use as positive reinforcement. It's always important to use effective marketing techniques when you own a business and the same goes for any dog training business. You could design some flyers and post them up around your city or create a website that people can visit online.

In order for any business to have success, effective marketing strategies must be enforced. You can even get business by word of mouth when you visit your local dog grooming stations, vet clinics and even parties or get togethers of your friends and family. Always treat every dog special and be nice to them. Some dogs are going to present more of a challenge than others, so patience is another quality you must have.

With some dogs there may only be specific areas that their owners want work on, whereas with others you're going to need to start from the ground up. Their dog may be a grown up adult dog and now they want them to learn some tricks. The old adage that an old dog can't learn new tricks is not true but it can certainly be more of a challenge than dealing with puppies who are eager to learn. The dog training business can be a very enjoyable and lucrative one, as long as you go about things in the right way. - 32366

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What You Should Know About House Training A Dog

By Brad Davenport

When it comes to house training a dog, pet owners can often feel like they have all the wrong ideas. Sometimes they seem to resist house training to the point where you wonder if you'll ever break them of the habit of going to the bathroom in the house. But there are secrets of house training a dog.

When training a dog there are all sorts of methods that you will hear from people. Some work better with some dogs than others. You may have to try more than one ritual to see what works best. For instance, some have used paper training. This is where you let the dog go on paper and slowly move closer to the door each time. This is not reliable for some since you have to catch the dog going in order to assure they are on paper.

Another popular method for house training a dog is using crate training. This is where the dog is confined to a cage or crate and taken out at particular intervals to put them on a schedule. Most dogs will not eliminate in their sleeping area, so this method can work quite well as the dog learns that their bedding area is "home" and that they should go to the bathroom outdoors.

Another way the dog will learn to go to the bathroom outside is by using certain verbal commands or even a clicker to signal them when it is time to go out. For example, taking the dog out and using the word "potty" will allow the dog to start to associate that word with the need to go outside. You can even walk them over to the door that you want to use for this purpose so that they know where to stand when they need to alert someone.

Whichever approach you use, just remember that they respond to positive actions. Each time they do right, you need to commend them so that they know it was right. Dogs are going to have some accidents, but remember that it isn't the end of the world. There are some secrets of house training a dog, but the real secret applies to the humans teaching them. And that is, if you want positive results then be positive towards them, and they will reward you with unconditional love and affection. - 32366

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