Your Puppy Care

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How do you teach your dog to respect your outdoor space? Dog obedience digging is a problem for many people. Lots of people feel that you shouldn’t own a dog unless your yard is fenced. While this opinion may be extreme, it’s no argument that a backyard makes dog ownership simpler. This will help you to begin housetraining right away and all the exercise and play space you need is right there for you, even before you begin leash training.

Since the back yard is easy, lots of dog owners will use it and not partake in correct dog training, but even if you have one available to you, it’s still important to train your dog. Many people find it easier to put the dog in the yard when friends come over to avoid jumping and over excited greetings. Many people choose to add a pet door so they don’t have to take the time to let the dog out. While this is an easy option, it’s not the best one to actually do.

Keeping Your Dog In The Backyard

A lack of supervision of your dog could lead to a dog who doesn’t care about pleasing you and does what they want. You’ll most probably end up with bad dog obedience digging problems.

Dogs are social creations, and so they choose to keep company with their human family and canine friends. When shipped out to the backyard alone, they become bored and lonely. Digging holes, tearing up your beautiful gardens and getting out into the world by way of a tunnel under the fence is entertaining to them. Some bark their butts off in an attempt to call their clan together or exchange vocalizations with other yard-bound dogs.

While being socially isolated isn’t the only reason that dogs will behave badly by digging, and barking, it is a contributing factor. After all, if a supervised dog is about to do the wrong thing, its owner is on the spot to give it a warning and redirect its attention to something preferable, such as fetching a toy or performing easy dog obedience training. When a dog displays good dog behavior, the owner can offer rewards of play or treats and this will keep him being good over and over again.

An Isolated Dog Cannot Learn

Think of your backyard as the dog’s home gym. It’s a great place for exercise and stress reduction, but not meant to be the dog’s exclusive home 24/7. A dog isolated in the backyard cannot learn house manners, protect the residents and contents of the home, or build respectful relationships with its people. A dog digging problem will develop when a dog is left to its own devices.

If your adolescent dog is too rambunctious to leave home all day then either hire a dog walker, drop it off at a doggie daycare, or install a dog door in the utility room so your dog has access to the yard and one or two well dog-proofed areas of the home. Keep in mind that dogs who are bored tend to get themselves into trouble and display bad dog behavior. It’s not that your dog is misbehaving on purpose, but they need attention and often, when you give it to them, you’ll find that they don’t have a dog obedience digging or barking problem after a while.

 

 

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  • Stopping Your Dog From Chasing

    Most dogs enjoy chasing things, with cats, cars and people being particular favorites of theirs. Dogs generally see this as something fun to do, and don’t mean any harm by it, but, the fact is, that by chasing they invoke fear in others and can cause unintentional accidents.

    It is very irresponsible of owners to allow their dogs the opportunity to chase. So, it is important that, as the dogs owner, you see it how others see it, as annoying and dangerous. Don’t worry though, it is something that can be corrected with a little time and effort.

    It is not as simple as just yelling at or hitting your dog after it has chased something. You might think that doing this would make it less likely to do it next time, but it rarely does. It’s instincts will kick in again next time around and the pain it suffered last time will be soon forgotten. Taking a proactive approach, rather than a reactive one, is much better.

    The very least that you should is not let your dog be in a situation that allows it to chase in the first place. With dogs who regularly chase after things, this may mean having to keep it on a leash or within a fenced yard. Keep your dog and those in the surrounding area safe until you learnt to predict his behavior and you have him trained to obey your commands.

    To prevent them from chasing an owner needs to understand his dogs cues. Some dogs give an indication when they are about to chase something. Right before they chase something, the dog usually stares or becomes very still before they take off. However, there are some dogs that don’t give you any indication before they take off.

    To stop a dog from chasing, it needs to learn to obey your commands. You need to teach your dog some basic commands to start with, such as sit down and come here. Once your dog understands these skills it will be easier to stop him from chasing.

    So, how do you train a dog to obey voice commands? First obtain the toy or treat that it likes the best. Place it about 10 ft. from the dog, and then allow it to go towards it. Then either command it to come or sit down. After it has done what you want, say okay and let it have the toy or treat.

    Get a friend to help you, once it has mastered this part of his training. Have your friend jog by you whilst waving a toy or treat and see what the dogs reaction is. If it starts to chase then give the dog the command to either sit down or come. Once it obeys your command, give it the reward.

    This might take some time and patience, but your persistence will pay off. Remain positive and determined and you should have the problem solved within a week.

    Learn More : Dog Training Advice

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  • Aggression In German Shepherd Dogs

    While German Shepherds may not inspire the ill-placed fear of such breeds as Rottweilers and Pit Bulls, they do land on many banned breed lists.

    German Shepherds have, throughout the years, had a reputation of being aggressive. That reputation, while not entirely accurate, is based on some truth. While German Shepherd aggression is, in some small part, genetics, the main cause of ill manners is caused by the owner.

    It is important to point out that not all (not even most) German Shepherds display inappropriate aggressive behavior.It is wholly unfair to let the misdemeanours of the minority result in the entire breed being labeled as “dangerous” or “aggressive”.Still, all owners of these dogs should be aware that it may potentially be a problem and, as such, should learn about and try to recognize the signs of German shepherd aggression.

    Aggression can take many forms.Some German Shepherds only act aggressively towards other dogs. Some will display aggression only if they are approached whilst they are chewing a bone or eating. Others are aggressive toward strangers, and others even show aggression to some human members of the household in which they live.

    No aggressive behavior should be ignored as it has the potential to escalate to the attack of an animal or person and any time. At the first sign of aggression being displayed, or even before this, you need to embark on a course of proper training. Not only could is save injury to other people and animals, it could also save your own dog’s life.

    Simply yelling at or hitting your dog when it acts aggressively is a faulty approach to take.For the most part, this makes the overall situation worse, as the dog becomes less trusting of humans.By doing so, you are also placing yourself and those around you at immediate risk - it is quite possible that your dog will fight back on being hit and will starting biting and leaping at those nearest to it.

    Obedience training is a much better solution for dealing with German shepherd aggression. It is best to begin at a young age before any bad habits are formed,however, no matter the age of your dog, obedience training remains the best option.

    Learn More : German Shepherd Aggression

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  • Clicker Training Is Ideal For Dog Training

    Clicker training is an excellent way of training your dog. Animal training is all about effective communication. The more precise, consistent and accurate that communication is, the quicker the animal learns.This is where dog clicker training shows excellent results.

    Communicating with your dog with a clicker, teaches it that when it does the right thing, at that exact moment it hears a click. Your dog will associate the click with a reward for doing the right thing.

    Clickers come in many shapes and sizes. A clicker is an inexpensive toy and very easy to use. Most clickers are small matchbox-sized plastic boxes.

    How Does Clicker Training Work

    The Canis Clickertraining Academy explains how it works really well in their program. Initially, a clicker has no value to a dog, so you have to make it mean something. The reward to associate with the clicker can be a valued piece of food, such as chicken liver treats, or cheese and when you make the clicking sound your dog will soon learn it is going to get a treat for good behavior.

    There are a couple of ‘primary reinforcements’ and food is the one dogs respond to readily. Physical affection, playtime and water are other primary reinforcements. If you click and give your dog a piece of food and repeat this ten to twenty times, the clicker now becomes associated with the food.

    This process is called classical conditioning and the clicker now becomes known as a “secondary reinforcement”. In the dog’s mind, the click has actually taken on some of the quality of the primary reinforcement, in this case - the food.

    Training can begin with the clicker being used, once your dog is responding immediately to the click sound. This method of training is called operant conditioning.

    Whenever you want to say ‘good dog’ after your dog has done something good, use the clicker instead of talking. An example is to click the moment your dog sits and your dog will learn that when he sits he gets the click and a reward.

    When your dog repeats this behavior, say the word ’sit’ and click when it does, reinforcing to your dog it gets a treat when it does what you want. The click, good behavior and a reward, becomes your dog’s understanding of your needs.

    The clicker is quicker and more precise than saying ‘good dog’ because people have a tendency to remember to click with more consistency and precision, than when using verbal praise. Throughout the day, you may say ‘good dog’ several times and the sound of these words often have less value to your dog than the click and a reward.

    Clicker training has proved successful for many people, and you will find a clicker training review will most certainly give it a good rating. When your dog is responding to the clicker, you can use more praise than the treat used as the reward.

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  • Dog Behavior. What Works And What Does Not.

    Dog Problems Video

    When you get a puppy, you might not think straight awayabout dog training, but you should. Having a well trained dog can mean the difference between a settled household and a chaotic one.

    Dog behavior is directly impacted by how much training he has. He needs to have structure and limits in his life. If you don’t provide this, he will, and that can create significant behavior problems in your dog.

    Why Train Your Dog?

    No matter your dog’s breed, he is descended from wolves and it is his instinct to be part of a pack. In the dog pack, there is a hierarchy, with clear dominant roles and submissive roles. If you don’t make yourself the leader of the pack, your dog will make himself the leader. That’s not good and creates all kinds of dog problems.

    Training establishes and reinforces the hierarchy concept for a dog. It teaches him that someone in the household is in control and that he must submit to that person.

    Although some people say they prefer to not provide any dog obedience training, that’s a mistake. Puppy training – it’s best to start them young – can do much for your young dog, and will only help him as he gets older.

    Where to Get Training?

    You have a few choices:

    1. You can hire a professional trainer to come to your house
    2. You can attend dog obedience training classes
    3. You can buy an online ebook and CD or DVD (the cheapest and the preferred option)

    Whatever you do, it’s important that your dog’s first (and future) experience with training is successful.

    Dog Behavior.

    When most of us think about dog training, we think first and foremost about dog obedience training. Dog obedience training is really about the basics of training and includes learning commands like “sit,” “stay,” and “heel.”

    Even if your dog only learns the most basic of dog training commands, his knowledge of just these basic commands is immensely useful to you as the dog owner.

    A dog that’s received some dog obedience training is also much more pleasant to strangers and other dogs. You can control his behavior when necessary and he will also develop the inner discipline that will help him make right decisions even when you’re not around.

    Dog House Training

    Dog house training is something you can do yourself. You don’t need the experts for this, though a little advice from a dog training expert certainly can’t hurt.

    Your dog should be house trained so that he can understand the basics of his needs. That is, he should understand, through some consistent dog house training efforts on your part, that there are certain needs he has that must be met appropriately.

    If you have never done any puppy training before with potty issues, you might look in the following places:

    * Books, online ebooks and CD or DVD
    * You Tube videos
    * Friends with more experience than you
    * Dog training experts

    Crate Training

    The concept of crate training is lost on many dog owners, but it’s a concept and a behavior that should be encouraged.

    Crate training dogs gives them a sense of safety and security. While initially, many dog owners will use crate training as a puppy training method, the older dog benefits greatly from using a crate as well.

    Crate training can be used to reinforce house training, or it can be used as a tool to teach a dog to sleep in a particular place at night, to keep the dog away from strangers, or transport the dog in the car.

    There are so many essential uses for crate training, in fact, that dogs suffer from not having this kind of dog obedience training in their lives.

    Basic Dog House Training

    Dog training tips run the gamut from “be sure you use a firm voice” to “let your dog lead the way.” The reality is what works for you might not work for someone else and a different dog might respond differently to training.

    Find your own path with your new dog. Keeping in mind that:

    * He needs structure and discipline and dog obedience training gives him that
    * He will respond to firm direction from you that its given lovingly and consistently
    * Both you and he will be happier in your relationship if your dog has even the most basic understanding of dog obedience training.

    Dog training is an essential part of owning a dog. It’s worth whatever effort you are willing to give it.

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