Dog cages and puppy crates provide a number of important pluses for the typical dog owner. Puppy crates can help you transport your dog, give him a place to call his own and give you an assist with house training. Dog cages offer the same advantages for full-grown dogs, as well as making it easier for you to board or kennel your dog if you need to leave him behind when you travel or are hospitalized.
The trick to using dog cages and puppy crates, of course, is to use them appropriately from the very start.
Understanding the Psychology of Dog Cages and Puppy Crates
First things first. While you may think of a dog cage as confinement, your dog is more likely to view his cage as his den. Like wolves and foxes, dogs are den animals. They feel safest and most secure when they're in a small, confining space. Once trained to see their puppy pens as their "dens," many dogs will seek them out even when you don't send them there.
Start at the Beginning with Puppy Pens
If you're going to crate train your dog, you should use a puppy pen from the very start. That means having a puppy crate there waiting when you first bring your new puppy home. It will be considerably harder to train him to the dog crate if he's used to having the run of your house at all times.
Choosing Dog Cages and Puppy Crates for Size
While some trainers recommend buying a small crate and exchanging it for larger dog cages as your dog grows, you'll end up having to accustom your puppy to a new crate every few months for a year or two. That can be traumatizing - and expensive. Consider the size your dog will be as an adult when choosing among the many dog cages on the market. It's better to choose a crate he can grow into, and use barriers, pillows, boxes or other large items to bring it down to size until he's big enough to use the whole space.
Training Your Puppy to Love His "Den"
Your dog's personality and your persistence will determine how difficult or easy it is to get your puppy used to his new crate. Since you want him to associate his puppy crate with rest time, it's important to remember a few simple things about training with dog cages and puppy crates.
The Puppy Crate is Not a Punishment
If you put your puppy in his cage because he's misbehaving, you'll be teaching him that the crate is a punishment for bad behavior. That will make it very confusing for him when you put him in the crate to sleep or for a ride. He'll be wondering what he did wrong to deserve this.
Puppies Have Small Bladders
Don't leave your dog in a puppy crate or dog cage for extended periods of time. Dogs need to get out and stretch as well as leave the crate for the obvious reasons. Use the dog crate for short periods of time at first and gradually increase it.
Whining Is Not a Reason to Let Your Dog Out of the Crate
If you let your dog out of his cage when he whines, whimpers, cries or barks, you're teaching him to whine whenever he wants out. If your puppy starts whining as soon as you put him in the cage, wait until he stops before opening the door. He'll learn that he only gets out when he's calm and quiet.
Making Dog Cages and Puppy Crates Fun Makes Training Easier
A few dog toys, blankets and dog food treats can help your puppy associate his crate with happy times. Do everything you can to make the crate a place where he feels safe, secure and comfortable from the very start, and you'll be able to move your puppy anywhere as long as you bring his crate along.
About the Author
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the world's MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Dog Cages and Puppy Crates.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Dog Tricks Training - Top 5 Cutest by Jane Brooke
Introduction
Is it just me, or does every dog seem to know how to fetch, sit and stay? It's like the prerequisites of graduating dog school entail only knowing these three things, and maybe tail wagging. Seriously, my dogs apparently know these tricks already and I don't ever recall teaching them; they just somehow know! Either I have crazy dog teaching superpowers I'm unaware of, or these three tricks are simply common know-how for all dogs. I'm hoping it's the former, really.
Anyways, let's establish on what makes a trick cute. For me, making your pet act in unusual ways is what makes a trick so cute. A dog wouldn't normally roll over on his side and play dead after you've yelled 'bang!' with your pretend finger gun, would they? Of course not, that's why it's so adorable! It's also why certain tricks, like sitting or staying, are bland in comparison. Of course, sitting and staying have their practical uses and are by no means bad tricks, but we're not here to learn useful tricks! We're here to learn about five lesser known tricks that are cute and fun for everyone to experience.
Before telling you about the 5 cute tricks I've selected, we need to first observe the 5 intricate details that can help us train our dog more effectively. These are:
1. Patience
2. Repetition
3. Dog Treats
4. Patience
5. Also patience
Patience
Patience is a virtue when it comes to training and I can't stress this enough, but let me try: have PATIENCE! That's a bold, italicized word in capital letters with an exclamation point at the end. If that doesn't emphasize the importance of patience, then I'm not sure what will. A dog's going to take their sweet time when learning a new trick. Only through the sheer amount of repetition, rewarding dog treats, and the patience of a sloth watcher, will you accomplish your dog training endeavors.
Repetition
To succeed at training a dog, you'll find yourself repeating the same trick over and over again until it's cemented into their tiny brains. This can be, at times, immensely tedious. Eventually though, your hard work will pay off, as your dog masterfully performs the trick you taught them, on command!
The breed of dog also plays a role in how quickly they can comprehend these cute tricks. Yeah, some dogs are just smarter than others. Dog breeds like Poodles, Border Collies and Maltipoos have gone to animal college and graduated in being smart, while breeds such as the Pekingese, Beagles and Bull Dogs are still stuck in elementary school. If you're stuck with one of the lesser intelligent ones, don't worry, because any breed of dog can be taught new tricks. The dumber ones just require a bit more effort and plenty of motivational dog treats to compensate.
Motivational Snacks
Speaking of dog treats, you will want to have an abundance of these around, preferably truck loads. The inspirational power behind a tasty, bite-sized treat can aid in significantly decreasing the time it takes for a dog to learn something new. Rewarding your dog with a tasty treat will motivate them to try even harder next time. Now, they won't exactly be performing the tricks for you exactly, but rather for the piece of food that's in your hands. Still, don't feel bad, if you run of out snacks just provide a friendly rub on the head instead! They'd probably prefer the snack in place of your unconditional love, but hey, it's better than nothing!
How You Say It
Before we get tricking, I want to mention that the way you tell your dog to perform a trick can be nearly as awesome as the trick itself. For instance, yelling "play dead!" is the generic way to get an animal to feint unconsciousness. But achieving the same result by shouting "bang!" with your hand in the shape of a gun, is way more fun and cute! So while deciding what interesting tricks to teach your dog, also think about elaborate phrases or gestures to utilize that will boost the wow-factor of the trick.
TRICKS!
Tricks will be listed with a difficulty rating, neat phrases/gestures to say that go well with them, along with simple instructions on how to effectively train your dog the particular trick. Without further ado, here are the top 5 cutest tricks you can teach your dog:
1. The Handshake
Difficulty: 2/5
Fun Commands: "Put 'er there!" "High-five!" "Let's shake on it!"
Description: The classic handshake trick. It's just way too cute having a dog swinging a high-five at you. It's even better if the verbal command you taught them is 'high five!' See, combining the appropriate voice commands with the right tricks can elevate it into an even cuter trick! So cute in fact, that performing the Handshake with your dog in front of a group of people may actually cause them to explode into multiple rainbows composed entirely of candied hearts and colorful flowers, all because their inner scale that measures adorability was overwhelmed with extreme delight. Now that's cute!
How to Train:
A) Start by taking the paw of your adult puppy, place it into the palm of your hand, and say the desired phrase you chose. I'll assume for this example you chose 'high-five' for the command. So while the paw is in your hand, look at them and say 'high-five!' Reset by letting go of the paw, wait a few seconds, and repeat 'step a' about five times.
At this point your dog is likely baffled with your strange behavior. Nevertheless, it's time to add dog treats into the mix.
B) Place a treat in your hand and let your dog see it's there. Put your hand next to him, and close it over the treat. Say 'high five' while waving your hand back and forth slowly in front of him. Your dog's inability to reach the snack should force him to raise his paw and place it on your hand in desperation. When he does, immediately open your hand and give him the treat, saying 'good boy!' Repeat this step for a few minutes, 2-3 times a day, everyday.
Remain patient, and eventually your dog should recognize what you expect of him and begin creepily offering you firm handshakes whenever you come home from work.
2. Playing Dead
Difficulty: 3/5
Fun Commands: "Bang bang!" "Go to sleep!" "Look out!" "Dodge and weave!"
Description: Playing Dead is a classic trick and it's also super cute! An animal playing dead is in itself amazing, but this trick is also one that can be combined with other tricks, making it even more better! For instance: start with the trick Begging, and while his furry paws are tossed above his head, transition straight into Playing Dead by shouting 'bang bang!' If pulled off correctly, someone nearby might actually think you just murdered your poor dog! But how silly of them, because you were simply demonstrating your dog's incredible power of being cute.
How to Train:
A) I'll assume you chose 'bang bang' as the verbal command. First, get your dog's attention and shout 'bang bang', maneuver their bodies into a downed position, and yell 'bang bang' once more. It doesn't matter if your dog sees your pretend finger gun, because that can be incorporated later after he's learned the actual trick. Let them get up, wait 10-20 seconds, and repeat. Repeat two to three times.
B) Dog treat time! Place a treat inside of your hand, give your dog a big whiff by brushing it along their nose. Give the command 'bang bang', while slowly lifting your hand above and around their head in a way that will force your dog to roll over on his side to get it. When on his side, keep him there a few seconds and then give offer the reward. Tell him what a great job he did, and repeat this step over the course of a few minutes. Repeat 2-3 times during the day, everyday.
After your dog has been riddled with thousands of pretend bullets, he should begin understanding what your ridiculous looking hand gun gesture really means. Soon, with your dog's fanastic acting ability of playing dead, they'll be casted in all sorts of upcoming movies! Maybe. No, not really.
3. Speaking
Difficulty: 5/5
Fun Commands: "Bark!" "Speak!" "Talk!" (Sorry, I'm not very creative.)
Description: Dogs absolutely love barking at anything. Did they hear a door creek, or is a delivery man at the door knocking? "Well then, bark bark," says the annoying dog. Dogs would bark their heads off if you allowed them too, but that's one of the reasons collars exist. To keep their heads attached! Seriously though, if you plan on training your dog to bark, you should ensure they are already familiar with a command that shuts them up. Otherwise, things can get a little noisy and spiral out of control. Then your neighbors will forever hold a grudge against your obnoxiously loud dog.
How to Train:
A) First of all, you'll have to make your dog bark to teach them anything, which can be majorly tricky. To get him barking, we need to figure out a plan to stimulate that reaction. Any ideas? It's your dog after all, don't look at me! Think, what might compel your dog to bark? Do they bark when someone knocks on the door or perhaps when the doorbell rings? Can you get them to bark by imitating dog or cat sounds? After finding the answer, move on to step B. If you can't find a way to make your dog bark, then congratulations, you must have the most timid dog ever, and also this trick will probably not work.
B) Using whatever bark encouraging tactic you've discovered, create a situation to force barking out from your dog. As they bark, yell your chosen verbal command in a clear, distinctive manner a few times. It has to be loud enough for your dog to hear. Only permit 2-3 barks before shushing him. Reward with a treat and tell him "good dog!" Now get him quiet and repeat.
The timing of your verbal command is a key factor during this trick. Why? Well, say you have a nice friend ringing the doorbell to force a bark. So time your command just before the ring, that way your dog will associate the command from you with the doorbell sound. Also, say the command immediately after every bark, too. Remember, only allow 2-3 barks before stopping him. Then offer a doggie treat and repeat. Do this for five minutes or so, and repeat these steps 2-3 times during the day, everyday.
The whole process can take weeks to see any visible results, but remember the first rule of dog training: patience! Once they learn how to speak, you can try teaching them the English language next! I'm kidding!
4. Begging
Difficulty: 4/5
Fun Commands: "Freeze!" "Stop, thief!" "Hands up!"
Description: What's cuter than a dog on its hind legs begging for some food? Probably a fluffy rabbit nibbling on a tiny carrot, all while a single butterfly lands on his forehead holding up a microscopic sign that says 'D'awww!'. But a begging dog comes in at a close second. Begging combines well into other tricks too. You could have your dog "freeze," and as they stick their furry paws up into the air, scream 'bang bang' so they'll play dead. Just a fantastic example of how chaining together different tricks can have more of a dramatic impact!
How to Train:
It's a little precarious to teach your dog this trick. It helps if they know how to sit already, but since I've established that all dogs should know that by now, let's figure out the begging trick. If your dog doesn't know how to 'sit' yet, this trick may prove difficult to teach. Challenge yourself and try anyways!
A) Begin by having your dog sit. Put a treat into your hand and show it to your dog. When he shows interest in the snack, say your chosen verbal command (freeze!), while slowly raising the treat above his head, just out of reach. The trick here is to slowly lift him up off the ground and onto his hind legs until he starts reaching up with his paws.
B) Keep raising the height of the treat until your dog's sitting on his back legs with his paws up in the air. Immediately after reaching the desired begging position, reward him with a treat and tell him how good he is! Begging can be a little strenuous, so keep the training sessions short, and repeat 2-3 times a day, everyday.
After your dog has learned to beg, don't be surprised when they use their new-found technique against you at the dinner table.
5. Dog Kisses
Difficulty: 1/5
Fun Commands: "Give me kisses!" "Show love!" "Smooches!"
Description: While we avert our minds from thinking about where our dog's tongue has been during the past 24 hours, we can appreciate the love dog's show when they lick our smiling faces. The majority of dog's are so friendly already that they will naturally kiss you if your face is close enough. Why not test it now? Stick your face near them and check the response. Did your dog lick your face? If so, congratulations, they already know this trick! Just say 'give me kisses' anyways and secretly pretend you taught them the trick. If they didn't offer you any kisses, then you must have an apathetic dog that needs a lesson in love sharing!
How to Train:
A) Peanut Butter: If your dog is refusing to lick your face, put a dab of peanut butter on the spot you want them to kiss. As they lick it, say your chosen command(give me kisses!) a few times, then lean back. Wait a bit, and repeat! Repeat 2-3 times during the day, every single day until they learn!
B) Dog Treat: If your dog already gives you light kisses, but you want to train them to do it on command as well, simply lean forward and wait for them to smooch you. After they do, give a treat in conjunction with positive comments. Then more repeating, you know the drill.
Such a simple trick to train with the added bonus of being incredibly cute! Though, you might want to consider washing your face afterwards for sanitary reasons... just in case.
There you have it. Five cute and fun tricks you can teach your dog. I only ask that you use your new cute trick powers responsibly when showing off to your family, friends, and that random person you run into at the grocery store.
About the Author
For more information on intelligent dog breeds like teacup Maltipoo puppies
and teacup Morkie puppies, head on over to:
http://www.teacupandtoypuppies.net/
Is it just me, or does every dog seem to know how to fetch, sit and stay? It's like the prerequisites of graduating dog school entail only knowing these three things, and maybe tail wagging. Seriously, my dogs apparently know these tricks already and I don't ever recall teaching them; they just somehow know! Either I have crazy dog teaching superpowers I'm unaware of, or these three tricks are simply common know-how for all dogs. I'm hoping it's the former, really.
Anyways, let's establish on what makes a trick cute. For me, making your pet act in unusual ways is what makes a trick so cute. A dog wouldn't normally roll over on his side and play dead after you've yelled 'bang!' with your pretend finger gun, would they? Of course not, that's why it's so adorable! It's also why certain tricks, like sitting or staying, are bland in comparison. Of course, sitting and staying have their practical uses and are by no means bad tricks, but we're not here to learn useful tricks! We're here to learn about five lesser known tricks that are cute and fun for everyone to experience.
Before telling you about the 5 cute tricks I've selected, we need to first observe the 5 intricate details that can help us train our dog more effectively. These are:
1. Patience
2. Repetition
3. Dog Treats
4. Patience
5. Also patience
Patience
Patience is a virtue when it comes to training and I can't stress this enough, but let me try: have PATIENCE! That's a bold, italicized word in capital letters with an exclamation point at the end. If that doesn't emphasize the importance of patience, then I'm not sure what will. A dog's going to take their sweet time when learning a new trick. Only through the sheer amount of repetition, rewarding dog treats, and the patience of a sloth watcher, will you accomplish your dog training endeavors.
Repetition
To succeed at training a dog, you'll find yourself repeating the same trick over and over again until it's cemented into their tiny brains. This can be, at times, immensely tedious. Eventually though, your hard work will pay off, as your dog masterfully performs the trick you taught them, on command!
The breed of dog also plays a role in how quickly they can comprehend these cute tricks. Yeah, some dogs are just smarter than others. Dog breeds like Poodles, Border Collies and Maltipoos have gone to animal college and graduated in being smart, while breeds such as the Pekingese, Beagles and Bull Dogs are still stuck in elementary school. If you're stuck with one of the lesser intelligent ones, don't worry, because any breed of dog can be taught new tricks. The dumber ones just require a bit more effort and plenty of motivational dog treats to compensate.
Motivational Snacks
Speaking of dog treats, you will want to have an abundance of these around, preferably truck loads. The inspirational power behind a tasty, bite-sized treat can aid in significantly decreasing the time it takes for a dog to learn something new. Rewarding your dog with a tasty treat will motivate them to try even harder next time. Now, they won't exactly be performing the tricks for you exactly, but rather for the piece of food that's in your hands. Still, don't feel bad, if you run of out snacks just provide a friendly rub on the head instead! They'd probably prefer the snack in place of your unconditional love, but hey, it's better than nothing!
How You Say It
Before we get tricking, I want to mention that the way you tell your dog to perform a trick can be nearly as awesome as the trick itself. For instance, yelling "play dead!" is the generic way to get an animal to feint unconsciousness. But achieving the same result by shouting "bang!" with your hand in the shape of a gun, is way more fun and cute! So while deciding what interesting tricks to teach your dog, also think about elaborate phrases or gestures to utilize that will boost the wow-factor of the trick.
TRICKS!
Tricks will be listed with a difficulty rating, neat phrases/gestures to say that go well with them, along with simple instructions on how to effectively train your dog the particular trick. Without further ado, here are the top 5 cutest tricks you can teach your dog:
1. The Handshake
Difficulty: 2/5
Fun Commands: "Put 'er there!" "High-five!" "Let's shake on it!"
Description: The classic handshake trick. It's just way too cute having a dog swinging a high-five at you. It's even better if the verbal command you taught them is 'high five!' See, combining the appropriate voice commands with the right tricks can elevate it into an even cuter trick! So cute in fact, that performing the Handshake with your dog in front of a group of people may actually cause them to explode into multiple rainbows composed entirely of candied hearts and colorful flowers, all because their inner scale that measures adorability was overwhelmed with extreme delight. Now that's cute!
How to Train:
A) Start by taking the paw of your adult puppy, place it into the palm of your hand, and say the desired phrase you chose. I'll assume for this example you chose 'high-five' for the command. So while the paw is in your hand, look at them and say 'high-five!' Reset by letting go of the paw, wait a few seconds, and repeat 'step a' about five times.
At this point your dog is likely baffled with your strange behavior. Nevertheless, it's time to add dog treats into the mix.
B) Place a treat in your hand and let your dog see it's there. Put your hand next to him, and close it over the treat. Say 'high five' while waving your hand back and forth slowly in front of him. Your dog's inability to reach the snack should force him to raise his paw and place it on your hand in desperation. When he does, immediately open your hand and give him the treat, saying 'good boy!' Repeat this step for a few minutes, 2-3 times a day, everyday.
Remain patient, and eventually your dog should recognize what you expect of him and begin creepily offering you firm handshakes whenever you come home from work.
2. Playing Dead
Difficulty: 3/5
Fun Commands: "Bang bang!" "Go to sleep!" "Look out!" "Dodge and weave!"
Description: Playing Dead is a classic trick and it's also super cute! An animal playing dead is in itself amazing, but this trick is also one that can be combined with other tricks, making it even more better! For instance: start with the trick Begging, and while his furry paws are tossed above his head, transition straight into Playing Dead by shouting 'bang bang!' If pulled off correctly, someone nearby might actually think you just murdered your poor dog! But how silly of them, because you were simply demonstrating your dog's incredible power of being cute.
How to Train:
A) I'll assume you chose 'bang bang' as the verbal command. First, get your dog's attention and shout 'bang bang', maneuver their bodies into a downed position, and yell 'bang bang' once more. It doesn't matter if your dog sees your pretend finger gun, because that can be incorporated later after he's learned the actual trick. Let them get up, wait 10-20 seconds, and repeat. Repeat two to three times.
B) Dog treat time! Place a treat inside of your hand, give your dog a big whiff by brushing it along their nose. Give the command 'bang bang', while slowly lifting your hand above and around their head in a way that will force your dog to roll over on his side to get it. When on his side, keep him there a few seconds and then give offer the reward. Tell him what a great job he did, and repeat this step over the course of a few minutes. Repeat 2-3 times during the day, everyday.
After your dog has been riddled with thousands of pretend bullets, he should begin understanding what your ridiculous looking hand gun gesture really means. Soon, with your dog's fanastic acting ability of playing dead, they'll be casted in all sorts of upcoming movies! Maybe. No, not really.
3. Speaking
Difficulty: 5/5
Fun Commands: "Bark!" "Speak!" "Talk!" (Sorry, I'm not very creative.)
Description: Dogs absolutely love barking at anything. Did they hear a door creek, or is a delivery man at the door knocking? "Well then, bark bark," says the annoying dog. Dogs would bark their heads off if you allowed them too, but that's one of the reasons collars exist. To keep their heads attached! Seriously though, if you plan on training your dog to bark, you should ensure they are already familiar with a command that shuts them up. Otherwise, things can get a little noisy and spiral out of control. Then your neighbors will forever hold a grudge against your obnoxiously loud dog.
How to Train:
A) First of all, you'll have to make your dog bark to teach them anything, which can be majorly tricky. To get him barking, we need to figure out a plan to stimulate that reaction. Any ideas? It's your dog after all, don't look at me! Think, what might compel your dog to bark? Do they bark when someone knocks on the door or perhaps when the doorbell rings? Can you get them to bark by imitating dog or cat sounds? After finding the answer, move on to step B. If you can't find a way to make your dog bark, then congratulations, you must have the most timid dog ever, and also this trick will probably not work.
B) Using whatever bark encouraging tactic you've discovered, create a situation to force barking out from your dog. As they bark, yell your chosen verbal command in a clear, distinctive manner a few times. It has to be loud enough for your dog to hear. Only permit 2-3 barks before shushing him. Reward with a treat and tell him "good dog!" Now get him quiet and repeat.
The timing of your verbal command is a key factor during this trick. Why? Well, say you have a nice friend ringing the doorbell to force a bark. So time your command just before the ring, that way your dog will associate the command from you with the doorbell sound. Also, say the command immediately after every bark, too. Remember, only allow 2-3 barks before stopping him. Then offer a doggie treat and repeat. Do this for five minutes or so, and repeat these steps 2-3 times during the day, everyday.
The whole process can take weeks to see any visible results, but remember the first rule of dog training: patience! Once they learn how to speak, you can try teaching them the English language next! I'm kidding!
4. Begging
Difficulty: 4/5
Fun Commands: "Freeze!" "Stop, thief!" "Hands up!"
Description: What's cuter than a dog on its hind legs begging for some food? Probably a fluffy rabbit nibbling on a tiny carrot, all while a single butterfly lands on his forehead holding up a microscopic sign that says 'D'awww!'. But a begging dog comes in at a close second. Begging combines well into other tricks too. You could have your dog "freeze," and as they stick their furry paws up into the air, scream 'bang bang' so they'll play dead. Just a fantastic example of how chaining together different tricks can have more of a dramatic impact!
How to Train:
It's a little precarious to teach your dog this trick. It helps if they know how to sit already, but since I've established that all dogs should know that by now, let's figure out the begging trick. If your dog doesn't know how to 'sit' yet, this trick may prove difficult to teach. Challenge yourself and try anyways!
A) Begin by having your dog sit. Put a treat into your hand and show it to your dog. When he shows interest in the snack, say your chosen verbal command (freeze!), while slowly raising the treat above his head, just out of reach. The trick here is to slowly lift him up off the ground and onto his hind legs until he starts reaching up with his paws.
B) Keep raising the height of the treat until your dog's sitting on his back legs with his paws up in the air. Immediately after reaching the desired begging position, reward him with a treat and tell him how good he is! Begging can be a little strenuous, so keep the training sessions short, and repeat 2-3 times a day, everyday.
After your dog has learned to beg, don't be surprised when they use their new-found technique against you at the dinner table.
5. Dog Kisses
Difficulty: 1/5
Fun Commands: "Give me kisses!" "Show love!" "Smooches!"
Description: While we avert our minds from thinking about where our dog's tongue has been during the past 24 hours, we can appreciate the love dog's show when they lick our smiling faces. The majority of dog's are so friendly already that they will naturally kiss you if your face is close enough. Why not test it now? Stick your face near them and check the response. Did your dog lick your face? If so, congratulations, they already know this trick! Just say 'give me kisses' anyways and secretly pretend you taught them the trick. If they didn't offer you any kisses, then you must have an apathetic dog that needs a lesson in love sharing!
How to Train:
A) Peanut Butter: If your dog is refusing to lick your face, put a dab of peanut butter on the spot you want them to kiss. As they lick it, say your chosen command(give me kisses!) a few times, then lean back. Wait a bit, and repeat! Repeat 2-3 times during the day, every single day until they learn!
B) Dog Treat: If your dog already gives you light kisses, but you want to train them to do it on command as well, simply lean forward and wait for them to smooch you. After they do, give a treat in conjunction with positive comments. Then more repeating, you know the drill.
Such a simple trick to train with the added bonus of being incredibly cute! Though, you might want to consider washing your face afterwards for sanitary reasons... just in case.
There you have it. Five cute and fun tricks you can teach your dog. I only ask that you use your new cute trick powers responsibly when showing off to your family, friends, and that random person you run into at the grocery store.
About the Author
For more information on intelligent dog breeds like teacup Maltipoo puppies
and teacup Morkie puppies, head on over to:
http://www.teacupandtoypuppies.net/
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Stop Dog Barking: Teach the "Quiet" Command by Dennis Fetko Ph. D; "Dr. Dog"
What can we do about problem barking? Well, first realize that barking isn't bad. Excess barking is bad. Barking to warn you that someone's trying to break into your home is great! Barking about a gas leak, the baby crying, or smoke or a fire is also a plus. Barking because a butterfly landed in a bush a block away is nonsense. If the dog is still barking ten minutes after the mailman left, or if he won't stop barking when you tell him to, you've got a problem.
Chronic barking can get a dog into a spiral of stressful behavior that he can't get out of without your help. Excessive barking is bad for your dog as it can cause systemic damage like ulcers and other medical problems.
Teaching the "Quiet" Command
Behavioral therapy to control barking is not only gentle, but fun; it's usually very successful; and it's very long-lasting. Teach the dog that the word "quiet" means to stop barking. The simplest way to do that is to have the dog with you, get him to bark by excited play or whatever--bark at him, he'll mimic you. Then after a few barks, gently hold his mouth shut as you say "quiet".
He has to be quiet because you're holding his mouth shut. You then praise him lavishly for being quiet with something like "Good quiet, that's it, good quiet!!" Repeat that a few times and soon the word "quiet" will be learned.
This may also be the first time the dog was praised a lot for shutting up. Once the dog knows what "quiet" means and that it's lavishly rewarded, you begin to communicate effectively in an actual situation. When the dog begins to bark at something, the first thing you say is, "Good dog, that's it!" "Good speak!" That ought to confuse the little whipper!. It may be the first time you praised him for barking.
Your voice is excited and full of praise. You immediately follow that with a neutral, "okay" and then a firm "quiet". Then, of course, you reward the silence by sincerely praising the dog for shutting up. The entire routine sounds like this: "Good dog, good speak!" "Okay." "Quiet." "Good quiet!!!" Goooood quiet!" There! You've just successfully communicated exactly what you mean to the dog--that it's okay to bark at the stranger, but after the initial alert, stop.
If you begin this precise routine when the dog is young and just beginning to bark at things, you can avoid a barking problem by conditioning the dog to let out one burst and then shut up automatically. That initial burst told the intruder that there's a dog inside and it told you there's someone outside. That's all--it's over! Anything more than that and you risk losing control of the vocal process.
The same procedure works with the adult dogs, too. Naturally it takes longer to break a bad habit than train in a new one, but it's done successfully all the time. Age is no barrier to controlling a problem as long as the problem isn't physical or medical.
Finally, your efforts to control your dog's barking will be most successful if you determine why your dog is barking excessively so you can ameliorate those circumstances. Is he barking to protect his territory, because his environment is excessively stimulating, from confinement or isolation, boredom, or even because his barking is being inadvertently rewarded.
Additionally, an overly dominant dog is a prime candidate for excessive barking. If the household lacks authority, the dog will assert his pack superiority and literally yell his way to success.
There are many okay barking circumstances, so you want to control the act, not eliminate it or entirely stop dog barking. Don't teach the dog that all barking is bad, because that's not true. Control is the key here, and this may be the first and only time that that's so. With most problems, your goal is to eliminate them.
With barking your goal should be to teach discrimination not to completely stop dog barking. You'll never be glad your dog bit you, but there sure are times you'll be glad he barked.
About the Author
The author, Dennis Fetko, Ph.D., "Dr. Dog", is a world-reknowned animal behaviorist. Dr. Fetko's audios and ebooks detail his fast, easy--and even fun--methods to eliminate your dog's behavior problems including barking problems without jerking, squirting or clicking. Learn more at http://squidoo.com/how-to-train-your-dog-to-stop-barking
Chronic barking can get a dog into a spiral of stressful behavior that he can't get out of without your help. Excessive barking is bad for your dog as it can cause systemic damage like ulcers and other medical problems.
Teaching the "Quiet" Command
Behavioral therapy to control barking is not only gentle, but fun; it's usually very successful; and it's very long-lasting. Teach the dog that the word "quiet" means to stop barking. The simplest way to do that is to have the dog with you, get him to bark by excited play or whatever--bark at him, he'll mimic you. Then after a few barks, gently hold his mouth shut as you say "quiet".
He has to be quiet because you're holding his mouth shut. You then praise him lavishly for being quiet with something like "Good quiet, that's it, good quiet!!" Repeat that a few times and soon the word "quiet" will be learned.
This may also be the first time the dog was praised a lot for shutting up. Once the dog knows what "quiet" means and that it's lavishly rewarded, you begin to communicate effectively in an actual situation. When the dog begins to bark at something, the first thing you say is, "Good dog, that's it!" "Good speak!" That ought to confuse the little whipper!. It may be the first time you praised him for barking.
Your voice is excited and full of praise. You immediately follow that with a neutral, "okay" and then a firm "quiet". Then, of course, you reward the silence by sincerely praising the dog for shutting up. The entire routine sounds like this: "Good dog, good speak!" "Okay." "Quiet." "Good quiet!!!" Goooood quiet!" There! You've just successfully communicated exactly what you mean to the dog--that it's okay to bark at the stranger, but after the initial alert, stop.
If you begin this precise routine when the dog is young and just beginning to bark at things, you can avoid a barking problem by conditioning the dog to let out one burst and then shut up automatically. That initial burst told the intruder that there's a dog inside and it told you there's someone outside. That's all--it's over! Anything more than that and you risk losing control of the vocal process.
The same procedure works with the adult dogs, too. Naturally it takes longer to break a bad habit than train in a new one, but it's done successfully all the time. Age is no barrier to controlling a problem as long as the problem isn't physical or medical.
Finally, your efforts to control your dog's barking will be most successful if you determine why your dog is barking excessively so you can ameliorate those circumstances. Is he barking to protect his territory, because his environment is excessively stimulating, from confinement or isolation, boredom, or even because his barking is being inadvertently rewarded.
Additionally, an overly dominant dog is a prime candidate for excessive barking. If the household lacks authority, the dog will assert his pack superiority and literally yell his way to success.
There are many okay barking circumstances, so you want to control the act, not eliminate it or entirely stop dog barking. Don't teach the dog that all barking is bad, because that's not true. Control is the key here, and this may be the first and only time that that's so. With most problems, your goal is to eliminate them.
With barking your goal should be to teach discrimination not to completely stop dog barking. You'll never be glad your dog bit you, but there sure are times you'll be glad he barked.
About the Author
The author, Dennis Fetko, Ph.D., "Dr. Dog", is a world-reknowned animal behaviorist. Dr. Fetko's audios and ebooks detail his fast, easy--and even fun--methods to eliminate your dog's behavior problems including barking problems without jerking, squirting or clicking. Learn more at http://squidoo.com/how-to-train-your-dog-to-stop-barking
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Five Well-Proven Dog Training Tips by WellTrained Dog
Every dog owner wants their dog to do what they want. Let me assure you that a well-behaved dog is certainly something you can achieve, in simple, proven steps.
Even if you've tried already to train your dog, and not been as successful as you might wish, don't blame yourself. There's lots of misinformation on this subject, and incomplete ideas around.
Don't worry that it might be too complicated or challenging to train your dog. Once you understand the basics, it's simple and effective. You just need patience, dedication and some simple tactics and you will teach them successfully.
Here are five proven tips on how to train your dogs successfully:
1. To avoid your dog getting confused and so that they can learn to recognize commands easily only one person should be responsible for training the dog initially. If too many people are trying to train the dog at the same time this can stop progress in its tracks.
Also make 100% sure you are consistent with the words you use for each command, so it's easy for your dog to learn what you mean.
2. You should use positive reinforcements. If the dog does something good, you should reward this behavior so that he will know that what he did was right. Dogs love your attention, so giving it positive feedback, praise, and attention will powerfully reinforce its learning.
What you should understand is that they won't easily understand your commands in just one teaching, it takes repetition to train a dog successfully. Do not scold your dog as he might develop fear which will hinder his learning and willingness to be trained.
If you use treats in order to encourage your dogs, make sure to take them out of the dogs daily food allowance, to keep your dog healthy.
3. Teach commands one at a time. Stay on that one command until your dog shows you that he consistently understands and obeys it, before adding a new command for him to also learn.
4. In giving commands, you should keep your voice cheerful so that the dog will happily follow your commands. Don't shout or get angry, because he may become frightened and unwilling.
5. Train your dog in various different places. If you keep your dogs in a certain place like your home, he will not be able to adjust to the environment and new people. Take him to the park or through the neighborhood. This will help your dog associate with other dogs and people.
Training your dog can sometime be tough, but it will be worth it. Both you and the dog will be much better off when your dog understands what you want him to do.
You can also watch this on Video at YouTube.
Why not get more free Dog Training Articles.
About the Author
WellTrained Dog .org is a site dedicated to dog training, puppy training, obedience etc.
Even if you've tried already to train your dog, and not been as successful as you might wish, don't blame yourself. There's lots of misinformation on this subject, and incomplete ideas around.
Don't worry that it might be too complicated or challenging to train your dog. Once you understand the basics, it's simple and effective. You just need patience, dedication and some simple tactics and you will teach them successfully.
Here are five proven tips on how to train your dogs successfully:
1. To avoid your dog getting confused and so that they can learn to recognize commands easily only one person should be responsible for training the dog initially. If too many people are trying to train the dog at the same time this can stop progress in its tracks.
Also make 100% sure you are consistent with the words you use for each command, so it's easy for your dog to learn what you mean.
2. You should use positive reinforcements. If the dog does something good, you should reward this behavior so that he will know that what he did was right. Dogs love your attention, so giving it positive feedback, praise, and attention will powerfully reinforce its learning.
What you should understand is that they won't easily understand your commands in just one teaching, it takes repetition to train a dog successfully. Do not scold your dog as he might develop fear which will hinder his learning and willingness to be trained.
If you use treats in order to encourage your dogs, make sure to take them out of the dogs daily food allowance, to keep your dog healthy.
3. Teach commands one at a time. Stay on that one command until your dog shows you that he consistently understands and obeys it, before adding a new command for him to also learn.
4. In giving commands, you should keep your voice cheerful so that the dog will happily follow your commands. Don't shout or get angry, because he may become frightened and unwilling.
5. Train your dog in various different places. If you keep your dogs in a certain place like your home, he will not be able to adjust to the environment and new people. Take him to the park or through the neighborhood. This will help your dog associate with other dogs and people.
Training your dog can sometime be tough, but it will be worth it. Both you and the dog will be much better off when your dog understands what you want him to do.
You can also watch this on Video at YouTube.
Why not get more free Dog Training Articles.
About the Author
WellTrained Dog .org is a site dedicated to dog training, puppy training, obedience etc.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)