Leash walking is one of the commands that dog owners have difficulty with.

In this video you can learn a simple secret to leash walking.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Dog Barking Problems – Episode 1

This is Episode 1 in a series of videos on how to train your dog not to bark.

This episode focuses on barking at noises.

The next episode will be focusing on barking at visual stimuli- dogs and people etc.

Here’s another dog trainer’s perspective on solving your barking problem.  (Well, not YOURS, but your dog’s) 

Basic Dog Training Tips : How to Train a Dog to Stop Barking

Here’s an easy method that you can use to stop your dog from jumping on friends and family.

If your dog is bothering friends, family, and the mail man with jumping problems, remember it’s just love.  Just too much of it expressed in an unacceptable way.

Don’t get mad, just use this training method to keep your dog from jumping on people…

Noted veterinarian and dog trainer Dr. Ian Dunbar offers a few of the “million different ways” to train a dog, outlining three simple strategies.

With so many dog trainers talking about so many different methods for dog training, it’s nice that a pro can break it down into bite-sized chunks for us so we don’t have to become professional dog trainers just to have a well-behaved dog!

Image via Wikipedia

by Dr. Nicholas Dodman

Dog obedience training is one of the best things you can do for your dog and yourself. Obedience training doesn’t solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem including soiling your house, destroying your belongings, barking excessively, digging holes in your yard, fighting other dogs and even biting you.

For most dog owners, dog obedience training is a daunting task. However, training your dog is about to get much easier, if you follow my advice below.

Here Are My Top 10 Tips For Training Your Dog

1. Dog training should be an enjoyable experience for you and your dog. If you are not in the right mood for training, don’t even start.

2. Keep dog obedience training sessions short (5-10 minutes) to maintain your dog’s motivation. Dogs will learn much more from regular short sessions than from longer, less frequent ones. Once the dog has learned several useful commands on the continuous reward schedule, the schedule should be changed to one of intermittent rewards.

3. Always end training on a positive note. Ask your dog to respond to a command you know he or she will obey. Then reward your dog for a job well done and issue a finish command such as “free” or “release.” Avoid common words such as “okay.” Following a training session, both owner and dog should be left with feelings of accomplishment.

4. Keep in mind that your dog’s motivation to respond to a command decreases as the complexity of the task increases. If your dog doesn’t respond appropriately to a command after several attempts, don’t reward him or her. Resume training a few seconds later using a simpler command. Return to the more complex task later.

5. Remember, the odds of success hinge not only on the degree of sophistication of the task, but also your dog’s motivation to respond. From a dog’s perspective the question is, which is more rewarding: chasing the squirrel or returning to the owner? Understanding this aspect will increase your patience and chances for dog training success.

6. Training should not involve any negative or punishment-based components. There should be no yelling, no hitting, no chain jerking, no hanging, and absolutely no electric shock. Remember that the opposite of reward is not punishment; it is no reward. If you ignore unacceptable responses, your dog will not be rewarded for his or her failed response. Most dogs want to please their owners or, at the very least, to obtain highly valued resources (food, attention and toys).

7. Ensure that your dog’s motivation for reward is highest during a training session. If food is the reward, train before a meal, not after. If praise, petting and other aspects of your attention are to be used as a reward, schedule the training session at a time when your dog hungers for your attention (for example, after you have returned home from work).

For complex tasks, such as the off leash down-stay, your dog will be more motivated to comply if he or she has received moderate exercise before the training session. Asking a dog that is bursting with energy to remain in a prolonged reclining position is asking for failure during the early stages of training.

8. Make sure the reward you offer in training is the most powerful one for your dog. Food-motivated dogs work well for food, but the treats used should be you dog’s favorite food. If praise is used as a reward, deliver it in high singsong tones, which are most pleasing for the dog. Also, enthusiasm in your voice will be much appreciated. If petting is to be used as a reward, it should be in a way that the dog enjoys, such as stroking the dog’s hair on the side of his or her face in the same direction that it grows, or scratching him or her on the chest.

9. After a correct response, reward your dog within 1/2 second of the command. This will ensure your dog makes the connection between the behavior and the reward.

10. Use short commands such as sit, down, leave it, quiet, out, and off. Say the word once. Do not repeat the command. Dogs will remember a command for about two minutes before the notion is lost. Shorter words are better than longer words and words that end in a hard consonant (C, K, T, X) are better than those that end in a vowel because you can “spit” them out.

A Bonus Dog Training Tip:

The “Holy Grail” of training is to have the dog reliably obeying commands off lead, even when other things are going on around him or her. This level of training can be achieved, but only after a lot of hard work and investment of time. It’s something to strive toward.

—
As a PetPlace.com columnist, Dog trainer & behavioral specialist, Dr. Nicholas Dodman has provided thousands of pet owners just like you with valuable insights in keeping their dogs obedient, healthy, and happy. To get your free daily dose of pet crazy stories and access to over 8000 veterinarian approved advice articles guaranteed to help you train your dogs and keep them living longer, stronger lives, go to: http://www.petplace.com/dogs.aspx

Dog obedience training is one of the best things you can do for your dog and yourself. Obedience training doesn’t solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem including soiling your house, destroying your belongings, barking excessively, digging holes in your yard, fighting other dogs and even biting you.

Related articles…

• How to Correct Dog Training Problems (animaltopics.com)
• High-spirited dog is far from hopeless (timesunion.com)
• Crate Training. Some Vital Information. (animaltopics.com)
• Dog Training With a Leash or Collar (animaltopics.com)

Okay, who among us does not love to watch movies with well trained dogs? Dogs like Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Air Bud, and Pongo the Dalmatian? These dogs do cool dog tricks that are far beyond the basic dog training. Is it really possible for your average Tina to learn beyond dog obedience training?

Good news! Even a rescued dog can surely learn these adorable and simple dog tricks. I will show you how to get your dog to wave, play dead, dance, and crawl. These are actually easy tricks to teach dogs.

Before you begin teaching Tina to do dog tricks for entertainment purposes, it is essential for her to have mastered all the basic dog obedience commands. These include sit, down, stay, heel (left and right), come, as well as a long sit, down, or stay, and all commands performed off leash. The dog must also be able to handle distractions.

Let us start with showing Tina how to “shake,” which follows with a wave session next. If Tina likes to use her paws, say “Good shake,” and reward her with affection when she places her paw in your hand. If Tina does not like to use her paws, help her. Place her paw in your hand and tell her shake. Repeat the exercise three to five times in a row to drill it in and reinforce it, always using the same hand and the same paw.

Repeat this entire exercise session four to six times a day, but with no more than five iterations at once. This keeps Tina from getting bored.

Now that Tina has mastered shaking hands, ask her to sit in readiness for the next of her cool dog tricks – waving. Then put your hand out about an inch away from her. When she reaches for your hand, tell her “Good wave.” Increase the distance a little more each time. If Tina gets frustrated, go back to the last time she waved and help her with the increased distance.

Always play with your dog for a few minutes after each training session. Playtimes keep the whole thing relaxed and fun. It is also important bonding time.

Ready for more cool dog tricks? If you want Tina to learn to crawl and play dead, begin with playing dead. Have Tina lie down. Either roll her on her side yourself, or use a favorite toy as an assistant. Tell her to “Stay dead.” Before too long, you will only need the word “dead.”

To teach Tina to crawl, have her lie down, and then tell her to stay a minute. Next, sit on the floor a couple of inches away. Keeping your hand just barely above the floor, motion for her to come. As she crawls, encourage her with calmly saying “Crawl; that-a-girl, crawl!” Reward her with affection, or use a favorite toy if you like.

Dancing is another of the popular tricks to teach dogs. You want your Tina to learn to dance around in a circle, but how? Form an “O” with your hand. Move your hand slowly in a circle, while moving your body around as necessary, to get your dog to follow your hand in a circular fashion. All the while you are saying, “Dance. Let’s dance.” (Or something similar.) If Tina jumps at your hand, make her sit, then get her on a heel and have her follow you with your hand still in the “O” position, your arm slowly moving in a circle. She will start to get the idea.

Next, you might teach Tina to dance standing on her back legs. This is especially easy if your dog likes to jump or stand for affection. Just set it up so that she is doing the motion, then give it a name (e.g., “dance” or “groove”) and reward her for doing the motion. “Good Groove!”

As you see, your dog can learn how to do these simple dog tricks in a step by step process. Be aware, though, that Tina needs a motion first, which is then associated with a word. Otherwise, you give a word command and the dog becomes confused, anxious and frustrated, eager to please but not knowing how. It is easy for her to watch your hand, though. So, induce an action or reward a behavior, then give that behavior a name. Before you know it, your dog will amaze your friends, appearing as a dog movie star with impressive cool dog tricks!

GET HELP from Rena Murray at the Dog Obedience Training website. Proven Dog Behavior Modification Expert-Dog Obedience Trainer-Platinum Expert Author, Rena debunks Dog Training Myths in hands-on Articles, free “Best Ezines” newsletter – PAW PERSUASION POINTERS, and blatant Blog to help you better understand, communicate with, control and enjoy your dogs. Rena boldly addresses all your Dog Training and Dog Rehabilitation needs – whether puppy house training, destructive dog behavior, obsessive dog behavior, dog instinctive behavior, or cool dog tricks. Get your FREE Newsletter Subscription at http://www.PawPersuasion.com/ where you also find Dog Products, Dog Houses and Crates, Dog Lover Gifts, and all things dog-related. Need more help? Contact Rena for Coaching.

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