Cat and Dog » dog trainer

How To Train Your Dog… Once You Realize That He Is Not A Human

Snoop Dog — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:00:52 +0000

Training your dog can be a long and difficult task. If you already have or are planning on getting a dog, you need to be sure that you are completely up to the challenge. Training your dog is not a simple, one-week or one-month task ? it is something that you will continually have to do, ?til death do you part.

Here are some tips to help you train your dog:

?First of all, you must realize that your dog is not human. Therefore, you should not attribute so many human characteristics to him. For instance, your dog did not pee on the rug because he is ?angry? at you ? more likely, he was marking his territory or he simply needed to be let out sooner! Because our dogs are not human, we should not try to remedy their problems as though they are. We should not punish an ?angry? dog by sending him to his dog carrier or try to win his affection back by filling him up with treats. Rather, we should be sure to let him outside when he needs to go outside.

?Again, dogs are not human. It is in their nature to work for their food. In other words, you should not simply give it to them without having them earn it. For instance, rather than simply giving your dog his food in the morning, take him for a long walk and then feed him. Or go out and run him around your back yard. You can even have him carry around a weighted doggie pack before you give him his food. Do not give him his food before he earns it. This may seem harsh, but it is the way that it works in the animal kingdom. Out in the wild, a dog would have to work hard, chasing down his food, before he could get it, and sometimes he would not get it and would have to wait until the next day for a meal.

?It is important to be consistent! You cannot simply make your dog work for his food three days out of a week and then simply give it to him the other four. Owning and caring for a dog is a full-time job.

?Make sure that your dog understands who is the pack leader. (In case you are wondering, the pack leader should be you!). You will both get along much more easily if you make it clear from the onset that he is the subservient one in the relationship and that you are the one who gives him his food, etc.

?A system of rewards and punishments can be used to train dogs. The key is, you need to reward or punish them immediately, otherwise they may not understand what the reward/punishment is for. For instance, when you take your dog outside and he pees outside, immediately give him a treat. If, on the other hand, you let him outside, then he pees, then he frolics and chases a bird, and then you give him a treat when he comes back in, he may connect the treat to going outside, rather than for peeing outside.

?Also, a reward system works best if it is not always expected. In other words, if you give your dog a treat every single time he pees outside, it will not be as effective as if you only give it to him some of the time (and it makes it a lot easier for you, too). Otherwise, in the former reward system, if you miss a few days, your dog may start peeing inside again. In the latter situation, your dog will be used to not getting a treat for a few days, but will still be expecting one in the future if he continually goes pee outside.

?Learn about your dog breed. Different dog breeds react differently to different situations ? they are bred for different purposes, and they have different capabilities. Make sure that you know as much about your own dog breed as possible so that you know how best to train your dog.

As you can hopefully realize, training a dog can be a lot of work, and only those who are up to the work should consider owning a dog. Remember, the more time that you spend working with your dog, the better your dog is going to work with you. Also, realize that your dog is not human ? this can be a hard concept to grasp, but the sooner you do, the better your relationship with your dog will be.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on dogs and dog training, please visit Dog T-Shirts.

Two Steps To Finding The Perfect Dog: Puppy Or Older Dog?

Snoop Dog — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:00:13 +0000

Introduction

If you are considering adding a dog to your household, stop and take a few minutes to consider if you are really ready for the responsibility having a dog will entail. And if you are thinking of adding a puppy, you really need to consider if you, your family and your current lifestyle can accommodate a new puppy and if you are ready to expend the time and money needed to properly raise one.

Step One: Evaluate Your Lifestyle

Are you at home enough for a puppy? Or is your work close enough to your home for you to come home several times a day and let the puppy out or walk him? If the answer to either is yes, then great. You are a good candidate for owning a puppy. Puppies need a consistent schedule with plenty of opportunities to eliminate, where you want them to. Their bladders and bowels are small and they cannot ?hold it? until you get home.

Chewing: Puppies teethe just like human babies and chew while their new little dog teeth emerge. Items of clothing, shoes, belts, electrical cords (which are potentially very dangerous to your puppy) and other household items will full of puppy tooth marks while your new dog breaks in his new teeth.

Sleep: If you are someone who needs 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night, then a puppy is not for you. Your new puppy will be very demanding. For one, he will miss his litter mates. Ticking clocks, hot water bottles and plush toys will not be an adequate substitute and will not be able to make a puppy ball with your new family member. If you have had children, owning a new puppy will be a lot like having a newborn human baby.

Exercise: Puppies love to play. If you or other members of your family have time and energy to play with your new dog, then great, you are in for a real treat. Puppies love to play.

Step 2: What Size And Type Of Dog Do You Want?

Size: The space you have available for a dog will be a prime driver in the size of dog you adopt. If you adopt a puppy, you may not know how big the dog will ultimately grow to be. If you have a single family home with a good-sized yard, the size of the dog will matter less. If you live in an apartment of a high-rise building, the size of the dog will matter more. On the other hand, if you adopt an adult dog, there will be no mystery about what the ultimate size of the dog will be.

Do I Need An Instant Friend? With an older dog, you automatically have a buddy that can go anywhere and everything with you right now.

Bond: Rescued dogs will quickly bond with their new family. Dogs who have been uprooted from their homes or had a tough start in life are more likely to bond with their new people. Those dogs who have lost their families because of death, divorce, or other upheaval go through a terrible grieving process. But once attached to a new family they will be anxious to please. They know too well what losing a family is like, and they will not be interested in going through that again, ever. A rescue dog knows what it is like to be loose and without a permanent home. He or she will appreciate you that much more. Most rescue dogs will make exceptionally affectionate and attentive pets who will make a wonderful lifetime companion.

Dog & Your Home Checklist

Take this quick test to determine the type of dog that best suits you and your family?s lifestyle.

1.I have the time to walk and train a new puppy several times a day.
yes no.
If yes, one point for a puppy. If no, add a point for an older dog.

2.I do not mind too much if some of my property gets chewed by a playful puppy.
yes no.
If you do not mind, score one point for a puppy. If you do mind, score one point for an older dog.

3.A good night?s sleep is not as important for me because I can nap or I do not require as much sleep as other people.
Sleep not important Sleep at night is important. If you can manage without a full night?s sleep, score a point for a new puppy. If you need your sleep, score a point for an older dog.

4.I have the time and inclination to spend time playing with a new dog.
yes, I have time no, my time is limited.
If your answer is yes, then score a point for owning a puppy. If you answered no, score a point for an older dog.

5.The ultimate size of the dog does not matter much because I have plenty of space.
size does not matter, I have room my space is very limited.
If the ultimate size of the dog is not an issue for you, score a point for adopting a puppy. On the other hand if the space you have is constrained, score a point for the known quantity of an older dog.

6.Having a good idea of the dog?s personality is important because I need the dog to be a good match for me and my family.
If the personality is less important, score a point for a puppy.
I need to know the temperament of the dog when I adopt, score a point for an older dog.

Score Your Results
If you scored any of the questions for an older dog, you should seriously consider adopting an older one only. While all puppies are adorable, cuteness is not the best reason for adopting a dog. So many people think that dogs in a shelter are somehow inferior. But it is not uncommon for a very expensive, purebed dog to end up in a shelter because people send their dogs to a shelter for lots of reasons, most of which have nothing to do with the dog. The original owner may not have had the money or the time to adequately care for the dog. Often times, divorce, illness or death are why the dog ends up in the shelter. Good rescue shelters will evaluate both the dog and the prospective owner before they are matched.

Conclusion
Choosing a rescue dog over a purchased pup is a decision only you and your family can make. The information presented here is designed to help you make an informed decision. Adopting a rescue dog will help give a potentially wonderful pet a second chance at life, so adopting a rescue will give him a second chance at life.

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To learn more about the plight of adult dogs who need a home, visit http://www.gettingluckythedog.com. To contact the author, call Harold Nicoll at 989-839-8293 or via email at hgnicoll@sbcglobal.net.

Two Steps To Finding The Perfect Dog: Puppy Or Older Dog?

Snoop Dog — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:12:18 +0000

Introduction

Step One: Evaluate Your Lifestyle

Exercise: Puppies love to play. If you or other members of your family have time and energy to play with your new dog, then great, you are in for a real treat. Puppies love to play.

Step 2: What Size And Type Of Dog Do You Want?

Do I Need An Instant Friend? With an older dog, you automatically have a buddy that can go anywhere and everything with you right now.

Dog & Your Home Checklist

Take this quick test to determine the type of dog that best suits you and your familys lifestyle.

1.I have the time to walk and train a new puppy several times a day.
yes no.
If yes, one point for a puppy. If no, add a point for an older dog.

2.I do not mind too much if some of my property gets chewed by a playful puppy.
yes no.
If you do not mind, score one point for a puppy. If you do mind, score one point for an older dog.

3.A good nights sleep is not as important for me because I can nap or I do not require as much sleep as other people.
Sleep not important Sleep at night is important. If you can manage without a full nights sleep, score a point for a new puppy. If you need your sleep, score a point for an older dog.

6.Having a good idea of the dogs personality is important because I need the dog to be a good match for me and my family.
If the personality is less important, score a point for a puppy.
I need to know the temperament of the dog when I adopt, score a point for an older dog.

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Give Your Pet Care Knowledge A Boost With Dog Training Schools

Snoop Dog — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:13:10 +0000

Are you a serious dog lover? Do you want to make a career out of taking care of pets? Perhaps you’d like to be a certified pet first aid expert, or the manager of a dog day camp or kennel. How else should you start on your dream, but to check out the dog training schools in your home town? Dog training schools are always in great demand. In fact, the most popular ones are always fully booked! Sometimes the students are merely pet enthusiasts, eager to learn how to take care of the dogs they already have, and would like to have in the future. But sometimes, the students are serious-minded academicians, ready and willing to plunge into the world of pet psychology.

But these schools are in demand precisely because pet care experts are needed everywhere. Licensed and qualified dog trainers are indispensable to dog owners who breed pedigree dogs, intent on raising them to become champion performers. Dog training schools are also great launch pads for those who are seriously thinking of a career in veterinary science. What can you get in dog training schools that you won’t be able to get all by yourself, off the Internet, and for free? Well, the biggest thing waiting for you in schools is the privilege of getting hands-on experience. You get practical training in things that would remain theoretical, otherwise. Practical training gives you the experience you need, so you are never caught short-handed in case of emergencies on the job. You are able to exercise all your senses and learn how it feels to put your back into your work.

Another thing is, you get to mingle with certified professionals, as well as other pet enthusiasts. Nothing beats being able to see pet care professionals in action, getting to talk to them and sometimes even participating in their basic and advanced exercises. This interaction is the best way to supplement your stock knowledge. Plus, you are able to network with other pet care professionals who may be able to help you get jobs, or further your pet care education.

There may be schools offering distance certification in pet care, via the Internet, which allows you to study from home and just submit proof of your achievements online. But this does not come with the benefits of enrolling in dog training schools and attending classes. If you really want to be an expert, spend time and money on your training: it’s worth it!

Puppy-train.com provides you with information on dog barking, dog training collars, dog training schools, dog grooming supplies and homemade dog treats. Go to http://www.puppy-train.com/