I have been a professional dog trainer for forty years now. One thing that I have seen come along and get very popular is the spike collar (pinch collar). Thirty years ago we tried to get these collars outlawed and off the market on the grounds they we cruel and usual punishment for a dog. Today people want fast results from training, so they use the spike collars. People want their do dog to to act instantly on a command. Well anyone of us would act instantly if I had a lot of steel poking us in the neck. Pinch collars do hurt an animal. I have seen other so called professional handlers using these colors. In my book there is nothing professional about them by wanting to hurt a dog to obey. I took a two year old Rottweiler who use to pull huge logs around the yard. (more…)

One of the first skills we want our flyball prospect to learn is “Focus”. This is one of those universal dog training lessons that can be used in almost any dog sport. If you cannot get your dog to focus on you, it is almost impossible to direct your dog into performing a desired behavior.

This exercise utilizes classic conditioning. I will write a more detailed article later as to what constitutes classic conditioning: what it is and how can we use it to achieve results.

In the meantime, I want to discuss how we get your dog to focus on you.

By now, I am assuming that you’ve had your dog long enough to know what motivates your dog. Some are motivated by a toy but, most will respond to food. Identify which is most important to your dog and have that “motivator” ready to use for this exercise.

Enter an enclosed area (more…)

Choosing a dog trainer that is tailored for you and your dog is imperative. He or she means the difference between a nice, neat house or piles of doggy doo doo all over the place. And let’s face itsometimes we just can’t do it on our own.

As you would with any major purchase, shop around first. A good place to start is at your veterinary’s office. They are likely to recommend you to a trainer who has had other clients which he or she treats. Other places to check include kennels, various humane societies, or a breeder’s club. Of course there is also the Internet. To find a dog trainer near you in the US, visit: http://www.apdt.com/po/ts/us.a sp. For international services see: http://www.apdt.com/po/ts/inte rnational.asp.

Once you have a trainer in mind, find out anything you can about them. Call up (more…)

Dog Training Who is Really Being Trained?

I recently decided that I would like to take a dog obedience class with my eight year old corgi in hopes of doing agility classes in the spring. She is generally well behaved but tends to get commands like lie down and shake a paw confused and heel has always been more of a pulling match. I figured she would have to be much more reliable in order for us to compete.

I went around to all the local stores and centers I could find and called around in the yellow pages and finally came upon a local dog training facility that trains for agility in the summer as well. What luck!

We quickly signed up and I was quite excited to go to our first class. Now I should mention that although my sweet dog can sit and stay for five minutes she had (more…)

Dog training isn’t necessarily difficult, but it can be challenging and it can be stressful. But regardless what training method you favor, it is possible, if you follow a few basic guidelines,

1) Stay Calm

First and foremost, don’t loose your temper, don’t get frustrated – stay relaxed and in control. Remember you and your dog are really two beings from two different countries, who are trying to learn a common language, with only pointing and grunting to build your vocabulary.

It will take time, and depending your skill and your dog’s willingness, it may take a great deal of time. Be patient and don’t get angry if things don’t go well at first, just examine your strategy, take a deep calming breath and try again.

2) Be Consistent

Consistency is one of the major problems in training – especially in the words you use and your response to your dogs actions. (more…)

I think that formal dog training is very essential for dog’s safety. Years ago I lost my dog Tipsy, as she had received no formal training. We usually tried our best to keep her inside the house as my house was on the main road. But one day she managed to come out. As she had received no formal training she had no idea about traffic on the road and about how to cross the road. She became totally confused in the traffic and the noise and met with an accident and died on the spot. That painful lesson taught me, in future never to ignore the formal training lessons to my dog. Ever since that time, I ensure that my dog has been properly trained so that it can be safe and sound in human world. Also a dog needs to be taught how to differentiate between friends and (more…)

It is without a doubt one of the most difficult things to do with your pet: Communication. Your dog wants very much to love and understand you. However, many of the things you do confuse him just as much as some of the things he does confuses you. Your dog tries very hard to associate your verbal tones and gestures to respond and get affection from you. But it can be very confusing to see you wave your arms saying "up . . up" to use a similar gesture to say "bad boy!" He does not speak english, he merely tries to mimick actions to gestures that get him a pleasing response.

There are many individuals who have the patience and time to train there dog. For these folks, their pets and themselves have a fun and happy relationship primarily because of the mutual (more…)

The sit’ command is the most basic and possibly of the easiest training objectives to you can achieve in a relatively short period of time. The sharp and single syllable word sit’ is unique with little room for confusion or misunderstanding by your dog. Frequent exposure to the sound of this word associated with your placing the dog into the sitting position does not take long to achieve.

Many people erroneously push on the rump of their dog when attempting to teach the meaning of the sit’ command. To effectively push your dog into the sit position without causing any discomfort you also need to push backward on the chest region while you push down on the rump. Use sit’ as a short and sharp command; do not drag out the sound of this or any other command. By pushing backwards on your dog’s chest as (more…)

Teaching your dog “to sit” is one of the easiest dog training and belongs to the most important basic training for your dog. It is important for the behaviour of your dog and essential for building up its confidence. Teaching this command is fun for you and your dog and can be learned in a short time.

It is maybe a little bit confusing but you really don’t need to teach your dog to sit. They do it all the time but you have to teach them what you want when you say “sit”. Your dog needs to understand “the word sit” and the action your dog needs to do when you call this word. You can compare it with calling his name; if your dog hears his name he will understand you are talking to him. The purpose of teaching your dog “to sit” is controlling its activities and stopping (more…)

Training a dog is more than teaching the basic commands. Most dogs learn to sit or lie down. The right dog for one’s lifestyle, understanding how dogs think and react, and clear, consistent leadership is the foundation for a well-behaved canine companion. It does not matter what the size or breed is; all dog owners should have an understanding of these concepts.

Very few people can resist puppies. They are soft, adorable, cuddly, and fun. Often, puppies are brought home on impulse. No thought has gone into the requirements of the particular animal, especially when it is full-grown. This is a common reason for behavioral issues. Greyhounds are bred to run. If the owner is not an athlete and leaves this dog home all day, he may come home to a torn sofa, or holes in the wall. If a Labrador does not have a ball or stick to retrieve, the (more…)