Walking on a Leash and Staying: Two Primary Commands
January 3, 2009 by admin
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What makes good dogs turn aggressive the second you put a leash on them? Having a dog that pulls and lunges at dogs and people presents a danger to others and a roadblock to your training efforts.
Skipping walks is not an option and may exacerbate the problem. Can you curb leash aggression so your daily walks aren’t nightmares?
If your dog seems like he is about to become aggressive, divert him with a command like sit or down. This will keep him occupied and should reroute his attention.
If you are about to pass another dog, don’t tense up or pull the least taut. Your pet will be able to tell and he will think that you are scared, so aggression is much more likely. Animals pick up on our signals – just remain calm and relaxed.
Try using a muzzle or a gentle leader when walking your dog. This should only be a temporary measure but if you are concerned your dog may lunge or bite, these can be very helpful.
If you have tried to curb leash aggression and your dog still misbehaves during walks, it is time to find a good trainer. You need professional help to stop this at once: not only is it disruptive to your own walks, it is dangerous to everyone and every animal you pass on the sidewalk.
Leash aggression isn’t uncommon, but it is a potentially big problem. Start taking measures to cure your dog of this bad habit before bigger fixes are needed.
People are always impressed with well-trained dogs. Beyond impressing your friends and neighbors, teaching your dog the stay command can be extremely useful. Treats and lots of praise will make the learning process much easier, faster, and fun. For great results consider SitStayFetch.
To learn to stay, your dog first needs to know how to sit and/or lie down. When he masters this, staying is the next step. Begin by telling him to sit or lie down. As he does this, put your hand out and say, “Stay.” Make sure you use a firm yet calm voice.
When your dog stays, praise him immediately. Likely your dog will only be able to stay for a second or two at first. This is great; it’s a terrific beginning, and he will be able to do it for longer periods as he practices.
Give the release command – say “Ok,” or “Come” – so your dog knows he doesn’t have to lie down any longer. Pass him a treat and lots of praise. Giving rewards is a key part of the formula when it comes to things like puppy potty training.
As you work with your dog, you can lengthen the time your dog stays. Demand a little more each time before you give him his treat.
You don’t want to practice for an hour though. Keep your training sessions short and sweet. Make them fun for your dog, provide lots of praise and rewards, and you’ll get results. Five to ten minutes is a great amount of time for each training session, and you can do it several times a day.
Dogs do not respond to long training sessions. They get bored, lose focus, or fail to respond to commands. Remember also to be patient, especially at first. Remind your dog to stay often, until he gets it on his own. You may also have to reteach the basics a few times before it is learned. Knowing they are about to get a treat may make your dog antsy, but be patient and make him obey the command each time before he gets his treat.
If you keep working, your dog will be able to stay for longer periods. You’ll be impressed when he stays even when you leave the room. Treats will become unnecessary after training, but praise is never obsolete. Let your dog know when he is doing a good job.
See more about potty training a puppy.
Dog Training: Deterring Negative Habits and Promoting Better Ones
January 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Dogs have a lot of loveable natural qualities, but they also have some not-so-cute behaviors. Digging is one of the latter, but it can persist as they bury bones, create impromptu shelters, and just feel the dirt between their paws.
Digging can not only ruin your yard, but it can ruin your relationship with your pet. Can you stop this behavior before it gets out of control?
The first step in stopping your dog from digging is to determine why he is doing it in the first place. Some dogs just love it.
Some dogs do enjoy the act of digging, but others use it to communicate with you. They may be crying out for attention or more exercise. They may need a shelter to stay warm or cool. They may be burying food. If you’ve recently put down fertilizer or dug in your garden, your dog may be responding to the scents.
Knowing the reason behind the digging can help you stop the behavior. For instance, if it is due to boredom or lack of attention, you can start to offer your dog more play time with you. SitStayFetch can go a long way in deterring the behaviour.
If this doesn’t help, you can give one of the following techniques a try:
1. Dogs can often be deterred from undesirable behavior if there is an unpleasant consequence. Try burying a balloon in your dog’s frequent digging spots. Once he pops one balloon, he may be over his habit.
2. Along the same lines, you can mix in his feces when you refill a hole he’s dug. Dogs will often return to the same spots, and when he discovers the feces, he’ll be turned off digging.
3. Chicken wire is another thing you can bury in your yard to deter your dog from digging. He’ll hate the feeling of his claws against the wire and will be prompted to stop.
4. Spray him with a hose. Dogs hate being sprayed, especially in the face. Make sure if you do this that you have caught him in the act of digging or he won’t know why you’re spraying him.
Digging is natural, but it doesn’t have to ruin your yard. Figure out why your dog is engaging in this behavior and take a little time to work on it with him. You’ll both be much happier. Not unlike puppy potty training, negative habits can be corrected with a little education.
Clicker Training for Great Dog Behavior
The use of clickers in dog training has increased in recent years. It is a gentle way to condition your dog to repeat good behavior.
Operant conditioning is the repetition of a behavior when a reward is given. This is the premise behind clicker training. How does it work?
You hold a small plastic box in your hand. It has a metal strip which produces a clicking sound when pressed.
The key to clicker training is to teach your dog to associate the click with the reward, such as a biscuit. After your dog successfully performs a command, you click. Offer the treat at the same time.
The dog learns to associate the click with the behavior and the click with the treat, which makes it more likely that he’ll repeat it. Soon, just the click will be enough, and eventually, it can be phased out altogether.
Because clicking is quicker than speaking, the dog learns exactly which behavior he is being rewarded for, so clicker-trained dogs tend to learn more quickly.
Your dog really wants to make you proud. Using the clicker method is a great way to teach your dog in an effective and humane manner.
Take your pet’s education to the next level with Sit Stay Fetch.
Dog Training Rules
December 29, 2008 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
If a dog owner wants to train his dog, he should prepare for the right mindset. This would prevent him from violating any dog rules, an act that could really detriment the dog’s interest on learning.
Following the rules of training will also prevent the owner from doing the things that could harm his relationship with the dog. There are certain rules in dog house training that must be followed including the following:
Stay focused
Incompletion of a task usually leads to confusion. Make certain that when a command is given, both you and your dog will follow through. Refrain from being distracted every time you give a command.
If you are commanding your dog to sit. When the command is given, make sure both of you follow through with it. Do not tug on the collar of your dog and stop halfway and be distracted. Always finish one command first then move on to the next.
The dog should sit completely and not just bend his rear legs. If you do not make this happen, the dog will think that next time you give the command it would be okay for him not to complete the task or to ignore it completely. Always stay focused, this way, you would eliminate the possibility of confusion and maximize the obedience to a command.
Rewards and punishments
Many owners are anxious to let their dogs hear a string of praises or be rewarded with several cookies instead of one whenever a command is accomplished. On the other hand, a lot of owners give too many punishments on a single wrong thing that the dog did instead of punishing him just once. Both could adversely affect the training of the dog.
Don’t over emphasize the rewards or punishment due to the dog’s behavior. If you are using praises as reward, do not over praise the dog. Praising your dog will make the dog realize that you are in favor of his abilities. This should be said immediately after the command is accomplished.
In the same way, a single pulling of the check cord will be enough if the dog did not follow your command. A signal will be sent to the dog to inform them that something is wrong.
The dog will become distracted from learning if you continue to offer rewards or punishment. He would only remember the praises or the punishments and not the thing he did or he did not do.
End with a positive note
For every training session, make it a point that the training will end with a positive praise. This would make the dog look forward to the next training since the last session fulfilled her need to please you. Also, ensure to it that the last command was accomplished correctly so that the dog is oriented properly to following commands.
Never lose your patience
Often when trainers don’t get the results they want, they get impatient with the dog. They then may do something that will ruin the training.
Canine dog training should be an enjoyable experience for you and your pet. If it starts to make you lose your temper and your dog a lot more disobedient, you should try to assess your pitfalls.
Dog training is really a difficult business. If you are not prepared for it, you could get help from dog training classes and instructors.
