DogTrainster.Com

Article Source: chron.com

A few tips from the Houston SPCA’s step-by-step guide to crate training.

1. Start with the right set-up. Choose a crate that’s just large enough for him to stand up and turn around in, put a soft towel or blanket inside, and place the crate in a room where your family spends a lot of time.

2. Avoid using the crate as a punishment.  The crate should always be associated with something pleasant, such as treats and toys. The last thing you want to do is force your dog inside.

3. Slow down. Training should take place in a series of small steps that can last several days or several weeks, depending on your dog’s age, temperment and past experience.

4. Don’t make your dog spend too much time in his crate. If he’s crated all day while you’re at work and then crated again all night, he’s spending too much time in too small of a space. Other arrangements should be made to accommodate his physical and emotional needs. And, remember that puppies should only be in a crate for only one hour more than they are in months of age.

5. Steel yourself against whining and barking. If you’re convinced that your dog doesn’t need to eliminate, the best response is to ignore him until he stops. Don’t give in, no matter how heartbreaking the sound; otherwise you’ll teach your dog that carrying on will get him exactly what he wants!

Article Source: womansday.com
Article by: Melinda Dodd

Don’t be guilted by puppy dog eyes! Get the tips for taming bad pet behavior

Your puppy has broken into the pantry for a fifth time, and now he’s staring at you with those I love you eyes, trying to pretend that nothing has happened. As always, you find yourself thinking, I should take him to a trainer. But times being what they are, you hate to fork over the $200 (or more!) fee. Don’t worry. We’ve got everything you need to tame your savage beast.

Basic Training

Puppies have a natural curiosity and lust for life, so you have to channel that energy and make it work for you, says Kevin Behan, author of Natural Dog Training.

Step 1 Establish a solid framework for effective training. Make sure your home is a calm, safe space for your new puppy. Stroke and handle him as often as possible so he gets used to human contact.

Step 2 Start with the basics. First, teach him his name. Every time he responds to it, give him a treat. Next, get him used to the leash. “Carry him to a spot away from the house, and let him lead you back,” says Jack Volhard, head of Volhard Dog Training in Culpeper, Virginia, and coauthor of Dog Training for Dummies. If he tugs the leash, turn your body the opposite way. He’ll follow you, then bound ahead.

Step 3 Train him to sit, stay and heel by holding treats at waist height and moving them in a slow circle, mesmerizing him, advises Behan. “When you hold food above a puppy’s head, he’ll automatically sit or settle back on his hips,” he says. Gradually incorporate hand gestures and verbal commands. Once he’s mastered that, teach him to come by trotting backward quickly (leash in your left hand, a treat visible in your right) while repeating the word come, says Volhard. Reward him every time he obeys.

Dos and Don’ts

Don’t ever say your pup’s name in anger, as a reprimand. “It undermines the relationship you’re trying to build with him,” says Volhard.

Do create a “relax zone” (inside) and a “play zone” (outside). Many puppy problems (chewing furniture, peeing in corners) can be averted by reinforcing these zones. “Playing indoors winds dogs up,” notes Behan. “Let dogs loose outside, where you can shape their energy and enthusiasm to your ends.”

Don’t yell at your pooch when he makes a mistake. It can scare him and make him fearful of people, says Behan.

Do teach your pup the meaning of No, says Behan. Put food in a bowl and lower it to the floor. As your dog gets excited, say “No” calmly but firmly and pull the bowl away. Repeat a few more times. Eventually his excitement will fade and he’ll lie down. Now set the bowl down. The result? Your puppy learns that No means Stop, be patient.

Article Source: dailyamerican.com
Article by: Tiffany Wright

Whether dogs disobey their owners’ commands, chew on shoes or have issues with potty training in the house, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers tries to encourage positive reinforcement training with pets.

Officials at the association said because of the influx of clients using training services after the new year, it is important to start training pets early.

“It’s pretty common for dog trainers to get a lot of dogs at the beginning of the new year because many people got puppies as gifts for Christmas,” said Mychelle Blake, the association’s communications director.

That is also the case for Debbie Gary-Taskey, a dog trainer who owns BeeHaven Canine Coaching. She said more pet owners of puppies and younger dogs use her services.

“With training the sooner you start the better, because when a dog is older it’s harder to train them,” she said.

Gary-Taskey is also a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and a strong supporter of positive reinforcement dog training.

“The goal is to promote positive reinforcement training, which is pretty much new,” she said. “But more people are starting to use a nonaversive and positive method as a way of training dogs. Even if you want a dog to sit and push down its behind, you are using force, which is something we don’t want to do.”

Training pets is just as important as training children, she said.

“Training your dog is one of the best things you can do. Like with children, training is to teach them right from wrong in order that they can act appropriate in various situations,” Gary-Taskey said.

Blake said with many dogs coming from shelters it is imperative they are under control, and dog training can help make pets more obedient.

“There are millions of dogs that come from shelters every year and sometimes dogs get out of control because they never went through training,” she said. “Most people don’t realize how easy training is and how simple it can make their lives. It really makes your dog happier and you happier.”

Sally Urban, Somerset County Humane Society board president, said training pets from a shelter can help reduce the return rate of animals.

“We find so many people with a new puppy or dog or cat that don’t know what to do and they think it’s not working out,” she said. “If they get training the return rate drops dramatically. Owners just need to take the time in the beginning to get training. That’s always been our fight with adoptions - the return rate of the animals.”

Dog training can also help increase the safety of pets.

“Training can help keep your dog, as well as others, safe,” Gary-Taskey said. “A well-behaved dog is not likely to run away from you during a walk and can be taught on cue to ‘leave it’ when it approaches something that may be harmful to it. Keeping large dogs from chasing a child or animal could prevent an unintentional accident from happening.”

Gary-Taskey provides private, in-home training sessions for basic manners including learning to sit, stay, leave it and come.

She uses a clicker method to train animals, which she said has been proven to make training quicker.

“It’s a tool used to communicate with the dog. As much as people like to think their dogs can understand them, they can’t. Dogs don’t know our language,” she said.

With the method good behavior is marked with a click proceeded by a reward for the dog. Dogs are more likely to repeat good behavior with the clicking method, she said.

Regardless of the size or breed of the dog training is recommended, but there is more than one way to work with dogs to succeed, Gary-Taskey said.

“The goal for all training is the same - to be sure that you have a safe, happy and well-behaved family pet,” she said.

Article Source: oregonlive.com
Article by: Deborah Wood

We recently agreed to foster a dog through a rescue group. He’s 18 months old and has never been socialized. Thus, when he meets people and dogs on the street all he wants to do is to jump on them and start playing. However, if people approach him he seems to feel threatened and will bark and nip. In our home he is pretty comfortable when people come in, and we have been able to train him not to jump up or bark at them.

There is a small army of heroes like you who are fostering cats and dogs through local rescue groups and shelters. You give them the social skills to fit into the world with their “forever” families.

It sounds like you’re doing everything right — it’s just a matter of time and patience. Your foster dog is just learning these new skills, and he has to be able to concentrate to remember them. The dog will do better in an environment that is familiar or has few distractions, and have more trouble in an environment with more distractions.

Practice his basic skills like “sit” and “watch me” at home, reinforcing with lots of treats. Help him learn these skills backward and forward. Then, practice these skills in progressively more challenging places in the coming days and weeks.

When people want to pet your dog, explain he’s part of a rescue program and isn’t ready for petting. As he develops his confidence, you can have him do a sit-stay and have the stranger give him a cookie.

Article Source: examiner.com
Article by: Carla Kinney

Are you skeptical about taking your dog to social gatherings because you’re afraid he may attack other pets or people? Does your dog show an aversion to small children? Does he jump on guests when they visit your home? When you take your dog for walks, does he pull you down the street instead of walking at a leisurely gait beside you? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you may want to start thinking about obedience training for your dog.

When it comes to dogs, most people choose to overlook their dog’s bad manners. They are willing to accept their dog as he is and they assume that his behavior is just a part of who he is, but there is much more to it than that. Like children, dogs sometimes need to be taught how to behave and if you allow your dog to get away with misbehaving, he will take it for granted that it is okay to misbehave not only at home with you, but out at social gatherings as well.

Introducing your dog to new environments, people, and other pets should be a pleasurable experience for both of you and not one that you should have to approach with trepidation and foreboding. You should be confident about introducing your dog without having to apologize for his behavior. Enrolling your dog into a good obedience school now will alleviate any insecurities you might have when presenting him to others later.

Most people think that obedience schools are too expensive and out of the way, but a simple internet search can put you in contact with several inexpensive obedience schools and most of these schools have certified trainers who are willing to come to your home to teach your dog how to behave on his own familiar territory. You will have the satisfaction of watching your dog learn right from your home and you will also have the opportunity to take part in his training.

Lets face it, you’re already spending money for quality food, top veterinarians, and professional grooming for your dog. Why not invest a little money to see that he is properly trained as well? A well trained dog is an asset to a household and to a relationship. Obedience training for your dog can be a lot of fun for him and it is also a learning experience. You might be surprised at how much you and your dog can get out of an obedience school. It is definitely something worth looking into because in the long run, it will prove to be a rewarding experience for both of you.