Dog Training

The popular saying ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ is simply a myth. My ten year old Golden Retriever greets each day mentally alert and eager to ‘play’ in new found ways. That is more than proof that it’s possible to teach an old dog a new trick. Dogs exhibit a strong hold on old habits. Therefore, the first step in teaching new tricks is going through the process of un-learning the old ones. This requires a great deal of patience and persistence on the trainer’s part.

The next step is taking a dog’s age into consideration. An older dog will tire more easily and lose interest in the task at hand. The will to run, jump and fetch will still be there, an older dog just won’t know quite how to follow through on that. Take these physical limitations into account.

Shorter time training sessions will net bigger results. Obstacle courses should be kept to a shorter distance. Throw a ball three or four times then move on. When an older dog is facing away from you, it is often not bad behavior but common hearing loss.

Schedule longer periods of recovery time with an older dog. There is no physical limitations knowledge present. The older dog will simply keep going long after it has become safe to do so. Overdoing physical activity can lead to stretched ligaments and open the way for injuries.

Refrain from the urge to reward an older dog with treats. It leads to ‘over-treating’ which causes weight gain in older dogs that is often hard to shed.

Consistency is still essential, even with older dogs. Scheduled play time that begins and ends about the same time each day. Specific ‘play’ areas will help an older dog adjust to training as well. They are adaptable to familiar environments.

My Goldens have been trained to play fetch in the backyard but never the forest. The tennis ball fetch behavior can be expanded to include the forest when it comes to retrieving fallen deer antlers.

One of the most natural dog behaviors can be re-directed to a more positive area. The behavior of digging can not be extinguished entirely.

If a forest is not present in the backyard, a perfect digging area can be created. Simply make a ten-by-twelve foot penned in area and let the dog dig to its hearts content. This will allow the dog its primal urge to dig but control where it takes place. The area gets ‘marked’ by scent and ground composition. This is something that even older dogs can learn and appreciate.

Teaching new tricks should build on an older dog existing strengths. It is ineffective to teach or enforce new ones. One can be excellent in fetch while another wants to hang on to a ball as long as possible. Instead of forcing a behavior can lead to frustration on the part of the dog and the trainer. With a dog that is unwilling to let go of the ball, another training trick can be pulling a wagon by the string. ‘Fetch and release’ can also teach a new trick of getting the food container. This comes in handy with a trainer getting older as well!

You should also research the many types of dog training supplies available, they can make your dog training much easier and faster.

Larry Volwiler
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/training-an-older-dog-744328.html

i have a complete discription of the animal and his behavior. if you have knowledge of dog behavior training, send me your email address and i will give you details. there is not enough room to put it all in here!

Management. Be sure you control all situations so that there are no face-to-face meetings between your dogs. Crate the agressive dog so there will be no "accidental" meetings, and cover that crate if you have to, to prevent agressive behavior around his crate. Remember to use lots of wonderful treats with your aggressive dog to associate seeing other dogs and being around other dogs with good stuff. What you are doing by raining high-value treats down upon him when he’s seeing / hearing your other dogs is creating a classically conditioned response to them: "Other dogs = I get treats". Also remember that you are not rewarding him for reacting badly to your other dogs at this stage. Spend a LOT of time doing this exercise: you will then be able to build from this. I highly recommend looking into the short books written by Jean Donaldson about this very subject. Have patience! Good luck!

Dog Training Los Angeles?

Is certainly a lot more fun for you to have an obedient and trained dog. Not only that, but trained dogs, are happier dogs.

They are less likely to get into fights with other dogs and will tend to socialize better with dogs that they meet in public.

It is particularly important to have a well-trained dog if you have young members of the family or children in the neighborhood.

Just like having well-behaved children, a well-trained dog makes for a happier household.

The time that you spend training your puppy initially will impact on the pleasure you can get from your dog for the many years of its life.

Taking the time to train your dog will strengthen the bond you have together and this will ensure a long and happy friendship where both you and your dog benefit.

Considering the amount of time that you will be with your dog the time involved in training is minimal and well worthwhile.

There are a few basic commands that need to be mastered and they are all relatively simple.

These commands are…

Down: this is where you teach your dog to lay down on command, and is one of the main aspects of any successful training program.

Heel: this is where you teach your dog walk beside you at the same pace without pulling on the lead.

Learning the ‘No’ word: this is a particularly important word for your dog to know and can save you a lot of trouble. In fact it is probably one of the most important aspects of training, if you can get your dog to understand and respond to the word no.

It can certainly save you a lot of trouble in the future.

Sit: sit is one of the most basic of all dog training commands and is one that you’ll want to teach from the outset to maintain control of your dog’s behavior.

Stay: and finally ‘stay’ – this is important to ensure that no matter where you are, you’ll know that your dog will stay precisely where you want it.

If there is nothing else that you train your dog to do beyond these basic commands, it will certainly improve the relationship you have with your dog and the enjoyment and happiness that you and your dog will have together.

It is well worth the time while still a puppy, as it will improve the quality of life for many years to come.

Training will also let your dog know that you’re the boss and in doing so eliminate many behavior problems.

Dogs that are untrained can often get depressed, despondent, and unhappy and display symptoms of anxiety and confusion.

You are actually giving your dog a purpose in life, where they will get pleasure out of the fact that they are pleasing you.

Michael Silvester
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/what-everybody-ought-to-know-about-dog-training-los-angeles-116618.html

Personally yes it has, as I received some excellent advice from one of my contacts and have ordered a new collar for JJ. Time will tell if he appreciates it, I’m sure I will though.

Not only my dog but myself as well.

There is one contact of mine who pushed me in the right direction and I thank him for it. Most of what I know now has (in one way or another) been because of him… This time last year I really had no idea and would have told you a dog was a furry baby and must be treated like one.

This time last year I would have told you how cruel you where for using a prong now I use one myself and try to educate people about this tool to the best of my ability.

I also enjoy reading anything I can find on dog training and behavior..
Even if I don’t agree with it I always have room to learn more.

I think the best gift we can give to a dog is to allow them to be a dog. My dogs attitude towards myself has changed a great deal.

The root of dog behavior problems can either be of medical or behavioral nature, at times, both. The dogs clinical history, a physical examination and/or diagnostic testing the underlying causes contributing to the problem.

Some behavioral causes of dog behavior problems can be any change in the dogs environment such as having a new person to interact with or moving. Training, more specifically with regards to reinforcement and punishment, can also play a role. Its the method of training that can either stop or allow the continuation of the problem. Medical causes are ones that are the most difficult to improve on for they may be genetic factors that determine the dogs response to stimuli. The dogs environment during its most sensitive periods of development, the lack of stimulation, exposure, socialization and stressful events can also have an impact on the dogs behavior.

In order to put a stop to dog behavior problems, there are several ways to determine the underlying cause of them. Behavioral causes can be determined using the dogs history. An in depth analysis of the medical and behavioral past including the training of the dog would prove to be helpful. However, a diagnosis of a behavioral cause can only be done after all medical factors, such as age and a physical examination have been proven to not be a cause.

A decline in any of the senses, organ failure, hormonal diseases and any other disease that might cause any pain or discomfort are medical causes of dog behavior problems. Determining if the behavior is due to a medical problem, the assessment of clinical history and a physical examination are used. It would be helpful if any and all behavioral or medical changes that have occurred are detailed. Based on what is reported and the results of the examination, neurological examination or sensory testing may be performed. Other more comprehensive tests may only be done by specialists.

Once the cause of any dog behavior problems is determined, treatment to stop it can be done. Before beginning any therapy for it, any medical issue that has been diagnoses must first be treated. A change in diets or issuing a drug may be important in differentiating between a medical or behavioral cause. If a tumor is diagnosed or if a high sexual behavior is noted, surgery is an option for treatment.

A veterinarian can begin treatment of dog behavior problems for any long standing problems. Do not treat dogs with any so-called natural remedies or supplements like herbal remedies, homeopathic remedies and therapeutic touch and acupuncture. There are no studies that show if any of these types of treatments are actually effective. Although the same can be said for most drugs used in treatment, these have been proven to be effective in human behavior therapy. Be smart in choosing how to go about any problems and treat dogs the right way.

Stuart Goodson
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/determination-and-treatment-of-dog-behavior-problems-130555.html

If you are a new dog owner or simply need to give your dog some additional training one of the first things you need to think about as a dog training collar. Back some years ago there weren’t many options, but today there are many different kinds of training collars and, depending on the task at hand, you may need to buy one particular type or many.

All dog training collars and not created alike in some may be more appropriate for the type of training you need to do if your dog. Here’s an overview of some of the different collars available and what they are best suited for.

Martingale collars are best described as a limited to choke collar. These are similar to a choke collar, however they will not constrict smaller than the size of your dog’s neck, therefore will not roughly choke your dog. They do get tight enough so the dog cannot wiggle out of them and are great for agility training. this type of collar is great when you need to call it that you dog cannot wriggle out of but also did not want to worry about your dog accidentally getting choked.

The head collar looks kind of like a horse halter and goes around the dogs face with the leash attachment under the muzzle. Many people mistake this for muzzle but in fact it is not keep you dog from biting but so that you can lead him from the head. When you read your dog bites had his body has to follow and therefore you have good control over getting your dog to go where you want them to go. This type of collar can feel really weird to dog might take awhile to get used to it. Training with the head collar can be tricky since you don’t want to simply lead to your dog around like a pony or he will become dependent on you meeting him and won’t have a mind of its own!

The pronged collar is good for dogs that are very strong and have a muscular neck. This is a good collar to use if your dog is really wild and you have trouble controlling him. The collar has prongs which poke out into the dog’s neck – not sharp prongs, but more like fingers in the applied pressure helps to control the dog. Some people feel that these collars are cruel (they do look kind of mean, but are not as bad as they look) but they can give you an edge until you can get enough training under your belt to be able to control your dog with a regular collar.

The choke chain used to be really popular caller and leash control device but it’s not use too much today. this is basically attain a ghost or rank and when you make on the chain it tightens up on the dog’s throat. they are out of favor today as the type of training you get by using this kind of chain is usually based on punishment in today’s way of thinking is that positive reinforcement is way better way of training your dog. These can also be very dangerous if the chain gets stuck your dog can literally choked to death. If you do use the choke chain you need to make sure you are with your dog at all times and never leave him change out anywhere with a choke chain collar on. the variation to this, the limited choke collar, is made up of a nylon strap and has the ring sewn into a piece of material so that it cannot move as far and could never choke your dog.

Electronic dog collars can be an effective training device if used properly. Personally, I wouldn’t really want to shock my dog but many people do report that these work great and lessen the training time. The way the callers were is the caller has a receiver that can admit a small jolt of electricity. The trainer holds a remote and when your dog starts to exhibit undesirable behavior you press a button on the remote ( or turn a knob) and he gets a jolt. Eventually he learns when he exhibits the undesirable behavior, he’ll get an unpleasant jolt and therefore this discourages him from repeating this type of behavior. The problem is that many people use this as a punishment when in fact it is intended to simply get the dog’s attention. Don’t wait until your dog is barking excessively and then administer the punishment. In order to properly train your dog you need to be observant and see when he is about to bark and then give him the shock to distract him from the barking behavior in the first place.

No bark collars are intended to discourage a dog from barking. they do this by sensing the vibration of the bark and then providing some sort of deterrent. The chart can be one of three things either shock, a noise, or puff of citrus spray. Once you dog associates back to barking with one of these unpleasant occurrences he might think twice before he barks again. While this might work to discourage her dog from barking, you may be better served by figuring out why he’s barking and trying to eliminate the behavior that way.

Choosing a dog training collar as a matter of personal preference and the needs of your dog. When training, always remember that positive reinforcement is better than punishment and in fact punishment rarely works. Be kind to your dog, be persistent and be patient and you’ll soon have a well-trained and obedient companion for life.

Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-training-collars-are-not-all-alike-77382.html

If you are a new dog owner or simply need to give your dog some additional training one of the first things you need to think about as a dog training collar. Back some years ago there weren’t many options, but today there are many different kinds of training collars and, depending on the task at hand, you may need to buy one particular type or many.

All dog training collars and not created alike in some may be more appropriate for the type of training you need to do if your dog. Here’s an overview of some of the different collars available and what they are best suited for.

Martingale collars are best described as a limited to choke collar. These are similar to a choke collar, however they will not constrict smaller than the size of your dog’s neck, therefore will not roughly choke your dog. They do get tight enough so the dog cannot wiggle out of them and are great for agility training. this type of collar is great when you need to call it that you dog cannot wriggle out of but also did not want to worry about your dog accidentally getting choked.

The head collar looks kind of like a horse halter and goes around the dogs face with the leash attachment under the muzzle. Many people mistake this for muzzle but in fact it is not keep you dog from biting but so that you can lead him from the head. When you read your dog bites had his body has to follow and therefore you have good control over getting your dog to go where you want them to go. This type of collar can feel really weird to dog might take awhile to get used to it. Training with the head collar can be tricky since you don’t want to simply lead to your dog around like a pony or he will become dependent on you meeting him and won’t have a mind of its own!

The pronged collar is good for dogs that are very strong and have a muscular neck. This is a good collar to use if your dog is really wild and you have trouble controlling him. The collar has prongs which poke out into the dog’s neck – not sharp prongs, but more like fingers in the applied pressure helps to control the dog. Some people feel that these collars are cruel (they do look kind of mean, but are not as bad as they look) but they can give you an edge until you can get enough training under your belt to be able to control your dog with a regular collar.

The choke chain used to be really popular caller and leash control device but it’s not use too much today. this is basically attain a ghost or rank and when you make on the chain it tightens up on the dog’s throat. they are out of favor today as the type of training you get by using this kind of chain is usually based on punishment in today’s way of thinking is that positive reinforcement is way better way of training your dog. These can also be very dangerous if the chain gets stuck your dog can literally choked to death. If you do use the choke chain you need to make sure you are with your dog at all times and never leave him change out anywhere with a choke chain collar on. the variation to this, the limited choke collar, is made up of a nylon strap and has the ring sewn into a piece of material so that it cannot move as far and could never choke your dog.

Electronic dog collars can be an effective training device if used properly. Personally, I wouldn’t really want to shock my dog but many people do report that these work great and lessen the training time. The way the callers were is the caller has a receiver that can admit a small jolt of electricity. The trainer holds a remote and when your dog starts to exhibit undesirable behavior you press a button on the remote ( or turn a knob) and he gets a jolt. Eventually he learns when he exhibits the undesirable behavior, he’ll get an unpleasant jolt and therefore this discourages him from repeating this type of behavior. The problem is that many people use this as a punishment when in fact it is intended to simply get the dog’s attention. Don’t wait until your dog is barking excessively and then administer the punishment. In order to properly train your dog you need to be observant and see when he is about to bark and then give him the shock to distract him from the barking behavior in the first place.

No bark collars are intended to discourage a dog from barking. they do this by sensing the vibration of the bark and then providing some sort of deterrent. The chart can be one of three things either shock, a noise, or puff of citrus spray. Once you dog associates back to barking with one of these unpleasant occurrences he might think twice before he barks again. While this might work to discourage her dog from barking, you may be better served by figuring out why he’s barking and trying to eliminate the behavior that way.

Choosing a dog training collar as a matter of personal preference and the needs of your dog. When training, always remember that positive reinforcement is better than punishment and in fact punishment rarely works. Be kind to your dog, be persistent and be patient and you’ll soon have a well-trained and obedient companion for life.

Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-training-collars-are-not-all-alike-77382.html

I’d like to know how much dog obedience training usually costs

Or even where I could personally learn how to train and influence my dog’s behaviors.

Thank you for helping

obedience classes are usually five to six weeks in length , and cost between $ 125 dollars to $180. Look for a trainer that uses positive reinforce training methods in teaching dog training Private lesson may cost you as much as $50 per session , which last for one hour. Group less ions are usually one hour. The best time to start training a dog is when he/she is 6 months old. En roll your dog in puppy classes, and than in the beginning dog training class and than in the immediate and later on in the advance class . Each level takes 5 or 6 weeks to complete. Many dogs if they start early enough get to the immediate level when they are four months old. There are some basic dog training techniques like , food luring to get you dog to focus on you that you can do on your own. If you find a dog training class in your area , you can go there and ask the trainer if you can sit -in on one of his/her classes to see if it fits your needs This will give you a chance to evaluate the class , ask questions, and do not be shy about asking the trainer about his/her experience and references. Good luck

Is your prized garden now riddled with embarrassing holes? Has it become impossible—and expensive—to maintain your flowerbed? Is your yard starting to feel like an archeological dig site? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your dog digging behavior is already a problem. You need to learn how to put a stop to this once and for all.

To stop your dog digging behavior, you must first understand the reason behind this behavior. When you find out the root of his actions, you will be more effective in training him to stop it.

There are plenty of reasons for dog digging behavior. Some breeds, like terriers, are more prone to digging than others. For most dogs, however, it’s a fun exercise because it’s very stimulating, with all the smells, creatures, and treasures they may uncover. Bored and lonely dogs tend to dig for lack of anything to do, or out of separation anxiety.

Dogs are social beings. They also dig to escape, sometimes to look for human companionship, sometimes to be with other dogs. Dog digging behavior for escape can also mean that your dog wants to look for a mate. Dogs can also dig for shelter—if they are cold, they dig up a pit for warmth; if they are hot, they dig up the cool, moist earth to lie in.

Digging is also instinctive behavior left over from when dogs still lived in the wild. While they no longer hunt, sometimes dogs still feel the need to hide leftovers, like bones, for later consumption. Additionally, dog digging behavior is also a natural way for dogs to keep their nails trim.

Here are some tips for you to stop your dog digging behavior:

-Identify the circumstances that set off this behavior, and change it. If you find that he is digging to protect himself from the elements, for example, improve the shelter and other provisions, like water, you give him.

-Give him additional stimulus and activities to expend his pent-up energy to stop dog digging behavior. You can start with some nice doggie toys and longer daily walks. Take him to the dog park to mix with other dogs.

-Give him quality time. If your dog digging behavior is due to loneliness, all he needs is a little extra attention. Pay extra care to his grooming. If you have to be away for long periods of time, give him plenty of things to do.

-Barricade specific areas to keep your dog out. Build a wire mesh fence around flowerbeds, or cover prohibited areas with bricks or small rocks. In time, he will learn these areas are off-limits.
-Deter him from off-limit areas. One good trick is to sprinkle some ground red pepper on the part of your garden you want to protect. You can squirt him with water or turn on the sprinklers when you catch him digging where he’s not supposed to. Likewise, you can also use any loud noise, like banging a coffee can to stop your dog digging behavior. Just make sure to do this when you actually catch him in the act. Be consistent.

– If your dog must dig, especially if you have a digging breed, you can designate an area for him to do so. You can give him a corner of your yard for this purpose. Or, you can build him his own sandbox. Dig it up and bury some doggie treats for him to uncover. Praise him when he digs there.

-To stop dog digging behavior, you may want to try commercial products that are available in pet stores. There’s also another tactic you might want to try: when you fill in the holes, add some of his feces into the filling. You may find it extreme, maybe, but you’ll see it will help you stop your dog digging behavior.

If the above tips to stop dog digging behavior don’t work, do not lose hope, it only means you need more effective techniques to transform your dog’s behavior. Did you know that you can put an end to the stress and annoyance of your dog’s behavior problems by using techniques that will give you immediate results? Discover dog obedience training secrets to stop your dog’s behavior problems visit Dogs’ Corner

Gerry Restrivera
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-stop-your-dog-digging-behavior-749511.html

Is your prized garden now riddled with embarrassing holes? Has it become impossible—and expensive—to maintain your flowerbed? Is your yard starting to feel like an archeological dig site? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your dog digging behavior is already a problem. You need to learn how to put a stop to this once and for all.

To stop your dog digging behavior, you must first understand the reason behind this behavior. When you find out the root of his actions, you will be more effective in training him to stop it.

There are plenty of reasons for dog digging behavior. Some breeds, like terriers, are more prone to digging than others. For most dogs, however, it’s a fun exercise because it’s very stimulating, with all the smells, creatures, and treasures they may uncover. Bored and lonely dogs tend to dig for lack of anything to do, or out of separation anxiety.

Dogs are social beings. They also dig to escape, sometimes to look for human companionship, sometimes to be with other dogs. Dog digging behavior for escape can also mean that your dog wants to look for a mate. Dogs can also dig for shelter—if they are cold, they dig up a pit for warmth; if they are hot, they dig up the cool, moist earth to lie in.

Digging is also instinctive behavior left over from when dogs still lived in the wild. While they no longer hunt, sometimes dogs still feel the need to hide leftovers, like bones, for later consumption. Additionally, dog digging behavior is also a natural way for dogs to keep their nails trim.

Here are some tips for you to stop your dog digging behavior:

-Identify the circumstances that set off this behavior, and change it. If you find that he is digging to protect himself from the elements, for example, improve the shelter and other provisions, like water, you give him.

-Give him additional stimulus and activities to expend his pent-up energy to stop dog digging behavior. You can start with some nice doggie toys and longer daily walks. Take him to the dog park to mix with other dogs.

-Give him quality time. If your dog digging behavior is due to loneliness, all he needs is a little extra attention. Pay extra care to his grooming. If you have to be away for long periods of time, give him plenty of things to do.

-Barricade specific areas to keep your dog out. Build a wire mesh fence around flowerbeds, or cover prohibited areas with bricks or small rocks. In time, he will learn these areas are off-limits.
-Deter him from off-limit areas. One good trick is to sprinkle some ground red pepper on the part of your garden you want to protect. You can squirt him with water or turn on the sprinklers when you catch him digging where he’s not supposed to. Likewise, you can also use any loud noise, like banging a coffee can to stop your dog digging behavior. Just make sure to do this when you actually catch him in the act. Be consistent.

– If your dog must dig, especially if you have a digging breed, you can designate an area for him to do so. You can give him a corner of your yard for this purpose. Or, you can build him his own sandbox. Dig it up and bury some doggie treats for him to uncover. Praise him when he digs there.

-To stop dog digging behavior, you may want to try commercial products that are available in pet stores. There’s also another tactic you might want to try: when you fill in the holes, add some of his feces into the filling. You may find it extreme, maybe, but you’ll see it will help you stop your dog digging behavior.

If the above tips to stop dog digging behavior don’t work, do not lose hope, it only means you need more effective techniques to transform your dog’s behavior. Did you know that you can put an end to the stress and annoyance of your dog’s behavior problems by using techniques that will give you immediate results? Discover dog obedience training secrets to stop your dog’s behavior problems visit Dogs’ Corner

Gerry Restrivera
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-stop-your-dog-digging-behavior-749511.html