Dog Obedience & Socialization

It is fun to keep a pet at home but it also calls for a couple of obligations to fulfill. Take note that what your dog does is always out of habit. Thus, if you tolerate his bad habits, he will not be able to outgrow them. It will be you who will suffer in the end. So, it is best to start early with the dog obedience lessons.

Puppies are but young and don't have a mind of their own. They are simply dependent on you so it is your task to assist them let go of their bad habits and develop the good ones. You and your leadership skills will therefore guide your dog towards the right path in terms of honing his behavior, habits, and temperament. This is the main reason why dog obedience and socialization trainings are very much necessary.

Training Your Dog at Home

Separation anxiety often attacks young dogs. So, they normally cry, bark, chew, and do a lot of annoying things. You have to understand that it is also hard for him to adjust to his new environment. Thus, you should start with the house training activities by setting boundaries, introducing new areas, and letting him know those activities that you can tolerate and not.

Don't be violent when your dog doesn't seem to understand at once. Potty training, leash training, and the likes are never achieved overnight. You have to use lots of praises, rewards, and encouragement. It is always best to start as soon as possible so his old ways will be corrected. Incorporate fun sessions during the training. Use commands frequently. Whenever necessary, impose a punishment but not something that will agitate him and cause him to fight back. Say for example you didn't like his behavior, simply ignore him. He will surely try getting your attention but be stern not until he does what he is told.

Leaning the Socialization Skills

The dog's socialization period is said to fall in his first 16 weeks of puppyhood. It is the time when he develops into an adult dog. Therefore, you must expect that it is also the time frame when he changes his temperament, behavior, habits, and character. The socialization period is also the time that he gets adjusted to his family and the people in the household.

It is best to let him become familiar with the house and the people around. It helps to expose him to some animals too. This conditions him that it is not only him that exists in that area. Take him out for a walk so he will see what lies beyond the gates of your home. In this way, he will not go wild whenever he sees other objects, animals, and people apart from the members of his family.

During the dog obedience and socialization training, you should arm yourself with a doze of patience. Your pet lacks maturity so it is your own responsibility to handle the matter really well. He imitates what he sees so you better act accordingly.

Training a Sniffing Dog

Do you ever wonder how dogs find criminals in a passenger ship? It's simple: by sniffing. They are called detection or sniffer dogs. Trained to detect people and substances, through their senses, such as explosives, illegal drugs and blood; almost always the sense of smell, which is two thousand times much stronger, and fifty times more sensitive than that of a human's. In addition to sensitivity, a dog's sense of smell is pricky.

It can discern a specific scent; meaning it can recognize cheese in a fish and vegetable market thousand miles away from where it is standing. Hunting dogs that search for game and search dog that search for missing humans are generally not considered dogs. However, there is some confusion with cadaver dogs, only trained to detect human remains.

As to not make a fuss, they are taught to learn two kinds of alerting: the passive and the aggressive. Drug dogs use an aggressive alert, where they dig and paw at the spot where the smell the dugs. On the other hand, there are some cases where this kind of alert would be bad news. Placed in a situation where bombs are included, scratching can be very disastrous. In these cases, a passive alert is used.

A good example for this type are the beagles used by the Department of Agriculture where the dogs are trained to sniff out produces that are not allowed to enter the country. The Beagle Brigade, as how they are called, sniffs people's luggage while they wait in lines at airports and border crossings. In other countries, some also are used in emergency search actions. Because no one wants a dog digging in their belongings, the USDA beagles have been trained to simply sit down when they are able to smell it.

Trainers have come up with a strategy for dogs employed to sniff out drugs. On odd cases, they seem to eat them when they have found the illegal substance. Is it because they are addicted to those drugs themselves? In fact, the dogs have absolutely no interest in drugs. What they are actually looking for is their favorite toy. In an article found in discovery.com, the "toys" that are mostly often used are white towels. Since dogs love to play this vigorous game of tug-of-war, they have generated the "White Towel Game" idea.

To begin the training, the handler simply plays with the dog using a towel, which has been washed carefully to appear null and without scent for the trainee. Later, a bag of marijuana, for instance, is rolled up inside the towel.

After playing for a while, the dogs starts to recognize the smell of the drug as the smell of his favorite toy. The handler then hides the towel, with the drug, in various places. Whenever the dog sniffs out the drugs, he digs and scratches, trying to get his toy. He soon comes to learn that if he sniffs out the smell of drugs, as soon as he finds them, he'll be rewarded with a game of tug-of-war.

As training progresses, different drugs are placed in the towel, until the dog is able to sniff out a host of illegal substances. The same method is used for bomb-detection dogs, except various chemicals used to manufacture explosives are placed in the towel instead of drugs.

Things You Need to Know About Dog Obedience Training

As pets, dogs are not only meant to be confined at home. There are chances when you have to take them out for a walk or bring them to any destination. Even more, the dog needs to learn the proper behavior despite being kept at home. Socializing is one skill that he has to be trained with. Thus, let him undergo dog obedience training.

You see, all of your family members should feel safe and at ease with your pet. There are dogs that seem to be agitated and such behavior can definitely threaten your family's safety. While training him may be quite a daunting task, you will realize that it will be all worth it. Sooner or later, you will appreciate your efforts.

The Real Scope of Dog Training

Obedience training is composed of several areas. It ranges from the simplest one up to the most advance instructions for your dog. The basics often include the simple commands that should make your dog respond. Included are come, sit, stand, roll over, stay, down, and the likes. The advance training includes giving directions for fetching something and many others. There are techniques used as well like positive reinforcement, clicker training, collar and leash, and the rewards given for any positive and likeable behavior.

Dog obedience is a training that is often recommended for the wild and unruly animals. But in your case, a new pet will be more in his best foot if given the proper training.

The Importance of Obedience Training

As a dog owner, you should understand the significance of training your pet to obey. A trained dog is very suitable to bring around friends and other people without fear of attacking anyone. It is then like tagging along a well-behaved human being. You don't like your dog to be misbehaving and causing nuisance, right? Therefore, allow him to absorb a kind of mentality that emphasizes the need to act accordingly in different situations.

Dog Obedience Training by Yourself

Although professionals are more into this thing, it will be a rewarding experience for you and your dog if the training is conducted personally. The training sessions will not only serve as educational but also suffice for your bonding moments. Doing so will establish a closer bond between the two of you.

Training your dog calls for more patience on your part. It will be hard on your dog's part to process your commands and will take time to execute them. There will be moments when you feel like giving up and snapping but don't punish your dog without any reason. This may agitate him. Keep in mind that your dog needs to adjust and learning doesn't happen overnight.

Positive reinforcements are likewise very essential. They will boost your dog to do better. It will speed up his learning process too.

Dog obedience training is therefore a very important thing to attend to. So, enjoy the moments with your pet the way he will enjoy his time with you.

Critical Information on Dog Obedience Training

A dog is one of the most amazing pets to have. Actually, it's even considered as man's best friend. Owning one has a lot of benefits. It does not only help guard one's house but also makes a great companion. Even those couples that don't have a child yet consider having a dog as their companion for the time being. A dog is just like a human being, and sometimes even better. It offers affection, enjoyment, and so much fun.

But since a dog is still an animal, most of the time it will still act like an animal, unless the owner allows it to have a dog obedience training of some sort. Now, if you happen to have a dog, are you also considering about getting it trained? If you are, this article will give you significant information about dog obedience training.

First off, you might wonder what dog obedience training is and what it is all about. Well, it is a technique on which a dog trainer helps you train your dog by imposing yourself as its boss. Actually sometimes, you can even do the training yourself, as long as you have the knowledge about the basic dog commands. But to be certain about getting effective results, you can always rely on a dog trainer to assist you on this.

Moving on, there are several dog obedience training techniques that can be used to make your pet a well-behaved one. These include the collar or leash training and the reward training. Although the approaches of these two are different, both are bound to set a common language on which you and your pet will understand.

The collar or leash dog obedience training is said to be the harder technique. Because of this, it is less popular to dog owners these days. However, for some breeds of dogs, this is found to be more effective than the rewarding type of training. As its name implies, a collar or leash serves as the way to communicate to a dog in the collar or leash dog obedience training. To have control over your pet, the collar or leash technique have multiple degrees, which can be from soft pulls of the leash or collar to stronger ones. This way, you are able to show your pet that you are the one handling the situation and that you are the leader.

Meanwhile, on the reward dog obedience training, instead of using leash or collar, reward is used to teach a few common commands to your dog. Once your pet is able to follow what you are trying to command it to do, you give reward such as a treat. However, a reward does not necessarily consist of treats alone. You can also use verbal praises like "Good boy, or good dog!" if it follows your command and behaves accordingly.

Now, upon learning about this dog obedience training information, are you all set to sign up for a dog obedience class? Remember, you will not be doing this for your pet alone, but also for you as its owner. So make sure that you choose the right dog obedience training technique for you and your pet.

Speaking & Singing: An Approach to Stop a Nuisance Barker

How do you stop a nuisance barker? Easy: Teach them how to "speak" and "sing". This might be more interesting for bothersome humans, but just way cuter for canines. All types of dogs, may it be size or breed, can be easily taught to speak. The way for it to go is to call your dog, show him a treat (which never disappoints), and say "Speak".

The dog might probably not understand what you are trying to make him do, and probably would dart on the treat, jumps, and will eye it intently at first. Finally, he will sit down, gets impatient, and then utters a sharp bark which is what you have been waiting for, and for that instant when he does so, reward him with a treat.

Not all dogs love to bark. Just like humans, some are aggressive, and some are just plainly shy. For these types of dogs, they can be encouraged to do so by imitating a bark. Chances are, he will reply to it. Reward him, a never-disappointing deed of all time, then he will learn to bark as soon as he hears the word "speak". Now, after the dogs have been taught to bark once, you can teach him a series of barks. This way, you can make him expect to be rewarded, which encourages him to bark more until you give him a stop signal, which can lead to a full phrase, or whichever you want him to do.

Other than being social beings, dogs are very observant. By the time you signal your pet to stop at the slightest point, your friends won't detect the magic trick, such as subtle movements of hands and feet; a wink or a shift of your gaze, and if you keep up with these tricks, you might be firing up an interesting series of barks that can sound as if your pet is having a conversation. You can address him as if he was a human being to keep his performance appealing, impressive, and very perplexing.

Demonstrating the latter, if you are exhibiting your dog to an audience, and might want him to "speak", you would like to be a bit more creative like asking him a question. That way, you can probably be in a very good business as to have a "talking dog". Either way, that is much better than pestering barks in the neighborhood.

Now that your dog can now "speak", you can now teach him how to "sing". Try making him imitate a series of whines and howls to a certain degree, reaching the pitch, and the style of noise you desire. As your pet learns how to follow you, say "sing" automatically to associate the desired action. With constant practice, a dog can and will learn to follow your turn quite accurately. Do not forget to praise and treat him plentifully for encouragement. Exercise the activity on a regular basis.

By this type of training, not only have you got rid of a nuisance dog, you have disciplined your pet vigorously, making him understand that barking and whining is only allowed in command. And now, for the humans.

Training Dog: Using Hand Signals

Are you doing some dog obedience training to fix your dog's behavior problems? If you are, then you must use hand signals in addition to verbal commands that you want your pet to follow. The hand signals work most of the time, especially when your pet cannot hear you. Actually, these are more effective ways to ensure your dog pays close attention to you even from a couple of meters away, as long as it can see you.

And these are what trainers of agility dogs and hunting dogs use to control the actions of these dogs while in the field. By using the right hand signals during dog training, they can make the dogs turn left or right, go fast, stop, or stay put. Now, you can also do these to your pet without using verbal commands. Learn these first three hand signals and teach them to your dog while doing dog obedience training.

1. For the "sit" command, here's the hand signal: bend your arm upwards at the elbow and then raise your hand with fist closed up to your head's side while you command your dog to sit simultaneously. Keep on doing these hand movements while commanding your dog to sit. Later on, your pet will soon learn how to associate the hand signal with your vocal command. Now, if you are not able to get your dog's attention the first time you try the hand signal, don't punish it. Instead, keep trying or better yet, make sure you have a leash in your left hand.

2. For the "down" command, the hand signal is just like when you are asking someone to sit down at the same time saying, "Have a seat." To teach your dog the hand signal for down, you need to hold your arm out towards your pet and then lower your hand, on which your palm faces down towards the floor. While doing this, give the "down" command, and your dog will follow your hand signal into the down position. Just like in the sit hand signal, keep repeating this until your dog learns to associate the lowering of your hand towards the floor as part of the "down" command.

3. For the "stay" command, first, put your dog into the sit or down position. Afterwards, hold out your arm towards your pet, with your palm's position similar to that of a policeman who's using hand signal to stop traffic. And just like in the previous two commands, do this at the same time command your dog to "stay", with your firm tone of voice. If at first, your dog does not follow, try it again until he recognizes that hand signal means "down".

Using hand signals can really do a lot when training your dog. Although you may find it difficult to make your dog obey at first, don't give up, but instead keep repeating the signals until it understands what you are trying to communicate. Take note that if you are consistent and thorough in showing your pet those hand signals, the faster it will respond.

Key To Dog Obedience

For most people, dog obedience training is a difficult process. Well, it could be if you don't know the proper way to do it. Take note that it can also be stressful on the part of your dog and therefore the speed of his learning process will totally depend on how you execute the training.

Dog Obedience Training Defined

The human-dog relationship is something that needs to be enhanced. You should have a healthy relationship in the household so that both of you will feel secured. This training covers a lot of techniques and among them are positive reinforcement, clicker training, dog whispering, collar and leash, marker training, reward training, and a lot others. Whether you plan to do it yourself or hire a professional, the main goals should be achieved.

The main goals that have to be attained during the training include a clear line of communication between you and your pet, strengthen your ties, and spend more quality time with each other. Most behavioral problems such as digging, chewing, excessive barking, jumping up, and many others are likewise resolved through proper training.

The training itself is composed of boundaries or rules which aim to educate your dog to become a responsible member of your household and be in control of his behavior. Basically, he will not be solely confined at home. There will be times when he will be taken out for a walk and it will not help if he will be unruly. Like human beings, dogs should be taught good manners. He should know how to properly behave in certain situations, at any given place, and at any given time.

The Benefits of Obedience Training

Training the dog to be obedient is one prime way to enjoy the company of your dog and one that will surely benefit you in the years to come. Here are a couple of advantages that you will definitely be happy about.

The training will make life simple for your dog. It means his confusions will be eliminated and he will be more aware of his good and bad behavior.

It is a rewarding experience. During the training, your dog will have fun learning. If you will do it by yourself, it is likewise your best chance to spend quality time with him.

A trained dog is a confident and happy dog. He is then a pleasurable creature to have around.

The dog will have more freedom. A trained dog can be left alone unsupervised because you are confident he will not be causing nuisance in your place.

A dog that has gone through obedience training is safer. He will not threaten other people and animals around him.

You will be able to respect your dog just like a true family member and companion.

Overall, the dog obedience training process may take time and it requires you to be really patient at all times. So always be consistent and don't fall short of rewards and praises as well as punishments whenever necessary.

Send Your Dog to Obedience School Training

Do you own a pet dog? If you do, are you able to make it obey the basic dog commands like sit, stay, come, or heel up? Good if you say yes, but if no, then it's time you let your dog attend dog obedience school training. Although some dog owners attempt to train their pets themselves, it is always better to go for professional handling like the ones provided in dog obedience classes to ensure dog training.

However, you might be hesitant to enroll in one because you don't know exactly what are being done in dog training classes and how to choose the right one for you and your pet. So, to give you an overview, better read on this article before you let your dog attend any dog training.

What will be taught in dog obedience school?

First and foremost, you are concerned as to what will be taught to your dog in a dog obedience school, right? Of course, if you think the lessons or training will be that easy and you can handle them yourself, you will have second thoughts about enrolling. But you have to note that it's an entirely different thing if you go with a reliable dog obedience school. Here, your dog will learn many things such as how to respond to commands, how to stay, sit, come, and heel up, and how to obey you in general. Of course, it's not only your dog that will learn from this training, but also you.

Here you will learn how to make your dog respond to your commands, how to properly treat and care for your pet, how you will establish dominance, and how to become the alpha of the pack. Things like these will sure help a lot to make your dog behave. Remember, there are no bad dogs; they will just tend to act like animals until somebody shows them other ways to act.

How to choose a dog obedience school?

Now that you know what will be taught in a dog obedience school, perhaps you become more interested than ever to enroll in one. However, since there are lots of schools offering dog training, you have to choose the most reliable one. First, you can check your community college if they offer one. Second, you can ask your veterinarian if he can recommend a dog training school near you. And lastly, you can inquire from pet shops or stores. Nothing is better than a recommendation from those you trust, especially when it involves the pet that you love dearly.

Afterwards, list down all the schools suggested to you. If you want to be certain that it's the right school for you and your pet, better observe its classes to see if they meet your requirements.

Letting your dog attend dog obedience school training is the best thing that you can do for your pet. Actually, it's not only your dog that will benefit, but also you. So, better enroll now and see the difference it will make to you and your pet.

Finding The Right Dog Obedience School Made Easy

Fact: Dog is man's best friend. But, will you still consider your dog your best friend if it keeps on peeing everywhere, chewing on every furniture you have, eating more dog foods than the usual, and making a complete mess out of your room, garden, and home in general? It's fun to have a dog to walk around, there's no doubt about that.

But if your dog is not a well-trained one, chances are you'll end up getting a new and friendlier pet. So, prior to getting a pet dog, be sure that you have idea about animal trainer and dog obedience school. And to make the task of finding the right animal trainer or dog training school for your pet, here are some tips to guide you.

First, you have to be keen when choosing a dog trainer or dog obedience school. With so many people promoting themselves as experts in the area of animal training nowadays, you could be easily deceived by one who claims to be the most reliable in this field. That is why, before you take on an animal trainer or dog school to help you turn your pet from naughty to well-trained, here are some factors that you should look out for:

1. The person or school's reputation. To know this, you can ask around your neighbors or from your friends and colleagues who have already tried this kind of training for their pets. Or better yet, get recommendations from your veterinarian or from your local pet store because they know very well whom you can turn to when it comes to dog training.

2. Years of service/experience. Choosing between a new trainer or school and an experienced one, of course, any dog owner will always go for the latter. Why? Because longer years of service and experience mean that more people are satisfied with how they train dogs, thus they are there to stay. So before you hire a trainer or enroll in a school, make sure that you know how long the trainer or the school has been doing dog training.

3. Sincere love and attachment to dogs. Of course, you want your pet to be handled by someone who is not only into training dogs but also shows compassion to these animals, right? That's why, be sure to look out for this quality when looking for the right dog trainer.

4. Training tactics and handling skills. Many people can easily claim that they love dogs and that they know how to train them. But do they really know the tactics and have the skills to really train one? So, when hiring a dog trainer, make sure that he really has the skills in the area of dog training. Ask if he keeps himself up to date by attending dog training seminars, workshops, and classes.

If you find a dog trainer or a dog obedience school that satisfies the four things mentioned above, then you are on the right track of having a well-trained dog. See, finding the right one does not have to be that mind-boggling, right?

Dog Obedience House Training—How To Go about It

House training is a very important phase in a dog's life. It secures the tight bond and good relationship between the master and the dog. Experts advice that house training must start while the dog is young. In this sense, your pet's misbehavior will be corrected at such an early time. Therefore, the sooner that you start with dog obedience house training, the better.

Here are the guidelines on how you should go about dog obedience house training.

Let him have his own space.

The untrained puppies or dogs should not be allowed wandering around the house without any supervision. You may not know it but your pet might already be chewing on things and worse, may get themselves injured or electrocuted. If you are at home, be sure to keep him in a place where you can see him easily. If there will be a time that he will be left alone, better place him in his den or crate. Put a bed of his own that can be made out of a box or towel, some toys, his water and food. Be sure to let him have his own playtime too so he can have enough exercise.

Introduce him to new areas.

After you have taught him how to behave in his own place, it is now time to introduce him to the other areas of your home. Be sure to spend time with him in that area. If you want to show him the new place where he can eat, do it under your supervision. Introduce the places and what he is allowed and disallowed to do in these areas. Do this by leashing him so as to control his reactions. Unleash him when you think he already has gotten himself familiar with the new areas. But, remember to keep watch or else he might get into trouble and cause further damages.

Potty train him.

Show him the area where he can do his thing. Make sure not to confuse him. Never allow him to play in that area or he might get the idea that he can use the same place for all his activities.

Let him understand the "No Chew" command.

By nature, dogs like to chew on things since it aids in the strengthening of their teeth and gums. It is also kind of a healthy exercise for their jaws. Part of your dog obedience house training is providing him with toys that he may chew on and let him understand that not all things can be used to strengthen his teeth and gums. Be stern as you give him the "no chew" command. Praise him when he has done the right thing and give him a reward.

Set off limits areas.

It is always important to keep your dog away from the rooms that contain pieces of furniture and where the electric lines are. Give him the "off" command and when he does follow it, pat him and praise him.

By and large, dog obedience house training will benefit you in the future. So, start early!