By Pam Mitchell

I have had many dogs in my life time and one thing I can day is true is that a dog that is not trained is hard to keep. It is extremely frustrating when you own a dog and they are not well behaved, they are not house trained and they don;t know any tricks. You can't let them inside because they will make a mess by getting into everything and anything they can get into and they will defecate on your floor.

When I was young my parents never had the time to train our dogs. My siblings and I weren't quite sure how to train our dogs. We taught them a few basic tricks that they would perform once in a while if they felt like they wanted a treat, but that was the extent of their performance. We weren't quite sure how to house train our dogs so they stayed outside most of the time. The outside made them a little more wild than if they would have been kept inside. They started running away for a few days once in a while. Eventually they would run away for longer and longer periods of time and eventually they ran away and never came back. This is the reason why I decided to train the dog I have now.

Dog training is truly fantastic. It's amazing that you can get a puppy that doesn't have any behaviour training and "relieves" themself anywhere they want to having a dog that is so well behaved that not only can they do tricks, but they can make your life easier. For example if I want to sit down and relax after a hard day and I can't find the remote, I trained my dog so that he will bring me the remote if I am to lazy to find it. It also feels good having a dog that doesn't run up to people, bark and scare them when we go on walks.

I highly recommend taking the time to train your dog. With all the online books about dog training, it's really not that difficult and does not take a lot of time and effort. Plus it is great having a dog that knows how to behave themselves and can come inside your house without you having to worry.

For a review on the same ebook (electronic book) I used to train my dog go to http://trainapup.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pam_Mitchell

Labels: Dog Behavior, Dog Training, Dog Trix

By Jim McKiel

In this article we will discuss behavioral training for the newest member of your family.

Obedience training was discussed in an earlier article titled "Obedience Training for Your New Puppy". It has been shown that obedience training is very important for a puppy and behavioral training is just as important. In some puppy/dog training camps, behavioral training is considered to be training a puppy/dog to be "good" or "well behaved". In other training camps, behavioral training is considered to be "correcting a puppy/dogs bad behavior". For the sake of arguments, we will describe behavioral training in this article as training a puppy or dog to be well behaved as in house training and good manners when around people and other animals.

One of the very first training sessions will be house training. You want your puppy to do his business outside. If you are committed to this training, you can have a puppy housebroken in as little as three weeks. There may be a mistake now and again but the main process will be complete and the puppy will be going outside to do his business in the yard. A crate for the puppy to sleep in will aid in his house training and also protect him/her when you are unable to closely observe the puppy. Put your puppy on a feeding schedule and make sure you take them outside as soon as they are finished eating. Talk to them and praise them when they relieve themselves outside. If they do have an accident inside, tell them "no" sternly and take them outside immediately. Do not punish them for any accidents inside but praise them abundantly when they relieve themselves outside. Make sure you regulate their food and water before bedtime and take them outside before putting them in the crate for the night. Be consistent and determined in your training and it will pay off.

Training your dog not to jump up on people is a must. Teach them the correct way to greet people when they are small so you don't have a 90 pound dog jumping up on grandmother or anyone else who visits your home. Many people are frightened of large dogs because a large dog can cause injury if they jump up on people. One way to train a puppy not to jump up on people is to keep the puppy on a leash when someone comes to your house. Step on the leash so the puppy can't jump up as you open the door or greet the visitors. Command the puppy to sit (they can't do much else with you standing on the leash) and when he/she does reward them with a treat or pat on the head. Have a friend or relative practice with you and the puppy until they realize that if they sit when someone arrives, they will be rewarded. If he/she does try to jump up on the visitor, reprimand in a stern loud voice and start over. Never hit the puppy or yell at him/her.

Do not let your puppy or dog on the couch or bed unless you plan to let them on the furniture at all times. An animal doesn't understand that they can sleep on the bed or couch only on certain days or certain times. It is very unfair to them to let them do something on one day but refuse them the same privilege on another day. Make up your mind what the rules are before enforcing them with your puppy or dog. It is much easier to train a little bundle of fur not to get on the furniture then a big 120 pound Rottweiler who happens to like sleeping on your bed or couch. Consistency is the key.

Behavioral training will be an on going process just like obedience training. Yes, your puppy will learn the basics and yes they will still remember these as adult dogs but there may be new situations which the animal faces and new rules for the animal to learn. Also, the obedience training the puppy/dog receives will cross over to behavioral training. Sometimes the difference in the training is miniscule. You can not have a well behaved dog that is not obedient and an obedient dog will be well behaved.

Jim McKiel lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife Doris and their pet family members Buddy and Buster. They have devoted their lives to the betterment of pet ownership. For more information, visit LargeBreedFamilyDogs

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_McKiel

Labels: Dog Behavior, Dog Training

By Carol Matthews

Best selling author Lisa Scottoline has four Golden Retrievers and one Welsh Corgi. She writes about them like this, "When you have a house full of Goldens, you think to yourself, You know, we need a dog". And which dog causes all the trouble in her home? The Corgi. Which dog literally ate part of her finger? The Corgi. Which dog is on doggy Prozac? The Corgi.

This shows the big contrast between Golden Retriever temperaments and the temperaments of most other dog breeds. Although every dog is an individual, for the most part Golden Retrievers are calm, trainable and submissive. However, they need proper nutrition, grooming and exercise to get this good-natured and stay this good-natured. Golden Retrievers aren't the perfect dogs, but for many they are worth their weight in gold for their personalities. If you are ever saddled with a Golden Retriever, you could do a lot worse.

There are some negatives to living with Golden Retrievers that you should prepare yourself for. These will be mild for some people and calamities for others. Golden Retrievers need daily grooming, or they get matted. They shed more than other breeds. It has been said they have more of a doggy odor than other breeds. They also were bred to be Retrievers (hence the name), which means they have a compulsion to pick things up in their mouths and carry them to your home. This can mean they find a big dead rat and carry in into your living room, fully expecting to be showered with praise.

Golden Retrievers, because of their popularity, have been victims of their own success. Some unscrupulous breeders more concerned about how many puppies they can sell as opposed to how healthy the puppies are have over bred them. There is an effort of Golden Retriever breeders to try and reverse health problems that can be passed on through genes. Just to be on the safe side, expect your Golden Retriever to have skin problems, hip dysplasia, eye problems and heart problems.

You can greatly help your Golden Retriever's behavior, trainability and health by getting your dog spayed or neutered. The dog will already be neutered if you adopt from a Golden Retriever rescue center. Neutering makes the dog more relaxed, more willing to accept people as the ones in charge and less likely to run away in search of love. Neutered dogs also tend to live longer and get less cancer.

Golden Retrievers are prone to some health conditions, so you should be prepared for such a possibility. They are often prone to eye problems, hip dysplasia, heart conditions and itchy skin problems. However, a Golden Retriever will usually not be so terrified of going to the vet like other dogs. There is a big effort by responsible Golden Retriever breeders to weed out all unhealthy Golden Retrievers from the breeding population. On average, Golden Retrievers live to be between ten and twelve years old.

A dog-lover and professional breeder, Carol Matthews has extensive experience in raising and caring for the dogs. The Golden Retriever is the perfect combination of action with beauty. It is widely accepted for its intelligence, obedience, golden shade and liveliness. This article offers all the basic the Golden Retriever information including its history.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carol_Matthews

Labels: Dog Behavior, Dog Training

By Suzanne Harris

The way you train "Off" is a perfect example of the positive reinforcement mantra: Any behavior will increase with reinforcement, and any behavior will decrease without reinforcement. "Off" is a lot of fun to teach your pup, and it's very helpful in many situations.

Some people use the phrase "Leave it" instead of "Off", but it means the same thing. Use "Leave it" if you prefer. Either way, "Off" will get your dog to

* stop jumping on people
* get off the couch
* stay away from that chicken wing on the sidewalk
* wait to grab something until you give the OK

If you're training a young pup, you'll be amazed at how quickly he learns "Off". As a matter of fact, most pups under 5 months pick it up in less than 10 minutes. That's not to say they will respond to it in all of the various situations listed above in that short time. But if you practice the following exercise in a wide variety of situations, locations, and distraction levels, your pup will master even these in a matter of 3-4 days.

Dogs older than 6-7 months often take a little longer to get it, but don't give up particularly in your first few trials. If you, the human, are patient and follow these instructions exactly, you'll see the same wonderful results even with your older dog.

"Off" means "Don't touch that thing you're thinking about touching." We will also simultaneously be teaching him "Take it", which means "OK, now you can touch it".

Step 1: The "Off" and "Take It" Exercise

Put about 10 pea-sized soft pieces of food in your hand. Any meat will do, or soft cat or dog treats cut into pea-sized pieces. Crunchy kibble pieces take too long to chew for this exercise.

Sit on the floor or crouch down to your dog's nose level. Hold your pup back from you with your non-food hand, and hold your food hand out 1-2 feet in front of his face at his nose level or below his nose level.

Now once and only once, command "Off" as you open your food hand and let go of your pup.

When your puppy lunges for your food hand (very likely), simply close your hand. Do not repeat the word "Off" or say anything else, and do not move your hand around. Your pup will likely chew on your food hand for a few minutes, trying to get at the food.

Simply wait silently until he gets distracted or bored or for any other reason stops touching your hand for an instant.

The instant he stops touching your food hand, quickly say "Take it" and deliver one piece of food to his mouth with your non-food hand.

Repeat this exercise 10 times until your hand is empty. You are allowed to command "Off" only once during each trial, so for 10 exercises, you'll say "Off" a total of 10 times. Just remember not to speak at all after you have commanded "Off" the first time until he moves away and you say "Take it."

Your pup will chew and paw at your hand for shorter periods each time before he chooses to move his face away from your hand, allowing you to say "Take it" and give him a treat. This shows that he is learning that moving away from your hand is the fastest way to get a treat.

Over the 2-3 days, practice a set of about 10 trials (as described above) several times daily, each time in a different room in the house or better yet outside in a low distraction area. Each trial, add tiny (1/2 second to 1 second) increments of time to the time between his moving away response and your "Take it" food delivery. By the second day you should also be withholding your "Take it" delivery until he has moved at least 5 inches from your hand.

Note: Some pups will sit when you say "Off". This is OK for the first day or two, but we don't want him to think that "Off" is just another word for "Sit". After the first day or two, try to train him out of his sit response by delivering the Take It treat just before he sits.

He may also be sitting because you're holding the food too high. Your food hand must be at his nose level or below nose level.

Never give your pup a piece of the food while he is touching your hand, nor before you have said "Take it". You may deliver the food to his mouth only while he is not touching your hand.

Step 2: Adding Distance and Time to "Off"

When he can hold his "Off" for at least 5 full seconds in several different locations inside and outside, alter the exercise in the following way: Command "Off" as usual and wait for him to move away. Now wordlessly open your food hand without saying anything.

If he holds his "Off" while your hand is open for 2 seconds, say "Take it" and deliver several treats one at a time, praising throughout because he just accomplished something big: Learning that no matter what's in front of his nose, "Off" means "Off" until you say "Take it." Gradually add more time and hand distance to each trial.

If he does not hold his "Off" for 2 seconds while your hand is open, it's because most pups think that when you open your hand, that's the same as you saying "Take it". It is not. So if you open your food hand and he lunges for the food before 2 seconds have passed, quickly and wordlessly close your hand before he gets to your hand and wait again for him to back off. Once again, open your hand and wait without saying anything. If he lunges again, quickly close your hand again. Do not let him reach the food! This may go on for a while - you open your hand, he lunges, you close your hand and wait, he backs off, you open, he lunges, you wait, etc.

After a while, a light bulb will go off in his head and he'll figure out that he must hold his "Off" until you say "Take it" even though there is an open hand of food in front of him. When this happens, he'll hold his "Off" for the 2 seconds, and you may say "Take it" and deliver several treats one at a time to reward this wonderful accomplishment!

"Off" Generalization

The goal with "Off" is to get him to back off no matter what the item is and no matter where he is. Once he can hold a solid "Off" for 10+ seconds with your hand 10+ inches away at or below nose level in a wide variety of locations inside and out, you'll start to lower your food hand toward the floor, 1 inch per trial, until he can hold a solid 10 second "Off" with your open food hand on the floor.

When he's mastered that, it's time to try "Off" with food on the floor that you are not holding. This starts out the same way as before but now you simply put the treat on the floor instead of holding your hand open. The first few times you try this, don't stand up. Remember to practice this in a wide variety of locations inside and out before you move to the level of standing up which food on the floor. It's also a good idea to vary the distance between your dog and the food each time.

If he lunges for the food while it's on the floor, hurl your entire body on top of the food to prevent him from getting it. Yes, I'm joking here but don't let him get to that food before you can clamp your hand or foot down on top of it! We can't have him learning that he's faster than you are, can we?

Add distance from the food and add time from the food. Whenever you feel your pup has accomplished a very difficult feat, don't hesitate to reward him amply with several treats delivered one at a time with great praise and fanfare - he deserves it!

When Can I Use "Off" for Jumping, Couches, and Chicken Wings?

Once you've accomplished a 5 foot "Off" for 20 seconds, his response should be reflexive and you have earned the right to use the "Off" command for jumping, couches and chicken wings on the sidewalk. Congratulations!

"Off" is also excellent preparation for "Stay", which is also trained by showing your dog that the profit arrives when he displays self-control. As a matter of fact, I've trained many dogs the "Stay" by simply combining a strong "Off" response with the command "Off-Stay" and gradually fading out the word "Off", but that's the subject of another article, here or at http://www.dogdaysUSA.com.

For more great dog and puppy obedience articles, go to http://www.dogdaysUSA.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Harris

Labels: Dog Behavior, Dog Training

By Richard Cussons

Who wouldn't be tempted to cuddle a well-groomed and clean Labrador Retriever? They are every dog owners pride. But every dog owner should always remember that grooming and cleaning is not merely to make your Labrador Retriever look good. Grooming and cleaning is important in maintaining the general health condition of your dog.

Bathing is one of the many responsibilities of a dog owner. However, bathing your dog too often is not good for his skin. The frequency of the bath depends on your dog's breed and his type of activities. As for the Labrador Retriever, give him a bath when he is really dirty especially if he has stayed out and worked a lot. You can also use your nose to tell if your dog needs a bath. Bathing him too often than needed will strip the skin's natural protective oil resulting to dry, itchy skin and will irritate the skin further when scratched.

If the weather is good and warm, you can bath your dog outside. Make sure to choose a place that will not turn into mud when it gets wet. If you think that bathing outside seems unappealing to your dog, wash him inside and try to use warm water. But before the bath begins, prepare everything- shampoo or conditioner, towel, comb and even dog treats or toys. Remember to use a shampoo specially formulated to work on problems such as fleas and ticks, dry itchy skin, doggy odor, abnormal shedding and others.

Start bathing your dog from the head and work towards the tail. Wash his face with wash cloth. Avoid pouring lots of water in his face to prevent it from getting inside the ears. You may also want to place cotton balls inside his ears to make sure water cannot enter. Water in the ears is not good for dogs and can cause health problems such as ear infection.

Thoroughly wet your dog with water using a pitcher or a spray nozzle. If you are using spray nozzle, make sure that the spray is not too strong. Avoid spraying directly into your dog's face or genital. Apply dog shampoo and work from the head to the tail. Remember to read and understand the product labels carefully. While shampooing, pay particular attention to parts like rectum, between the toes, behind the ears and under the chin.

After shampoo, rinse your dog thoroughly to prevent shampoo residue that may possibly cause skin irritations. Dry your dog's coat using towel. But be careful not to rub because coats of some breeds tangle easily.

Some dog owners think that bathing a dog is so difficult, but with the right knowledge and technique, bathing a dog is not a challenge anymore.

Richard Cussons writes articles about Labrador Retriever and other dog breeds. Discover Labrador dog training tips at labradorsavvy.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Cussons

Labels: Dog Behavior, Dog Care, Dog Training

By Sean Winter

Dog disobedience and aggression are things dog owners will most likely always have to deal with. You are not alone in this boat. About 75% of dog owners have some type of trouble with their pet. Surprisingly a lot of these owners do not even get help. They let their dog walk all over them until something bad happens. This could be an attack, or even your dog ending up dead. Both of these are horrible options, especially when with just a little work you can have your dog trained. The longer you take to control and train your dog, the harder it will be for you to train it further down the road. So do you and your dog a favor, and get help.

Dog disobedience can include:

* Biting
* excessive barking
* fighting other dogs
* whining
* and of course relieving themselves inside

There are many other issues you might be having with your dog. I just listed the basics.

Not only will these problems embarrass you, but your pet could seriously injure someone.

That is when the real problems start.

Your dog's disobedience can sometimes be caused by poor guidance by the owner, not knowing how or what to say to your dog, and not using the proven strategies.

The good thing is all of these problems can be fixed before they get real bad. You can sometimes fix a problem with an older dog, but obviously they will need more work.

You know you cannot teach old dogs new tricks(Well not always). Some types of dogs are easier than others to train. Some might be a little more trouble. Either way, it's not to hard if you know the right steps.

Check out Pet's, Pet's, and more Pet's for more info.

Sean Winter has been a writer for 10+ years and is skilled in many areas. Sean is also creator of Pet's, Pet's, and more Pet's

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Winter

Labels: Dog Behavior, Dog Problem