Obedience Dog Training - How to Housebreak Your New Pup

By Dennis Fisher

Training should begin the moment you bring the pup into your home. Not serious training of course, but basic training in what you consider to be acceptable good manners. With gentle but firm handling your pup will soon learn what is expected of him.
It is important to remember, when you reprimand your pup, the correction must be associated with the unacceptable act. In housebreaking him, for example, it is essential to correct him immediately you find him misbehaving. It is pointless taking him to a spot you find later, pointing to it and reprimanding him in a loud disapproving voice. Or even worse, rubbing his nose in it. Of course he is going to look "guilty". You may gain the impression that he understands what he has done but this is certainly not so.

If you intend your dog to be a house dog, when you bring the pup into your home for the first time it is essential for him to have a place that he can consider "his home". Find a suitable place in the house. Provide suitable bedding of some sort - an old blanket, or towel - and let him know that this is where you expect him to lie.

Housebreaking your pup
A young animal's control of his functions is going to be weak. You cannot expect too much with regard to bladder control from a very young pup. If you live in a home where there is an outside garden, training will be very much easier. A soon as you see any evidence of him wanting to relieve himself, which will be very obvious by his behavior, pick him, without grabbing him. Make disapproving sounds without being too harsh - "No my dog! No my dog! Outside!" Carry him outside and watch him while he does his business. Then praise him enthusiastically. "That's a good dog!"

By watching the pup carefully, especially after he has eaten, the indication that he wants to relieve himself, will be more and more obvious to you. For the first week of two it might be necessary to be very attentive and watch him carefully. But housebreaking is usually not a lengthy process and it certainly should not continue for more than two weeks.
Of course the process can be helped considerably if you feed him at regular times, regular intervals and in specific place. He should also be allowed to drink water at specific times. About an hour after he has finished eating give him his bowl of water.

After he has had enough to drink it will not take long before the water starts to start taking effect. Within a half an hour after he has had sufficient water he will want to relieve himself. With regard to water not being freely available, it should be noted that restricting water applies only to a pup. Adult dogs should have water available for them at all times
If you are still in the initial stages of housebreaking, you can take wait for your pup to show the telltale signs of wanting to relieve himself. Then continue with the process of picking him up before he has a chance to do so. Take him quickly outside.

Alternatively if you have passed this early stage, you can take him directly outside; wait for him to perform, then praise extravagantly. The procedure is slightly different if you live in an apartment and it is difficult to take the pup quickly outside. You can put down several layers of newspapers over a fairly wide area in a certain place in the house - preferably near the back door.

Wait for him to show signs of wanting to relieve himself. Then pick him and place him on the newspapers. Use the same process of praising him when he has finished Place the papers near the door so that he will learn to associate this as the place where is required to go. At a later stage you can even place some of the papers half under the door and half outside. He will soon get used to the idea of going to the door when he wants to relieve himself, even when there are no papers.

Obviously the idea of newspapers on the floor can be very convenient at night. A very young pup will want to relieve himself frequently during the night. It is also a good idea to restrict the pup at night to a certain area in your home, preferably the kitchen or bathroom, rather than let him have the run of the house.
At a later stage, when he has the run of the entire house, he will soon get the idea of going to his own special area or will whine to go outside.

Dennis Fisher has been involved with many breeds of dogs every since his schooldays. Although he specializes in the breeding, obedience training and showing of top quality German Shephers, he has owned a great variety of different breeds. He was Director of training for an all-breed training School and is still active in competitive obedience training.

You will find a great deal of other useful information about the basic training of dogs on the author's website http://www.freedogadvice.com
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Dog Training Aids - Get The Right Tools For The Job

By Andrew Strachan

Dog trainers and their suppliers are endlessly coming up with new and innovative tool boxes for training purposes. These new dog training tools, while attractive in nature, should not be a substitute for basic training knowledge.
The first step in dog training is ensuring your dog is in good health. Gentle collars and relaxed training regiments can be harmful if the dog has unknown open sores or twisted paws.

Clickers
One of the best ways to gain a dog’s attention is through a clicker device. This is a hand-held device which fits into the palm of a hand. Loud ‘click-clack’ noises are emitted when a button is pressed and released. The main function behind this is preserving the trainers’ voice from repeating commands over and over again. The audible sound is detectable by dogs even in common surrounding background noises.
The clicker can be used to attract a dog’s attention. The common uses are as a reward or ‘begin’ sound when the dog exhibits a desired behavior.

Leashes and Collars
The dog leash market covers everything from two-foot control leashes to 30 foot extendable and retractable nylon cord variations.
A two to four foot leash is ideal for near training situations such as training to ‘sit’ or ‘stay’. An extendable leash is ideal for when trainers want to obey their dog. Regardless of the distance between dog and trainer, the trainer should always maintain the ‘alpha male’ position and thus always lead.

Like leashes, dog collars come in many variations. Be sure that all snaps, buttons and nylon material is in quality condition. This makes the collars suitable for even large dogs. Adjust the collars to allow the dog enough room to move its head around but not enough room to easily slip through and escape.
This trainer does not endorse the use of spike collars. These can easily damage a small dog and instill fear in large dogs. All breeds of dogs have strong neck muscles. One sharp tug of a choke collar however can bruise or damaged this area. Worst case is causing a collapse of the trachea. One common mistake is placing the choke collar on backwards. For these reasons, choke collars are counter-productive and often dangerous.

Vests
Much like leashes, chest halters and full vests strengthen a trainer’s hold over the dog. There is no excess pressure placed on the dog’s throat while the trainer maintains the hold advantage.
The only drawback to a vest training device is that no dog experiences discomfort from pulling. Therefore training is limited with this device to positive reinforcement behaviors. In fact, chest halters actually encourage pulling by the dog. This is discouraged behavior.
When extra control over a strong willed dog is needed, collars and leashes will not effectively serve this purpose.

Muzzles
Muzzles are effective in dealing with short term barking and biting control issues. The only drawback here is that the dog does not obtain another means in which to stop barking. Unless the muzzle is always present, the barking will continue to be an issue. The muzzle takes the training place of voice commands such as ‘no bark’.
Other devices exist on the market such as no-bark collars; electric fences and chemical sprays. However, these are used more as control devices than effective training tools.

Above all, the most effective training tools can not be found on the market. There is no substitute for giving your dog simple love and respect. Treating the dog like the loving part of the family will produce desired behavior quickly and more effectively than any training device.
Article by Andrew Strachan. Find out more dog training aids and dog behavior training advice at http://www.types-of-dogs.com/training/
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Dog Training Tips You Can Use To Teach Your Dog

By Mendy Stern

Regardless of the age of your dog it is never to late to train them. However, when possible, you should begin training a puppy at 6 to 8 weeks old. In this article we will look at dog training tips that you can use to train your dog or puppy. First of all positive reinforcement is the best way to train your dog. Positive training leads to your dog wanting to please you and it will learn a lot faster. Dogs are like children in that they want to please you, but they need to be taught how. As soon as they know how to do this they will feel a part of your family.

By rewarding your dog with positive praise, and a treat, they will learn to listen to the command you are trying to teach. Each treat could be a piece of small chicken, or a tiny treat the size of a dime.

You do not want your dog eating off your table so teach them to lay down in their bed when it is time to sit down at the table to eat. Dogs need to only eat their own dog food.
When teaching your dog to stay, go down, and sit, you want to use a lower firm voice. But for the come and heel command do this in a friendly voice. Just make sure that all are firm but friendly commands. By using a different voice they will know you are teaching them something.

It used to be thought when a dog had an accident you rubbed their nose in it or you hit their nose with a newspaper. Do not do this because it is wrong. When you learn something you want positive praise and so does your dog. When your dog has an accident take it outside and show them were they should go.

The wrong way to train your dog is to punish them. You will scare them and they will be afraid of you and not learn what you are trying to teach them. To help your dog learn keep training them everyday day and give those little treats.
When your dog follows a command make sure you use positive praise and a treat so they know you are watching them and that you are proud of them. Hopefully you can use these dog training tips to teach your do what you want it to do.

Copyright (c) 2007 Mendy Stern
For more information on puppy dog training visit our website. For more information on Mendy Stern and Doggy pads visit Doggypads.com
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The Importance of Dog Obedience

By Mike Selvon

We all have rules that we must follow. These rules can come from our government or can be self-imposed rules to guide our behavior. Dog's are much the same way in that they must have rules to follow.
Dog obedience training helps show the animal how they should act and in what manner they must react to outside stimuli. Just as our past influences our behavior, a dog's behavior is the same way.

There are a variety of places a pet can come from. It may be as a puppy from a professional breeder or it could be an animal rescue organization. He or she can also come to you later on in their doggy years as a result of owners moving, being forced to get rid of the animal or from the local pound.
If you get your companion as a grown one, it may have had training. You can get an initial idea of the dog behavior by observing the animal when you go to pick it up.

There are some things you should and should never do when it comes to dealing with dog aggression. The first understands how an aggressive dog's stance can suggest how it will react to you. The first mistake most people make is assuming that all dogs are friendly.
They are not and you can find out this lesson in a very hard way. Always treat a new one with suspicion first. Do not immediately hug the animal or put your face on level with his or hers.
Do not make prolonged eye contact if the animal is growling or standing in a rigid way. The best way to approach an unknown one is with soft words and to allow the pet to gradually come to you.

Once the pet is in your possession you must immediately start working on the dog obedience lessons. You have to establish yourself as the dog's Alpha. In the wild or in groups of canines, the Alpha is the leader.
He or she is the dominant one of the pack. You must be dominant over your pet in order to have the obedience lessons stick.
Dog obedience training applies to all aspects of the animal's life, as well as your own. He must always know that you are the boss and that he must follow the rules. These rules could be house training, walking on a leash, eating food that he finds or from strangers and most importantly...not being aggressive towards other people.

Dog's bond with their Masters and will often show signs of aggression as a way to protect the Master from outsiders or dangers perceived by the animal.
Dog's make wonderful pets and can bring joy to you and your family's lives. Be responsible by training your pet. If you have questions you can look on dog forums for answers from fellow pet owners.

It is essential to show love to your pet and know that he is protected. If you do not think you can handle the dog obedience classes, or can not take the time, then be responsible by allowing someone else to have the opportunity to own and love the animal.

Mike Selvon has some great puppy training articles for the pet lover, where you can find out more about dog obedience. We appreciate your feedback at our pet training blog.
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Dog Training Basics - Obedience Training for Your Dog

By Thomas Eliot

Correctly training your newly acquired pet dog requires a knowledge of dog training basics. And understanding how dog communication works is paramount to successful dog training. The most important part of getting a dog to understand your commands and to learn new things involves making sure he understands what you are trying to get him to do. He must first understand that you are his master, someone whom he wishes to please. But when teaching your dog that you are his master, you don't get that respect from him by mistreating him or by punishing him incorrectly. To do either of these only confuses him.

Dogs understand communication through your tone of voice and through body language. Using simple one syllable words like "No" or "Bad" in a depreciating tone of voice without further unnecessary explanation to the dog will go much farther in communicating what you want it to understand than trying to give your dog a lecture he can't understand. He can understand when you point at some mess he's created and say "No!" that you are displeased with his behavior. What he can't understand, for instance, is you rubbing his nose in the mess and then lecturing him about what it was that he shouldn't have done. Punishing your dog in this manner without him understanding why will only frustrate him and may stunt his learning, making it more difficult to understand the obedience training.

Another mistake owners often make in dog training basics is calling their dog after the fact in order to discipline or correct him for something he's done wrong. As owner, you should never use the recall word "come" (or whatever word you use) to call your dog after discovering a mess he has made or for any negative reason. Bad deeds must be caught in the act in order to be corrected. If you want to show your dog the mess he's made, then firmly go get him and bring him back to the mess. Just don't allow him to associate his recall command with, "Huh-oh, I'm in trouble and about to get punished." Because that's very likely just how he's going to associate the term after you scold and punish him.

Remember, dogs know only "dog language," and you have to remain consistent in your use of the language you've already taught your dog, which means positive associations with the positive words you've taught him. If you start to allow him to associate negative situations with the positive words, over time he'll become wary of the meaning and not obey. If your dog learns that "come" means "angry owner – I'm in trouble now. Better scram!" then he's unlearning what you've already taught him. You want your dog to learn that "come" means "Get your buns over here as fast as possible" period! Your dog needs to understand that "come" means something positive – always – not that something negative is about to happen.

The dog training basics of communicating with your dog are to keep the communications simple and directly related to the present moment so he will learn what is acceptable behavior and what is not. He'll begin to learn quickly when you can relate your communication to actions and deeds which have just occurred. You cannot talk to your dog as though he were a human being who can remember what he did wrong yesterday. Keeping this simple idea in mind when disciplining your dog will go a long way toward helping him to learn the things you want him to learn.

For more information about effective dog training programs that really work see the following article Basic Dog Training - Professional Dog Training Tips You can learn to train your dog the way professionals do: quickly and efficiently! Don't forget to check out the free six day e-course and find out for yourself.
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Aids to Train Your Dog

By Graham Grant

To train you need to have the tools to do it and that is why dog training aids are a worthwhile purchase and not something that are there to part you with your hard earned money. Like any tool they only serve a purpose if they are used well and dog training aids will help you in teaching your dog if that is the case. Dog training aids are many and varied and depend mostly on what type of dog you have and its temperament so it is import you choose the right ones.

By far the most effective training aids are treats like small savory sticks you can buy in any super store or pet shot which you can give the dog to reinforce good behavior. These are dog training aids that have always performed the best as it is simple to implement and cheap to apply. But if you are really intent on spending a lot of money on aids there are also some other more expensive option.

Dog agility training aids include anti bark collars. These are used because quite a fair number of dogs don't like to do dog agility and will bark incessantly. With anti bark collars the dog will either be given an electric shock or have some water sprayed to remind the dog that barking is not the right thing to do at that particular time. It is not at all harmful on the dog in case you are wondering and will resolve the problem very quickly. These collars tend to be fairly inexpensive and available both in pet shops in high street or on line.

Dog training aids used for obedience include dog clickers. This is a new craze on the market and allow owners replace command words like “sit” with a click as well as rewarding with treats. Another aid that is very good at what it does is the harness. This is fitted around your dog upper torso. When you are teaching him to heel a simple tug will him back completely without using much force. This is an obedience aid that is especially effective for bigger dogs.

For around the home there are also simple and effective dog training aids. Dog training aids often prove to be worthwhile purchases when all else has been tried and often they will resolve the problem you have encountered with your dog. The fact that they are so cheap and accessible have also made the use of dog training aids more popular with more and more aids coming into the market bringing new ways to solve dog training problems or enhancing what is already in use.

Graham Grant is the owner of http://buypages.info/Dog-Training.html, which specializes in providing useful dog training information and resources for dog owners the world over! Go here for more details: http://buypages.info/Dog-Training.html
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Training Your Dog - Working With Your Dog's Pack Instincts

By Craig Mannington

Dog training is a great way to get to know your dog better and spend quality time with him or her. There are many methods of training your dog, but the best methods include the owner's involvement. Taking your dog to a trainer is a great option for puppies and first time pet owners. However, there is a significant amount of dog training information and equipment including dog training collars, videos, books and internet material which allow any dog owner to do the training themselves in the comfort in their own home.

Before you enroll in training or begin training on your own you should be aware of what influences your dog's behavior. Before the domestication of the dog they were a pack animal, similar to the wolves of the wild today. To be a part of a pack is something that comes naturally to your dog, including their puppyhood days fighting with their siblings for a position to suckle and maintaining their rank in the puppy pecking order. But in your home he has been removed from his birth pack.

Your dog views both you and himself as members of the same pack. In a pack, there will be a leader or "alpha". In the wild, packs have alpha dogs - both male and female. In the wild, the alpha controls the behavior of subordinate pack members. If you have more than one dog, you need to know about alpha behavior, as the alpha dog has the most freedom in the pack. The alpha dog will eat first, sleep where he wants and take what he thinks is his.

A crucial part of training your dog is establishing who is the alpha: you or your dog. Since your dog sees you as just a member of his pack, you have to become the alpha. With a young puppy this process is considerably easier, but might be slightly more difficult with your full-grown canine. Usually people have no problem with doing this themselves, but those with particularly aggressive dogs can and should enlist the help of a professional trainer.

Several simple methods can be utilized to establish this position rather quickly with a puppy. There are two easy techniques to use when establishing yourself as alpha. One technique includes first making eye contact by briefly staring at your dog, and secondly using the command to "sit" in a firm tone of voice. Only the alpha will engage in staring behavior, and the subordinate animal will soon look away submissively. The second technique is to have your dog sit on command before being fed, petted or before play. This establishes quickly that you are in control.

Since you are seen as part of the pack, unless you want your dog controlling you, establishing who is going to be alpha must be done as early in the relationship as possible. Consider that there is only one leader, and that position will belong to either you or your canine. If you are not in the alpha position, you will be following the will of your pet. If that happens, is your animal ordering you around, or are you the one training your dog?

Need more tips on training your dog? Ensure that he or she knows that you are the leader of the pack. Visit Craig Mannington's TrainYourDogGuide.com for more tips on how you can train your dog at home.
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