Pet Training Needs To Be Done
April 22, 2011 by Adriana Noton · Comments Off
When you have any kind of pet, it is important to teach them the rules. They need to gain your trust also. Pet training is not about teaching them how to be a show animal or for teaching them tricks. It is nice to be able to do these things but there is other training that must be done first.
If you have every been to a friends house where a dog is always jumping around and scratching you, you know that they have not had the correct training. Guests should not have to fight off the animals when they come to your house. You should not have to lock them up either. It is important for them to have rules to follow but not to control every move that they make. Boundaries must be made also.
Before anything can be taught to an animal, it will need to know its name. They cannot respond when they do not know that you are talking to them. You need some sort of communication and it needs to be taught before you teach anything else.
Having your pet house broken is important so that your house does not get destroyed. Even the smallest of behavior issues can cause very expensive damage. They should know how to tell you that they need to go outside. They should also be taught to stay off the counters and out of the garbage.
An animal should never be allowed to do something that is not going to be allowed later on. It is hard to stop them from doing something once they have been allowed to do it. They should be scolded every time instead of letting them do it once and not another time. This will confuse them.
Use a command that is the same every time. Everybody should use the same command also. Do not change it because they will not know what is being told to them. Animals only understand what they are taught. Words can be associated with things. We may not realize it but an animal will. They get food when somebody says food, eat, or feed. If somebody says out or outside, they will get to go outside. Riding in a vehicle is associated with bye bye. Your pets are taught these things without trying.
Some owners believe that older dogs cannot be trained because they have set their ways. You can teach any animal what is expected of them. Some learn faster than others and are easier to train. An older dog may be harder to train because you have to teach them to stop the bad habits.
The bond between an animal and you will be stronger when you train them. It will take patience though. Some will pick up things very quickly while others do not. Some devices are available and they can help you out in this venture. If you are still unsuccessful, you can take them to a professional dog training London Ontario trainer also. This can cost a lot of money depending on how much they will need to be taught.
dog training Vancouver can be challenging, but the rewards are priceless. dog training Calgary requires discipline and consistency. When experiencing problems, consult a professional. Bark Busters In Home Dog and Puppy Training 256 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5T 0A7 (604) 812-8214 – +1 866-418-4584.
How To Build An Effective Program For Pet Training
April 22, 2011 by Adriana Noton · Comments Off
There are several important aspects to consider for pet training, especially when you have a new dog or puppy. Keep in mind that any attempt to change behavior takes time and patience. It will not happen immediately. Be prepared to spend adequate time and train on a regular basis for best results.
Each dog is different based on temperament, breed, and nature. Some dogs are very eager to please while others are naturally more distant. Certain breeds respond to different reinforcement, such as food, praise, verbal commands, or visual directions. Be sure to spend time learning about an individual dog’s nature to devise the most applicable program.
You must be able to establish yourself as the pack leader. This means you are the authority in your home. Dogs have a natural tendency to regard their pack leader as the one to provide guidance and direction. Speak with authority and confidence. One way to put yourself in control is with food supply. Make a regular schedule of feeding and stay with the same schedule every day.
Positive reinforcement is more effective than negative. The key to reinforcing a certain behavior is to recognize when dogs perform correct tasks by rewarding them generously. When a dog does something bad, avoid reacting negatively by yelling or punishing. Instead, simply ignore the unwanted behavior. This helps teach what behaviors earn praise versus what results in nothing.
Anger and punishment are virtually useless in teaching a dog proper behavior. Avoid striking or beating animals under all circumstances. The only result you get from negative actions is to alienate the animal. They will begin to see you as an adversary rather than a companion. By implementing positive reinforcement, you get more success in training and also build a strong bond.
Keep in mind that learning commands may take longer than you first expect. Set small goals at first which are easy to achieve. Try various techniques to see what works best for your pet. Unrealistic goals, like expecting the dog to learn something in one or two sessions, result in frustration for both of you. Start small, by teaching a simple sit or down command, then work toward more advanced commands over time.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is timing. To properly reward or correct certain behaviors, you must react immediately. When you see a bad behavior, correct it right away. When he does something right, praise him right then. It creates confusion and frustration if you try to provide feedback after the fact. For instance, suppose you come home to find your shoe has been chewed. Getting angry will not work since the bad behavior likely occurred hours earlier. Even though he cowers and appears guilty, your pet is only responding to your negative reaction. He is not able to connect your scolding with the action causing it.
Keep in mind that consistency and patience are crucial for successful dog training London Ontario. Set a regular schedule for all your pet’s activities. Use the same hand signals and verbal commands each time. Using the concepts discussed here can lead to a great program to train your dog.
dog training Vancouver can be challenging, but the rewards are priceless. dog training Calgary requires discipline and consistency. When experiencing problems, consult a professional. Bark Busters In Home Dog and Puppy Training 256 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5T 0A7 (604) 812-8214 – +1 866-418-4584.
Ways to get your dog to stop digging
March 17, 2009 by Craig Vic · Comments Off
It takes hours of hard work to maintain a pristine lawn, but seconds for a dog to destroy. How do you get a dog to stop digging holes in your yard?
The first thing you have to remember though is that your dog isn’t doing this on purpose, although it may feel that way. So, no matter what, make sure you don’t hit your dog.
It’s been a studied fact, that hitting a dog will have more of a negative effect than a positive effect.
Good smells in the ground can be the reason why your dog wants to dig. If your dog doesn’t find the smell of the ground appealing, the dog wouldn’t want to dig. It would make sense if the dog smelled something he really didn’t like, he would stop.
Dogs are individuals and, as such, have their own likes and dislikes. Finding a smell that your dog does not like, such as mouthwash, and spreading it around the lawn may be just enough to deter your canine pal.
If your dog hates the smell of mouthwash as much as mine does, his curiosity of digging will depreciate.
A great way to prevent further digging in a hole is to sabotage it. Don’t worry. I’m not talking about dynamite, or anything like. Next time your dog takes a poop, put some of it in the hole.
Seeing as most dogs dislike fecal matter, it is only natural that they will not want it on their feet, thus putting an end to the digging.
Stop Dog Barking Before It Becomes A Problem
March 2, 2009 by Craig Vic · Comments Off
It can be one of the most frustrating things for dog owners: A dog that will just not stop barking. You just want peace and quiet, but the dog on the other hand couldn’t care less, right?
Well – it’s not like the dog is barking on purpose just to upset you. You’ve got to start becoming more aware of the “dog’s barking trends”.
Pay attention to when, where, and at what the dog is barking. Usually, there is an obvious reason- an unfamiliar smell, person, or sounds are examples.
Usually, the dog is trying to protect his and, thus your, property.
Try to be prepared for these moments when the dog feels intruded upon. For example, if the neighbor and his loud truck come home from work at the same time every day.
Right before the neighbor typically comes home, you should put a leash on your dog. As the sound of his truck nears, tug on the leash so that the dog understands you are next to him. Sometimes it helps to comfort him by petting.
In fact, if your dog is an outdoor dog, keeping a squirt gun in hand may be a good idea. Before your dog really gets going with his barking, give him a reminder squirt with the water gun. Soon he’ll associate the barking behavior with that unpleasant consequence.
Don’t forget to also reward your dog when he behaves. A nice treat and a lot of belly rubs when he does not bark show that he is doing the right thing.
Teaching Your Dog to “Stay” the Easy Way
February 16, 2009 by Danah Reed · Comments Off
It can be very difficult for a dog to understand that when we say “stay” we want him to do absolutely nothing but to stay in his position. It is not something to actively do so it is important they comprehend that at times doing nothing is exactly what we want them to do.
How to teach your dog to stay
The first thing you need to do is make sure your dog already knows the command “sit”. This way you can starting combining an action you require of him, sitting down, with the passive composure we are trying to get from him. So tell your dog to sit and once he is sitting use the same tone in telling him to “stay”. After a few seconds of staying in his position reward you dog with praise or a treat.
You can help him stay in position by staying close to him and make sure there are no distractions that could get his attention. By using your body language you can ensure he will stay still.
If your dog should break the stay, then go through the process of sitting and staying again. A few seconds at the start of training will suffice and then gradually build up the amount of time your dog remains in the stay position. Always reward with praise, and eventually your dog will understand exactly what you expect of him.
The next step is to start making it a little more complicated by asking your dog to stay and move away a little bit without him moving.
Dog Training: Five Easy Tips for Children
January 11, 2009 by Donald Bulger · Comments Off
Isn’t it amazing to witness the maturation of children? From their first steps to opening those child-safe locks their accomplishments surprise us. So, it shouldn’t shock you to learn that it’s often easier for a child to train a dog than it is for most adults. Why is this?
Children have patience. And, they think pet training fun. Dogs usually respond to even the playful commands of a child, but stricter commands are even more successful.
Dogs have the skills to comprehend signals and voice commands. These unique abilities should be maximized and utilized accordingly by using the hand, voice, and body when training them. The following tips are helpful for children who aspire to train their dogs:
1. Use Visual Signals: Dogs are known to respond to deep voices, so children may have a problem when trying to control them with only voice commands. It’s important to Use hand signals in addition to voice commands to control your dog.
2. Keep training session under 15 minutes: Dogs can get bored and lose interest after 15 minutes of training (just like a child!), so it is better to keep the sessions shorter to maintain their attention.
3. Be Firm with the Dog: Dogs will submit to children if are consistently firm.
4. Use Only One Command at a Time: Once you have their attention, use hand gestures and spoken commands but only one at a time. For example, if teaching a dog to sit your son or daughter should say, “sit!” while at the same time using the hand to gesture the command. Your child’s voice should be firm and your gesture should be coordinated with it.
5. Shower Your Dog With Love and Praise: When a dog follows commands, your child should you praise and pet him. A dog treat will make him enthusiastic about training, but be sparing with the treats or the dog will only respond when he expects a reward.
Having your child train your dog will be a great experience for both.
The Importance of Contact in Training Your Dog
December 1, 2008 by Pamella Neely · Comments Off
If you incorporate eye contact in your dog’s training for attention sessions then he will always look up to you for guidance and have excellent behavior. This type of bond will ultimately bring your relationship to a higher level. You will both learn how to read each other’s body language and emotions. He will learn to respect your leadership role in the relationship. Eye contact provides a deeper level of communication than can be achieved by training simply through commands and motions. People who have practiced eye contact have really seen an amazing intensity of focused attention in their dog.
Dog training or attention requires the use of the dog’s name to initially get his attention. Get his attention by giving a quick movement as you call his name. This will encourage him to look at you and make eye contact. He will have to make eye contact before getting food, receiving a play session or being loved on. He will come to recognize you are the master over him.
First thing is first. You must say his name to get focused attention in your dog. Display a quick movement after you call to him for a definite response to his name. This will make him look at you. If he comes to you then you can pull out one of the treats you had hidden. Make sure the treats are always hidden so your dog will constantly respond in the same way instead of just during the obvious “training time”.
Raise the treat to your eyes so his gaze will lock with yours. Once he does this reward him. Slowly increase the seconds of eye contact for each reward. Soon he will know exactly where to look for his prize.
If you are beginning training with a new puppy, then try to hand feed him for a few weeks. Use the kibble as a training reward. After he becomes consistent at making good eye contact, you can gradually discontinue the food and treat rewards and just use verbal praise.
Once he masters the first exercise and the focused attention in your dog has been steadily maintained, then you can throw in a couple of distractions. Start by calling his name from other rooms. Make sure he meets your eyes upon greeting you there. Then play with his toy. If he wants to jump in on the fun just say his name again to bring his gaze to your stare before letting him join. Be consistent in every exercise you do so your dog does not get confused.
If you are certain the dog training for attention methods have worked so far then it is time to move to the advanced training exercise. Have a friend come over and offer your dog food. Interject on their moment by saying his name for eye contact. If your dog looks at you praise him greatly and even take the offered food and reward it to him from your hands. If he never does look, then sit off to the side alone and depressed for a few minutes to show how upset he made you, then repeat the exercise. Chances are, your dog will not want you to be sad and will defiantly look at you the second time around. After a few successful outcomes you know you have focused attention in your dog and all of the dog training for attention will pay off throughout the rest of his life.
Eye contact during training will make for a better behaved dog, a much closer bond, and will encourage a constant higher thinking from your pet. Eye contact is the most important method used in dog training for attention because he will have to lock eyes with you if he ever wants food, to be played with, or praised. This training process is actually much more humane than to be controlled by the leash because it is easier, faster, and more positive.
Training of Aggressive Dogs
It must have happened to you while walking on the beach or the local park. There jumping on and off the walking path is a puppy in the throes of life. You know that such a dog is full of wonder at every little butterfly that flutters. Its non-stop tail movement is evidence that it is truly happy to meet each and every non-threatening stranger.
Seconds later, however as you are twenty or thirty meters away you and every one else hears a high pitch yapping and you turn already knowing with horror as you hear the deep throated roar that that little puppy that you just passed is in some serious trouble. Perhaps even its owner is not able to extricate it from the problem.
There are a myriad of reasons for what we call bad behavior on the part of canines. Inbreeding, bad upbringing, chronic damage such as poor dental health. Any of these can be contributing factors as to why a dog would suddenly go off in a public area.
My neighbor tells the story of his dog which is actually half dog and half Northern wolf.
About 12 months ago, he had gone inside the house after tying his puppy to the tail of his pickup truck. He estimated it had about 15 feet of slack on its leash. He claims he was only inside about 10 minutes before he heard a shout and the snarl of a pit bull. He ran to his front door and saw this scene.
There, running free of its leash and cutting a line straight towards his big puppy was a vicious pit Bull. He remembers his dog backing up to the vehicle as if to get enough slack in its leash. In no time the pit bull had crossed 30 feet and without so much as a hello, launched itself in the air towards the puppy.
What happened next was more of a blur, but as he describes it the pitBull jumped and was airborne and in attack mode in no time at all. The waiting half wolf had expected this and when the pitbull grabbed for where the puppy’s throat was, it got nothing but air. On landing, the pitbull tried to launched itself yet again but the puppy was already above it in the air and promptly seized the pitbull’s throat as it attempted to shake it into submission.
A very low wolf like growl emitted from my neighbors dog. For a moment the pitBull went slack and the half wolf tossed it about 2 meters.
The pitbull landed and without touching ground ( thats what witnesses say ) twisted and was airborne across the 10 feet distance. The slightly bigger half wolf puppy crouched and met the pitBull midair but this time instead of warning it, it snapped its neck and well, that was that.
Time that had rushed faster than anyone could probably recount, suddenly stood still. The only slow movement came from the puppy as it backed to the vehicle, slunk down and looked around.
Its truly sad when something like this happens. The savagery of the episode is lost in the speed and suddeness of an attack like this. We heard that an older child had been threatened by the same dog a year earlier and that there was pending investigations about that due to those on the scene telling different versions of what they thought they saw.
I guess, the wheels of justice move slowly and that sometimes the animal kingdom simply takes things into its own. Afterwards, everyone was very certain that the puppy would have stood no chance under the fierce onslaught of the pitBull, but nature thought differently.



