DogTrainster.Com

Source from: americanchronicle.com

by Mailey McLaughlin

Whether your dog is just a puppy or well into adulthood, there are many things you, as a pet owner, need to be aware of. Training your dog is an important step in starting off on the right foot and teaching him obedience. All dogs - no matter how old - need some form of training so that they can be easily handled in all situations. A wise investment in your new best friend would be basic training or obedience classes that will help you to build a bond and learn to control your dog. TV shows, books, and articles abound on dog training, but tips that are truly effective are harder to come by if you don’t do the necessary research.

There are many reasons for training your dog. Training allows the dog to understand your expectations, helps him become calmer and more relaxed in all situations, in new places, and with new people, provides him with much-needed structure, makes him easier to manage, and perhaps most importantly, helps keep him out of the shelter. Unfortunately, the biggest reason that dogs are in or are returned to shelters is due to their lack of training and out-of-control behavior.

Dog Training Tips: The Necessary Commands

Because dogs thrive in packs and are naturally social, once they come to your home, they expect you to be the leader. Training your dog appropriately with a few highly effective dog training tips teaches him to follow you, understand your necessary commands, and learn to accept his place in your “pack.” To avoid problems later in life, it’s recommended that you enroll your pet in obedience and/or training classes early on, or at the very least, begin training your dog yourself, rewarding him each time he learns a new command. The following dog training tips are some of the more vital guidelines in ensuring your pet will be a well-behaved, functioning member of your family. If you have the patience and the time, here are some ways to begin training your dog at home:

* Always enforce your commands - don’t let your dog ignore a command, but most certainly reward him when he does follow it. If your dog does not follow it immediately, help him perform the command, then reward. Above all, however, do not call your dog to you and do anything negative to him when he comes. If he disobeys and you react with anger, your dog will learn to fear you and may not listen to you in the future. Attempting to integrate any other dog training tips after that may be futile.

* Reward your dog immediately when he listens. Positive encouragement in the form of treats or praise is always welcome and helps the dog learn that he is doing well at responding to what you say. During training, have treats in hand and deliver them quickly when the dog performs correctly. Don’t punish your dog or ‘rub his nose in it’ should he have an accident. When training your dog, these tips will help you avoid discouraging or even confusing your pet.

* Master one command at a time - go slowly and over time, your dog will learn the command. Don’t overload multiple commands into one training session as this approach will likely result in failure. Most experts recommend 5-10 minutes at the most for one session. You’ll need to be patient during the process of training your dog; chances are that your dog won’t respond to every command or even learn them in just a few weeks - it will take time.

* “Sit,” “Come,” “Stay,” and “Lie Down” - these are perhaps the four most important commands your dog needs to know, and all helpful dog training tips from books or your vet should cover these comprehensively. Once your dog masters them successfully, you will be able to manage him in all situations and control his behavior around other people and animals. For dogs that may like to run free, “come” is a necessary command should he manage to wriggle out of his collar and/or leash.

* Maintain solidarity with training - in family situations, make sure that everyone follows the rules with training your dog. If you’re the only one using commands and the rest of the family is ignoring certain behaviors that the dog exhibits and not re-enforcing the dog training tips you’ve been using thus far, then your one-on-one training sessions will largely be forgotten. Re-enforce commands each day as repetition is key.

* Keep it fun - this is a time to grow and bond with your pet; make training your dog fun for both of you. Once he masters the basics of these dog training tips, move on to the fun tricks, like “roll over,” “shake,” and “play dead.” Your dog will begin to look to you because you’ll have made your role clear.

Assume the Role: You are the Pack Leader

It is your responsibility to be aware and responsible for your pet - your dog relies on you to take care of him at all times. Providing him with a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and one-on-one training will ensure that he has a long, healthy, and happy life with you. Don’t leave his behavior up to chance - you can ensure that your new best friend is obedient and happy just by integrating some of these simple dog training tips into his routine. Assume control as leader of your pack and your dog will look to you in all situations that may arise.

You are the best person when it comes to training your dog - he trusts you, after all. More importantly, training your dog will keep him safe and protected, which is something all dog owners should want.

Source from: huliq.com

To acquire a puppy is a joyous as well as memorable event as the puppies are the cutest friends and companions of humans, but puppy and dog training requires knowledge and expertise.

Supple fleece, puppy kisses and the cutest faces in the world, all these good things mix together to create a sensitively charged experience. The moment a puppy enters your custody; motherly instincts begin to develop in you, and before long you will accept the puppy a member of your family. It is really a very tender feeling to have a pup at home. It also mixes up with everybody nicely.

Love and softness are the most vital ingredients as you raise your puppy, but only love is not enough to train your puppy. If you feel and wish to train your puppy in a better manner you must take proper initiatives to do so. Initially you may practice a few days of bliss with the new member of your family but soon after the first date has ended you will understand that your ideal puppy is far from faultless. Almost all the puppies come with in-born faults. They defecate indoors, chew almost everything, use their teeth as playful weapons and cry loudly when they are left alone. The puppies are almost like little children and they also have the tendencies to disobey you and your instructions.

Therefore it is very much essential for you to make proper and immediate arrangements to start training your pup. As said earlier, the pups are like little children and they have the tendencies of testing boundaries, avoiding rules and do whatever they like to do. Therefore they need guidance for adopting correct habits.

Training is training, and it should be done in the true meaning of the term. Your idea of training the dog must be to develop good eating habits as well as behavioral habits in him. It means that you should adopt an appropriate training style that will treat your puppy as you want him to be.

Before you start thinking of training your puppy, decide what exactly you are looking for in your puppy. It is important that you seriously think and decide what you want the end results to be. As far as the present status of training methodology is concerned, many suitable methods are available for your dog to get train in. You should look for the correct trainer or training school only after you do your thinking part.

It is always advisable to train your dog by yourself (Consider purchasing our e-book “Train Yourself To Train Your Dog”. You must take care of the following things before you start the training process:

Do not get aggressive in your behavior even if your pup is not able to perform according to your commands.

Do speak in a consistent manner and don’t use harsh voice while giving commands.

Speak continuously with your dog and repeat words you like him to understand and follow. So you should utter words like ‘Stand up’, ‘Sit’, ‘Come’, ‘Go’ etc and also show him the possible response which he could show to these words.

Don’t forget to reward him if he follows you correctly. If he is not able to follow one command properly, do not repeat it right then.

Take your dog for a walk and let him develop the habit defecating outside. In a few days, your pup shows the correct response to your commands and makes you a proud owner.

Save yourself a lot of time as a dog owner and train your dog to be obedient. It gets so much easier for both you and your dog when you have trained your dog´s obedience.

Source from: mydesert.com

By Michael Gagarine and Ken Whistler

According to research from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, many of the pets brought to shelters are surrendered because of behavior problems that their owners believe to be permanent. Approximately 70 percent of these animals end up being “put to sleep,” making death from behavior problems the leading cause of pet mortality, ahead of trauma and disease. This means thousands of dogs are euthanized every year, the vast majority unnecessarily.

Many dog owners buy a dog with the intention that he will be a member of the family, only to discover that the dog becomes the de facto head of the household. A dog’s instinctual behavior is to challenge the pack member above him and in turn be challenged by the dog below. Within the mixed human-dog pack, dogs behave the same. This can lead to undesirable behaviors such as charging the door when the doorbell rings, barking, jumping, pulling on the leash and even biting, which are top reasons dogs are mistreated and euthanized.

Bark Busters, the world’s largest dog training company, was started in Australia in 1989 by Sylvia and Danny Wilson, expert dog trainers and authors of several dog training books. Sylvia was head of an RSPCA shelter and studied the behavior and communication methods of dogs for years. She was saddened by the number of dogs she saw being maltreated, abandoned and euthanized for behavioral problems, which she knew was due to a lack of consistent leadership. This became the basis for creating the unique, natural training techniques that teach owners how to train their dogs through the use of voice tones and body language, all geared toward putting the owner in control through effective leadership. These techniques have propelled Bark Busters’ phenomenal growth ñ now with more than 330 offices in 10 countries, including 230+ offices in the United States.

With more than one of every three households owning a dog in the U.S., thousands of people are looking for help to solve their dog’s behavior problems. Understanding the keys to pack behavior and following a few simple guidelines can help owners establish leadership and begin controlling a dog’s behavior:

* Because dogs crave strong leadership, if they don’t get it from their owners, they’ll try to take charge. That leads to bad behavior such as barking, jumping, aggression and pulling on the leash—each examples of the dog taking charge. The owner needs to win all challenges to demonstrate leadership.

* There are several ways to establish leadership. First, ignore all requests from the dog, such as nudges to be petted or played with. To do so, break eye contact. Then, when the dog has “given up,” call him back to you to be petted or to play. When he responds to you, versus you to him, he sees you as the leader. If he misbehaves, such as chewing on a child’s toy, correct his behavior with a forceful, low-toned growl (“BAH”). As soon as it stops, offer pleasant, high-toned praise. The dog will understand its mistake and respect you as the pack leader.

* In the wild the leader always leads the pack—literally. Establish your leadership by always leading your dog—up and down stairs, through doorways, and especially on walks. Remember, the leader always leads.

Most dog owners simply accept the disruptive or aggressive behavior of their dogs because they think it’s normal or don’t know how to change it. Learning about pack leadership and canine communication is incredibly interesting for most dog-lovers. Gaining a better understanding of the dog psyche strengthens the human-canine connection, and learning how to communicate effectively with your dog in a language it understands, voice control and body language, is a critical step in establishing leadership and control, which can eliminate many behavioral issues. Through effective training, many dogs can be saved from being abandoned or unnecessarily euthanized.

All dog owners, at some point of time or the other, have to administer dog behavior or dog obedience training. Most dogs suffer from behavior problems at some time in their lives. It is important for the owners to understand these problems and the techniques that can be used to correct these problems. Let us take a look at some of the general principles of dog training:

• A large number of dog behavior problems occur due to separation anxiety.

• Dog aggression and problem behavior like biting, digging or barking comes from the lack of communication between the dog and its owner.

• Dog behavior problems can be corrected by applying dog obedience training in the early stages.

• Set clear-cut boundaries of unacceptable and acceptable conduct for your dog and make it clear to them.

• Whenever your dog suffers from a behavioral problem, there is some cause or trigger behind it. Therefore, it is vital to identify these triggers in order to solve the problem.

Some of the common behavioral problems faced by dogs include aggression, biting, baking and chewing. Though it is all natural behavior for dogs, but it can prove to be extremely expensive and annoying for its owners. Some of the ways in which stop dog biting include:

1. Make your dog undergo both mental as well as physical exercise.

2. Provide tasty dog chews to your dog. Make it clear that if your dog wants to chew something, it should be his toys only.

3. If there is some particular thing like a furniture leg which your dog likes to chew, then you can coat is which a substance with a foul taste such as cayenne pepper or bitter apple, so that your dog doesn´t chew it.

It is quite sad that most of the dogs who suffer from behavioral problems end up in different animal shelters. If you do not want to bid farewell to your beloved pet, then you have to manage their aggression or destructive behavior with the help of appropriate dog behavior training. Combining proper techniques of dog training along with some patience and commitment, you can surely achieve great results with your pet dog. Dog training can make a huge difference to the life of your dog.

Source from: sacbee.com

By Susan Tripp and Rolan Tripp

Dogs are wonderful family pets and great companions for children, always ready to play or just to listen. And for the overwhelming majority of children, the experience of having a family dog is a good one. But not all interactions are of the storybook variety.

Every day, about a thousand people turn up in emergency rooms with dog bites from pets of all sizes, shapes, breeds and mixes. Most of these victims are school-age children, with bites to the face being the most common, and boys being seen more often than girls.

Many of these bites could have been prevented with some parental guidance and care beforehand.

How can parents help dogs and children get along? Make sure your children know the basics for enjoying time with dogs safely:

• Play by the rules.

Children and dogs benefit from the exercise and enjoyment of playtime. Rough play and dog wrestling are against the rules. So is running around shrieking and waving arms wildly. Your children must learn to be calm and relaxed around dogs, and play must stop if a dog gets wound up or is uncomfortable with the level of activity.

Teach your children that they are the ones who start and end all games with the family dog, so the dog comes to see the children as being in control of the situation.

Fetch is one of the best games for children to play with dogs. Have your child start the game by asking the dog to sit or lie down, and to end the game by making sure the dog drops or otherwise gives up the toy.

Tug-of-war games are not allowed unless the dog will sit and release a toy immediately at any time when asked.

• Let sleeping dogs lie.

When a dog is asleep, a dog is off-limits. Never let your child be unsupervised around your dog until you are certain he or she has learned not to lunge at or surprise the dog with hugs and kisses. Children should also learn to leave a dog alone while the animal is eating.

Instead of allowing your children to wake up a dog, teach them to call the dog to them. Show your children how to offer the back of a hand to sniff before petting a dog.

• Help with the training.

Let your children feed your dog his meals instead of leaving food out for “whenever” feeding. This lets you and the children use feeding time as a training time.

Have children hand-feed the first five to 10 bits of food in exchange for having the dog follow an instruction such as “sit,” “lie down” or “shake.”

Having children participate in dog training gives them and dogs a solid foundation for interacting with each other. Stand behind your child as a backup, to make sure the dog responds correctly.

Training with food and praise helps dogs to associate children with goodies. Set the example for children by giving the dog lots of praise for good behavior. Encourage children to do the same. (And praise your kids, too!)

• Walk the dog, but don’t let the dog walk you.

Dogs need daily physical and mental exercise, and walking the dog provides both. Adult supervision is a must away from home, always, because you cannot control who or what your child and dog may run into out there.

Use head collars or front-clip harnesses to keep dogs from pulling on the leash. You want the dog to associate your child with these fun excursions. Bring treats along and have part of the walks become training activities.

That’s it. Just a few simple guidelines and you’ll be doing your part as a parent to help your child get the most out of having a family dog.

Leaving things to chance may lead to the emergency room. Don’t take chances: Do your part to keep children and dogs safe and happy.

Article Source:  azstarnet.com

Owner needs to be good ‘pack’ leader

By Jennifer Sterba

Local dog-training experts say that when a pet fails to learn a command or behavior, it’s often because the owner failed to communicate or train his or her dog. In other words, the fault lies with the owner, not the dog.

Thom McKinney, owner of Dog Day Adventures, started his business two years ago after learning everything he could about dog training and behavior.

“Some sources will tell you that some breeds are more malleable, trainable or designed to please the trainer more,” he said. “There is some merit to that. However, lots of people nowadays have mixed breeds.”

But any dog has the desire to please, and tapping into that desire is the key to motivating your dog to learn.

So we asked our experts to tell us, how can you tell if your dog — er, owner — is trainable?

Is your dog focused on you?

Steve Dell, owner of a Bark Busters franchise in Tucson, said that on an initial visit, he’ll put the dog in a sitting position and watch the dog’s eyes. If the dog is looking at the owner, he’s paying attention. If he’s looking all around, at the child down the street, he’s not focussed.

“If the dog is not focused, then we’re going to work on a variety of things to get the dog paying attention to the owner.”

Who’s the boss?

“All dogs are trainable,” Dell said. “They all want to follow a good, strong leader.”

Dell said he interviews the owner on the dog’s living arrangements.

Where does the dog sleep? Does the owner put his food down and then pick it up later, or is the dog allowed to graze all day? How does the dog behave in the car?

“These things go a long way in helping me help the owner assume leader-of-the-pack status.”

Do you speak his language?

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in dog training occurs when the owner says, “No!”

The dog doesn’t understand the difference between “know” and “no” for starters, Dell said. So right off the bat, the owner is possibly confusing the dog.

Second, Dell teaches owners to read their dog’s body language and communication style.

The obvious growl translates to, “Hey, you’re out of line,” Dell said.

How quickly does your dog follow commands?

“It can be a verbal command, but oftentimes when I meet a new dog, I can just point to their rear area or on the ground and they often will sit,” McKinney said.

That’s why making eye contact with your dog is so important, he said.

Most dog trainers recommend interchanging verbal and nonverbal commands, even changing to just facial expressions, he said.

Does your dog know how to please you?

“If you’re only punishing your dog when they do something bad, they don’t know what to do to please you,” said Christopher Beeson, co-owner of Dawg House, a dog day care at 750 N. Stone Ave.

Beeson said it’s important that positive reinforcement and repetition go hand-in-hand. He suggests ignoring any bad behavior and focusing on praising and rewarding positive behavior.

“That’s what makes them look smart,” he said, “when they’re only doing something that pleases our species.”

Article Source: articlesfactory.com

By Daniel Waser

Dog training is the responsibility that YOU signed on for when you brought your dog through your front door for the first time. The whole dog training experience can be pleasant for BOTH you and your dog. Dog training does not have to be hard or frustrating. It is therefore vital that you adopt the ideas from the dog training tips that strive towards long term success, and not temporary satisfaction.

When dog training we must respect, understand, and use the rules Mother Nature has imposed upon the system we experience as a developing individual. Using only proven methods that are psychologically sound for DOGS during dog training is so important because it makes the process natural, with quick results and eliminates subtle dog training mistakes that very often sabotage all your efforts. By applying gentle and proven dog training principles you can easily prevent behavior problems and promote a loving, cooperative bond between you and your dog. Whether this is your first dog or one-hundredth, dog training will prove to be an invaluable resource in the education of your new canine companion.

Use The Right Body Language So Your Dog UnderstandsDogs are highly intelligent animals and many dog owners do not give them enough credit when it comes to the way they can read and understand our body language. The body language that we display has a major impact on how well a dog will obey our commands and listen to us. You can also quickly stop your dog from displaying an improper behavior if you are using the correct form of body language.

An overexcited dog who likes to jump on every guest that comes to your door. We all go through this with our puppy or adult dog at some point in time and let’s use that as our example. As soon as the guests arrive your dog is overwhelmed with excitement and happiness about who is at the door and whether or not they are going to play with him.

What do they smell like? Do they want to play? Do they have dog treats? How about I just jump all over them and see? If we were to decipher his emotional behavior, this is exactly what your dog is thinking.

And meanwhile, to get your dog to stop being so excited and jumping on everyone, you are giving every command possible. One thing that makes him more excited is, when you try shouting. Maybe you try to shout even louder or you try giving harsh and loud “Off” commands but that it’s not working too.  Eventually, you are getting so stressed with trying to pull your dog off that and yelling it turns into one big chaotic party.

And yes, the term “party” is a great way to explain it because to your dog you are just joining in on the fun and excitement that he is feeling. Can you see now how your body language and the way you are communicating with her voice comes across to your dog? You are only adding to the situation as opposed to changing our dog’s behavior.

Communicate better with your dog by using the following body language tipsIn the above example of the overexcited dog who can’t seem to stop jumping all over the house guests, you understand now that your body language and excitability only made your dog feel more enthused about what it is he was doing. Therefore, regardless of what action you are trying to communicate with your dog you must take a different approach to the situation. A few basic body language tips that you can use are below:

1. Do not chase him around the house, when you’re angry at your puppy or adult dog.  You may be upset with them, but to your dog, he thinks you’re playing a game and he will run around forever.

2. Display a very bold and upright body position, when you give your dog a command.  Stand up, chest forward, and head back. Your dog will have more respect and a slight bit of intimidation, which can help with training him.

3. Do not add to the problem by getting feisty if your dog is extremely excited. Instead, move slowly and talk in a soothing tone of voice.  Display the same behavior you wish him to use.  Doing so will calm him down and it will be much easier to change his behavior.

Article Source: articlebiz.com

By: Bravo Seo

Probably one of the biggest concern in looking for the perfect way to train your dog is to inquire in an institution that can be able to provide you with the most up-to-date, integrated and common sense approach to dog training. California has many dog training schools featuring a variety of approaches and philosophies.

Dog training is one of the most important aspects of owning a pet dog and dog training obedience is something that owners can do for their dogs or puppies by themselves. The most necessary factor in instructing your dog is through effective communication. The trainer should clearly what does he want to transpire to his pet dog. Simple lessons like telling your pet dog to “stay,” to “sit” and to “off.” Remember that almost all dog breeds can be trained, only if you are armed with the right knowledge in dog training. A good reason for obedience training is the establishment of a foundation wherein the owner and his dog can learn to effectively relate to one another. The first thing obedience training does is to create a common language for the owner and the dog. This, in turn, lets your dog know the proper response – or behaviors - that you expect in place of socially maladaptive behavior. This process can also be effectively called as dog behavior training.

To properly train your dogs for obedience, you can try the following training styles. The main types of training are leash/collar training and reward training, whereas the leash and collar training considered a hard training and traditional style developed from military dog training and reward training to be the soft training style which dogs are rewarded using food for every job well-done.

There are some basic dog training ideas that may come handy to every trainer. Training your dog requires a good deal of persistence to be both an enjoyable and successful for you and your four legged friend. Including in the list is giving your dog small jobs like sitting for dinner, lying down before doors, or teaching your pooch down/stay sessions for five to twenty minutes at a time teaches your dog control and gives him something to do when around other people or things that would otherwise distract and putting away dogs and puppies on your beds and furniture to give them a sense of limit. Ensure that training your dog is never too stressful or tiring for either of you, and it will always be easier and more effective training your dog if he is happy and contented.

If you have an aggressive dog, don’t minimize the seriousness of the situation. Standard training techniques will probably prove ineffective with an aggressive dog. One-on-one help with a professional trainer may be required to see results with aggressive dog training. Training aggressive dog first requires some basic understanding of why dogs become aggressive. There could be several reasons that accounts for your dog’s aggressive behavior. It is hard to train an aggressive dog but with the right techniques; it becomes less of a pain.

Article Source : DogTrainster.com - Ultimate Resource and Tips for Dog Training

By Joanne Kok

Learning new things can be stressful for your dog especially in the beginning when concepts and teaching methods are new. If your dog refused to eat during the early stages of training, stop the program and have a play session or calm your dog until it is relaxed and begins to accept treats again. This process may require 3 to 4 sessions but it is worth going through it to develop your dog’s positive attitude towards obedience.

Conduct 3 training sessions a day, each session lasting approximately 20 minutes while allowing at least 1 hour rest in-between sessions. In a 2-week period, there should be a total of 30 sessions.

Week 1 And Week 2

1) Teach your dog the “heel” command. Repeat a series of 3 to 5 circles and perform 5 series of 4-step “heels” per session.

2) Teach the “sit” and “release” command. Command your dog to “sit”, let it stay in the sit position for a moment then give the “release” command to release your dog from the “sit”. Repeat this series 5 times per session.

3) For each session, work on a series of 1 exercise and move to another exercise (i.e., work on one series of 4-step “heel”, then a series of “sit” and “break”, and finally a series of 4-step “heels”’).

Although dogs need repetition to learn a skill, you need a variety of exercises to keep them interested as they bore easily.

Week 3 And Week 4

1) Reinforce the “heel” command. Test the “heel” command from lessons learned from week 1 and week 2.

2) Reinforcing the “sit” and “release” command. Begin training your dog to hold the “sit” position starting from 5 seconds and gradually stretching the time to 10 seconds.

3) Begin teaching your dog the “down” command (use treats to lure your dog to teach it the command). Repeat the series 2 times per session in week 3 and 3 times per session in week 4.

Week 5 And Week 6

1) Continue to reinforce and test the “heel”, “sit” and “release” commands. Begin to include distractions when training “heel” and “sit” to train your dog to continue focusing on you even there are distractions.

2) Extend the concept of holding position to build patience by extending the “sit” from 5 – 10 seconds to 30 seconds – 1 minute before releasing the “sit” command.

When you test your dog, you should repeat each test until it passes the test 3 consecutive times.

3) Start to reinforce the “down” command in week 5 by removing the treat and shoulder help. During week 6, begin reinforcing without any bodily assistance. You can reintroduce treats as the reward but do not tempt your dog. Only reward your dog after it has successfully completed the “down” command.

Training sessions may become more stressful for both you and your dog as you progress from the teaching phase and enter into the more difficult reinforcing phase. If you find a particular test too tough for both of you; stop the exercise and continue to practice the skills individually, you can repeat that particular test a few days later.

While the length and regularity of the sessions remain unchanged since the first week, the sessions are becoming less predictable and require varieties to make them as interesting and effective as they can be.

Week 7 And Week 8

1) While continuing to reinforce and test the “heel”, “sit” and “release” commands, don’t forget to reinforce the “down” command as well. In 1 of every 3 sessions, add distractions to your basic commands. Improve “down from a stand” exercise with the “down” command.

2) Extend the time-span of the holding position and begin teaching the “stay” command.

3) Begin combining the different commands when training. Teach “sit” and “down” from your front and testing motion “down” and motion “sit”.

4) Start teaching the “come” command. Put your dog on “sit/stay” position, while walking backwards monitor the position holding skills. Body language plays an important role in teaching this command and sending the wrong signals sometimes causes your dog not to hold the position.

Week 9, Week 10 And After

1) Reinforce “stay” and “come” command. Always practice a short leash recall to reinforce the final finish position. Repeat at least 10 times per session. “Come” is the most important command but the least practiced of all the other commands.

2) Conduct test and reinforce all obedience commands. Practice all commands equally, working on each command as little as 1 or as many as 5 repetitions per series though you should avoid creating patterns.

Make exercises targeted towards your practical obedience application. Include distraction training in at least 1 out of every 3 obedience practice sessions.By Joanne Kok

Learning new things can be stressful for your dog especially in the beginning when concepts and teaching methods are new. If your dog refused to eat during the early stages of training, stop the program and have a play session or calm your dog until it is relaxed and begins to accept treats again. This process may require 3 to 4 sessions but it is worth going through it to develop your dog’s positive attitude towards obedience.

Conduct 3 training sessions a day, each session lasting approximately 20 minutes while allowing at least 1 hour rest in-between sessions. In a 2-week period, there should be a total of 30 sessions.

Week 1 And Week 2

1) Teach your dog the “heel” command. Repeat a series of 3 to 5 circles and perform 5 series of 4-step “heels” per session.

2) Teach the “sit” and “release” command. Command your dog to “sit”, let it stay in the sit position for a moment then give the “release” command to release your dog from the “sit”. Repeat this series 5 times per session.

3) For each session, work on a series of 1 exercise and move to another exercise (i.e., work on one series of 4-step “heel”, then a series of “sit” and “break”, and finally a series of 4-step “heels”’).

Although dogs need repetition to learn a skill, you need a variety of exercises to keep them interested as they bore easily.

Week 3 And Week 4

1) Reinforce the “heel” command. Test the “heel” command from lessons learned from week 1 and week 2.

2) Reinforcing the “sit” and “release” command. Begin training your dog to hold the “sit” position starting from 5 seconds and gradually stretching the time to 10 seconds.

3) Begin teaching your dog the “down” command (use treats to lure your dog to teach it the command). Repeat the series 2 times per session in week 3 and 3 times per session in week 4.

Week 5 And Week 6

1) Continue to reinforce and test the “heel”, “sit” and “release” commands. Begin to include distractions when training “heel” and “sit” to train your dog to continue focusing on you even there are distractions.

2) Extend the concept of holding position to build patience by extending the “sit” from 5 – 10 seconds to 30 seconds – 1 minute before releasing the “sit” command.

When you test your dog, you should repeat each test until it passes the test 3 consecutive times.

3) Start to reinforce the “down” command in week 5 by removing the treat and shoulder help. During week 6, begin reinforcing without any bodily assistance. You can reintroduce treats as the reward but do not tempt your dog. Only reward your dog after it has successfully completed the “down” command.

Training sessions may become more stressful for both you and your dog as you progress from the teaching phase and enter into the more difficult reinforcing phase. If you find a particular test too tough for both of you; stop the exercise and continue to practice the skills individually, you can repeat that particular test a few days later.

While the length and regularity of the sessions remain unchanged since the first week, the sessions are becoming less predictable and require varieties to make them as interesting and effective as they can be.

Week 7 And Week 8

1) While continuing to reinforce and test the “heel”, “sit” and “release” commands, don’t forget to reinforce the “down” command as well. In 1 of every 3 sessions, add distractions to your basic commands. Improve “down from a stand” exercise with the “down” command.

2) Extend the time-span of the holding position and begin teaching the “stay” command.

3) Begin combining the different commands when training. Teach “sit” and “down” from your front and testing motion “down” and motion “sit”.

4) Start teaching the “come” command. Put your dog on “sit/stay” position, while walking backwards monitor the position holding skills. Body language plays an important role in teaching this command and sending the wrong signals sometimes causes your dog not to hold the position.

Week 9, Week 10 And After

1) Reinforce “stay” and “come” command. Always practice a short leash recall to reinforce the final finish position. Repeat at least 10 times per session. “Come” is the most important command but the least practiced of all the other commands.

2) Conduct test and reinforce all obedience commands. Practice all commands equally, working on each command as little as 1 or as many as 5 repetitions per series though you should avoid creating patterns.

Make exercises targeted towards your practical obedience application. Include distraction training in at least 1 out of every 3 obedience practice sessions.

Article Source : DogTrainster.com - Ultimate Resource and Tips for Dog Training

by Joanne Kok

When it comes to dog training, many owners EXPECT their dogs to obey their commands in any and every circumstances, this is one-way communication. This perception should change if dog owners want their training sessions with their dogs to be successful.

There are three main ways to verbally communicate with your dog when training and each has its own tone. Always command your dog first; if it responds correctly then praise it. If it does not respond correctly then correct it; however you have to be sure that your dog knows the exercise. Always finish with praise when you are satisfied with your dog’s performance.

Be consistent in your commands and praise, you do not want to end up confusing your dog.

You have to remember that you have to practice TWO-WAY communication when it comes to dog training. Bear in mind that your dog has a mind of its own too. You can know what your dog is thinking or feeling by reading it’s expression and body language.

From our perspective, we are communicating to our dog what behaviors are correct, preferred or desired in what circumstances and which are unwanted behaviors. From our dog’s perspective, their owners must learn what motivates them if the optimum result is desired. Your dog can signal that it is confused, happy, unsure, excited and nervous.

Dogs communicate through their body, vocalization and scent.

Start observing your dog’s body language, look at its tail, eyes, ears, mouth, legs, etc. What it is trying to tell you? Not all dogs that wag their tail are friendly. Sometimes a dog may be wagging its tail, but also is barking at the same time. You have to learn to read these signals as a whole not only a part of the body language.

Barking comes naturally for a dog as a form of communication. They bark for many reasons and the different pitch signifies the different message it carries. Other forms of vocal communication are growling, howling, whining and whimpering.

Dogs use scent communication because the dog’s scent of smell is so sharp, odors can be used to give a dog a lot of information. Sniffing is a major part of greeting behavior between dogs and provides information about the dog’s sex, emotional state, age and possibly social status.

It is important to consider the emotional state of your dog in directing the training because if your dog is distracted or stressed, the training will not be effective as your dog will not learn efficiently.