When you’re getting close to that big day when your baby comes home, there are a million things to do. Buy a crib, paint the nursery, baby proof. But one thing that you do NOT want to leave to last minute or put on the back burner for later is setting your dog up for …
Although how your dog behaves is serious business, and you are serious about him behaving appropriately, training doesn’t have to be a dull and serious chore. Approach the teaching of your commands as a game. Right away, this fosters a positive attitude in your dog toward learning new things, and creates a desire to work …
Consistency In training, lack of consistency will come back to bite you in several ways. Inconsistency in commands causes confusion, like if you try to make one command have several meanings. For example, don’t try to have the word “Down” mean lie down, get off the couch, and get off you. How is your dog …
Timing is a critical part of successful dog training. There are several intertwined ways that good timing can significantly improve the success of your training program. Timing Reinforcement Your timing in delivering reinforcement is absolutely critical to your dog’s understanding of each exercise. As far as your dog is concerned, what you reward is what …
Corrections, punishments, constructive criticism. Whatever you want to call it, at some point you will have to help your dog understand that he’s made an error and has to correct it. Correcting or Nagging? There is a delicate balance to be achieved between using the least amount of force necessary to get the job done, …
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There is a great deal of controversy regarding the use of treats in the dog-training process. You certainly don’t want to have to carry a bag of treats around for the rest of your dog’s life to get him to listen, but you do want training to be an enjoyable and positive experience for yourself …
There are four things you have to do get your dog to perform a behavior on command reliably: Get the dog to perform the desired behavior. Name the behavior. Reinforce the dog for performing the behavior on command. Help the dog be correct if he doesn’t perform the behavior on command (not necessarily punishment; just …
Reinforcers can be primary, or hard-wired, like food or social contact. Practically anything that your dog likes and will work to get is a primary reinforcer. Secondary, or conditioned reinforcers, are reinforcers that your dog (or you, for that matter) has learned to like because of its association with a primary reinforcer. Your paycheck is …
There is an extensive variety of tools available to make easier the job of teaching your dog to walk on leash politely. For training purposes, you’ll need to outfit your dog with a well-fitting collar (for most dogs) and at least a couple of leashes. The type of collar you use for training will depend …
If you have a yard and want to allow your dog access to it, you’ll need a way to keep him in the yard. You have some basic choices when it comes to outside containment options for your dog, including solid fences; invisible or electronic fences; portable kennels; and tether, runner, or trolley systems. Depending …
Much of what people think of as misbehavior is actually normal, healthy behavior that has gone awry. Maybe the dog chose an inappropriate target when she picked up the remote control instead of one of her toys when she had the need to chew. Or perhaps she picked a bad time or place to urinate, …
Indoor confinement options will help you housebreak your dog, as well as help prevent property damage from inappropriate chewing. You will probably want to crate your dog when you’re out of the house and when you’re home but can’t pay attention to what your dog is doing. Gates can be used both to keep your …
It’s so easy to spoil a new dog. Let’s face it, an eight-week-old puppy can poop on your foot, and it’s almost cute. Not so with an eight-month-old! Not allowing the cuteness factor and feelings of guilt or pity to override common sense are two of the biggest obstacles you have to overcome to become …
There is an abundance of tools at your disposal to help keep your dog safe and out of trouble. Depending on the circumstances, you might use a combination of crates, gates, tethers, draglines, and leashes to keep your dog under control — and that’s just indoors! This section will focus on the supplies you need …
Everything You Need to Contain and Control Your Dog Read More »
The behaviors you reward, even unintentionally, will be repeated, whether you actually like the behavior or not. It’s very easy to let puppies get away with behavior that you won’t find acceptable later on, simply because they are small and cute. The same is true with a rescue dog. You may want to let a …
Introducing your dog to her new human family is a time of joy, but it can also be overwhelming and stressful. The first meeting establishes a tone. Set your dog and the training process up for success with careful planning. The First Meeting Take it slow and let the dog approach and meet each person …
