The Basics of Dog Training

Have you recently brought home a little puppy? Then you may be interested in giving your dog some basic training. You can get an obedience instructor for the job, or you yourself can train your pet. The fees of the obedience instructors can differ, and you would also have to take your dog to the class where the training would take place. But if you are the trainer, you can have the whole thing done almost without any expense, and that too at your own home. So if you have decided to be the trainer, you must have some knowledge on dog training first. You should teach your dog three basic things first – sit, stay, and come. The first thing you need to teach your dog is to sit. The one thing you would surely need for this is dog treats. Make sure that you choose a quiet place for this training, so as not to distract your dog’s attention. Ask the dog to sit again and again while you hold the treat over his head. Thus, he will have to turn his head up, and will sit there willingly to get the treat. If he still doesn’t sit, gently push his back down. When you have made him sit, praise him and give him his treat. If you repeat the word ‘sit’, your dog will realize that the command is related to sitting and will obey you to receive his rewards. The next thing you need to teach your dog is to stay. This part of the training can be a little difficult. This is a command which your dog would have to learn when you teach him to “come”. Make him sit in a place without any direction. Repeat the word “stay” as you gradually walk back. Maintain an eye contact with the dog, and if he rises from his position, say “no” and start all over again. This training does take some time and patience. It would be easies if you initially get someone to sit and hold him back if he doesn’t “stay”. If he has learnt this part, try walking away with your back towards the dog. He will probably rise now to follow you. Tell him “no” and repeat the process asking him to stay in his position as you move away. When your dog has passed this test, teach him to come. Make him stay and then call him in a cheerful voice and thump your knee as you repeat the word “come”. Reward him, as he will probably respond to your call promptly enough. The key word of dog training is praise, and not punishment, as dogs respond more to a positive behavior, rather than a negative one. Keep these tips in mind and you would be able to install these three basic commands into your dog. If you follow this process of training, you would surely be the proud owner of an obedient pet whom everybody praises.

Dog Training Basics – Avoid These Five Common Mistakes

Dog training mistakes are always human mistakes. Surprised? Don’t be. Many pet owners get frustrated when puppies “have accidents” or grown dogs bark like crazy at the doorbell, while, in fact, these and other problems cannot be faulted on the animal. If people don’t know what they want their dog to do instead, like sitting instead of jumping, going to their bed (when the door opens) instead of bolting out the door, dig in a sandbox instead of the garden, chewing appropriate objects, etc., the dog can’t figure it out either. Mistake #1: Not Socializing a Dog Properly Proper socialization is one of the kindest acts people can provide for their dogs. Natural by-products of proper socialization are activity, time with your dog, mental and physical stimulation. A dog that has been taught to socialize properly can adapt to changes in the environment and should be able to deal with a variety of situations. Lack of socialization early on in the life of an animal can lead to fear, anxiety, and aggression. The better adapted a dog is to his environment, the less likely he is to engage in unpleasant behavior. Mistake #2: Giving Up Too Soon Being impatient is one of the major problems owners face. Although it’s unrealistic to expect a puppy to be completely housetrained in a few weeks, many owners anticipate just that. It takes time and patience for a dog to understand the basic concept of sitting or staying; it takes even more time to change previous behaviors (such as jumping on the counter) or control urges (barking, digging in the garden, etc). Dogs get the short end of the stick in many situations. People think they should learn things very quickly, but do not always spend the time teaching them. The first step is to be calm and patience when teaching dog training basics. If you’re calm and enjoying the process, your dog will too. Don’t make the training a chore. If you feel yourself getting frustrated or angry, walk away and come back to it later. Mistake #3: Making Training a Chore Owners are not the only ones that get frustrated during training. Long or repetitive sessions can also be tedious for the dog. A bored dog usually stops paying attention and will have a harder time learning. Keeping the training sessions short, from 15 seconds up to five minutes a session. Practicing many of these sessions throughout the day is much better than doing one or two long sessions everyday. If you focus on making the session a fun activity instead of a chore, dogs will pick up on tricks faster. Some breeds are more prone to boredom than others, but to be safe, concentrate on making the training session as dynamic as possible. Mistake #4: Being Ambivalent Consistency is very important in training. If, at the beginning, of teaching a new cue, sometimes you say “Come” and other times you say “Come over here” you can cause confusion. On the other hand, dogs can understand the meaning of numerous physical and verbal cues to mean the same thing. It is important to teach one cue and then add more later. Confusing your dog will lead to failure. When you stick to a specific command or word, your dog is likely to grasp the concept better. It all has to do with the memory process. Repetition forms a “grove” of sorts in our brain which allows information to flow and connect. The deeper the groove, so to speak, the easier it is for the information we’ve stored through repetition to be accessed. Mistake #5: Using Physical Punishment Do do use physical violence ever on your dog! Treat dogs with the same consideration and respect that you would treat your children, grandparents and themselves. Positive reinforcement is the key to success. Training your dog out of fear is wrong! Nonviolent animal training is also more effective than earlier techniques. You can change behaviors such as destructiveness and excessive barking by finding what your dog is doing right and praising him for it. When your dog engages in negative behavior, you can choose to ignore him and hold back praise. Dogs usually pick up on it really fast. Nonviolent dog training allows you to create a partnership with your dog using gentle persuasion based in kindness, respect, and compassion. People who are too busy or too lazy should reconsider getting a dog or any other pet in the first place. Getting a dog that’s too difficult to handle, either because of breed or size. Some breeds are easier to train than others; some breeds are naturally more submissive. Getting upset and screaming are not appropriate. The last thing you want is an animal that’s scared of being around you. Joining a class and then giving up after the first lesson because you didn’t like the trainer. Not every trainer is a good fit for everybody. Some trainers are better with smaller dogs while others are experts at managing larger animals. Before signing up, ask to observe a class, see how the animals interact, the trainer’s attitude, etc. I believe nonviolence fosters nonviolence. Because of the link between dog and human behavior, positive dog training contributes to helping build a world of peace for humans and dogs. When people, especially children, are successful using nonviolent methods with animals, they feel good about themselves and they are encouraged to have a kinder, more positive attitude with their friends, family, and the environment.

Puppy Training is Easy if you Follow the Basics

The Golden Retriever is truly one of the most beautiful dogs on the planet.

They have a beautiful coat, an amazing face, a strong, sleek, and muscular body, a fantastic personality, a tail that never stops waging, and they are a joy to watch at work, when flushing a pheasant, swimming in the water, or chasing a Frisbee.

The Golden Retriever was originally bred as a hunting dog in Scotland, around 1908, but is now very popular as a house pet, a therapy dog in convalescent homes and children’s hospitals, and is used by law enforcement for drug detection.

Although they do not make very good guard dogs, they will bark loudly if a stranger approaches.

If you have children the Golden Retriever can be the perfect pet. Because of their natural nurturing instincts, and very gentle nature they make the perfect companion.

In 1974 President Gerald Ford made the First Family dog a Golden Retriever named Liberty.

If you are considering getting a Golden Retriever puppy, you need to find a reputable breeder that specializes in breeding Golden Retrievers.

There are plenty of pet shops and back yard breeders that are selling Goldens, that may have serious breed problems ranging from aggression, to hip and eye problems, and a host of other problems that may not be noticeable at the puppy stage.

A reputable breeder will check the blood lines of the parents carefully to make sure they do not have a history of these problems, before breeding. This will be your best chance at having a trouble free pet.

Training your Golden Retriever is not as hard as you may think. These are very intelligent dogs, and eager to learn. They want to please you, and hate to be scowled.

The first thing to remember is that puppies will be puppies, so don’t expect too much too soon.

You can start to bathroom train right away, but if there is anything around you care about within the puppies grasp like shoes, or your favorite slippers, I would put them away, because your puppy’s going to chew them if he gets them.

Give your puppy something of his own to chew. They are teething, and want to naturally chew things because their gums hurt. Make it clear early on that he or she is to chew what you gave them, and nothing else.

If you expect your Golden to respond to your commands, then you want to avoid confusing him. It’s easy to forget that they do not understand the English language.

They respond to certain sounds, or words, based on your body language, and tone of voice. The trick to making the training as simple as possible is to use a few basic words and stick with them.

If you want your Golden to get out of the trash, and you say “no” one time, and “stop” the next time, and then “hey” the next time, they never really get what you are telling them.

The six words that I have found over the years that work best are “NO” “SIT” “DOWN” “COME” “HEEL” and “STAY”. I find they work best if said without the dogs name. These are discipline words, and are better left by themselves.

It’s important that you show your Golden Retriever that you are the boss. You must establish that you are the leader to be successful with his training.

If you give one of your commands, and he does not comply, reinforce the command with a little different tone of voice until he complies.

If that still doesn’t work, don’t just walk away. That will send a bad message. Stick with it until you get the desired results. It will happen.

Never yell at your pet or hit them, or raise your hand in a gesture to do so. You also never want to use anything like a rolled up newspaper, or a belt, or any object of this type to discipline them.

This will only scare and confuse them, and loose their trust, which will make it much harder to achieve the results you are looking for.

If you use the word “No” Firmly, to stop him from what he is doing, or gently show him you want him to “Sit” or lay “Down”, or use the word “Come” when you want him to come to you, or say “Out” when it is time for her to go outside – I think you will be very surprised at how fast he or she learns.

Whatever words work for you are fine, as long as you keep them simple, and stay with the same words all the time I think you will get surprising results.

And don’t forget the most important word of all, GOOD. Using that word combined with boy or girl, or the dog’s name such as “Good Sammy”, can work wonders.

They learn to like that real fast. Saying Good Boy, or Good Girl, or What a Good Girl, with the right tone in your voice, combined with a pat on the head, a biscuit, or a rubbing of their belly, will practically send a Golden Retriever into orbit.

They are beautiful animals. Just be patient, and you will have a great friend for many years.

What are the basics of dog training? Rescue dog with training already? please read whole question?

I want to get a dog from the Humane Society and will opt towards an easily trainable dog and/or one who is already trained. If he is already trained, what will I personally have to do to so he responds to me? Also, what exactly are the things I would train him? Basically, if he listens to me and can understand the commands, he will be able to understand most of what I want him to do, right?

Puppy Training Basics – Essential Guide

Often people wonder exactly when puppy training should take place. Well, the answer is as soon as possible. A puppy is able to learn things as soon as he can walk. And the earlier you start training, the more acceptable to it the puppy will be.
Training introduced at an early age will yield good results and cooperation; at a later age it will prove more difficult and meet with resistance. So, get your puppy started on the right track with some proper training, and he will become a welcome addition to your home.
A puppy’s brain grows and develops dramatically in the first six months of its life. This is a time where you can have an enormous influence on how he develops regarding his learning, socialization and emotional behavior. In fact, a puppy can start training as soon as he opens his eyes. Socialization training is very important to a puppy and it is sensitive to this during the third to sixteenth week of its life. It can prevent behavior problems, presented as aggression, at a later age. A well-socialized puppy will turn into a happy, secure dog. Initially, the puppy is around the rest of its litter. Handling by humans should start early also. As he grows he should be taken out, so he can continue to be around other people and pets. By spending time with your puppy through play, the puppy will develop a bond with you and will want to please you.
It is important to establish who is in control. A puppy that is allowed to roam as he wishes, with no limitations on behavior, will learn he is in charge. He will take signals from his setting as to how he should act. So, it is good to set restrictions. Start by setting up an eating area and his crate area. Get a crate just big enough for him to stand in. Too big a crate will allow the puppy to have an area to use as a potty. And house training is one of the first training areas you should address. Take the dog outside frequently so they have the opportunity to go outside. This way they will sense where they are supposed to go. If he messes in the house, clean it up, give him a firm ‘NO’, and take it outside. This way he will know where it should go. Try to keep his urine smell out of the house, as he will associate that with the potty area.
Puppies also love to chew on things. They will do this when they become bored. So play with your puppy and keep him entertained. Also provide him with plenty of chew toys especially if you catch him chewing on something he is not suppose to. It is also a good idea to start early in teaching the puppy not to bite people. While playing with the puppy, try to get him to bite you. When he does, say ‘ouch’ really loud to startle him and stop playing. After a few minutes go back to playing with him and keep repeating. He will get the idea.
Puppy training should be done routinely on a daily basis. And it should be consistent. Stick to the rules. And make sure the whole family does also. Dogs do have a short attention span; so make sure each session is short. It is also important to never hit the dog when he does something wrong. Instead, reward good behavior. He will get the point. Positive reinforcement for good behavior, and a firm ‘NO’ when he does something you don’t like, should do the trick.
Simple commands such as “sit”, “stay”, “down”, “come” and “no” can be taught the first year sometimes even by the 8th week. Their brains are like sponges in the early months of their lives. Say their name and commands often. They will learn through repetition. Reward them with treats initially to get them to follow a command. Later you can withhold the treats and instead offer a ‘good dog’ as a reward.
It is important during your training process, to have a great deal of patience with the puppy. You should never yell or hit your dog. Instead reward good behavior. They will respond better to this, than harsh words. Through proper training, and lots of love, your puppy will grow up to be a well adjusted, sociable, happy and obedient dog. And you will be a proud owner.

Puppy Training Basics

When it comes to training your puppy, there are a few tips to keep in mind to help guide you through the process. By following a few key points, you can maintain consistent training and avoid letting things get ruff.
If you are using the crate method for housebreaking your puppy, never leave him/her inside of the crate for more than two hours at a time. Puppies cannot control their bathroom habits yet, so make sure to let them out frequently. Your pet will soon grow to understand that he/she should go outside of the home to relieve itself and your housebreaking approach will be a success.
Never use physical punishment as a form of puppy training. This will only result in your pet being afraid or nervous when you are near. Instead, reward good behavior and ignore them if they fail to respond on command. For instance, if you instruct your puppy to “sit”, gently push down on his/her backside and repeat the command. When your puppy is seated, reward him/her with a treat and praise. If your pet refuses to sit, walk away and try again in a few minutes. Training takes time and patience, but should never involve your pet being afraid of you.
You can begin training your puppy as early as 8 weeks old. He/she may not respond immediately, but you will be building a foundation for your pet’s learning at an early age. Continue working with him/her for short intervals every day and instill positive reinforcement as you train.
Whenever you plan to attempt obedience training with your puppy, make sure that you have his/her favorite treats on hand to serve as a reward. In addition, puppy training should be approached at a time that is calm for both you and your pet. If he/she is anxious about something, it is not likely that the training attempt will be successful. Instead, your puppy should be relaxed and able to focus on the training task at hand.
If you are housebreaking your puppy, be sure to watch him/her closely during the earliest days of training. If you allow your pet to roam freely throughout the house, it is especially important to be mindful of their whereabouts. If your puppy has an “accident” on the carpet, which is possible if he/she is unattended, catching them in the act is the only way to deter future behavior of the same. If you later find the problem spot and you verbally scold your pet, he/she will not understand or associate the “accident” with bad behavior. If you catch them in the act, however, a firm “no” will let them know that you are displeased with their actions.
When training your puppy, always be consistent in your commands. For instance, if you are attempting to teach your pet to sit, always use “sit” as your command. Avoid using alternate terms that may confuse your pet and never yell or shout your instructions as this will make your puppy feel as though he/she is being scolded. A normal, instructive tone will be much more effective in your approach to puppy training.
It’s important to realize that the amount of obedience training, housebreaking and instruction needed will largely depend on your pet. Some breeds are highly intelligent and may learn quickly according to your puppy training techniques. If your pet does not respond as quickly as you think it should, simply spend additional time working with him/her and you will have a perfectly-trained pup in no time.
Following these steps will help get you started on the right track in training your new puppy. There are many great resources for dog training available on the internet. One of the best ways to find these resources is by reading independent reviews and comparison rankings. In this way you can be confident your pet is getting best training possible.