DOG TRAINING TIPS & GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

If you have a new dog or puppy, you may be interested in getting some basic dog training. An obedience instructor can teach dog training or do the dog training yourself.

Dog training with an obedience instructor can vary in price, and it usually takes place in a class. If you do the dog training yourself, it is usually free, and you can do it from your own home. If you do choose to do the dog training yourself, it is best to get educated on dog training.

There are three basic things your dog should learn through basic dog training.

These are: sit, stay, and come. The first part of dog training is to teach your dog to sit. To start this dog training, you will first need some dog treats.

Do this dog training in a quiet environment, so your dog doesn't get distracted. Tell your dog to sit repeatedly as you hold the dog treat just over its head. This way, the dog has to look up and may sit on its own to reach the treat.

If not, gently push their rear down. When they sit, praise them and reward them with a treat. This kind of dog training works because the dog constantly hears "sit" and will learn to associate the command with sitting and receiving praise.

NEXT STEP

The next part of dog training is to teach your dog to stay. This is often a difficult part of dog training. This kind of dog training is also incorporated with teaching your dog the command "come." Sit your dog in an area with no directions.

Tell your dog to stay repeatedly as you back away. Start out by keeping eye contact with the dog. Tell it "no" and start again if the dog gets up. Remember, this dog training takes a while. You may need someone to sit with the dog to help reinforce the dog to stay the first few times.

Once you have made progress with this dog training, you then start by walking away with your back turned. Dogs will often get up to follow you at this point. Tell your dog "no" and start the dog training again by repeatedly telling your dog to stay as you walk away.

Once your dog has mastered this part, you can teach it to come. After your dog has stayed, tell it to "come." Have a happy voice and pat your knee as you say, "come." Your dog should respond to this dog training right away, and you may then reward it.

Always use praise instead of punishment with dog training. Dogs respond best to positive dog training rather than negative. With all of this in mind, you should be able to teach your dog the three basic commands.

Follow all of this advice, and you should soon have a more obedient dog that is worth everyone's praise!

FINDING A GOOD DOG TRAINING PROFESSIONAL

With so many people advertising in the field of professional dog training today, trying to determine who's truly qualified to look after your dog can be overwhelming. What to look for when choosing a professional to help you with dog training :

1) A good reputation, ask around and get recommendations from your vet, other dog owners, or local kennel clubs.

 2) Experience. - Inquire about their background,  i.e., number of years experience.

 3)A genuine love of and devotion to dogs.

 4) Extensive and up-to-date knowledge. Dedicated trainers keep themselves updated by attending dog training and animal behavior courses, conferences, seminars, and workshops.

 5) Their training methodology and handling skills. A good trainer's first concern should be the dog's being.

  6) Memberships with reputable associations, organizations, and training clubs.

GENERAL DOG OBEDIENCE TIPS

Training should be a positive and enjoyable experience for both you and your dog. Don't even begin if you are not in the right mood for training. Always reward your dog for obeying your commands promptly! A reward is anything that your dog wants and is willing to work for. Treats are an obvious reward, but other rewards could be verbal praise and toys. Several shorter sessions are usually better than one long one. Training should not involve any negative components or punishment. There should be no shouting, no hitting or smacking, no chain jerking on choke chains or collars, and absolutely no electric shocking! Each training session should be enjoyable and positive with rewards for jobs well done.

TRAINING WITH HEAD COLLARS

Pulling on the lead is one of the few unpleasant experiences of bringing up a new puppy or dog. Using a head collar for dog training has become very popular over the last few years. Training with a head collar does have some advantages over the traditional training collar. Although very simple to use, it is important that head collars are fitted correctly and your dog properly introduced to the collar. Headcollars are generally more intuitive to use than a traditional training collar. Headcollars are very effective when controlling dogs in difficult situations.

We basically want to find companions who would give us most of the benefits we think we need. Well, if you are looking for a dog that is somewhat a one-in-package pal, you might find Jack Russell Terriers interesting enough.

This dog has a history that is somehow loomed to give rise to the species.

It was said that the breeder of this dog, a young Theologian student of Oxford University named John Russell, once met a milkman with a white terrier that had spots on his eyes and ears. This dog became his interest which later proved to be his foundation for breeding a new dog breed that many has learned to love as pets. The dog he first saw was named "Trump," from which another 60 types of terriers were later bred.

With a terrier's basic nature to go on and over the ground (terrier, by the way, came from the Latin term "terra," which means earth), Jack Russell terriers also have the disposition to hunt and scour for hunting. Thus, they should be given enough grooming to set off the dirt they gather from digging soil to either bury a treasure or recover a hidden treasure kept long ago.

An excellent ratter, Jack Russell Terriers, proves to be good "housekeepers" since they keep most rats away from home. Any unlucky rat that happens to be inside the quarters of this terrier is sure to meet its instant doom. Thus, owners find themselves with both a dog and cat in one pal.

One basic character of this dog is its disposition towards strangers. They can easily figure out who must be kept away from their homes and who can be accepted inside the house. This very attitude also makes them good watchdogs. They were designed specifically to be aggressive on preys. And while they can be very vocal, many of them only bark when they find a good reason to.

They do not appear vicious, though. But once they smell a threat, they can show off aggressiveness that could serve as a warning towards the strangers. However, once the stranger is let into the house by the owner, Jack Russell can already tolerate his or her presence.

This terrier is also a family dog and desires human companionship. And their love for children is significantly interesting. However, once they are abused or have been shown improper treatments, may it be intentional or accidental, they can react through aggressive behaviors. Their aggressiveness is further manifested with their lack of fear towards larger dogs which can, unfortunately, lead to injuries; some can even be fatal.

They are also marked for their intelligence and good spirit. These characteristics can be highly observable through their curiosity about things. Thus, they require supplementation on formal training unless you can tolerate difficult behaviors. The good thing, though, with Jack Russell is that it can acknowledge training and do well in most of them. In fact, they are known to champion various ring shows and other similar competitions.

Hollywood has recognized the disposition of these dogs too. Coupled with feisty and good physical characteristics, this pal has already made names on the screens. If Wishbone, Milo (from The Mask), and Eddie (from the Frasier) ring the bell on you, then there is no doubt that you can recognize this dog.

Jack Russell is fair well with grooming. A dog of relatively small size, this breed will not tax you with grooming needs.

AGILITY TRAINING

You may be thinking, "When can I start agility training with my new puppy?"  You can start immediately, with certain recommendations. Puppies are always learning, so every time you are with your pup, you can be playing and socializing with agility in mind. Always remember, if you can control your puppy's environment, you can teach and train the behaviors you want, left on their own; even in a fenced yard, puppies will learn and develop behaviors that later we may want or need to extinguish.

Expose your puppy to different surfaces. One of the first behaviors we teach our pups is "Box"  or "Table ."This behavior transfers to the agility pause table. Lure pup up on a low pause table, treat them on the table. You can call the pause table anything you want. (If I was starting over, I would name the pause table "Box" instead of "Table" for my dogs because, on the agility course, there is the potential to have too many "T" words, i.e., tunnel, tire, table, and teeter. The problem is I am also a creature of habit, and under pressure, revert back to my default words, "table" would be one of them.)

Teach your pup to "Box," meaning to get up on a variety of obstacles. We use "Box" for upside-downupside-down kennel tops in our training field, the bottom of barrels turned upside down, bird crates, and more. Be creative with your pup; get them to get up on all kinds of surfaces, exposing them to different shapes, sizes, and textures. Once your pup is comfortable getting up on a "Box," you can also begin to ask them to sit on the box.

You can also begin to use Buja boards for motion training. Buja boards are generally made from plywood, 36" x 36" with a painted surface or covered surface. There is a 2x4 box on the underside where a partially deflated ball is placed. This enables the Buja board to rock gently. At first, you can reward your pup for getting one paw on the board, then reward for two feet and eventually all four. Depending on your pup's temperament will determine how fast they get comfortable on the Buja Board.

Perch training can also be started with young pups. The PPerchis generally has a 1'x1' wood surface that is raised by 2"x4"'s underneath. So the PPerchis are about four inches in height. The PPerchhelps teach pups rear-end awareness. Again, you can reward your pup for getting one front paw on the perch and then the other. Perch training is mostly used with just the front paws on the PPerch.

 SUMMARY

These are just a few behaviors you can teach your young pup. Exposure to various surfaces and heights will help your pup build confidence in his future agility training.