Dog Training Basics

Archive for April, 2009

By Sandra Scott

The official release of the new and improved SitStayFetch – renamed Secrets to Dog Training – took place on February 2, 2009. For over 4 years, SitStayFetch has been the #1 dog training course, having been purchased by over 64,000 dog owners throughout the world. Having taken a close look at it, I understand why it has outsold all other dog training guides on the internet period!. Secrets to Dog Training is even better!

Written by highly experienced and renowned dog trainer, Daniel Stevens, Secrets to Dog Training is a comprehensive course, which covers all aspects of dog ownership. This 261-page guide gives dog owners step-by-step and easy to follow instructions which will help them to understand and quickly solve their dog’s behavior problems. It also includes many excellent pictures!

Click Here to Get Your Copy of Secrets to Dog Training

All of the training methods described in the book are tried and true, having been used by Daniel Stevens in his own life as a professional dog trainer.

What is Included?

This course is so comprehensive that the table of contents takes up five pages just to list everything that is included. This guide is much more that a dog training e-book, although it is worth buying just for that section. The first section is aimed at new dog owners, including topics such as: where to find a puppy, choosing the right puppy for your family, dog-proofing your home, diet and nutrition, dog breed information, and much more. Listing these few topics will give you some insight into the vast amount of information that is covered.

Several different dog training techniques are outlined in the course, including crate training, clicker training, dog whispering, and more. Following this, common dog behavior problems e.g., barking, aggression, digging, chewing, jumping, were covered. This section offers several case studies which are both interesting and informative. We all love a good story!

There is also an excellent section on understanding your dog and the importance of the dog owner being seen as the “alpha dog”. Dog body language, vocal and facial expressions are also covered in this chapter. The commands and various positions are clearly explained with the assistance of excellent photographs.

This is just a small amount of what is covered but I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s an impressive amount of information.

What I Particularly Liked

I had already heard great things about this course before I actually took a look at it so had high expectations. I have to say that Secrets to Dog Training has not disappointed me – in fact, I’m amazed at the quality and quantity of the information offered for such a low price. It is being offered at the low price of only $39.95, which is tremendous value for such an excellent product.

I’m extremely impressed with the easy to understand language used in this book. Also, the book is divided into small sections which enhanced my reading experience and made the course very easy to follow and understand. A wall of text can be quite overfacing!

I was delighted to discover that Secrets to Dog Training includes obedience training for dogs of every age. Sadly, too many dog trainers focus all of their attention on training puppies but these behavior problems don’t always cease once a dog becomes an adult.

It’s also great that free consultations are provided by the Secrets to Dog Training team to anyone purchasing the guide. Just send the team an email and they will provide you with an individual answer for your specific dog behavior problem. You’ll receive a response full of practical tips and expert advice.

Secrets to Dog Training offers a 60-day money back guarantee so you can’t possibly lose.

Free Bonuses

As I’ve previously mentioned, the Secrets of Dog Training course is outstanding value; however, there’s even more being offered!

When you buy the course, you will also receive an audio book and five additional e-books covering dog aggression, house training, dog grooming, security training, and secrets to becoming the alpha dog.

A 30 minute video, showing ways to solve your dog obedience problems, has been added as a new bonus with the Secrets to Dog Training guide. It is presented by Dave Johnson, the extremely popular dog care professional, who makes it all seem so easy!

Secrets to Dog Training – My Conclusions

You’ve probably already gathered that I’m impressed. I thought I understood dogs before, but this course has shown me just how little I knew.

The detailed information covered is easy to comprehend and extremely effective. Your dog doesn’t need to have behavior or obedience issues in order for this book to be useful to you. The information in this guide would be of use to all dog owners looking to have a great rapport with their dog.

I highly recommend Secrets to Dog Training to anyone who currently owns a puppy or dog or is thinking about adopting one.

Click Here to Get Your Copy of Secrets to Dog Training

Dogs are instinctively aggressive and we all realize that dogs are able to seriously injure people and other animals. This does not mean that dog owners are completely helpless in their ability to stop aggressive dog behavior. An aggressive dog must be given obedience training immediately, before someone is injured.

For a really excellent dog training book, I strongly recommend that you check out: Training Aggressive Dogs.

Aggression towards family members and towards strangers are the most frequent behaviors shown by aggressive dogs. Dog aggression can be triggered for many different reasons so it should be reacted to in different ways.

Aggression Towards Strangers

Dogs will often dislike unfamiliar people and other animals until they have an opportunity to get used to being around them. Socialization is the method used to familiarize dogs with new environments, and strange people and animals. It’s impossible to overemphasize the importance of socialization in your dog’s training. You’re probably wondering how socialization can stop aggressive dogs from attacking the postman or pizza delivery guy. A socialized dog starts to understand that new experiences can be enjoyable rather than scary.

He needs to learn this lesson as a young dog. The more frequently your dog gets to interact with different people (for example, men in uniform, elderly people, young children, teens, people with umbrellas or wearing helmets in peaceful and enjoyable surroundings, the safer your dog will be around strangers.

Just a reminder, if you are looking for a great free site to help you solve your dog’s aggressive behavior, you should check out: How to Stop Aggressive Dog Behavior.

Puppy group training courses (often run by pet stores or at a vet office) are an excellent place to socialize your pup in a controlled environment. Your dog will learn how to behave with unfamiliar dogs. He will also learn that there is no reason for him to be afraid of the unfamiliar people at these sessions. He should not feel overwhelmed at these sessions – allow his tolerance to build gradually by starting off slowly.

Aggression to Family Members

Aggressive dog behavior towards human family members is most commonly for the following reasons:

• Your dog is trying to protect his possessions (food, toys, etc.) from an apparent threat (namely you or your family members). Such excessively possessive behavior or resource guarding is not unusual in dogs.

• As dogs are pack animals, it is a question of dominance and your dog’s perception of his ranking in the pecking order of the household. Dogs perceive the family make up as being no different from a dog pack. Dogs that perceive their ranking in the hierarchy to be higher than their owner or family members will probably show aggressive behavior.

Resource guarding is definitely an act of dominance – a lower ranked dog would never show aggression towards to a more highly ranked member of the pack.

Providing consistent dog training is the best way to stop aggressive dog problems, which will make it clear to your dog that you are the “alpha dog”. Your “alpha dog” status can be strengthened with rewards such as treats and praise when he responds appropriately to a command, and with “time-out” for bad dog behavior.

I hope you have found this article useful. For a review of the top selling dog training product, check out: Secrets to Dog Training

If you would like to find out more about what you can do if you have a dog who bites, then this guide will give you everything you need. In particular, we are going to discuss why a dog may have a desire to bite, a simple way to stop a puppy from developing a biting behavior, and how to deal with an aggressive dog. By the time you’ve finished reading this guide, you’ll have a better idea of what you can do about biting dogs.

The first thing to ask yourself, is why does your dog have a biting problem. A common reason behind a dog biting, is because they are feeling stressed or scared. This causes them to bite out of fear, and is commonly called fear biting.

Other reasons why a dog may bite is to express dominance, to show they are the pack leader, or if it’s a bad habit developed when they were just a young puppy.

In fact, if you have a puppy who bites – then it’s very important for you to take steps to prevent it from coming a bad habit. The reason why puppies tend to bite, is because this is how they learn to play with each other. Most of the time it is just a friendly nip, but it can become more serious if left alone. If your puppy often bites you when you’re playing and having fun with him, simply make a loud ouch or yelp noise. Your puppy will think he has actually hurt you, and will hopefully not bite you again.

But what if your dog has a more serious dog biting problem? The first thing to do is take him to see your local veterinarian. Your vet will know if your dog has a serious problem, and can give you recommendations of a good obedience trainer who can fix this behavior. In the meantime, if your dog is likely to bite other people, you should consider using a muzzle to avoid any dangerous situations. 

In conclusion, we have talked about the reasons why a bog may bite, what you need to do to stop a puppy from biting, and how to handle a serious aggressive dog problem. Now that you have finished reading this post, you will have a good understanding of how to change the behavior of a biting dog.

The title Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer Course by author Adam G. Katz is the downloadable version which has included many other dog training and obedience guides. Check out the Product Specifications section for further details of the bundle items included. The book can also be purchased in hardcopy offline and via the internet purchase site Amazon.com.

When you encounter dog problems then the book by Adam Katz is the perfect resource. Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer has a wealth of information for the fast resolution of dog behavior and obedience problems. It handles all anti-social behavior exhibited by dogs which can often have you mortified.

On purchasing “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer” you are able to have access to a restricted member’s only area in the “”Dog Trainer On Demand”" forum. Here you can get aid from Adam and the dogproblems.com team of experts on basic puppy obedience training and much more.

According to the general online consensus (where research is based on unbiased, non-vested comments & articles), the Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer package is an effective solution for dog training correctly and solving dog problems (see their website for the common problems that can be solved).

The dog training club and all the materials and resources provided are more than sufficient for the training needs of most dogs. They adequately handle the typical dog problems and are a great solution to learning proper training methods and how to solve any current dog obedience problems that you may have.

The author Adam G. Katz is the founder of the South Bay K-9 Academy, and is the founder and owner of dogproblems.com.

Adam also runs the $10K Dog Trainer Challenge. See DogProblems.com Website

There is great content in the 316 formatted pages or the 151 page e-book called Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer. In addition to the downloadable e-book and hardcopy book there are all other dog training books included. There are six other resources on dog training and obedience included as a bonus.

Features in this ebook include:

• Dealing with all types of dog training issues
• Secrets to help with the everyday training of your dog
• How to choose a dog and raise the dog whether it is a puppy or older dog
• Endless consultations and help through the member’s section with access to the private discussion forum
• K9 training video and picture demos to speed up learning plus step-by-step tutorials

The obedience training for canines information provided is reputed by the website to be utilized by many top dog trainers around the globe.

For puppy training help and much more check out the resources in the Dog Training and Obedience area of the website DogTrainingCompare. More difficult and advanced skills in dog training can be found in the Dog Training Product Industry Reports.

View a complete industry report on: Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer by Adam G. Katz.

Dog ownership is a responsibility and if you think that owning a dog just for the sake you have something to guard your house from intruders, then, you should not get a dog and instead, go get a tiger, tiger.

Seriously speaking, selecting a dog can be very crucial and it needs important scrutiny. You have to determine what kind of dog you would want but that’s not the only factor. If you get a monster hot dog when you have kids around, it would not be suitable. If you go for toy dogs and you want it to guard your house all night, he might be picked up by somebody and you will miss him for good. The point is, even in choosing a dog training system or guide can also be very tricky. In a dog obedience training review, you need to know the attitudes of your pet animal, its wants, its needs, its “culture and tradition”, so to speak, so that you can perfectly pick out an appropriate training for you pet dog.

All dogs can never be trained in one way. Different breeds need different types of training but the goal is common, either to make them behave or to be very flexible and comfortable with other people or animals. Dogs are pack animals. It prefers to be with its companions. Other people assume that their furry friend wants to be outside the yard. While some dogs might, and a few will accept it, most of these dogs want to be with people all the time. When people leave their dogs outside or otherwise alone the dog is at very high risk. The risk is that the dog will become a nuisance and eventually wind up in a shelter. A lonely pet dog will do anything to soothe itself of that stress. Typically they will bark, howl, dig, or become destructive. They might bite at people who do visit them, ergo causing lesser and fewer visits. This biting behavior is often because of the anxiety of being kept apart from their masters.

So, what is the best way to train a dog? Should you hire a trainer or according to dog training book reviews, you can train your own dog and training your own dog in your own pace and time might even strengthen the relationship between you and the animal. If you like to have a binding and mighty good time with your furry buddy, you just need to learn how to train him on your own but what kind of dog training book that can teach you to train your dog even to sit stay fetch, roll over, play dead, go get that bone, go get that newspaper or go get that neighbor?

There are a lot of good books out there to help you learn about and understand your dog. The highly recommended thing that you can do is get to the Web and search for a good dog training book guide that can teach you how to train your own dog by yourself. Always remember, you need to search for something according to your dog’s breed or attitude

There are a number reasons for dog barking. A dog will bark to alert you to the approach of an unfamiliar person or to let you know that a burglar has broken into your home. Fear and pain are other reasons for dog barking. A dog may bark to intimidate you or your family members, or as a way to get your attention.

For a really fantastic dog training course to stop your dog’s barking, see: How to Stop Dogs Barking

Whatever the reason, we all agree that it can be very aggravating and look for ways to stop dogs barking. Some owners of dogs that constantly bark are reported for disturbing the peace. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to stop dogs barking for no good reason.

The best way to stop dogs barking is to train your dog when it is appropriate for him to bark. Although a variety of options may be considered, the most effective method is the reward/reprimand technique. This technique is successful and humane.

Some dog owners try to circumvent obedience training with the use of an electronic or bark collar. The collar is worn by the dog, which is then activated when he starts to bark. The dog is startled when the collar emits a small electric shock. Once dogs begin to associate pain with their barking, they will stop barking. I am of the opinion that the use of electronic collars to stop dogs from barking is both cruel and inhumane.

There are many reasons why electronic collars should never be used, the least of which is that some dogs don’t associate the pain from the shock with their barking. They get used to the shocks and continue barking. In addition, if the prongs on the collar do not touch the skin of a dog with a thick coat, he will probably not feel the electric shock. As well, there are few examples where simply using an electronic collar will stop dog barking. The inclusion of obedience training will usually provide optimal results.

An electronic collar that is set to the correct shock level shouldn’t harm a dog, however many people believe that they can still be dispiriting to dogs. This is the reason why some people opt for citronella collars, which use a similar principle to electronic collars. When the dog barks, a mist is produced from the Citronella collar. Most dogs hate the smell. Eventually, dogs realize that the revolting aroma is produced when they bark, so they stop barking to prevent the smell. They are probably just about as successful as electronic collars.

Just a reminder, if you’re looking for a fantastic free site that will help you with your dog behavior problems, check out:  How to Stop Dogs Barking

Although an electronic collar can be a useful training device, most dog trainers and vets think that it cannot replace good obedience training. Obedience training is effective for most dog behavior problems, not just dog barking. It also helps with other dog behavior problems.

The option of surgery to stop dogs barking is both drastic and barbaric in my opinion. In order to stop dogs from barking, a portion of the larynx is removed. It is not unheard of for the dog’s bark to return, voiding the surgery. Fortunately, the surgical approach to stop dogs barking is opposed by most vets.

Finally, it is my hope that you now agree that obedience training is the method that should be used to prevent dog barking. You need to know that a dog that is trained to stop barking with an electronic collar will not bark when your house is on fire. By providing your dog with good obedience training, he will protect you and your family but he will also understand when barking is appropriate.

I hope this article was helpful to you. I also have a review of a great dog training product that you should check out here: Dove Cresswell’s Puppy Training & Dog Training Online

Dog Training

Dog Training

Though dog-human interaction goes back thousands of years, communication between the two is still sometimes rough. The human half of the pair is usually the smarter party, but watching the usual training sessions one can have legitimate reason to wonder.

Dogs understand and respond at roughly the mental level of a human two-year-old, but there the similarity ends. Their senses operate differently – their color vision has a different response pattern to reds and greens, for example, and obviously their noses are infinitely more sensitive – and their minds process information differently as well. Anyone training dogs has to take this into account in order to avoid human frustration and canine misbehavior.

Dogs are pack animals by nature. Descendant from wolves – where even the ‘lone wolf’ is an anomaly – they’re social and function best with active interplay and within a strict hierarchy.

So, set aside half-an-hour per day, an hour would be better, for at least the first few months of training. You can begin training your dog as soon as possible. Four weeks of age is not too early with some breeds, provided you do not expect too much.

Elimination (‘potty’) training details we leave for elsewhere, but all training follows similar guidelines.

The sooner you establish your dominance, the fewer problems you will have to correct. Dogs have a hierarchy – there are alpha dogs, beta dogs, and on down to the omega. For a sane household, and a well-adjusted dog, the human (whether male or female) must always be the alpha male of the pack.

Depending on the breed, this will be either more difficult or easier. Like humans, some are simply more assertive than others. Collars, leashes, verbal commands and other training aids are usefull with the most important being your attitude. You are the “alpha dog” in your house, not your dog.

That guideline doesn’t imply you must enforce your dominance with physical force. Sometimes, used appropriately, that will be necessary. Usually, simply being firm and willing to wait for compliance will be enough.

For many, placing them on their backs when young and placing a firm hand in the middle of the chest until they lower their paws – a sign of submission – will be enough. With some, reinforcing this by putting your face close to theirs, emulating dominant dog behavior, can help.

Keep the leash short to discourage your dog to run, and pay attention to you. Allow plenty of time for free running behavior, essential to dog health, but that’s before or after training, not during. At least, not at first.

Start simply by choosing short, clear commands that sound distinctly different: sit, stay, down, come. Use a firm voice when addressing your dog. You’re in charge, but not angry. Avoid double-word commands like ’sit down’ or ’stay down’. These sound too much alike and quickly confuse the dog.

Accompany each verbal command with the same tone, look and hand gesture. Eventually these can separate, but at first it’s essential to provide the simplest, most consistent form of communication.

Just like two-year old humans, dogs have limited capacity for grasping the subtleties of language. Assist their understanding by rigid consistency. Don’t use a single command word to mean more than one thing. The command ‘Down’ can mean ‘don’t jump on me’, or it can mean ‘lay on your stomach’, but it has to mean one thng only.

Be clear, be patient and be committed and the result will be a dog who trusts and listens to you. And that makes it worth the effort. Find more on dog training at Luvurdog.com/dogtraining

Dog owners that love their pets often encounter many problems that they need to resolve when it comes to the behaviour of their pet. One of the most common, found at the puppy stage is biting. This often starts when you start to play with your puppy. Biting puppies will continue the habit unchecked unless steps are taken to break the habit (stop puppy biting quickly). This can be done by using a pleasant method.

You may ask, “How to stop a puppy from biting?” The answer is held in correcting the behaviour before it becomes a habit. The biting stage in puppies is a natural stage due to the fact that they are teething. During this time they will bite into most items including human flesh. They are still learning right and wrong at this time and need to be led in the right direction. This can be a heavy task but to avoid the development of bad habits like biting needs to be done.

The faster puppy biting problems are solved the better it will be for further training of your dog. So, how to stop puppies from biting? Is this process hard to do? The answer is no, the process of stopping puppy biting is a trainable task that can be completed easily.

Always remember that you have to let your puppy know that your serious about stopping this bad puppy habit, which ever process or dog training skill you use.

Puppy biting is a common problem and one of the best methods to correct this is by the use of guilt. This is done where the puppy is made to believe that pain is caused when they bite. Puppy biting dogs are able to learn from this method as it is a natural part of their learning process. As puppies when they bite one another in play they stop when a yelp is heard from another puppy. Making use of this behaviour utilizes this natural learning process. As pet owners, when bitten, no matter how lightly, we must make it appear that we are hurt. This can be done by using words like ouch and Arrhhh to our benefit and even by removing play and affection when bitten. With repetition, the puppy will soon learn that the behaviour is not acceptable and results in the removal of niceties.

Puppy biting? How to stop it? One key part is early detection of the issue. It is easier to stop this negative behaviour when the puppy is young.

The technique of redirection is another method that can be utilized when dealing with puppy play biting. This is where when you are bitten you say a serious “”No!”" and move the attention of the puppy to another object such as from your hands to a bone or even a chew toy. Once the puppy is still young this may be all the correction that they require to end this problem.

These are just a few dog training or puppy biting skills that you can learn to do, and implement straight away – we hope you enjoyed them.

You can locate further information to stop puppies from biting in the Dog Training / Obedience resource area of the website DogTrainingCompare.

To utilize more through training for dogs as to stopping puppy biting then go to the Dog Training Product Industry Reports available.