Dog Training Basics

Archive for March, 2009

Now that you have brought your new dog home it is time to start the housebreaking. One that can only lead to confusion for the dog later on is giving your new dog a little time to get to know the family and the house before laying down the law. Truthfully, you cannot expect a dog who has been allowed to have full run of the house to suddenly accept new rules and adapt quickly to housebreaking.

It Is Never Too Late

If you have already allowed your dog to run free without rules you can still correct the situation. It is never too late to start dog training your puppy, unlike the common belief out there. Whether your puppy is young or old you can still include housebreaking into his/her daily routine. Whether your problem is dog chewing, dog biting or dog growling, you need to focus on the unwanted behavior that is your highest concern. After housebreaking them on the first behavior, then you can move on to the next.

In order to make sure that your pet never becomes one of those aggressive dogs you always hear about on the news, you have to start housebreaking as soon as possible. If the largest problem that you have at this time is potty training, then make that your first item to work on.

Tips for Housebreaking Your Dog

* Restrict food and water to the appropriate meal times
* In the event that you are utilizing pee pads, choose a single spot and make sure to place the pads only there
* You should praise your pet when it displays good behavior
* Don’t hit the dog if he misses the pee pad
* After fifteen or twenty minutes of giving the puppy something to eat or drink, it needs to be taken to the pee pad

A lot of people leave water and food out for their dog all day long. Puppies should not be expected to hold their bladder the way that older dogs can. Even if they really wanted to, younger puppies just are not able to hold their bladder until they become a bit older. This will cause more accidents in the house that are not the fault of the puppy. So leaving food and water out all of the time is counterproductive to your goals in housebreaking.

If the puppy goes to the bathroom in some other place in the house, the pee pad should be put there. At this stage, housebreaking is just acclimating the puppy to the pad with respect to going to the bathroom. Once your pet is used to this, you may progress the housebreaking by moving the ‘pee pad’ a small distance every day until it is eventually located where you want it.

Even though housebreaking can take a long time, it is very important. You certainly do not want your puppy or dog going to the bathroom everywhere. You also want to make the housebreaking process as easy as possible for your dog so it does not become discouraged. House puppy training is very important.  If you need help doing this, you should seek it. Just know that housebreaking takes time, no matter who is in charge of doing it.

Canines bark, so a puppy barking is a completely normal phenomenon. It is normal that puppies bark, whine, and at times howl, just like it is normal for birds to sing. If you are one devoted dog owner, you’ll know you will experience barking, whining and howling at any time. It would be totally impossible and unfair to wish to train your puppy to stop barking at all. It is best for all, including your dog, if the barking can be controlled.

Why Dogs Start Barking

Dogs who are confined or alone a lot without exercise store up energy and need an outlet for it. A dog who is alone all day is more likely to take up barking as a hobby because there is nobody to control him and make him stop. Pretty soon, barking will become an enjoyable habit for him or her. Many dogs, once they start barking, do it because they think it’s fun and enjoyable.  

You may have trained your dog to bark too much by accident. You always obey when you hear your dog speak. “Woof” and you open the door to let them out, another “woof” and you open it again to let them in. A puppy quickly learns that barking earns him a snack; they bark and they get rewarded. A puppy gets attention from you by barking.  For this reason, it is easy for barking to become a habit.  After all, the puppy wants your attention, and if he barks, he gets your attention. And sometimes, it is very easy to forget to provide positive reinforcement such as praises and treats for your dog when they are not barking.

Exercises and Puppy Barking

To minimize puppy barking and for you to get some peace and quiet, you have to realize that most of the time; puppy barking is really due to the boredom, loneliness, frustration and fright that your puppy feels. These entire situations can be eased and improved when you spend more time with your puppy. A well-exercised, happy, and contented puppy is more likely to spend the whole day sleeping when you are not home. Be sure to give your dog some of your time.  He needs your attention and the benefit of training, exercise, and play.

Puppy obedience training is just as boring mentally for dogs as it is for their owners. Most puppies and dogs enjoy, wild rapid paced and exciting games such as “come here,” “sit,” “stay,” “heel,” but you can make it more rewarding by saying come here for a hug, a massage and other praise and treats. Don’t let your puppy get bored with training.

For dogs living in the backyard for the majority of the time, they probably need some “social” exercises. To keep the puppy barking to a minimum, it may be necessary to take them on a walk. Daily walks will be an adventure for them to investigate and find out about those sounds and smells that excite them while they are in the yard. Running around the yard like a crazy dog is a normal thing for a dog or puppy to do, but it does not count as puppy exercise. What they are doing is equivalent to the human’s pacing and fidgeting as well as other nervous activities. Give your puppies fun things to play with and occupy themselves with such as chew toys for puppy biting and a digging pit for dogs.

Dogs, like humans, are naturally social animals. Like humans, they also seek friends and companions. Your dog needs to be taken for walks and exercised every day or every week as well as to let them socialize with other dogs. Romping, playing, and dog training together all day will tire them out easily and will help them sleep happily while recovering from the hard play and great exercise session.

Clicker training for dogs is one of the more systematic methods in dog training. It’s based on research done in behavioral psychology and the method is referred to by psychologists as operant conditioning. But you don’t need to know technical terminology in order to benefit from the method.

The method was first developed with marine mammals. With the dolphins, a whistle made the sound rather than a clicker. You can imagine how difficult it is to train a dolphin compared to a dog. The whole method is based on positive reinforcement. It was very difficult to give a treat to a dolphin at the precise time the dolphin did the behaviour you wanted. However, you could easily blow a whistle at the precise time. Then you could follow that with a fish shortly afterwards.

In order to reward a wanted behavior, you should reinforce it at the precise moment it happens or very soon afterwards or the animal will not relate the reward with the action. The whole reward process is made so much easier and clearer by using a sound from a whistle or clicker to mark the action.

Firstly, you must positively connect the sound of the clicker with getting a treat. You do this by repeating the process of clicking and following the sound with a treat. Once this connection is made, the clicker sound itself becomes like a reward because it’s so closely linked with the treat in the dog’s mind. This process is called charging the clicker by dog trainers.

Now that the clicker is charged, you use the clicker when the dog does a behavior you want and you always follow with a treat. In true clicker training, you allow the behavior you want to occur naturally and click and reward. In order to do this more complicated behaviors need to be broken down into smaller chunks. A tool which helps to do this is the target stick.

One of the first exercises in clicker training is to get your dog to touch the target stick with his nose. Once your dog accomplishes this, the stick can be used to direct your dog to a particular place. This is really useful in training other behaviors.

Getting your dog to touch the stick is easy. If you put it in front of his nose, he will probably touch it. Then you click and reward. Be sure to let your dog to touch the stickof his own free will! Repeat this for a couple of minutes. Then have a break.

It can take a while when a dog is introduced to clicker training, especially if he is an older dog. So you need to be patient. You may need to repeat the target stick session a couple of times before he gets the connection. But once he’s got it, the learning will stick.

One other tool which clicker trainers find useful is a mouse pad or something similar that you train your dog to stand on with one of his front feet. You can get your dog to do this easily by just putting it down on the ground near him and waiting for him to stand on it. As soon as he does it, click and reward. As before, repeat this until your dog gets it. As with the target stick, this tool can then be used to direct your dog to a particular place in subsequent training.

Once a behavior has been trained, the next step is to add a cue. A cue means that you assign a verbal request like “sit” or “stay” to the behavior. You do this by saying the cue word just as you think the dog is about to do the wanted behavior. As always you click and reward the behavior. Then, by repeating this, the command becomes associated with the treat, just like the clicker sound is. Please note that when you start training with the cue, you only click and reward when the behavior follows the cue. You don’t click or reward when the dog offers the behavior without you having given the cue.

I hope this has given you some idea of how the clicker is used as an effective tool in dog training. Obviously there is a lot more to learn. What I love about it is that it’s very systematic and all that’s needed is patience and consistency. Read more about clicker training with dogs, a review of the clearest clicker training guide, and also reviews of other dog training guides.

Tell me, does this describe you?Puppy chewing has turned your dream of having a happy, obedient dog into a nightmare as your belongings are shredded into a million little pieces due to of dog chewing problems.  Don’t despair.  You can stop puppy chewing by learning some dog training basics. 

You Need To Understand Why Puppies Chew On Things

If you’ve ever been around a human baby, you know that they learn about their surroundings by putting everything in their mouths.  A puppy is no different.  Puppies chew on chair legs, shoes, and whatever they can get hold of.  This is normal behavior, but that doesn’t mean it’s not destructive chewing.

Also like human babies, puppies chew on things because they’re teething.  When a dog chews, endorphins are released.  These chemicals soothe your puppy and make his sore gums feel better.

The Do’s Of Dog Training Basics For Puppies

Puppies don’t automatically outgrow chewing on everything.Teaching him to stop puppy chewing on things that don’t belong to him is your responsibility as a dog owner.

You can prevent dog chewing problems by putting things away.  Don’t leave out eyeglasses, shoes, or the tv remote where he can get them.Hide your trash in the closet, and move your defenseless plants to a safer location.  Pick up throw rugs, socks, and anything else he’s tempted to chew on.

You can make furniture and things you can’t move taste bad to your puppy by spraying them with a bitter-tasting substance.  These sprays, available at pet stores, are very effective at stopping destructive chewing.

Provide lots of chew toys.  Only give him two or three at a time so he can learn that they belong to him.  If he starts chewing on something off-limits, say “drop-it” and make a noise to startle him into dropping the object.Move fast, and give him one of his chew toys immediately, and praise him when he puts it in his mouth.  This teaches him two things; he’s learning the “drop-it” command, and he’s also learning what things he should and should chew on.

Your puppy needs a couple of hours of vigorous exercise every day.  Take him out and play with him.Be on the lookout for training opportunities during this play time.  A young puppy can’t concentrate for long, but taking advantage of thirty seconds here and there to work on basic commands lays a good foundation for training. 

Keep an eye on your new friend.  If you’re busy and can’t watch him, put him on his leash and tie it to your belt.  Make sure he has something to play with.  Now he can’t wander off and get into mischief if you turn your back for a minute.

When you leave the house, confine your puppy to one area, either in his crate, or by using a wire-reinforced puppy gate. 

What Not To Do When Dealing With Dog Chewing Problems

Don’t confuse your puppy by giving him old shoes or socks or towels to chew on.  He can’t tell the difference between an old worn out running shoe and the ones you just paid $150 for yesterday.  The boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable things to chew on must be very clear.

Leaving him tied up outside the house all the time is a bad idea.  Your puppy needs to spend lots of time with you, so he can learn what you expect from him.  He can’t do this if he’s always in a puppy-proof environment.

Unless you catch him the act of destructive chewing, don’t punish him.He doesn’t get it that you’re upset about what he did three hours ago.  You might think he’s acting guilty, but what’s really happening is that he’s scared and threatened by you being angry and upset.  The guilty-looking behavior is actually a submissive posture that has nothing to do with being caught misbehaving.

You can see that it’s very easy to do the wrong thing when trying to stop puppy chewing.  The best way to train your puppy correctly is to make the investment in a well-recommended dog training course right now.

If you’re trying to stop puppy chewing, visit No More Bad Dogs to discover how a good dog training course will help you solve your puppy behavior problems.

Growling is to be expected for a puppy or dog, particularly if you are playing tug of war with him. However, it’s also a sign of aggression and can be a sign the dog may attack – so be careful!

You should know if the growling is appropriate or inappropriate. If your puppy or dog is at a meal or playing with a toy and growls as you get near, that isn’t behavior you should allow. Your dog is showing all the signs of dominance over you.

If the growling just starts out of the blue, it’s time for a visit to the vet to to ascertain if there is a medical cause.

Growling can be a signal that your dog is trying to position himself as the alpha dog or pack leader. So, the next thing you need to make sure of is that you position yourself as the alpha dog in your house. This is the foundation of solving many dog behavior problems.

To become the pack leader, the NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) method should be taken up. This approach means that you ask your dog to do something before you give him anything. With this approach, you can’t permit your dog to demand attention from you. If you allow him to demand attention, you have lost dominance. Just ignore him when he pushes you for attention. You should choose when to offer him attention. If he presses you even more you must not give in or everything is lost.

With NILIF everyone who comes into contact with your dog needs to be consistent and persistent.

So, for example, you ask your dog to sit quietly before you set his meal down or before take him out for a walk. Don’t allow your dog to offer a behavior before you ask for it – that doesn’t count.

Make sure that when leaving the house, you walk through the door first. You can let your dog see you eating a small snack like a biscuit before you put down his food since the alpha dog eats first. You only need to repeat this for two weeks to set  yourself as the leader of the pack.

Everyone in the family needs to engage in this NILIF activity to set them higher in the hierarchy than your puppy or dog.

The alpha dog makes his bed on higher ground, so do not permit your dog to rest on your bed if you want to be more dominant.

You should do regular training in obedience with your puppy or dog. Every training session should be short and fun. This will start you on the path to a better behaved dog.

Read more about stopping your dog growling and other aggressive dog behavior.

Housebreaking a dog is more than just getting the dog to relieve himself in the right place and at the right time. It includes this, but it also involves his entire behavior in the house. He must learn things like what rooms he is allowed to enter and what places he is not allowed to lie on.

One of the most unwelcome conducts of any dog is to urinate on the carpet.  (A more exhaustive list of dog behavior problems is available in Dog Training Secrets.) Of course, young pups don’t know any better. They do it whenever they need and wherever they are. That’s natural. Therefore, it is important to start training him as soon as you bring him home.

If you got your pup when he was eight weeks old, you got him at the ideal time. But remember, the dog usually can’t control the urinating muscles until he is about twelve weeks old. This underlines how important it is to take your dog outside often during the first days of ownership. Especially get him out a short time after a meal. Every hour would be good for the first few days at least. When he goes in the proper place, reward him with voice and treats.

Positive reinforcement is crucial. He will understand a pat, a dog biscuit, kind and encouraging words. This assures the pet that he is pleasing you and most dogs like to do that. So, opportunities to go, and much praise when he does will reinforce his acceptable behavior.

Perhaps your dog is not welcome in every area of the house. For example, you may not want a black shedding dog on the white couch! Perhaps the dog is to stay out of your bedroom or at least off of your bed. Your pet must understand these rules.

Such training, say the best dog training books, is done by consistency and patience. If the dog goes into the forbidden area, then instruct him with words and drag him off, or out. Do this every time he trespasses so he knows this is not allowed, ever. Don’t make exceptions for anything for he won’t understand exceptions.

If you suspect your dog is trespassing when you are not watching, but not when you are, then it is obvious he likes the place but knows it is wrong. One family made it clear their dog was not to get on the living room furniture. But when they came home and felt the warm spot on the softest chair, the dog was caught. Try tricking the dog into thinking you are not watching when really you are. Then when you catch him disobeying the rule, rap his bottom with a paper and scold him so that he gets the message this is never allowed, watched or not.

Dogs generally like to please their masters. Therefore, when the dog follows the rules without being told, words of praise should be poured on. Let him know he has done very well to control his urge to do what feels good but is disobedient. If you give in, or give up, then remember the dog won and has really trained you.

Hope you enjoyed this article. Learn more tips and read reviews of top dog training books at http://www.dogtrainingbible.net.

If your canine friend is showing signs of separation anxiety in dogs, there are several dog behavior modification techniques you can use to change his behavior. 

How To Handle Mild Cases Of Dogs With Separation Anxiety

The most important thing to do is to keep your comings and goings low-key.It’s not healthy behavior if your dog jumps around in joy at your homecomng for more than a minute. 

Too many dog owners mistakenly encourage their dogs to get too excited when they get home.  It seems harmless, but what you’re really doing is reinforcing his belief that your coming home is the highest point of the day.  The problem is that when you need to leave again, it makes it even harder for him to see you go.

Try leaving your dog with a piece of clothing that has your scent on it.  Dogs with separation anxiety often find it reassuring to sleep on an old sweatshirt or t-shirt that you’ve worn recently.

Even though you’re probably not aware of it, you’ve already established “safety cues” for your dog.  A safety cue is an action you take upon leaving that tells your dog you’ll be back soon.  For example, when your dog sees you going out with the trash, he knows you’ll be right back, and he doesn’t get upset.

A good technique is to use safety cues with your dog.  If you know you’re going to be gone for a short time, you can leave the radio or tv on, or give him a certain toy to play with.  Use these safety cues when you’re practicing with your dog so he gets to know what they are. 

Be careful though.Don’t use a safety cue like leaving the radio on for longer than your dog can tolerate, or it won’t be effective any more.  These cues are useful for shorter absences. 

Dog Behavior Modification For More Severe Cases

If your buddy has a severe case of separation anxiety in dogs, you may want to try these dog behavior modification techniques.  Keep these sessions short, but do them several times a day.

You’ll start by making a lot of noise with your car keys while you put on your coat like you’re leaving, but instead, sit down again.Do this until your dog is no longer upset by it.  Next, you’ll do these things and go to the door and open it, and then sit back down.  Again, keep doing it until your dog shows no interest.

Next, go out through the door, leaving it open, and then come back in.  The next step is to go though the door, and close it behind you.  Immediately come back in.  Progress to staying outside for a few minutes and coming back. 

Remember to keep your exits and returns very low-key.  You don’t want your dog to get excited that you’re back.  His attitude should be, “ho-hum, it’s you again.”  If your dog gets upset at any point, you’re going too fast.  Go back to any earlier step, and start again.

You can see how you’re desensitizing your dog by teaching him that you can go away for longer and longer periods of time and still return safely.

Don’t Teach Your Dog The Wrong Lessons

In conclusion, now you understand how easy it is to unknowingly train your dog to do what you don’t want him to do.  Avoid these mistakes by finding a dog training course that shows you how your dog’s mind works.  You’ll be amazed at how quickly and easily you can deal with separation anxiety in dogs once you understand how your canine friend thinks.

If you’re dealing with the problem of separation anxiety in dogs, visit No More Bad Dogs to learn more about a dog training resource that will help to solve your problem.

Has this ever happened to you?  You come home to find that your dog has been chewing on your favorite shoes–again!  If dog chewing problems are a headache for you, read on to discover the four big reasons for destructive chewing.   

A Bored Dog Is A Dog That Will Engage In Destructive Dog Behavior

Dogs tend to play rough.  They chew on things and pick them up in their mouths to shake them, thereby “killing” them.  Tearing their toys to shreds is all part of the game.  This is natural dog behavior.  The problem starts when it’s your things the dog is playing with, not his own.

A bored dog will usually find something to do if he’s left by himself with nothing to occupy him.  Unfortunately, his idea of fun often involves destroying things, especially if he’s a puppy or adolescent, and he doesn’t have anything else to do to use up all his energy. 

What’s the solution?  Get your dog plenty of exercise.  Play fetch with him.  Go for long walks, and give your dog plenty of time to sniff at interesting things.Many dog owners forget that walks are great training opportunities, too.  They’re much more than just bathroom breaks for your dog.

Make sure your dog has plenty of toys.  Rotate them so he always has something new to interest him.A great way to keep a dog happy and entertained for a long time is to give him a toy stuffed with food.

Separation Anxiety In Dogs

This problem often shows up with dogs who are too attached to their owners.  Your dog has a panic attack whenever you leave him by himself.  Dogs with separation anxiety often chew on things to comfort and soothe themselves when they’re alone.  It makes him feel better.

The important thing to remember is that your dog isn’t chewing on your belongings to get back at you for leaving him alone.  He’s doing it because he’s scared; punishing him will add to the problem.

Separation anxiety in dogs is a tough problem to solve, but with lots of time and patience, you can desensitize your dog so he doesn’t react so strongly to your leaving.

Your Dog Wants Your Attention…

And he will do anything to get it, even if the attention is bad.  A dog who doesn’t get much attention unless he misbehaves is a dog who’s being trained to misbehave. 

It’s a hard thing to understand, but dogs are reward-based.  The best way to get a dog to stop doing something is to ignore him when he does it.  If he gets your attention, whether it’s good or bad, he’s been rewarded for what he’s been doing.

Give your dog lots of positive attention.  Play with him, take him for walks, just spend time with him.  If your dog is getting lots of good attention from you when he behaves well, he won’t resort to destructive chewing to get your attention.

Fearful Dogs

Anxiety in dog is often a problem with canines who are scared of loud noises like thunder or fireworks.  He’ll attack doors, door frames, window coverings, screens, and walls, because he’s trying to escape from whatever is frightening him. 

When your dog reacts fearfully to things, don’t comfort him.  You’re rewarding his behavior with your attention, which will only serve to reinforce it.  Play with him and reward him when he responds to you, instead of whatever is scaring him. 

Your dog needs a safe place he can go if he’s scared.  This way he can retreat there when you’re absent.

To sum up, it’s important that you find and correct the reason for dog chewing problems.  A good dog training course is essential so that you can learn how to end destructive dog behavior without making the situation worse.

If you’re dealing with dog chewing problems, visit No More Bad Dogs to learn more about a dog training course that will help to solve your problem.

If you would like to know how to house train a puppy, then this guide will show you how. In particular, we are going to discuss how long it will be for you to see consistent results, the key aspects of the paper training method, and the secrets for making the crate training method work for you. When you have finished reading this post, you should know what you need to do to house train your puppy, and which method will be easiest for you to use.

The first thing to keep in mind when house training a puppy, is that you won’t see results over night. So try not to become discouraged if it doesn’t seem to be working straight away. It usually takes anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks to see consistent results from your dog training efforts. However, top dog trainers from around the world all recommend that you stick with your house training routine for at least a few months, if only to ensure that your dog completely understands this new schedule. Creating this routine is the key to making sure the training sticks for life.

The first dog house training method we’re going to discuss is the paper training method. This method simply means covering your floor with paper, in the room where your puppy stays over night. During the night your puppy may feel the urge to relieve himself, but will be left with no other option than to go on the paper. Over time, you reduce the amount of paper used to cover the floor, but your puppy should still relieve himself over the paper.

A better method for most people, is the crate training method. This involves making sure your dog is comfortable being left in a crate over night. You need to remind yourself that crates are in no way cruel of harmful to your puppy. In fact, your dog sees it as safe and comforting to be in a smaller space of his own like this.

The main reason why this works so well, is because your dog will simply refuse to relieve himself within what he considers to be his own space. While your puppy is in the crate overnight, he will not relieve himself – and when he is let out in the morning and taking outside, hopefully he will be ready to relieve himself. Over time, and with persistence, your dog will soon learn to go outside and not in your home.

In conclusion, I have shown you exactly how to go about house training a dog. In particular, we have covered how long it takes to successfully house train your puppy, how to use the paper training method, and how to use the crate training method. Now that you have finished reading this post, you have the tools you need to choose the best house training method for you, and you should be able to see some good results in as little as one week from now.

Is separation anxiety in dogs a problem for you and your canine friend?  Is it bad enough that you’re thinking of giving up your dog, or even having him put to sleep?  Don’t despair.  Dog separation anxiety training can help solve this problem.

Dogs And Separation Anxiety

The fundamental point of any dog training program is to establish that you’re the pack leader.  Doing this will nip a lot of dog behavior problems in the bud.  This is important because many dogs with separation anxiety think that they’re the pack leader, or alpha male.  In the wild, the pack leader may leave the pack for a while, but his followers never leave him.

If your dog thinks he’s the alpha male, he’ll get upset when you leave.  He feels responsible for you, and thinks something may happen to you while you’re gone. 

Another issue to avoid is allowing your dog to get too attached to you.Remember that you should be the pack leader when interacting with a dog struggling with separation anxiety.You, not him, should be the one who initiates the contact. 

You want to encourage your dog to be more independent.It’s important to let other people in your household feed and walk the dog too, so he doesn’t get too dependent on you.  Don’t let your dog sit or sleep within three feet of you.  This means no sleeping on your bed.  If he is already, train him to sleep at the foot of the bed, and then in his own bed.  Eventually move his bed out of your bedroom completely.

Don’t make a fuss when leaving or coming home.  It’s very tempting to encourage your dog to jump around and get excited when you return home, but it’s a bad idea because it reinforces your dog’s notion that your return is the high point of his day.

Dog Separation Anxiety Training

You’ll want to use positive reinforcement techniques to teach your dog that being alone isn’t a bad thing.  Do this by rewarding his good behavior and ignoring bad dog behavior.

An example of this is using the “sit-stay” command.Repeat this action many times over the course of the day.Your plan is to walk away, out of your dog’s sight, while he’s in the “stay” position.Reward him with a favorite treat when you come back, if he’s still in the “sit” position.  This teaches him that he can be in one place and be happy while you go someplace else. 

You can start this training very easily when you’re watching tv.  You get up for a snack, and tell your dog to “sit-stay.”  When you come back, reward him.  Repeat this as often as you can throughout the day.  Gradually increase the distance between you and your dog, and the length of time he waits for you to return. 

Always reward him with a tasty treat for waiting quietly for your return.  This is the positive reinforcement he receives for waiting quietly for your return. 

If your dog follows you, return him to the “sit-stay” position and work on him staying as you walk away.  Never punish your dog during these sessions, as it will only make him more anxious. 

A Good Dog Training Course Is Essential

It’s very easy to give your dog the wrong idea during dog separation anxiety training.  Be sure to find a course that will teach you how your dog thinks to avoid inadvertently teaching him the wrong things.

Now’s the time to start putting these ideas into action.

Learn more about dog separation anxiety training by visiting No More Bad Dogs, and find a dog training course that will help to solve your dog behavior problems.