Learning How to Train Dogs the Positive Way

by Lisa Murray


Figuring out how to train dogs is tricky stuff. Okay so your dog just peed on the floor for the tenth time today and it's only ten in the morning! Don't throw your hands up in exasperation just yet. You need to have a plan of how to train dogs that makes the process a good one for both your dog and you.
Any behavioral specialist (and any parent!) will tell you that you get better results with rewards than you get with punishments, and with a little of thought, it's easy to see why this is the best way to train your dog. For your dog's own safety and for your own sanity, you'll find that using a rewards-based system is one of the most effective ways to train your dog and to make the training stick.
Although at times it may seem like your dog's sole mission on earth is to drive you absolutely nutty, that's not true by a long shot. The problem is you've probably gotten so caught up in trying to figure out how to train dogs that you've forgotten that all your dog really wants is to make you happy. He's just not sure how to do that.
The positive reinforcement method can help you train any dog. Contrary to what you've heard you can teach an old dog new tricks. This method is great for dogs of all ages so whether you're learning how to train a new born puppy or an older dog it's extremely quick and effective.
When you're getting ready to start your dog training you'll need to use a cue to signal your dog to perform the desired action. Whether it's a particular word or gesture, it should be something relatively simple to remember and easy for your dog to understand. Whatever you decide on use the same cue everytime you train your dog to perform the new action to avoid confusion.
For instance, when you are teaching your dog to sit, tell him "sit" in a loud and clear voice, and press his hindquarters down. When he has done this, even with your help, give him plenty of praise and perhaps a treat. This is the way to make him associate obedience with your approval.
Remember that should only reward your dog when he performs at your command. If, for instance, he comes up and sits or rolls over without any prompting for you, do not give him a treat. If you do, you can think of it as him training you, instead!
The key to training your dog with positive reinforcement is to not lose your cool. Learning how to train a dog can be a lot of fun but it does take a little patience. Remember you love your dog and he loves you so never scream at him or hit him. Firmly let him know if he's misbehaved and give reprimand in a strong voice but not loud enough to make him afraid of you.
This dog training thing takes patience and lots of practice but it's well worth it. You'll have a happy well behaved pet who loves you to pieces not to mention a nice, clean floor!

Five Tips For Finding Furniture For Your Dog

by: Owen Andrew

Finding furniture for your dog is a lot like buying furniture for yourself. You look for the style you want, the price, the color, the durability of the material, how easy it is to care for, the quality, how well it fits in with the rest of your home d�cor and how much you'll have to spend. These are all the same elements you should look for in dog furniture as well, and here are five tips to help you determine which dog furniture to buy, what kind of furniture is right for your dog and which furniture fits into your home.

First off, one of the most important aspects of dog furniture is its durability. This is especially crucial, as how durable your dogs furniture is depends on how long it will last. Scratching paws, fur, dirt, nibbles, and drool-your dog's furniture has to be able to withstand all this and more. Solutions to the durability problem include looking for industrial, high grade canvas and removable canvas covers, anti odor properties and other similar durability-improving elements. Also look for stain resistance, antibacterial and machine washable materials, as anything else can become a hassle.

Second, look at materials carefully. The material you use can effect more than just its lifetime, it can actually affect your dogs comfort. While dogs are hardy creatures, even they are subject to the same aches and pains that assail their humans. Joint problems, aching backs, soreness and stiffness are al qualities that can affect the way your dog functions, especially older dogs. For this reason, it's imperative that your dog's bed is orthopedically friendly. This means material that is soft and moldable with high memory virgin upholstery fiber fill or other similar filling is essential.

Size is the third factor to consider when thinking about buying dog furniture. Make sure you buy furniture that is the correct size and width of your dog. This means that whether you're buying furniture from a pet store or online, you need to measure your dog and makes sure it fits. A doggy sofa and bed, for example, are only comfy for your dog if they fit. This means being able to stretch out and wriggle around without sliding off of the furniture in question.

The fourth thing to think about is price. You want to pay enough that you get good quality, but you don't want to pay too much for lesser quality. The solution to this is to look at guarantees related to the furniture, materials, and all the other qualities mentioned above.

Last but not least, you want to look at style. Ideally, you want to find a style of furniture that can fit into the d�cor of your home; luckily, most materials come in a variety of colors and there is furniture in many styles; your best bet if you're unsure is to buy a neutral or primary color, like beige or navy blue, as these fit in nicely with most home d�cor styles, even the most eclectic.
About the Author

Find designer dog furniture dog bedding in decorative styles and fabrics with furniture grade memory foam pillows at wholesale direct prices.

Dog Training Secrets

3 Secrets to Successfully Training Your Dog
By Jon Leger


If you want to successfully train your dog, there are three key components that you must use. This article will discuss each one, and why it is so vital to your dog training success.

Bonding

If you don't get this one right, your training efforts will always be a struggle. You have got to have a good bond with your dog. He has got to trust you, and want your good favor.

Think about it like this: when your dog first meets a stranger, he probably growls, or hides, or otherwise expresses his disfavor with that stranger. How effective do you think it would be if that stranger started attempting to train your dog without first bonding with him to set your dog at ease?

You already have some bond with your dog, so he won't hide from you or growl at you. But the stronger you can make that bond, the more your dog will desire your favor, and the harder he will work to make you happy.

That is the nature of dogs, and it must be respected to be successful.

To have a strong bond with your dog, talk to him, play with him, and take him on walks. Treat him as the "best friend" he's meant to be, and his trust in you will grow, making him easier to train.

Consistency and Repetition

In most of my articles I say this, but it warrants repeating: what is true of children is often true of dogs. You must be consistent in both your praise and your discipline of your dog so that he knows exactly what kind of a reaction he is going to get every time. You cannot blow hot and cold, or give it an enthusiastic attempt one time and a lukewarm one the next. You must be consistent or it will confuse your dog.

Consistency and repetition go hand in hand. You must give the same responses, both good and bad, and you must give them regularly. That continued repetition helps your dog to know that he is going to be expected to behave in certain ways on a regular basis.

Always End Sessions With Praise

No matter how badly your dog performs in each session, always end your training with play time. That way he will see the training as a good time, knowing it will end in a fun play session with you.

I can't emphasize this enough. If you end your training sessions on a bad note, it will backfire on you and short-circuit your training efforts. So always end with play time.

If you keep these three keys in mind at all times while training your dog, you will find that your efforts will go much further, and that the training sessions will be a joy both for you and for your "best friend".

You can learn to train your dog with Jonathan's free easy dog training lessons

Dog Training Secrets

Dog Training - How to Train Your Dog Effectively
By Brigitte Smith Platinum Quality Author


Some people believe that dogs need to be trained when they're young. To some extent for our own sanity that's true - especially with housetraining, and teaching your dog that chewing your shoes/slippers/anything that's accessible, is simple not acceptable.

But despite the old adage "You can't teach a old dog new tricks", it's perfectly possible to teach a dog of virtually any age new behaviours and even party tricks, if you like. Basically dog training boils down to rewarding your dog when s/he does something you like, and correcting your dog when s/he does something you don't like. Good training establishes an appropriate relationship between you and your dog, and it ensures that your dog understands what you want of him/her.

Of course, the dog may become somewhat set in his/her ways, and be less inclined to be interested in learning. My dogs tend to look at me a little suspiciously these days if I try to introduce a new command. But once they get the idea that I'm giving them a new way to please me, it doesn't take them too long to start to comply.

The idea is to teach your dog to make his own decisions (believe it or not!) Not complicated decisions, of course, - just whether to do something or not. If your dog makes the right decision, s/he'll be rewarded. If your dog makes the wrong decision, s'he'll receive a corrrection and the opportunity to then choose the right decision. Simple!

I've been reading some professional dog training secrets. They reminded me of an absolutely crucial point when training a dog - that consistency is critical with your dog. Because your dog is always looking for opportunities to elevate him/herself in the heirachy of your household, even just a little bit ... if you don't insist on a certain behaviour every single time, or conversely if you allow a misbehaviour even once, your dog gets a mixed message about what's acceptable and what s/he can get away with.

As an example, if you've taught your dog to come when called, the only way you can be certain s/he will come every single time you give the command, is if you don't give your dog a choice until you're 100 percent certain your dog will respond to your command every single time. That is, you must carry this training out with a long leash or rope, so you can make your dog come each time you call him/her.

Adam's ebook is over 300 pages long and explains all of this in much greater detail and not only tells you exactly how to train your dog to respond to specific commands, but also the most effective ways to prevent unwanted behaviours, and to have a much better behaved dog in general.

What I really like about Adam's strategies is that his methods utilise the dog's natural instincts and drives, and because you treat the dog as if s/he is a member of your pack, rather than a child of your household, you actually end up with a happier dog. Some of the methods described in the ebook are somewhat controversial, but I'd really recommend that you read the arguments he puts forward and make your own decision. I LOVE the ebook. Granted, it's not a literary masterpiece - actually it doesn't flow as well as it might, and it's somewhat repetitive - but the information contained in it is priceless.

(c) 2005, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs

Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in holistic dog health.

Pick up your special FREE dog health report - and your dog training information here - Dog Training Tips

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brigitte_Smith

Dog Training Secrets

Puppy House Training
by Peter Motley


Learn about methods on dog training including puppy house training. Look at how you can train your dog to do anything you wish in less than half the time after using proven techniques that get instant results!

Kevin Lynch, is the author of the hugely in demand dog training book Puppy n' Dog Secrets. This book is where he reveals the techniques and secrets employed by professional dog training experts including:

Easily Understood and Powerful techniques that will answer ANY dog problem such as puppy house training difficulties, Eliminating such nuisances as unnecessary barking, digging, destructive chewing, general disobedience, and much, much more...

How you can train your dog to carry out any command, from simple commands like SIT and STAY to the largely more complex tricks like you see in dog shows.

Take away the frustration of training your dog, discover how to communicate in a way that your dog will respond to swiftly so you can accelerate the speed of your dog's training.

This book will give you the tools to transform each and every unruly dog's behavior in just minutes a day. The useful information and simple techniques outlined in this book can be applied for any breed or age of dog.

If you already have a dog in your family or you are considering getting a new puppy, you need the great advice and information available in " puppy book". It is more than just a reference to train your dog. It gives you validated techniques and strategies that show you precisely how you can make your dog understand your every wish and command and mind you every time. Your dog will become a well-behaved member of your family that you will be proud to show off to your friends and neighbors.

.....And there is much, much more!

Go get your Free dog training report and also find out how to magically transform your dog's behavior and learn the secrets that professional dog trainers use.


About the Author

Peter Motley finds helpful information on Puppy House Training. check out: Puppy House Training please visit or go to my blog http://www.puppy-house-training-.blogspot.com for valuable information and tips.

Dog Training Secrets

Who wants to have a very happy and well trained dog? You can do that by simply spending some quality time with your dogs because through that you will get both off on the right foot. Let your dog sleep on your bed as well because of that your dog will smell you and will definetly help your bonding together. Then take your dog with you as possibly as you can. Be sure to play your dog as well because it will help his social stimulation which is very important in considering a dog or puppy.

So be sure to check this up because I will post some useful tips again regarding training your dog or puppy.

Dog Training Secrets

Why is Dog training Basics-Training the new Puppy so Important?
by Verlyn Spreeman

Having a cute little puppy come into your home is always a very exciting time for the whole family. Great importance should be placed on getting your new member of the family off to a right start with proper dog training basics to ensure many years of happiness to you and your pet. There are a various talents that every new puppy must master, including climbing up and down the stairs, and how to accept a new collar that is going to be a way of life for your dog.
It is best to introduce a new puppy to the home when the entire family is present, and when the household is as calm as possible. It is discouraged by animal care experts to give puppies and kittens as holiday gifts. The busy holiday season has far too many distractions, for your new puppy or kitten to get the attention it needs. It is best to wait until the holidays have passed before introducing the new family member.
Once the puppy is part of your home, there are some things they will need to learn. One of the first talents that need to be mastered in a multi-story home will be learning to climb up and down the stairs. Most puppies are afraid of stairs, and that typically means that they do not know how to climb them properly. It is very important for the puppy's master to slowly build the confidence of the animal, starting off at the bottom of the stairs. Generally, a wide stairway will usually be less intimidating to a young puppy.
To build confidence, the dog owner should go up the first step, then encourage the puppy to follow, using their voice, treats or even a toy. After the puppy has joined you up the first stair, go back down repeating the process until the puppy will go up that step without any encouragement. It is very important to build confidence slowly and not rush the initial training process. Taking a one step at a time approach is the most practical way to teach the puppy to master the fine art of stair climbing.
Another thing every new puppy must be taught is how to accept the collar. Learning to wear a collar is a high priority to every dog, but most puppies are baffled, frightened and bewildered by this new piece of attire. Many puppies constantly try to wriggle out of their new collar by pawing and pulling at it.
Don't underestimate the importance of choosing a new collar for your puppy. A properly fitted collar, chosen for your puppy's size, is more likely to be comfortable and accepted. Training aids such as choke collars, slip collars and training collars are never a good substitute for a sturdy buckle type collar that includes an identification tag and license attached. This identification will be vital in having your puppy returned if she for any reason becomes separated from you.
The best way to introduce the puppy to the collar is to simply put the collar on and allow her to squirm, jump, roll and paw at the color to her heart s content. It is important to not encourage this behavior by trying to soothe the puppy, but it is just as important not to punish or reprimand the puppy. Simply ignore the puppy and let them work through their issues with the collar on their own.
Try introducing distractions, such as food, toys or playing, is always an excellent way to get the puppy used to the color. Getting the puppy to play, eat and drink while wearing the collar is a great way to get her used to it. After a few days, many puppies will accept they are wearing a collar.
Training a new puppy can be a daunting task. Always remember that it is up to you to continually work with your puppy teaching them not only to become a well trained pet but also to be a happy and healthy member of your family for many years to come.
About the Author

Dog training basics is so important in getting your new puppy off on the right "paw":-). Animal-Trainer reveiwed by Verlyn Spreeman as a first class complete system for a happy and healthy puppy/owner relationship.