Sunday, January 30, 2011

Dog Training Problems - How to Eliminate Them and Get Good Results Training Your Dog

There are probably as many dog training problems as there are dogs and trainers. That is because most of us don't have a clue about the right way to teach our dogs. Avoiding dog training problems means using the correct dog training methods right from the start when training your dog. Almost all of us make the same mistakes when training our dogs, and end up with various problems getting the results we expect with our training efforts. These problems then show up when our dogs don't listen to us-or only listen when they feel like it.

These training mistakes occur primarily because people try to communicate and train their dogs as if the dogs were human, instead of canines. We also tend to spoil our pets. Just like children, dogs need guidance to learn their place in the family and how to behave appropriately. If you haven't learned how to properly go about training your dog, it is only natural that you will have a variety of dog training problems.

Dogs have their own world view and communicate in their own type of way. Dogs use vocalizations as well as distinct body languages in order to express themselves to other dogs. By following a good dog training program that teaches you about dog psychology and about how dog's communicate with each other, you will be able to avoid the pitfalls of training a dog without the right methods, and resolve many dog training problems before they even start. That is the best way to go about training your dog.

If you have already made mistakes while attempting to train your dog, or have adopted another dog that has its share of behavior issues, you can still solve those dog training problems by learning the right way to retrain your dog.There are several good dog training programs on-line that teach you step by step the correct ways to train your dog. Every good program that I have reviewed always features positive training techniques. These methods all rely on positive reinforcement -praise and rewards from the trainer (you) when the dog correctly performs the command it is being taught.

The best training programs always emphasize the need for the trainer to be in charge of the dog, to become the "Alpha dog". You will be taught how to use your vocal tones and confident body language to present the right image to the dog being trained.. You must learn how to become the "Alpha dog" in order to earn your dog's respect, confidence and trust. Once you have learned how to communicate to your dog the right way, and become the Alpha dog, you will find your dog is very eager to follow your lead and to do as you command. Becoming the Alpha leader doesn't mean you have to intimidate or yell or be mean to your pet. Being the Alpha dog is mostly about having and projecting the right attitude to your dog. It is your dog's nature to want to please its alpha leader. If you can establish your self as the leader, you will have no trouble avoiding dog training problems.

You can easily see the dog training problems that are the result of incorrect training or from neglected training. Such problems as a dog's aggression towards other dogs or people, jumping up on people, barking excessively, running away, not coming when called, and many other common dog misbehavior's can be corrected. By making a consistent effort. and using the right techniques you can correct these problems. For good training results, frequent short sessions done on a daily basis are necessary -especially when trying to correct a pre-existing dog behavior problem. These problems did not just occur overnight, so it will take some time and effort on your behalf to train them to behave as you want.

The good news is you can solve these dog training problems as soon as you know how, and are willing to make the commitment it takes to retrain your dog. Of course if you are training a new puppy you have a great opportunity to avoid problems in the first place. Either way, it is imperative for your successful training that you do use a great training program. You will avoid dog training problems and have a dog that learns much more quickly and consistently to do as he is asked, and always behave himself. This is the kind of pet that will be a joy to have.

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Dog Training Books - Why You Need One to Obedience Train Your Dog Correctly

If you are a puppy or dog owner it is natural that you will want a well behaved and well balanced companion that is a joy to have around. No one wants a dog that is continually misbehaving. For a dog to become a well behaved pet and know how it is expected to behave as a member of your household, your dog will need guidance and training from you.

For your training to be successful, you must first have a good understanding of the right dog obedience training techniques to use. I highly recommend getting yourself a copy of one of the best on-line dog training books to teach you how to train your dog the right way-and get the results you want, rather than struggle with incorrect training methods that never really work as well as hope.

Not only is it fun to see your puppy or dog enjoying learning his new tricks but if you do the training the right way-using only the positive conditioning techniques that are taught by the best of the dog training programs-you will create a lasting bond of trust and confidence between you and your dog. This bond will ensure that your dog will always do his best to please you. He will learn to respect you as the "Alpha" dog of your little pack and look to you for guidance rather than just do whatever he wants when a whim strikes him.

So, how do you choose the right dog obedience training program? The Internet is full of choices, and many of them offer conflicting advice. How do you know which dog training program really is right for you?

The very best programs all agree on something very basic-the best results come when you train your dog using positive reinforcement techniques. Intimidating a dog enough to make it cower may get your dog to sit, but it also destroys your dog's self confidence and trust in you and certainly takes all the fun out of the training for both you and your dog.

These days the best trainers emphasize that training should be done in a manner that communicates with the dog on the dog's level. All too often we make the mistake of talking to our dogs as if they were just a fuzzy four legged version of a human. In a well done dog training program you will learn what not to do when you are training your pet, as well as what you should do-avoid making costly mistakes in the first place.

All the best dog obedience training books stress positive conditioning techniques, and will teach you not only how to actually do the steps of each exercise(sit, stay, etc.), but also give you an understanding of why you are going about the training in this particular way by teaching you how your dog sees things. It is very eye opening to learn how differently dogs see the world than we do. The better you understand your dog's point of view and body language, the easier it will be for you to properly train your dog.

Without a good dog training book you just lack the information you should have to do the best job training your dog. If you are using the wrong techniques, or sending out confusing messages to your dog because of inconsistency, you could spend months trying to train your dog without getting good results. You will just end up being angry and frustrated, and your dog will end up confused and only partially trained.

Obedience training your dog should be fun, not a grind. By making the experience positive and fun, both you and your dog will really come to enjoy the daily training sessions and create a lifelong bond between you. So, get started the right way by choosing a great dog training book for the help you need to get the best results.


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Sunday, January 2, 2011

A Long Tradition of Dog Training

For as long as people have kept historical records, we can find accounts of a strong bond between people and dogs. In primitive times when hunting was man's only way to survive, people realized that using dogs could make the hunt more successful. This partnership was more than just people dominating animals because dogs and humans worked as partners with a goal benefit both species. Dogs and their human companions developed an unspoken ability to understand each other. So throughout history, when dog training was designed, it was focused on the working relationship between dogs and people.

Historians have evidence of art and documents from ancient civilizations. They discovered drawings depicting dogs serving as guides and companions as far back in time as we have records. No doubt our ancient grandparents knew that the relationship that they had with their dogs served the people and the dogs equally and that their trusted canine companions were prized and cherished part of their families much as they are today.

It isn't a stretch to say that as long as there have been human culture and civilization, dogs have been part of it. When society was agricultural, dogs were important in protecting livestock and herding sheep and cows. But as people began to realize how easy it was to train dogs, they began to be used in other agricultural chores as well as in military and police functions. Then dogs were bred and trained for the very purpose of serving people's working need: Hunting, herding, protection and pulling.

  • Turkish and British used the natural abilities of their local dogs for guarding and herding livestock.
  • Inuits and other Northern culture used their dogs for pulling sleigh across the snow
  • The Lasha Apso was bred to guard temples and palaces in Tibet
  • The ChowChow one of the oldest breed originated from Mongolia and was bred for hunting, pulling, guarding and herding.
  • The Roman Empire developed full battle ready battalions comprised entirely of dogs.
  • Later, during World War I and II, dogs were vital to the war effort delivering messages and protecting military encampments and guarding prisoners as well. Along with these duties, dogs also pitched by serving as scouts, finding mines, tracking the enemy and delivering important military messages during battles.
The ability of dogs to help the blind has been going on since the first century as has been proved with ancient artifacts of the time. 1788 see the first ever training facility to teach dogs to aid the blind atles " Quatre Vingts" in Paris, France. Even though modern medicine has advanced significantly, dogs have more jobs than ever helping patients recovering from therapy, assisting people with disabilities including epilepsy and autism and even making contributions in cancer detection.

In 1939, when WWII started, young servicemen were taught the military method of training service dogs, which used the choke chain and harsh training method. When the war ended there were a group of young ex-military trainers available to help civilians train their dogs. By now the original trainers and their method of training had pretty much disappeared.

It was in the 1970's thanks to TV that Barbara Woodhouse was able to bring her method of training to the masses. Choke chains became as popular to dog training as moon rocks had become to fish bowls. By this time the use of physical correction was widely accepted in dog training.

By the 1980's the buzz was dominance, not by the dog but by you over your dog. This method led to all kinds of pack leadership ideas. It was decided that if you didn't dominate your dog he would dominate you, and that there was simply no other way to train a dog than using the pack leader method.

And just like politics that swing back and forth like a pendulum, by the 1990's we had swung the other direction.

This was when animal behavior experts and psychologist started to understand dog's behavior and their body language. More interested by the overall well being of the dogs and how they communicate with each other, experts such as Turid Rugaas, Patricia McConnell, Karen Prior and Ian Dunbar opened a new door to dog training, behavior and psychology.

The focus became more about teaching owners how to understand their dogs better and enhance the positive natural abilities of the dog rather than dominance and other forceful methods.

As the population of dog lovers responded to these new techniques, more and more up to date dog training courses have become available. The number of dogs entering human homes continues to rise. It seems there are more and more dog owners looking for companionship in our four legged furry friends.

TV shows with popular Cesar Millan have create an awareness around dog training. Like him or not, now more than ever, people are taking their commitment to well trained dogs very seriously and more dogs than ever before are being trained because of the dog whisperers popularity.

It can seem a little bit strange to be able to train your dog at home in the comfort of your living room or backyard but when you think about it isn' t dog training about educating the human first?

From a partnership for survival to online courses, dog training has evolved with our society and technology.The number of dogs entering human homes continues to rise. It seems there are more and more dog owners looking for companionship in our four legged furry friends. No matter how the training is delivered, dogs are here to stay and always be an important part of our society.

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