Continue reading »]]> Positive reinforcement: How it works

Positive reinforcement is simply rewarding your dog with food, praise, toys or attention right after it performs the intended behaviour (e.g. sitting). When teaching a new behavior, food is often used because it is quick and effective. By doing so, you are increasing the likelihood of the behavior occurring again. It works, is easy to use and does lesser harm than the alternative training; by punishment.

As mentioned, food is positively reinforcing and therefore is a valuable training tool. To properly use food, the trainer must establish the behaviour to the point that the dog understands what behaviour it must perform on its own in order to earn reinforcement, and then, the trainer must quickly begin weaning away the food as discussed above. Because food is so successful in getting behaviour, many trainers become too dependent on it and do not reduce and eliminate it soon enough. Thus, dogs can learn to only respond when food is present.

Rewarding your dog for good behaviour sounds pretty simple, and it is! However, to practice the technique effectively, you need to follow some basic guidelines.

i)Timing

Correct timing is essential when using positive reinforcement. Reward should be given immediately after an action; within seconds or your pet may not associate it with the proper action. For example, if you have your dog sit but reward him after he’s stood back up, he’ll think he’s being rewarded for standing up. Using a clicker to mark the correct behaviour can improve your timing and also help your dog understand the connection between the correct behaviour and the treat.

ii)Keep it short

Dogs don’t understand sentences. Keep commands short and uncomplicated. The most commonly used dog commands are “sit”, “stay”, “down”, “come”, “heel” and “leave it”

iii)Consistency is key

Everyone in the family should use the same commands; otherwise, your dog may be confused. It might help to post a list of commands where everyone can become familiar with them.

Consistency also means always rewarding the desired behaviour and never rewarding undesired behaviour.

Continue reading »]]> CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLLAR FOR YOUR PUPPY

Whether the worry is to teach your dog or make him/her an individual, dog collars and straps represent a vital role. Dog collars are available in a selection of forms, dimensions and fashions, and are much of a style statement these days. A dog collar may well be a reprieve for your puppy if, God forbid, it runs away from your home.

With such an extensive selection of dog collars to be had, opting for the appropriate one for your puppy can be to a certain extent nerve racking. The collar ought to be chosen depending upon your choices and your puppys behavior. For a rather docile puppy, a collar made up of soft cloth is fairly suitable. Or a small dog may need more of a harness attachment.  A dog trainer may give you a hand in making the appropriate selection of a dog collar for your loyal canine buddy.

The buckle range is mainly the regular sort of dog collar. A broad selection of cloth may be used to make up a buckle collar, featuring a variety of colors and designs. Your puppys name may be stitched on top of the collar for recognition reasons. Buckle collar is made up of a sequence of spaced holes, and the buckle is fixed firmly to arrive at the desired size.

Buckle collar is the most standard type, which can be improved to make sure of additional protection for the puppy. For example, breakaway collars are planned to pull to pieces under excessive trauma. A few collar styles are set with discharge flaps that make sure of a quick taking away of the collar, comparative to the usual buckle style. Such differences may perhaps help out to avoid your puppy from gasping in unexpected state of affairs.

One more collar style is a gentle leader type collar, which is of decent assistance if your puppy is to a certain extent stiff and usually pulls hard while on leash. Meant for large or extra large dogs only, a gentle leader looks somewhat like a muzzle yes, but is actually quite soothing for a dog. It applies pressure to the upper neck behind the head. This simulates the sensation of the mother dog picking up the puppy. The gentle leader may even make your excitable pooch sleepy. When used properly, gentle leaders by no means cause any harm to the puppy, and are a great deal safer than even other styles of dog collars.

Continue reading »]]> HANDY DOG TRAINING TIPS

Despite what it seems to be from a distance, dog training doesn’t need you to be a fearless Hercules, all it asks of you is to keep a few basics in mind. First, establish who the boss is, remind your dog again and again that you are the one on two feet while he is still on all fours, and thus what you say is Gospel and what he barks is not. Second, speak in a tone which oozes superiority, something on the lines of your first grade math teacher. Third, routine is everything so keep your training tactics consistent. Once you master these three techniques you will be the master of every single dog around!

Your heart might melt into a mush every time your cute little pup cocks his head, but don’t let that get in the way of your establishing who the master is. Go gooey eyed too frequently and you are likely to pay with your carpets and sandals, which it will most merrily chew through. Treat your pup the way you would treat a little kid, setting it strict boundaries and letting it know what goes and what most definitely doesn’t. Establish gestures like pointing etc. which will give the dog a cue to act in a certain way.

You might not think it possible but dogs, like your kids, can tell when you mean business, slacken up a bit with them and they’ll know you can be taken for a ride. Interestingly enough they also have this instinct for intonation; be strict when you want him to stay put at the yard, but be enthusiastic when you are asking him if he would like to go for a walk. It’s funny how you’ll see your own mood reflected in his responses. This is the primary step for you to establish the kind of communication with your dog which will allow you to calm him or set him up for work with a single word.

One of the main methods of training your dog is to keep a certain consistency in your approach towards him. Keep your intonations, gestures and words for expressing dissatisfaction the same every time, so that he gets used to the idea easily. A young pup who grows up with a certain set of commands will respond to them more promptly than one who is frequently confused by conflicting orders. The more consistent your commands are, the better trained your dog is, the better trained your dog is the greater your confidence in him regarding his obedience to you. A few other ways of establishing consistency are to use the same door when taking your doggie out for a walk, give him the same kind of pat every night before retiring for the day, so that he knows exactly what time it is.

Little things like these will help you predict your dog’s behavior more accurately.
Most importantly, however, remember to shower your love and affection on the little one, continue your training through little games which he might enjoy, and remember to treat him every time he does a task well, after all like a child it too needs to be appreciated and given its bit of fun.

Continue reading »]]> THE IMPORTANCE OF DOG TRAINING

I know I know, you probably think any sort of training will interrupt the wonderful relationship you share with your dog. Sure it does yell rather annoyingly when you take it out on walks, and you do have to lock it up during dinner parties given how it snarls and growls at your friends four year old, but that’s all ok, because that’s what dogs do right? Ummm not really. Sorry to burst your bubble but in spite of not being a human being your dog too is expected to be polite. Sure his antics might seem adorable to you, you might think it’s cute when he jumps up at neighbors and scratches up doors, but your dog’s victims sure as hell wouldn’t agree with you.

You might think you do not want to exercise the sort of authority required to tell him to behave any better, and that’s all quite all right really. Being the owner of a dog doesn’t require you to suddenly transform into a whip swinging ring master and you are right in denouncing the pathetic idea of establishing who the boss is when dealing with an animal.

Where you are wrong, however, is in your basic understanding of dog training. You need to realize that training your dog is not about proving how much better you are than it, you are not trying to teach it “human” rules and thereby attempting to make it more human, training is not a method of “humanizing” a dog. What it is, in fact, is a way of improving the relationship you share with your pet, and of course a means of making it more sociable.

What’s the point of that? you might ask. Well, here is the thing. Most of us spend the larger fraction of our daily lives toiling in office, drinking our instant coffee, reading those balance sheets. The little time we get with our family and pets we try to merge with some sort of socializing. We go to the park for a stroll on a lovely evening after work, or to a friend’s house to watch a movie. If our dogs are unfriendly then on all these occasions we keep it back home, alone, such that in no time it’s in no way a part of our life at all.

Now, like human beings your dog too gets lonely, it gets lonely and depressed and awfully sad especially when it’s left all alone in a dark house where there isn’t anyone to pat his tired little head.

So you see ultimately due to your aversion towards training you keep your dog from enjoying the sort of company and activities it would like to.

Obedience training is a means of letting your dog cope better with it’s immediate environment. It grants every dog an easier life and makes them easier to live with. Training your dog will give you more opportunity to spend more time with your beloved pet, no matter where you are going and who you are going with.

So get in their and give your dog a nice pat and take it out for training. A few magic words like “heel”, “down”, “stay”, “come” and “sit”, will change your relationship with your favorite companion forever. Good luck.

Continue reading »]]> TIPS ON TRAINING YOUR DALMATIAN

Dalmatian training courses are planned to go well with the dog’s innate character of a companion dog. Dalmatians look for love and fondness but just from the people they have faith in and they are likely to take some time prior to believing in unfamiliar persons. Just as with every dog breed, character dissimilarity can be observed with Dalmatians ñ a few are easier to coach, a few will give you a tough time. Given below are a small number of the most general Dalmatian training guidelines that will help you out to form your dog into a genuine buddy and friend:

Tolerance is essential when teaching a Dalmatian ñ they are to a certain extent individualistic and you may have to go through a schedule more than a few times before they begin learning ñ not for the reason that they do not have the aptitude, but since they have a tendency to have their own way in the beginning.

Even though they grow up from a bodily point of view comparatively quick, they still behave like puppies till they are nearly one and a half to two years old. And in case you are in search of a few good training tips, here they are – do not look forward to matured behavior from your dog till he is about 2 years old what’s more, then also, do not curb his mischievous temperament totally.

Dalmatians are full of life dogs, so make certain to present them training practices that engage physical workouts ñ they adore it.

Dalmatian housebreaking training is not very tricky and the dog learns rapidly what is permitted and not permitted in the region of the house.

Chewing up playthings are a necessity with the Dalmatian. Given that they are in a puppy situation for a longer period than the majority of dogs, you ought to make an effort to conform your training techniques to this as well. Begin the training program for your Dalmatian early on or else the puppy will grow into a very individualistic Dalmatian a lot tougher to train.
A number of Dalmatians do fine in tracking and obedience tests, but you have to locate the ones with the appropriate traits if you are in view of coaching them professionally. The road test, an activity in which the dog goes along with a horse drawn coach or a horse by way of an adornment and also as security is a much loved Dalmatian activity.

Training your Dalmatian in obedience instructions is not diverse from the other dog breeds, but bear in mind that you are coping with a vigorous and obstinate breed, and tolerance and imagination have to be united if the dog training course intends to be an accomplishment.

When taken care of appropriately, these dogs can be alive up to 16 years. Good Dalmatian training will make sure of an improved life, both for you and your dotted pet.

Continue reading »]]> UNDERSTANDING THE MANY MOODS OF YOUR PUPPY

Arrange your puppy training to be easier and more enjoyable by comprehending that your puppy is making an effort to connect with you in further ways than barking or wiggling his tail. Keep in mind, your puppy also tries to communicate with his ears, paws, tail, mouth and more and your puppy teaching and day to day life with your dog will be to a large extent more enjoyable.

Here are a few guidelines to some fundamental body language of your dog and its meaning:

Dominant ñ You will come across that a dominant dog will have the ears directly up or frontward, its mouth a little open or closed, its eyes wide open or looking intently, its body standing rigid and tall with hackles perhaps lifted up, and its tail out from the body rigid or plumped up. A low down and aggressive bark can frequently be anticipated.

Friendly – A friendly dog has upraised ears, open and watchful eyes, a calm mouth, the whole rear end or tail wagging, and perhaps whining, yelping or giving out small barking sounds.

Playful – A bended over pose with the tail wagging implies, “come, let us play.”

Submissive – A dog with its ears firmly back, eyes closed and paw lifted up is presenting excessive submission. The dog is not in high spirits but shows it will not assault.

Aggressive – An aggressive dog has its ears packed down behind touching its head, its eyes tapering or testing, body on edge, mouth open to show teeth and tail held out from the body and ruffled up if possible. Growls or howls are usual.

Worried – Quick barks along with howling, ears compressed and neck hairs lifted up means “I’m worried” or “something is wrong.”

Fear – A dog shows fear with a lowered posture, tail down or put underside, an curved back, looking or turning head even as showing the whites of their whites of eyes and enlarged pupils. Dogs frequently bark out of fear, in particular if they are in a tight spot, cooped up, or on a restraint.

Stressed – A dog under stress will frequently have its ears down and back, mouth wide open, and the lips being drawn backwards with fast breathing. Also tail put down, shoulders lowered, bent frontward, nervousness in attitude and it will almost certainly be shaking.

Now that you know more about what your puppy is making any effort to say to you about how he senses or the frame of mind he is in, try to put up this in your puppy training and day to day life.

In a puppy training sitting your dog should be showing that he is in a responsive or mischievous mood. If he shows he is commanding then you can make out that he may not be taking you sincerely or may well be being obstinate and you most likely have to be more forceful.

A little submissive conduct is not a bad thing as it means that that he knows that you are in command.

If your puppy turns out to be hassled, terrified, troubled or even hostile, you have got to stop your teaching and comfort your dog right away. If you have been teaching for more than 15 minutes, discontinue and take a breather. When you come back take things more leisurely or commence things in a different way.

Use your awareness in day to day life too. Watch your puppy in different circumstances and you will soon find out what he is fond of and hates or what his state of mind is. You can then take action to give him more of what he takes pleasure in and more encouragement, assurance and teaching in circumstances he finds more complex.

Continue reading »]]> USE DOG TRAINING TO BOND WITH YOUR DOG

Owning a dog that can carry out antics and is very docile and well trained is a pleasure and delight of every dog owner. Owning a dog that in reality pays attention, hangs on to each word and abides by its master would surely be appreciated and awarded. This would firmly strengthen the bond. What’s more, a dog well trained knows the way to “socialize” properly with people and other dogs.

Dogs are one of the most cherished pets in every part of the world. They are well received in more homes than any other domestic animal ever. Though they are in general affectionate, devoted and faithful, they can be taught to be more compliant. A well trained and well behaved dog is more cherished in any family and is shown more affection and consideration. The times you spent with each other performing antics and teaching equals to a connection that grows deeper each day.
You will definitely feel secure in taking your dog just about anyplace, to the park, vacations, beach, if you know that they will be conducting properly.

Getting to Know How your Dog Feels

Though animals are not thought to be as refined mentally as humans are, people can make the change. Dog training permits us to comprehend how the dog experiences and behaves.

Dogs are group animals, they fit in to groups and require a head, and we will be their person in charge. In dog training we will gain knowledge of how to behave like their head and tell them what to do. When we have set up our role as their “pack leader”, the admiration and faithfulness follows next.

But apart from that, our dog is a member of our family, as each member of the family has their part to play, so does the dog. A dog training sitting would let your dog be aware of his or her part and tasks. In getting to know this, every one would be happy to co-exist with one another furnishing a good atmosphere and a strong joyful bond.