Dec 03 2009

Dog Training With Dog Training Aids

The art of persuasion is a good skill to develop when dog training. Your voice is the most important aspect of this skill. It’s important to use your dog’s name before each command, and to use a persuasive tone of voice. Keep your tone of voice low and pleasant, but also firm.

Talk constantly to your dog when dog training. When training your dog to retrieve, you’ll need to persuade him to take an item from you. Great dog training aids for this are very light dumbbells. As soon as your dog starts to take the dumbbell, immediately praise him with a happy and excited voice. And don’t forget to pet him as well.

Never become angry with your dog when dog training. Becoming angry will not help, and is likely to make your dog anxious. To make matters worse, your dog won’t understand why you’re angry with him.

Always remember that your dog is trying to please you. This is the case even when he is not following your commands. Your dog may not understand what you want of him. He is not being deliberately disobedient.

Once your dog understands what you’re asking him to do, he will probably be happy to repeat the action over and over again. Remember, your dog’s prime motivation is to please you, so once he finds an action that pleases you, he’ll be happy to do it again and again.

If your dog does not understand that you want him to take the dumbbell (or whichever other dog training aids you’re using), it may be necessary to gently place the dumbbell in his mouth and then gently hold his jaws closed by placing both your hands around his muzzle. Be careful not to bang your dog’s teeth on the dumbbell.

Dog training sessions are a great opportunity for you to spend some quality time with yoru dog. Yes, dog training takes time and effort. It sometimes takes considerable patience. But always bear in mind that dog training should be a fun time for your and your dog.

Keep placing the dumbbell into your dog’s mouth until your dog actually understands what to do.

Once your dog understands the taking of the dumbbell, you need to extend the reach of the item. Place the dumbbell on the ground in front of your dog and ask him to “Retrieve” or “Fetch”. Then start moving the dumbell further and further away from him. Your dog will soon get the idea.

What are the some of the some of the more important features of dog training? Discover what they are, and discover how dog training aids can assist when training your dog to retrieve, to fetch, and much more.

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Jun 07 2009

No Sticks Allowed

by Kathy Davison

At last and eventually I have the honor of reading about a Vet who has brought to light in a local newspaper the perils of throwing a stick for your dog. Did you know that dogs suffer more injuries from chasing and catching sticks as they do from accidents on our great British roads.

I knew that because my father was a Vet and as a child I used to see the injuries arrive at the practice door. Some of them were horrific, dog with sticks that had cut their tongues or even pierced their gullet. The dog has many nerves and blood vessels around the face and these can be easily perforated and can cause excessive bleeding.

My father used to advise them to throw rubber toys or a suitably sized hard rubber ball and with all the dog toys around now there is really no excuse. Think of it this way if you feel that the toys cost too much. What is cheaper ..the toy or the Vets Bill? Mind you when you use a rubber ball of a suitable size make sure it is that really hard rubber and not the soft type. Any dog with the right amount of chewing can take apart a soft rubber ball and get pieces lodged in the esophagus and intestines.

Many a dog that has gone off his food and has been constipated on X ray has been found to have a piece of rubber firmly stuck in his gullet. Life threatening to say the least if he is not taken to the vet in time and at the end of the day highly expensive to get removed! Its much cheaper to get the correct toy in the first place.

So is throwing a stick for a dog really as dangerous as I say? Well let me enlighten you here to just a few typical injuries. Dog left paralyzed after being stabbed in the back of the throat by a stick that then entered the spinal cord. Dogs who suffer a slow death as infection spreads from tiny fragments of wood left lodged in a wound. Penetration of the tongue and into the windpipe by a dog running for a stick that had lodged into the ground

Still not convinced?

With today’s credit crunch in full swing you might like to consider the cost. Some Vets have seen costs in the thousands in treatment fees and in the end the poor dog has actually died. So next time you take your beloved pouch to the park for a walk and he is eager for his chase and return, introduce him to his nice new hard rubber ball, not only safe but bounces for miles!!

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Apr 09 2009

Dog Training Uncovered

by John Savage

Training your dog is no easy task; any pet owner can tell you that. While many dogs are very eager to please their owners, the bottom line is that they really don’t always understand what it is that you are saying and they have very, very short attention spans. These factors can make things difficult for even the most patient of owners, but before you are tempted to throw in the towel, let us consider some simple and basic dog training aids that you can use to help you along the way.

One of the best dog training aids that you can employ is to emphasize rewarding your dog for what he or she does right rather than simply punishing your dog when he or she does something wrong. Dogs crave attention and approval from their owners and will do just about anything to get it. If you want your dog to learn potty training, reward her when she goes in the right spot in the yard just as much as you scold her for going anywhere else. Many people neglect to include this positive reinforcement as part of their dog training aids arsenal, but that approval and affection can go a long way toward getting your dog to do what you want her to do!

Are there any training aids that we can purchase in order to help us with our dogs behaviour? Yes there are a number, and a visit to your local pet store will be quite an eye opener. Some of course are much better than others, as you would expect. Take for example dog leads. Nowadays, the experts tell us that choke chains and collars are not a good idea because they are of little benefit when training, but, a good study lead and collar on the other hand can work wonders when trying to get your dog to obey an instruction. Muzzles are another aid, not something that I like, but some people say that it help control a dogs barking both indoors and out.

One of the things that I find very satisfying is to sit down and groom my dog with a simple grooming brush. They do not cost much at your local pet store but they can give big rewards. Not only will your dog look good, but it will help them to develop a calm nature. Give it a try and see what I mean. While you are at the pet store purchase a couple of chewy toys, you will be amazed at how much fun both of you will have playing with them, and the bonus is a tired dog that does not get into mischief!

One last thing to say and that is about bathing. If you start this when they are quite young then it can be an enjoyable activity for both of you. Make sure you only use proper dog shampoo, and follow up he bathing with dog conditioner as this make it easier to comb your dog later on. Use a good size towel for drying them, and be prepared to get a bit wet yourself!

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