Posts Tagged ‘Dog Training’
Dog Collars – What You Need To Know
What’s The Best Type Of Dog Collar?
Getting the right dog collar for your dog is one of the most important things you can do for your dog. Your dog will probably spend most of it’s life with it’s collar on, so getting a good comfortable hard wearing dog collar is essential. Luckily for the more style conscious amongst you, modern designer dog collars can be fashionable too! Finding the best type of dog collar for you , will depend on your dog and what the main use for the collar will be.
What is a dog collar for, and is it essential?
The main use for a dog collar is probably the most obvious – controlling your dog. Used in combination with a dog leash, a dog collar can provide you with a certain amount of control to prevent your dog wandering off or straying into road traffic when out walking. There are other uses for a dog collar such as dog or puppy training. Also, you can incorporate your dog’s identity and your contact information within the dogs collar, in the event your dog gets lost.
Choosing the correct size of dog collar is important. Having a collar that is too small can cause your dog harm and at best will leave your dog feeling uncomfortable. Similarly, having a collar that is too big will enable your dog to easily slip out of it. Also, the width and material of the collar neeeds to match the size of your dog or puppy. A heavy duty leather collar will not be much good for a Chihuahua and neither will a lightweight nylon collar be any good on a Rotweiller.
A good rule of thumb, is to make sure that on a large dog, you can slip two fingers between the dogs throat and the collar. Also ensure the collar can rotate easily, but not slip over the dogs ears. On smaller dogs, ensure the collar can rotate easily and does not cause any breathing problems. Make sure it cannot pull over the dogs ears. Remember that in the right situation, many dogs can become little Houdini’s in their own right.
There are many different types of dog collar available. There are sporting collars, designer collars, personalized collars. We will be covering a few main types. These are as follows.
Standard Dog Collar
Dog Training Collars
Electric Dog Collar or Dog Shock Collar
Standard Dog Collar
The standard dog collar is what your dog would wear for everyday use and can come in a variety of materials. Most common these days is the Nylon collar. These come in all sorts of colors and sizes. The main advantage of a nylon collar is it’s price. These collars are very cheap yet provide a superb durability in that they don’t tend to rot and when wet will dry out quickly. Alternative types such as leather collars tend to have a more asthetic natural appeal. A good quality leather collar could easily last the lifetime of your dog. An extension to this are the designer dog collar or fashion collars. These can extend to anything from a simple fashionable pattern or designer name, to a rhinestone dog collar for more special occasions.
The dog collar that you will be using most should be comfortable for your dog and secure, although for lapdogs where the collar can be more of a fashion accessory being comfortable is the priority. For larger dogs, a strong hardwearing collar is a must.
Dog Training Collar
A dog training collar is – as the name suggests – used mainly during training. The type of training will dictate the type of collar.
For obedience training, a choke collar or ‘choke chain’ would be best suited. These collars comprise of a slip loop that tightens around the dogs neck if it pulls on a leash too much. When the dog stops pulling, the chain loosens off. Many people consider the use of a choke collar as unnecessary but used in the right circumstances, this type of collar can be an effective training aid. It is extremely important to only use a choke collar when training and when the dog is supervised. You must NEVER let your dog out alone with a choke collar on. If the dog becomes caught on something they may easily choke themselves.
Electric Dog Collar or Dog Shock Collar
Electric dog collars or as they are sometimes known ‘dog shock collars’ and ‘anti bark collars’ tend to be used to discourage a certain behaviour in a dog. More often than not these are used to control unnecessary barking. These collars consist of a sensor to detect the bark and a pair of electrodes or similar to administer a small harmless shock to the dog. More advanced devices can adjust the level of the shock depending upon how many shocks have been administered before. The main problem with these devices is that the dog is being consistently punished for it’s bad behaviour. This may seem ideal initialy but it is far from this.
Training a dog involves much more than punishing the dog every time it is bad. In fact, using positive reinforcement and praise when the dog stops behaving badly can have a much more positive effect. Getting to the root of the behavioural problem is the best approach. Only then can a preventative training method be implemented. Consider the case of a dog that chews and barks because it misses it’s owner during the day. The barking and chewing is a product of the dog feeling anxious. If the dog recieves an electrical shock every few minutes, that anxious behaviour will be compounded. Read this article for further training information.
For cases where the owner is not present, a far more humane method of discouragement can be implemented. This involves a similar type of collar that detects a bark but the collar releases a natural spray of Citronella that discourages the dogs behaviour. These can be used as a complementary method to other training.
Article By Andrew Strachan. Find lots more information about dog collars and different types of dogs at http://www.types-of-dogs.com Lots of help and advice too.
Author: Andrew Strachan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Behavioral Training For Your New Puppy
In this article we will discuss behavioral training for the newest member of your family.
Obedience training was discussed in an earlier article titled “Obedience Training for Your New Puppy”. It has been shown that obedience training is very important for a puppy and behavioral training is just as important. In some puppy/dog training camps, behavioral training is considered to be training a puppy/dog to be “good” or “well behaved”. In other training camps, behavioral training is considered to be “correcting a puppy/dogs bad behavior”. For the sake of arguments, we will describe behavioral training in this article as training a puppy or dog to be well behaved as in house training and good manners when around people and other animals.
One of the very first training sessions will be house training. You want your puppy to do his business outside. If you are committed to this training, you can have a puppy housebroken in as little as three weeks. There may be a mistake now and again but the main process will be complete and the puppy will be going outside to do his business in the yard. A crate for the puppy to sleep in will aid in his house training and also protect him/her when you are unable to closely observe the puppy. Put your puppy on a feeding schedule and make sure you take them outside as soon as they are finished eating. Talk to them and praise them when they relieve themselves outside. If they do have an accident inside, tell them “no” sternly and take them outside immediately. Do not punish them for any accidents inside but praise them abundantly when they relieve themselves outside. Make sure you regulate their food and water before bedtime and take them outside before putting them in the crate for the night. Be consistent and determined in your training and it will pay off.
Training your dog not to jump up on people is a must. Teach them the correct way to greet people when they are small so you don’t have a 90 pound dog jumping up on grandmother or anyone else who visits your home. Many people are frightened of large dogs because a large dog can cause injury if they jump up on people. One way to train a puppy not to jump up on people is to keep the puppy on a leash when someone comes to your house. Step on the leash so the puppy can’t jump up as you open the door or greet the visitors. Command the puppy to sit (they can’t do much else with you standing on the leash) and when he/she does reward them with a treat or pat on the head. Have a friend or relative practice with you and the puppy until they realize that if they sit when someone arrives, they will be rewarded. If he/she does try to jump up on the visitor, reprimand in a stern loud voice and start over. Never hit the puppy or yell at him/her.
Do not let your puppy or dog on the couch or bed unless you plan to let them on the furniture at all times. An animal doesn’t understand that they can sleep on the bed or couch only on certain days or certain times. It is very unfair to them to let them do something on one day but refuse them the same privilege on another day. Make up your mind what the rules are before enforcing them with your puppy or dog. It is much easier to train a little bundle of fur not to get on the furniture then a big 120 pound Rottweiler who happens to like sleeping on your bed or couch. Consistency is the key.
Behavioral training will be an on going process just like obedience training. Yes, your puppy will learn the basics and yes they will still remember these as adult dogs but there may be new situations which the animal faces and new rules for the animal to learn. Also, the obedience training the puppy/dog receives will cross over to behavioral training. Sometimes the difference in the training is miniscule. You can not have a well behaved dog that is not obedient and an obedient dog will be well behaved.
Jim McKiel lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife Doris and their pet family members Buddy and Buster. They have devoted their lives to the betterment of pet ownership. For more information, visit LargeBreedFamilyDogs
Author: Jim McKiel
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Dog Obedience Schools: 4 Tips For Choosing The Right Dog Training Schools
Narrowing down your choices of dog obedience schools can be challenging, especially if you are a new dog owner that doesn’t know what to look for in a dog training school.
Many new dog owners believe that dog obedience school is only suited for puppy obedience training and that their older dogs will not be accepted into the class. Although some schools focus on puppy training, most schools offer classes for dogs of all ages and all levels of training.
Remember that while dog obedience training is to help teach the basic commands, it can also be a great way to spend time with your dog and to help them bond with you. If you are having a specific problem with your pet, such as they are rolling in stinky stuff or running away every time you open the door, there are also classes that are specifically geared towards this type of obedience problems.
Once you decide that you are interested in attending dog obedience training with your pooch, it is best to take a few minutes to research exactly what to look for in an obedience school.
Types of Training:
Some dog owners might be looking for basic command training, while others will be looking for advanced training to use their dogs for agility challenges, fowl hunting and retrieving and even for training. As well, some schools will focus on a certain type of training, so it is important to consider whether their training matches your needs as a dog owner. It is also helpful to look for a dog training school that offers various levels of obedience training, in case you would like to continue on with your dog training to help remain consistent with your dog.
Methods of Training:
Before you rush into the nearest dog training school and sign up for classes, you should attend an orientation or another training class to get an idea of what type of training the instructor or instructors will be using. Remember that just as you might not agree with the method a fitness instructor uses for teaching a class, you also might not agree with the training methods an instructor uses for teaching a dog obedience class.
Instructor Experience:
One of the most important things to look for is the type of experience the instructor has working with dogs. Are they simply a dog lover that is really good with animals or have they actually received formal dog obedience training? Remember that not all states will require dog instructors to have formal training, so it is up to your discretion to determine whether the instructor is suited to teach classes.
References:
Because there are so many different schools to choose from, you really should select a school that offers references from satisfied customer. You may also want to verify these references by asking veterinarians or local dog owners that have completed dog obedience schools.
When Richard Livitski isn’t busy digging up information on Dog Obedience Schools, he’s working on his dog names website http://www.dog-names-and-more.com where dog names as well as other helpful dog related topics can be found.
Author: Richard Livitski
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Why Dogs Love Clicker Training
Clicker training is a type of dog training that uses operant training to train your dog to be obedient by using the sound of a click, which becomes known to the dog as a sound that promises a reward. This type of dog training is innovative and a great way to train your dog to obey you on command. A clicker is used to make a clicking sound so when you actually give your dog a reward, he understands that the reward is for being obedient. Both owners and their dogs love this kind of training for a variety of reasons.
They Understand
Other methods of dog training may be difficult for a dog to understand, but once they start to associate the clicker with their actions that gets them a treat, they begin to understand how the system works. Other methods of dog training may be confusing and leave the dog wondering what he did wrong or right. This method leaves no doubt when your dog obeys you like he should and helps to make your dog happily obedient.
Positive Reinforcement
Many other dog training programs use various methods of negative punishments to try to make dogs do what you want, and many times, the dogs do not even understand why they are being punished. Clicker training for dogs uses only positive reinforcement to train the dog the way you want. Negative punishment has no place in this system and dogs learn much faster with the positive reinforcement that is used in the clicker program. Another reason that punishments are not used in this training program is because, many times, dogs may even look at punishment as something good since they are getting your attention. It is much better to make them realize that when they do well, they are rewarded, and soon enough their bad behavior will cease.
Dogs Want to Please
Most dogs love to please their masters, especially when there is a treat at the end of the road for them. This type of dog training takes the pleasing nature of dogs and helps them turn it into obedience, which makes their masters very happy. Dogs begin to realize that when they please their master, not only will they get approval, love, and affection, but they also get a treat as well. The combination makes a powerful training tool.
Signals are Used with Behaviors
Another reasons that dogs do so well with clicker training is because the trainers always make sure that the dog understands the command by using it and showing the dog what is wanted. Only after the dog learns the behavior and the signals that are associated with the wanted behavior do the trainers require the dog to perform the commands on cue. This makes it very easy for dogs to understand exactly what is wanted so they can do it quickly. Once they understand the behavior, then they start having the behavior reinforced by the trainer with the clicks and the treats.
Bad Behaviors Disappear
Not only do dogs learn that good behaviors get rewards, but through lack of positive reinforcement they learn that their bad behaviors are unwanted. If dogs behaving badly, after going through the clicker dog training program they will find out that their bad behavior is not rewarded with a treat. After some time, the dogs will eventually stop the bad behavior because they realize that they are not rewarded for it.
Focus on Relationships
Many dogs love this program because it focuses on the relationship between the dog and the owner, building a bond that is strong and lasting. When their good behavior is reinforced by the owner, the dog feels wonderful for having pleased their master. Dogs and owners have to work together on this kind of training and they are able to spend more time together as well. Dogs learn that they get the attention of their owners when they are obedient and they are on good behavior.
The clicker training program for dogs is a great program for both the dogs and the owners. If you are considering a way to train your dog that will last forever, the clicker program is for you. While obedience school and other dog training programs may wear off, the clicker training program builds a bond and a sense of achievement with a dog that they will never forget. Positive reinforcement is the backbone of this dog training program, and it truly works in a way that dogs love.
Let DogandMaster.com [http://www.dogandmaster.com] help you raise a well-trained, happy and healthy dog. Learn about house training your puppy, obedience training, dog health and much more!
Author: John Laraby
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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First Steps in Training Your Dog or Puppy
Owning a dog can be great fun but with it comes also great responsibility both for the well being of the dog and yourself and your home. As well as the tips here we also suggest a great tool to speed up the process of effective training in the shape of the dog training videos which you can find details of at the end of the article. There are many training articles that you can find on the Internet but nothing beats visual examples which is why we feel these dog training videos will prove to be of great help.
Making sure your dog is properly trained ensures that you have a good relationship with your dog and the purpose of the dog training videos recommended will ensure that you can easily train your dog whether it is a puppy or an adult. Using the aid of the dog training videos will give you an head start in doing just that. Bear in mind that letting bad habits develop early is certainly something that you should curb at the beginning so it is better that you do this as soon as possible. This is not as difficult as you imagine and the dog training videos will make this task not only easy but also great fun.
As soon as you get your puppy or dog, you should make sure that it knows his or her place. Letting them roam wherever they want in the house is one bad habit you need to nip at the bud. To begin with choose a confined area where you are comfortable to have your dog roam as it pleases and put there the bedding, toys and bowls where it can drink and eat from. Make sure that the eating and drinking bowls are not always filled up as dogs will eat and drink all the time if you let them. That would mean them needing to go to the toilet quite often than you would like them to. At the same time ensure that they get plenty of exercise as well as making sure that your dog becomes properly potty trained. The dog training videos suggested give clear advice on how to do this.
As soon as you have clearly defined where your dog’s living area should be, you must try and spend as much time there with your dog. Spending time with your dog can really be fun and the dog training videos we suggest will ensure that you will have fun doing this. As you also are keeping their toys in this designated area, you should also play any games there with your dog. You should always feed the dog in this area which is also their sleeping area. If you struggle to find ways to play with your dog the dog training videos we suggest also has some neat tricks you can easily teach your dog that you can incorporate in your game. These are tricks that also teaches them obedience and which are easy to learn.
These steps will ensure that your dog gets used to where their sleeping area is located within the house. If you want to introduce the dog to other parts of the house you can move the bedding to these parts. The idea is that the dog is always confined to his bed or crate. If your dog sleeps in a crate, the dog training videos cover crate training in an easy way to follow which will effectively train your dog for life. Crate training seems to be the subject of many training sites on the internet so if this is something that you are looking for then make sure you check out the dog training videos.
There are obviously far more steps that will ensure that your dog is well trained. For example leash training is something of a problem for some people. Again the the dog training videos cover this aspect. If your dog need taught proper manners the dog training videos will also help you a lot. If other aspect of obedience are a problem again the dog training videos are have also this covered. The best reason why we recommend these dog training videos is that they are simple to emulate and you can access them immediately on your computer.
James Ross 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
Author: James Ross
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Dog Training – The Reward Way
The Reward method is probably the oldest form of training a dog. Most probably, this form of Dog Training may have started from early days when wolf pups were trained. However, there is a misconception that rewarding is a morden type of training. The misconception could be due to the reason that reward training became popular over the past 15 odd years.
Many reward-training enthusiasts are less enthusiastic about other forms of dog training, such as the traditional leash and collar method. However, the best approach to training any individual dog is often a combination of leash | collar training and reward training.
We must bear in mind that there is no one method that is suitable to all dogs or breeds. You must be alert to watch, how you dog respond to the various types of trainings. Some dogs respond wonderfully to reward training and they may not be encouraging at all, to leash and collar training, while others respond to leash/collar training woderfully and are not at all motivated by reward training. Most reward training uses some sort of food reward, or a reward that is associated with getting food. Usually, teaching complex behaviors can be easily overcome using this kind of positive reinforcement, and you will find that the people who train dogs for movies and television use reward training almost exclusively.
Clicker Method
Another kind of interesting training method is using the clickers. Surprising, clicker training is one of the method many dog owners prefer to use. In clicker training, the dog is taught to associate a clicking sound with a reward, like a treat. The trainer clicks the clicker when the dog does something good, followed immediately by a treat. Eventually, the dog learns to respond to the clicker alone.
It makes a great deal of sense to get the dog to perform the desired behavior without any physical intervention on the part of the handler. Getting the dog to perform a behavior without being touched is important.
To enforce positive reinforcement, it is wise to reward your dog with a teat. After the dog has performed what you instructed the dog to do, giving a reward is encouraged. Giving reward or treat is a method adopted by many dog trainers and praise, such as “good dog” or a pat on the head, can also be an effective rewards.
For your information, uniformed groups when training their dogs, adopt the rewarding method extensively. These trainings include scent detection, tracking and other related services used by the military and police forces.
Copyright 2006 Mdarma
Mdarma had several years of training dogs and associate with other dog trainers. His love for dogs, prompted him to put into words what he knows about dogs. Hope you will find this article useful to you dog-darma.blogspot.com
Author: Mdarma
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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