Archives for Training category
Author: John Williams Dog Training
A dog crate is a metal and plastic cage for your dog to sleep in or be in while you are away, the crate helps give your dog a secure place to live while in your home and a place to retreat to when things get a bit to hectic as they do in many family homes today.
Crate training is a very popular and effective technique for teaching your dog right from wrong; this method includes teaching rules of eliminating, sleeping arrangements, and keeping your dog from being destructive when you are out amongst many other benefits.
To crate train you must choose a correctly sized crate that your dog or puppy will be able to grow into with time and they will not be too cramped or have too much space. If your dog has a crate that is too small they won’t want to live there or go there and if the crate is too large it leads to eliminating problems.
You should make your dog feel as comfortable as you can in their crate; this should include putting a bowl of water with your dog in their crate, a nice easily cleanable blanket and put them in an area that is widely used by the family so they always feel part of what is going on.
When you are out, your dog can be closed in their crate to ensure common bad behavioural problems don’t happen while you are out such as chewing, biting and eliminating in the house. Be sure not to keep your dog in their crate for longer than about 4 hours and to let them go to the toilet on a regular basis.
Dogs will naturally not want to eliminate in their place of sleep so as you dog gets used to its new sleeping area it will want to go to the toilet only when they are let out so be sure to take them to their appropriate place for eliminating when they are let out, then reward them for behaving in the correct manner.
Always reward your dog for using the crate in the correct way and be sure all members of the family know that the dog should not be pestered in their crate. As long as this rule is followed then you won’t go far wrong and you will begin to notice great improvements in your dog’s behaviour immediately.
Aug 06, 2009 | | Training
Author: John Williams Dog Training
Dog leashes or leads are an extremely essential training tool or even just for general care and wellbeing for your dog. Whether you use your leash for taking you dog for long walks or only use it for teaching your dog right from wrong in the comfort of your back garden, a lead is always an important buy for you and your dog.
As a dog owner and a consumer, your choice of dog leads/leashes is as you might expect, huge. With so much choice and variations, choosing which lead or leash to use can be a bigger challenge than the actual training of your dog.
So what are the different kinds of leads and leashes? Well trust me there are thousands out there to choose from, I will only go through a few of the more popular types of leash as I’m sure there are many different types of leads being brought onto the market every week and it would be an impossible task to keep track of all of them.
In the next part of this article I will first go through the different types of lead then finish off with my personal views and preferences.
Extending leads
These do exactly what is says, they ‘extend’ away from the owner for a certain distance before running out of slack. With these leashes the owner has control of when to stop the lead extending further and can be used just like a normal leash if needs be.
Slip leads
These leads are a simple type of lead with a loop on both sides normally with and adjustable clip at the end that tightens when pulled or loosens around the dog’s neck for comfort when there is no pulling. Used by many for dog training.
Nylon leads
This is the cheaper option of dog lead, the simplest form of dog leash available, often causes rubbing and digging into your dog’s skin. Nylon leashes are best avoided.
Bungee leads
These leads help to eliminate the slack that other leads cause so that your dog does not trip over the leash and there is less pulling on your arm from a dog in the training process.
Leather leads
This is a popular type of lead that is comfortable for your dog and gives you full control of how far your dog can wonder. A good lead for training but can be tiring on your arm if your dog tends to try and pull you around.
My Conclusion
It is the preference of the trainer in hand at the end of the day but I feel leather leads are best for me and show your dog sum gentle authority when starting to train. Letting your dog wonder too far on walks can give your dog too much freedom and chance to misbehave.
If you are interested in training then I would go for a leather lead to begin, if you just like going for walks in the park or your dog is well behaved then you could maybe opt for an extendable leash.
Aug 06, 2009 | | Training
Author: John Williams Dog Training
There are many choices when it comes to rewarding your dog with a treat for obeying your commands, and these treats make a big difference in your dog’s attitude towards you in learning new tricks, and why wouldn’t they? To get anything in life you have to give something back and dogs are no different, you help them and they’ll help you. Simple.
But what are the best rewards and treats to give your dog in times of good behavior? Well for starters you won’t be short of treats to try, the markets as it is now is full to the brim of all the fancy rewards and treats you could ever think of.
One of the favourite for dog owners is to treat their dog to homemade treats from recipes that can be found across the internet in many places, some of my favourites and personal recommendations are listed in the products page of www.dog-behavior-training.co.uk along with other tips on dog training there.
Consumer products are also a good choice when rewarding your dog; these include chewing toys which can be very rewarding for puppies and dogs alike. Saving one of their favourite toys for when they behave well makes everything more exciting for your dog and causes them to want to perform more for this reward.
If a chew toy is not to your dogs liking then they may instead enjoy a tug toy, tug toys are good for your dog’s teeth the same as chew toys are and it enhances the relationship between you and your dog as you play with them. Be careful while using these toys as some dogs may think of this game as good behaviour and will start tugging on trousers or other annoying or destructive things.
The last toys I am going to talk about are the throwing toys; these are good to calm your dog down when they are over active or if you just want to reward your dog with quality playing time for their good behavior. These toys range from a simple tennis ball to special durable dog Frisbees and help you to react with your dog wile also training playing the ‘fetch’ game.
There are lots more dog toys available, probably at your local pet shop. It is a good idea to keep in mind what textures and current toys your dog likes to play with or chew before making your choice but as long as your dog enjoys it, it can be used as a good reward and training method.
Aug 06, 2009 | | Training
Author: John Williams Dog Training
Dogs can be very difficult animals to deal with from time to time, some breeds and types can be especially difficult to train and control. No mater how much time and effort you seem to be putting in, your efforts give no results.
Don’t worry too much about persistently training you dog, it might not be your fault your dog is disobedient, people in different circumstances may be failing to train their dog for very simple reasons, whether it be your tone of voice, not having enough time to give your dog due to other commitments like work or hobbies, or your children throwing all the basic dog training rules out the window. Here we will try to educate you on the difference a professional dog trainer could have on your dog’s obedience, and how much it will cost.
The options available for dog training
Group dog training sessions locally - four to eight weekly 1 hour sessions for around $40 - $130 (£20 - £70).
Private dog trainers visiting your home or work place to give personal training to your dog for around $25 - $110 (£13 - £55) per hour.
Dog boarding kennel where your dog lives with the trainer for around 2 – 4 weeks getting many hours of professional dog behaviour training a day for around $1000 – $2,500(£550 – £1,300).
What you get for your money
So what do you get for your money? Many dog trainers concentrate on different areas of your dog’s obedience and you will usually get a much better service for the more money you pay. Standard training classes and trainers will concentrate on addressing the chewing, barking, biting and digging aspects of your dog’s behavior. Hand signals may also be covered in dog obedience classes along with showing you, the owner how to handle trickier situations that can only be over come at home like housetraining.
General guidelines for hiring a dog trainer are to always research the dog trainer well, find out qualifications the dog trainer has in his area of expertise and seek advice and information for other dog owners who have had their dogs trained previously. Get to know your trainer well before handing your dog over to him/her and make sure you are comfortable in the methods he/she uses.
Aug 06, 2009 | | Training
Author: John Williams Dog Training
Exercise is one of the main way in which dogs keep their muscle tone, bones, joints, and mind healthy, there are plenty of ways in which to exercise your dog. Some exercises are good for keeping you healthy as well, and others are more relaxed and effort free for those times when you get back from work and your dog is staring at you all excited and ready to play.
Some breeds of dogs are more active and need more exercise than others, and sometimes more than a lot of owners think they can give them due to other commitments like work and there not being enough hours in the day. But this doesn’t have to be the case as many professional dog trainers will tell you, and keeping your dog in shape can be fun and rewarding for both parties.
Here are some of the exercises that are popular in the dog community and reasons why –
Fetch
Starting off with the most well known of exercises, the fetch game involves you throwing a ball and your dog running after it and returning it to you. This can be little exercise for you and a lot for your dog if you use any throwing enhancing products that are on the market today.
Tug
The tug game involves both you and your dog pulling on either end of a tugging toy, requires little effort on your behalf and can be played while you sit and watch telly or between breaks of other activities.
Jogging
Jogging is a highly active sport and helps keep your health up as well as your dogs, your dog will love to pay this game with you and it will ensure a healthy and happy dog.
Cycling
Although cycling may seem like a difficult exercise for your dog to follow and keep an interest in, there are special leashes for you to use on your dog to maintain hands free control over your dog giving you a more subtle form of exercise. Care may be needed and basic dog training should be given to make sure your dog will be in no harm during the task.
Jul 31, 2009 | | Training