Dog Training & Dog Beds

Having the right dog training tools will make a huge difference in your success as a dog owner. Choose the wrong tools, and you can end up with more dog problems. The wrong equipment or tools used the wrong way can make your dog uncomfortable and distressed, which is not conducive to training.

There are some things to consider first.

1. The breed of dog (size, strength, physical peculiarities)

2. Your dog’s level of training

3. The purpose (walking, playing, unsupervised restraint)

Most likely, you will need more than one leash and collar. If in doubt, ask your dog supply provider which is best for your needs. For specialized collars as those needed for agility training, seek the advice of a dog training professional to be sure you get the right information.

Flat Collar

These come in varying styles and are made from leather, nylon or other fabric. A proper fit allows you to slide two fingers between the dog’s neck and the collar. This particular style does not give you much control and can be slipped off easily by dogs that are determined to be free. It is the best choice for young puppies because they are not yet at the stage when strong correction or restraint is necessary.

Choke Chain

The choke chain is usually made from links of chain with a large ring on each end. The chain is slipped through one of the rings to form a loop that is then slid on over the dog’s neck. When the chain is pulled, it tightens on the dog’s throat encouraging it to stop pulling. It’s effectiveness lies in how the handler applies any correction. However, as a training tool, it is one of the worst choices.

Some dogs learn to ignore the choking and pull anyway. If the chain is allowed to hang loosely, it can fall over the dog’s head when he sniffs the ground.

It is essential that the choke chain be put on and used correctly, otherwise injuries to the dog’s throat and neck can occur. If it is put on backwards, the chain will not tighten and release properly as it is tightened.

The Halter

The halter is one of the better dog training tools because there is little if any chance of harming your dog. This style fits over the dog’s muzzle like a horse halter, giving you control over your dog’s head. It is great for redirecting your dog’s attention, especially if your dog tends to become focused on what he wants to do rather than on what you want him to do.

There are other collars available that are designed for agility training and other types of activities. You want to make sure you have the right one so there is no risk of your dog’s collar getting caught and causing injury.

As with any dog training tools, a collar alone will not provide training. You must put your dog through the proper lessons and use the collar as a tool, otherwise you will have a dog that walks fine with the collar, but has little to no obedience without it.

Francis N. Tressler
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-training-tools-how-to-choose-the-right-dog-training-tools-697285.html

Dogs are very sociable creatures – it’s part of the reason why we love dogs so much. The problem is that when a dog becomes too sociable they can be become agressive and get out of control. That’s why it’s important to train your dog from an early age to make sure that you can control their behavior and prevent this type of behavioral problem.

The most worrying type of agression from any dog is biting as this can have disasterous consequences on both the dog and its family. Current statistics shows that over 70% of dog biting incidents happen within the dogs family. Some of these lead to the dog in question being put down to prevent it happening in future – especially where young children are involved. This is the most tragic possible outcome that could have been prevented by some effective training in the first place.

Proper dog training, from an early age, helps prevent these habits developing in the dog. The training will also allow your dog to remain more in control of their feelings towards other humans and animals. This will give them a better “social life” and allow them to integrate more quickly with their family and their new surroundings.

Actually training the dog is another story. It’s not always as easy as some people make it out to be. Certain things need to be in place for the training to be truly successful. One of the most critical aspects of training any dog is something called “positive reinforcement”. This is simply the system where the dog is rewarded with treats or praise (or sometimes both) when the dog obeys commands or shows positive behavior in their environment. Positive reinforcement shows the dog that they’ll be praised and/or receive a treat when they obey new commands or exhibit a certain behavior that their owner requires. It’s a matter of the dog associating certain good feelings (treats or praise) with obeying a command from his owner. This type of association can quickly become instinctual for the dog.

What if your dog doesn’t immediately obey these new commands or shows a negative behavior? Do you punish the dog? Absolutely not! This sends the dog mixed signals i.e. that the same verbal command or request could just as easily being punished as rewarded. If your dog begins to doubt you in relation to praise or punishment then the training can become very difficult; if not impossible.

Another major mistake to avoid is training the dog into a bad habit – instead of in the opposite direction. For example, when dogs bark, it is usually because they’ve seen or heard something strange or unfamiliar. When dogs continue to bark, even if it includes barking at a familiar person, that becomes a problem. How do most people deal with their dog barking? They yell at the dog to shut up. Unfortunately the dog could take this action as their owner joining in the “barking experience” and the dog will then just continue to bark every time they’re yelled at thus making matters worse for everyone involved.

Any dog training performed without some form of positive reinforcement is a waste of the dogs and the owners time. The sooner you adopt this technique into your training program for your new pup or older dog the sooner you’ll see positive results.

Niall Roche
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/using-positive-reinforcement-in-your-dog-training-129820.html

Are you frustrated because your dog keeps exhibiting bad behavior that is embarrassing to you? Do you wonder why he always runs away when you go for a walk or jumps on people who come over to visit? An out of control dog is neither fun nor a good companion and the only way to tame the wild beast is with dog obedience training.

In fact with the proper training your four legged out of control friend may well turn into the best companion you’ve ever had, but you have to train him first. Training your dog should be a fun and rewarding if you go into it with the right attitude and show some patience. It may take some work to reverse the bad habits he has learned.

The most basic training will teach your dog to sit, stay, and come. These three commands make up the base of any obedience training class and are beneficial in furthering your dog’s ability to be obedient. Once the training starts to sink in you will be much more willing to take your dog out in public because you know that you will be able to control him much more easily.

You have two choices when it comes to training your dog; you can do it yourself or you can join a dog obedience class. A class is a good idea if you are having difficulty training at home or if you just don’t know where to start. Classes are taught by professional dog trainers who know all the tricks to get your dog to listen to what you want him to do. A class also gives your dog a chance to socialize with other dogs which is an important part of training. If he can follow commands with a bunch of other dogs around he will be much easier to control in public settings.

One of the most important parts of training, whether at home or in a class, is the interaction between owner and dog. All dogs live to please their owner and you can use that to reinforce the lessons. By using treats, praise, and physical attention you can have greater gains then if you are constantly reprimanding and shouting at your dog when he doesn’t follow your commands.

If you choose to train your dog at home you should try to keep any distractions to a minimum when first starting. Your back yard or an open field is a good choice. This will keep his attention focused on you as you work on the basics. As he progresses you can start taking him to areas that have a little more activity and other dogs around because most of the time you will need him to follow commands while there are distractions around.

Most bad behavior dog obedience training works by getting your dog to obey your commands in spite of the distractions going on around him. Most bad behavior is simply your dog looking for attention. When you train him you give him an outlet to please you which gives him the attention he desires.

Andrew Bicknell
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/bad-behavior-dog-obedience-training-714306.html

The term collar training does not mean training the dog to wear a collar. What it does mean is the use of a collar to aid in the training of a dog. New dog owners usually have the experience of purchasing a leather or fabric buckle collar, snapping on a short leash, and then proceed to let the dog pull them around where ever dog wants to go. Corrections, if they are even attempted, consist of sharp pulls on the leash to physically yank the dog back into control.

The experienced trainer uses one of several different types of collars to both control and train a dog. One of the most popular is a trademark brand collar called the Gentle Leader. This collar buckles around the dog’s neck with nylon cords that fit across his nose. The basic idea of the collar is that it uses the nose as a control and correction focus. Where the dog’s nose goes, the rest of him is sure to follow. A similar training collar is called the Halti collar. It works much like the Gentle Leader, except it pulls the dogs head to one side. Animals, as a general rule do not like to go forward with their heads to one side or the other, so the tug of the head controls the dog.

The Prong collar looks like it belongs in the torture chamber of a medieval castle. When it is fitted around the dog’s neck properly, the prongs will press against the dog’s skin when he pulls against the chain. This is a very effective control collar for large dogs. Extremely hard jerks on the leash will cause the prongs to puncture the skin, and will be very painful for the animal. One of the better known types of training collars is the choke collar. The name describes the function fairly accurately. If the dog pulls against the leash, the collar tightens choking the animal until he stops pulling.

Another type of collar that can be used for training is the shock collar. This collar gives a controlled electrical shock to the animal; the level of the shock and when to administer it is determined by the trainer. A variation of this collar can be activated by the barking of the dog. When barking starts, it gives a warning beep, and if it continues, an electric shock follows.

All of these collars can potentially harm the animal if not used correctly. Collar training is best done by owners with some experience in the training of dogs and works best when a basic relationship is already established. It is better to use a reward system in conjunction with the training collars rather than focus solely on punishment. A good rule of thumb is to use the gentlest type of collar that accomplishes the training objective.

Kallore Gandhi
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-collar-training-92503.html

It can be very exciting to bring a new dog into your family.  As I’m sure you’re very aware, there are also a lot of responsibilities that come with this new family member.  These responsibilities include feeding him, monitoring his health, grooming him, and providing him with a happy home.  One of the most important responsibilities that you have is training your new friend.

Behavior Discipline

Have you ever seen a dog that was out of control?  You probably assumed that the dog’s owner didn’t teach any dog training essentials!  You don’t want that to happen to you.  Take the time to train your dog in the essentials in order to prevent behavior problems down the road. 

It will take hard work but in the end you will have a well-behaved dog that you feel a closer bond with.  If leave your dog untrained you will get annoyed and have feelings of regret toward your dog.  Start as early as possible for the best results.

Obedience Training

Obedience training is essential.  There are different levels of this ranging from the very basic to highly advanced.  The dog training essentials are things you absolutely must do.  These are things like house breaking, leash training, and basic commands like sit and stay. 

You don’t have to stop there because a more advanced level of training will mean having a more cooperative dog.  You can train away behaviors like barking, whining, digging, growling, chewing, and aggressive behavior.  Find a program with solutions that gets you results.

Puppy Training

Puppy training is something that you must do at a very early age.  There are some people who wait far too long to train their puppy and then it becomes too hard and frustrating.  There is a commonly held belief that it is impossible to train a dog that is younger than six months

Thank goodness, this is not true.  While there are certain skills that a puppy will have trouble with you can get started with his training as soon as you get him.  You do need to do as much research as you can to make sure you are following the correct methods. 

There are many different dog-training books, ebooks, websites, and other tutorials you can follow. 

Professional Trainers

Find a professional trainer in your area who has the experience to do the job. Does your trainer have articles on the internet?  Does he have certification? Does he use harsh methods? These are all questions you need to ask.

I’m not a big fan of trainers as many are inexperienced and train your dogs to be unaffectionate robots. However, if you do the right research you will find the right trainer or course online.

Don’t worry if you have a dog that is hard to train, there are methods out there for all of them.  This will be hard work but the results are well worth the effort.

Onward!

It is a crucial that you teach your dog the the dog training essentials. As long as you go in with the right attitude you’ll find that it is a very rewarding experience.  When you and your dog work together you’ll start to trust one another and enjoy each other’s company.

John Karnish
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-training-essentials-709853.html

Learn how to teach your dog to stop barking in this free dog training video.

Expert: Jim Leske
Bio: My name is Jim Leske, Animal Behaviorist & Trainer.
Filmmaker: Louis Nathan

Duration : 0:1:22

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: bark, beg, canine, class, classes, come, dog, down, fetch, heel, lie, make, obedience, obey, rollover, sit, speak, trainer, your

To stop your dog from pulling, you must teach your dog how to walk politley at your side. Learn how in this quick dog training video. Don’t forget to rate this video, leave comments and subscribe to my channel.

You can also get my FREE ebook “101 Ways To Improve Your Dog’s Behavior” at:
http://www.amazingdogtrainingman.com/

Duration : 0:2:10

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: canine, dog, dogs, puppies, puppy, training