Brushing a puppy’s teeth is not significant for long-term dental care because their adult teeth don’t come in until they’re about six months old. Discover the benefits of getting a puppy used to having their teeth brushed with pet care advice from a veterinarian in this free video on dog training and raising puppies. Expert: Dr. James Talbott Bio: Dr. James R. Talbott is a staff veterinarian at Belle Forest Animal Hospital and Kennel in Nashville, Tenn. Filmmaker: Dimitri labarge

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: www.amazingdogtrainingman.com

Training your puppy may be time consuming, but the rewards will be felt for a lifetime. Any doubters should catch the “Marley and Me” movie for reinforcement of this statement. Your cute little squirming bundle of joy will not be so lovable as an out of control grown and rambunctious dog. Puppy training is a great way to nip behavior problems in the bud as well as developing bonds of respect and love.

We are just going to cover a few simple but effective aspects for training puppies here.

Who am I?

Once you have decided on a great and unique moniker for your new best friend, you need to teach it to your puppy. Your dog needs to realize that “Rover” means him. After selecting the world’s best name you will need to start calling your new puppy by this. If your dog looks totally clueless start by calling “Puppy” as well as the new label. Generally, you can get a pup’s attention by using the term “puppy”. When you get your puppy’s attention with the new name it is important to praise, reward, treat or cuddle. Your puppy will quickly learn that it is in his best interests to pay attention when you use his name.

When scolding your puppy do not use their name. Just say “No” in a firm voice. Most puppies should pick up on their new name within a few days to a week. Be sure to use the name frequently when talking to your puppy.

Coming on command.

For the well-being and safety of everyone, it is important that your dog is obedient enough to come when you call. After your puppy knows his name you can start on the “Come” command . Call your dog’s name in a friendly voice. For example “Rover come here”. When your dog comes over reward with praise, food or a cuddle. Your dog needs to associate “Come” with pleasant things. Your dog will learn not to come on command if he is only ever going to get punished when he goes to you.

Sit.

“Sit” is another concept that your dog really needs to understand. This can be a lifesaver later on when your overgrown pup is jumping on everyone in sight. It will also be easier for you to leash train when your dog understands the meaning of the word “sit”. Luckily, teaching “sit” is relatively simple.

Start off by saying “Sit” and pushing gently on your dog’s butt. Your pup will naturally be forced to sit. At this moment reward your pup. Try this technique a few times at a go. Pretty soon your puppy will understand what “sit” means. Once this trick has been mastered you will need to keep reinforcing it by repeating several times daily.

Training a puppy need not be frustrating. Use puppy training time as an opportunity to build love and respect between you and your puppy. Dogs need and respect rules to keep them in their proper place in your home. Fido’s long term happiness in your home is based just as much on puppy obedience as an appropriate shelter and healthy meals.

 

Necessary To Dog Training: Positive Reinforcement

Recent studies have shown that the commonly used method of negative reinforcement dog training is not only an effective in improving dog behavior, it can be harmful to both the dog and dog owner. Positive reinforcement not only promotes a well behaved, and less aggressive dog, it also increases the speed at which a dog learns. This is an important lesson in learning how to train a dog.  It shortens the time of your dog training, and you will have a obedience and well behaved dog sooner rather than later.

The basics of positive reinforcement are that you reward your dog for good behavior and ignore its bad behavior. It is important not to punish, harm, or neglect your dog’s bad behavior. You simply ignore it. When the dog realizes that it is rewarded and treated better for good behavior, it will focus on exhibiting that type of behavior. Understand that the dog does not do this to make you happy, it does this because when it exhibits a behavior that gets rewarded, it is treated well, and it makes the dog its self happier. Contrary to popular belief, dogs are actually very self-absorbed!

Keep in mind when handing out rewards, they need to be both meaningful to the dog, and they need to be handed out in a very precise manner. If the reward is given at an incorrect time, the dog can become confused as to which behavior caused the reward. This can slow down dog training, and can cause the dog to exhibit behavior that you do not find correct.

If the dog is rewarded with treats and praise that it does not find meaningful, it will also become confused and will not exhibit the behaviors that you intend. Throughout your ownership of the dog, focus on learning which praise, which rewards, and which treats the dog responds best to. When giving the dog or reward for good behavior, scale the reward based off of how good the behavior is and what the dog likes best. For an extremely good behavior, give the dog it’s favorite treat. For a less important behavior trait, give the dog a type of praise that it considers less important.

Following these simple guidelines will help to improve your experience of dog training. This will help you to train your dog faster, and it will help your dog to better understand which behaviors are valuable. Although this just touches on a few of the most important parts of dog training, it is important that you obtain a complete training manual before continuing your dog training. Many training manuals, like the ones found at http://www.dogtrainerpro.info, are put together by professional dog trainers. These contain years and years of expertise and fine tuning the best techniques for effective dog training. Good luck in your dog training endeavors. With correct research, you’re sure to have a well behaved and obedient dog.

 

Some people are driven to acquire the fastest possible car. Or amass wealth. Or get the corner office. Others are driven to build a strong family unit, or to find the perfect romance.

What drives you?

Humans are composed of many drives and desires. We humanoids are complicated creatures. Dogs, however, are much simpler in their major needs and desires, or what I’ll call drives.

A dog’s most important need is the desire for social order, to follow a strong, compassionate leader. I call this Pack Drive. Pack drive can be best summed up like this; it is the desire to follow and collaborate with a clear leader. You can see this drive in action when you notice your dog trying to please you.

But dogs do possess other drives as well. Here is a list of the other most important instincts that literally drive dog behavior…

Prey Drive: the urge to chase, catch, kill and consume moving animals. You see this in action every time your dog chases a squirrel. Unfortunately, you may also see it when your dog chases your cat.

Play Drive: a modified form of Prey Drive, Play Drive is the urge to engage in mock hunting behavior. Play Drive is at work when your dog pounces on a squeaky toy and pretends to shake it to death.

Defensive Drive: the urge to defend himself, his pack mates, or his territory. Not all dogs have the drive to defend, and not every dog can stand up to the pressure of defending. A dog who reacts with a desire to defend, but who lacks the confidence to do so, generally shows fear before aggression. You may note this if your dog barks at the door, but runs away when you let someone in.

Fight Drive: If your dog stands his ground when confronted by threats, real or imagined, he may be high in Fight Drive, the instinct to take action to defend.

Flight Drive: A dog who does not stand his ground when facing a so called enemy or frightening situation, flees, and he is said to be high in Flight Drive. This and other drives are well explained in the works of authors Jack and Wendy Volhard.

It is important for us to understand what drives a dog, what makes him tick, in order that we may not only live with him peaceably, but also so we may train him in the easiest possible manner. To train a dog naturally, in a way that makes sense to his way of thinking, means the dog will learn to do what you want at incredible speed.

If that sounds hard to believe, think about it this way. When dogs play or interact, from the second they meet, they are exchanging information using body language. They speak much faster than humans because they can say “don’t come any closer,” merely by squinting an eye. So their language is quick and most dogs speak it fluently. This is why you’ll see dogs introducing themselves carefully at the dog park before playing. First each must know where he ranks in the pack, who he can be boisterous with, and to whom must he yield. Rarely does a dog fail to understand when another dog explains to him, “I am dominant. I would like to play with you, but please allow me to control the play.”

This happens in the blink of an eye and is the main reason there aren’t constant fights in dog parks. In fact, one of the rare times dogs do fight is when two dominant dogs meet and cannot negotiate a power sharing arrangement. This is rare, because they normally can work out a solution. Fights can also occur when a dog lacks confidence, is high in flight drive, and is cornered by other dogs.

Generally, though, dogs communicate quickly, and for a great reason. If they can instantly determine what their relationships are to be, there is limited need for fighting. And that is good for the species. Evolutionary success demands that social creatures work out their problems peacefully within the species, lest the animals expend more energy on killing one another than thriving. Dogs are a very successful species, and their drives, coupled with their ability to adapt, is the reason.

So what does any of this have to do with training your dog? Let’s go back and remember Pack Drive, the urge to follow and collaborate with the Leader. Dogs have this instinct for a good reason. If no one is in charge, chaos reigns. This means in the dog pack, no one has the authority to determine when we hunt, which deer is slow enough for us to catch, which dogs should pass along the best genes by breeding, and so forth. Lacking clear Leadership, dogs become nervous or aggressive…or both. In the wild, neurotic or unproductive aggression spells doom for the individual so afflicted, or for the entire species if those traits become common.

Dogs are born with Pack Drive so that their species does not live in chaos, thereby dying out. Instead, Pack Drive allows a Leader to emerge and keep the pack safe, content and well fed.

Training your dog is an important step in teaching him to meet your expectations. By recognizing how he his psychology functions, you’ll have a better chance of helping him understand what you want. Appeal to your dog’s need for social order by being a clear and compassionate Leader. By all means, share resources with your pet, just be sure you go first.

Here are a few tips that can help engage your dog’s Pack Drive so that he’ll see you as a Leader, and want to cooperate with you.

One, exit doors ahead of your dog. Encourage him to wait while you step through first.

Two, when walking your dog, don’t permit him to pull ahead of you. Instead, use any fair training method to teach him to walk at your side on a loose leash.

Three, ask your dog to sit before you feed him. Do not release an excited dog to his food bowl. Simply get the sit and stand quietly until he relaxes for a moment, then feed him.

Four, if you enjoy close contact with your dog, allow him to snuggle with you, but only when you have invited him to do so. If he gets in your lap without an invitation, take him off, have him sit, then invite him up as a reward.

Five, take your dog for a walk in a large open field on a 20 foot leash. If he runs ahead of you, simply turn around and walk briskly the other way. Before long, your dog will find it more pleasurable to keep an eye on you and allow you to pick the direction.

If you struggle with any of these matters, a professional dog trainer can help you upgrade your Leadership skills. Reward your dog only when he is in Pack Drive, attempting to please you. As Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan says, dogs follow a Pack Leader.

In ‘How to train a puppy - Part 1′ we discussed the importance of reward based training.

In this installment we will be introducing the Crate.

Why early lessons in your puppies life are so important in the crate training process.

Most puppies given the option don’t want to eliminate near where they eat or sleep, however there maybe underlying reasons why they do… 

If your puppy (before you got him) was left to eliminate in his crate at a particularly impressionable age he will undoubtedly continue this into adulthood.

This is a very important fact.

If your puppy was taken from his mother too early then he has missed out on a very early lesson – no-one taught him to be nice and clean – from an early age a puppy is licked by his mother so that they learn to keep clean. Consequently, if no-one has taught him to be clean then he may think it is acceptable to be messy and to live in a messy environment. 

Lets start from the beginning…

Introducing the crate.

The crate should be big enough for your puppy/dog to stand, stretch and turn around – don’ buy anything bigger otherwise he may eliminate in his crate knowing that he can stay dry and comfortable. As your puppy grows either get a new crate for every stage of his development or use dividers. I have to emphasis this… It’s very important that the crate is not too big – this may seem a harsh but as your puppy/dog earns more privileges (including space) the more he will know you are in charge and what YOU want. You can use either plastic or wire crates – it comes down to your own preference. However… If your puppy/dog is reactive to his environment and barks at everything he sees then a plastic crate (they normally obstruct the dog’s view) would be more appropriate.

Where do I put the crate? 

Keep the crate where the family are – if you isolate your puppy/dog he may develop behavior problems due to a lack of socialization. Don’t keep chopping and changing where you put the crate. Remember that introducing the crate is all part of the training process-be consistent or you will confuse him. 

Crate training a puppy

The crate is a wonderful housetraining tool for your puppy/dog – don’t use it as a punishment – otherwise he will associate the crate with bad things and bad memories. Put the crate where your puppy/dog is near the family – this is very important as your puppy/dog needs to feel part of the family not as someone sitting on the outside of the family. Decide what you are going to use as the cue word for putting the dog in his crate and use this cue EVERY-TIME. Use something like “go to crate” or “go to kennel” or “go to bed”. It doesn’t matter what cue you and your family use but agree on a cue and everyone should use the same cue every single time. Keep the cue word short and to the point. When you can’t watch your dog he should then be in his crate… Going to work – crate your puppy/dog. Going out – Crate. Preparing dinner – Crate. Get the idea. It may seem like allot of time your puppy/dog is spending in his crate but as he gains better control the more time he can spend out of his crate. Make sure that the crate is safe. Don’t leave any choking hazards or a collar on him in a wire crate or anything that it could get caught on..

I want to keep these ‘How to train a Puppy’ articles relatively short and digestible so will continue the crate training process in more detail in Part 3.

If you would like more information on how to train a puppy, you may find these tips useful.

Wendi Faircloth discusses puppy crate training, the how and why the importance of crate training early. This is part of the Villa La PAWS Training program for puppies.

A good book or reference guide is the most important piece of equipment that a dog trainer can have.  There are all types of gizmos and gadgets that are suppose to make dog training easier, from clickers, do retractable leashes, to bark collars, and more…

Most people would never buy a DVD player that didn’t come with a manual on how to get it functioning properly.  But, many people buy a dog but have no reference material to know how to treat their pet and have an obedient and well-trained dog.

What to understand when searching for a dog training ebook.

Regarding the subject of dog training, things can be complicated. A well-made dog training ebook can be a dog owner’s most important piece of material. Having a dog is a responsibility, and ensuring the dog gets correct training is incredibly important. Most people make the mistake of thinking that dog training is common sense. It can be normal for someone to spend hundreds of hours and lots of dollars on a dog’s food, health, and equipment. However, these people neglect to provide their pet decent training. They will mistakenly count on their misguided “common sense” methods.

Just about every dog training ebook that is sold today will come with some form of satisfaction guarantee. These guarantees can vary from 30 days to occasionally over 90 day money-back guarantees. If the dog training ebook you are considering buying does not include some form of a satisfaction guarantee , think carefully about ordering that dog training ebook. If it doesn’t have of some type of quality guarantee probably means that the authors of that specific dog training ebook do not have very much faith in the content of their material.

Many a dog training ebook will include free bonus material . This extra dog training material can make less difficult things from grooming and health, to aggression training and others. Be sure to look over the bonus features that are contained in the dog training ebook. To receive the most value for your buck, find an e-book that offers the most bonus features.

There are different ways in which a dog training ebook can be bought. PDF files are like online books. Some e-books take the form of a .pdf file. PDF files can contain text or images and are available for instant download, and they can be used on your computer, or printed out and taken to read anywhere. Other dog training ebook, and some of the bonus material can be presented in video form. Videos are helpful to ensure that you are training your dog correctly. Videos will give you the bonus of watching someone else act out the motions of good dog training, so you know you are doing it correctly. Some dog training ebook can take the form of audio. Audio books can be convenient for someone that doesn’t have much time to spend reading or watching a video. An audio dog training ebook can be downloaded, burned to a CD, and listen to in the car, on an iPod, or with any other convenient audio method.

It is necessary that any dog gets good training. Dog training is one aspect that can not be neglected when being a dog owner.  Good dog training reference material, like the kind found at www.DogTrainerPro.info can be a big help in this regard.  A correctly trained dog is obedient, non-aggressive , well behaved, and will make a happier environment for both the dog and dog owner.