Dog Training
September 24th, 2007 at 04:06pm
Under Dog Training
Most dog trainers are aware that training collars allow them to train their dogs more effectively. There are many dog training collars available in the market today. Each has its own unique mechanism to guide your dog either by discouraging disobedient behavior or to restrain the dog.
If you use the wrong collar size on the dog or if used in-appropriately can harm the dog. Make sure you thoroughly research on the correct training collars for your dog before using it on the dog. Its also advisable to consult with a training expert if you are if you are not sure which collar is best for your dog.
There are various collars in the market today. We have electronic collars, prong collars, the Halti, the Gentle Leader and the choke collar.
Prong Collars
When you look at the prong collar, it actually looks more painful to the dog than it seems. Prong collars are made up of metal prongs that are linked together.
When you pull the collar with the leash, it pinches the dog a little bit. It mimicks the pinch the mother gives to her puppies when grabbing them by the neck. Prong collars are effective and safe training tool as long as they are used correctly and fit on the dog properly. Don’t use the prong collar if your dog usually resists being yanked.
A proper prong collar fits snugly against the dog’s neck. The correct fit can easily be achieved since they can be adjusted by adding or subtracting the prongs. A collar that is properly fitted usually leaves approximately ½ of your finger space between the neck dog’s neck and the prong tip.
Halti & Gentle Leader
Both of these devices look like the harnesses that control horses. The head halter is designed to restrict the dog’s movemnet as compared compared to the prong collar that controls the behaviour of the dog. The idea behind the halter’s design is that once you control the movement of the head, the body follows naturally.
When the attached leash is pulled, it closes the dog’s mouth & restrains the dog’s head. Haiti and Gentle Leader collars are excellent on dogs that bite or are aggressive in nature.
Most dogs dont like these devices because its straps usually position themselves over the dog’s nose. Users will find themselves strugling to put on this device on the dog before they accept to wear them. Another disadvantage is that when you pull the dog’s head makes it possible to injure the neck of the dog.
To avoid hurting the dog, please make sure that you restrain the dog in the correct way.
The Choke Collars
These type of collars have a lot of controversy surrounding them. Those who are for the choke collar talk of its humane effectiveness. Those who are against it say that the device is a torture tool. I guess i will have to leave the judgment to you.
The principle behind the choke collar is that it tighten itself around the dog’s throat when the dog owner/trainer pulls on the leash and relaxes when the leash is relaxed. The problem arises when the collar is not put on correctly causing the pressure to remain and the dog can actually choke to death! Inexperienced trainers are advised against using these collars and for those who have dogs that constantly pull at the leash.
The Electronic Collars
When you think of an electric collar, a stun gun might come to mind. These collars are very humane on dogs if used correctly. The electronic collar allows the dog trainer by remote control to give the dog tiny electric shocks in order to correct its behavior.
The amount of intensity you want to apply depends on the trainer. Its generally advised to give the dog shock strong enought to make their ears to twitch. Should the dog howl when shock is applied, it means the shock settings are too too high. Electronic collars should only be handled by experienced trainers.
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By Gerald Njuguna
September 12th, 2007 at 04:05pm
Under Dog Training
Who said old dogs cannot learn new tricks? Dogs of all ages can learn new something new. In this lesson, your dog will be able to learn the simplest of all dog tricks ie sit, lie down and stay. These tricks are excellent building blocks of new and complex dog tricks.
“Sit” Trick
To teach your dog how to “sit,“ get a treat in your hand. Place your hand close to the dog’s nose and tell him to sit.
As you say “sit”, move the dog treat over the dog’s head towards his tail. the dog will sit naturally as he follows the treat. After he completes this behavior successfully, give him the treat and at the same time praise him loudly. Say something like “good dog!” As you teach the dog, always give him the food treat and at the same time praise the dog verbally.
With time the dog will associate the word “sit” with this behavior so you need to slowly stop giving him the treats. At the same time you will need to teach your dog a command to release such as “okay!“ to train him to discontinue each behavior. Its recommended that when teaching the dog to sit, do the session in 10 minutes or less and afterwards follow up with a play session.
“Lie Down” Trick
To train the dog on how to “lie down,” first get the dog in a sitting position. Next, hold a treat in your fingers then place your hand near the dog’s nose. Utter the word “lie down,“ then place the treat straight down on the floor.As your hand goes down and the dog follows the treat, he naturally positions himself in the down position. when he lies down properly, verbally praise him and give him the treat.
Using a release command like “okay!“ will assure the dog that its okay for the pet to stop lying down. As with all commands, when he begins to associate the behavior with the verbal command, start to wean him from the food reward.
“Stay” Trick
To train the dog how to “stay,” first have the dog in a sitting or down position. Get a treat in your hand & command your dog to “stay” while having the other hand in front of the dog’s nose with the palm open. When the dog stays on the same position for 2 seconds, praise him and give him his treat and use the release command. In due course, you will need to increase the length of time before you reward him as he gets used to the instructions.
Now that your dog has learnt these basic but fundamental tricks, its time to teach him other cool tricks.
A popular and fun trick is to teach him how to play dead. To teach him this trick, command the dog to lie down first. You then need to show him how to roll on his back. Do this by holding a treat in front of his nose with your hand and moving the same hand in small circle while giving him the command “play dead.” His nose naturally follows the treat causing his body to follow until he is on his back. Then reward the dog verbally and with the treat
With time, the dog will associate the command with the particular behavior so wean him off the food reward.
“Shake” Trick
Want to teach your dog how to shake your hand? Easy.. Get the dog in a sitting position first. With the treat in your hand, say “shake” and gently place your hand below his paw and gently lift it up to a shake position then give him the yummy treat. Repeat this several times until he learns and realizes that he will get his treat if he lifts his paw by himself.
As he learns to “shake”, please reward his efforts at getting himself into position by giving him treats and praise. With time, it will become easy for him to lift his paw every time he hears the command “shake”.
Bow Trick
Another cool trick to teach your dog is to “bow.” This trick allows the dog to be in a natural position. First of all, get the dog in a sitting position. You should have the treat ready in your hand and hold it in front of his nose then say the command “bow.” Immediately push the treat towards the dog’s chest. His instinct will be to naturally follow the treat and his head will twist to a bow position. When he does this successfully, reward him with the treat at the same time praising him out loud.
Teaching tricks to your dog will be rewarding to you as well as the dog. There are experts out there on the internet that will teach you simple and complex do tricks.
Below are cool dog trick being performed by Denim and Howser 
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By Gerald Njuguna
September 4th, 2007 at 03:56pm
Under Dog Training
The Basics of Obedience in Dog Training
Training basic obedience skills to your dog can turn out to be challenging as well as exciting. Confused on how to start? Do your homework . A student can only be as good as his trainer, huh?
The first thing you need to learn in dog obedience training is how to get your dog to pay attention to your commands. Start by calling his name then use words like “watch” or “look” afterwards. When you do this, the dog associates the words to a command. Once you’ve accomplished this and gotten his attention, you can now begin the lessons…
You want your dog to be able to pay attention for a short length of time. You can keep his attention by teaching him attention exercises. Try this example;
Hold a dog treat or toy near your mouth and then give him the keyword command. Every time he watches you, appreciate and praise him. The more you do this, the more he pays attention to you.
Try getting him to watch for at least a minute. Show him that he is doing a good job by rewarding him. This the best way that dogs learn.
Dogs get distracted easily because they have short attention spans. When training your dog the best thing you can do is get a place that is free from distractions. Also, the training sessions should only last about 30 minutes. Normally, if you exceed this time limit, the dog becomes restless and is easily distracted.
You might become angry and frustrated if the dog does not learn fast. Please don’t take out your irritation on the dog. A few things that you need to remember include:-
1) DO NOT inflict pain to the animal otherwise this will cause him to become aggressive towards you or he becomes shy.
2) If the dog becomes distracted, do change the tone of your voice (Not raising it)
3) Be consistent!! If you are not consistent the dog becomes confused as what to expect from you.(Just like children)
Teaching your dog basic obedience commands will make for a more obedient and more pleasant dog to be around.
Commands to work with
The first command you might want to start off with would be the SIT command. Use the word “SIT” so that he can relate the command with the action associated with it. When saying the word, push the dog backwards and he will catch on with your idea.
The second command is “DOWN”. You know that dogs do get hyperactive when they become excited :-D. A dog when its excited will usually jump on its owner’s lap. When the dog jumps, say “DOWN”. Don’t cuddle or pet them or get excited to see them when they are on you. Continue to tell them “down,” and even place their legs down if you have to.
The other command is “STAY.” If you have a very hyper dog this command is very good. There are various ways you can teach him to stay. Start by putting a dog treat on the ground. If he starts to move towards the treat, command him to STAY.
You can also put up your hand when saying the word STAY. As he becomes more obedient to your command, you then move further away from him. This will make him to become more daring and he might even take a step forward. If he moves forward, continue to raise your hand out and tell him “stay.” He has to realize that even though you are moving, he needs to obey your commands.
The next command to teach him is the COME COMMAND. As you can see, once the dog learns to sit down and stay put, he will need a way of knowing if its ok to approach you. This might seems confusing to the dog at first, but with a change in the tone of your voice, he will soon understand. Please do put a little excitement when saying “come”. He will pick up on it. You may also want to pat your leg when you say come.
The last command is STAND. Here, you allow the dog to get a little excited a bit but not in the pouncing way. When you teach him how to stand, pat your hands on your chest and, once again, put a little excitement in your voice, so that he knows he’s allowed, under certain circumstances. The dog will now begin to understand the differenc
Dog obedience training should start when you and the dog are ready. Just remember be consistent with the commands and please don’t forget to have fun:-)
To learn more about dog training, I would like to recommend you to Daniel Stevens, someone who knows more than me about dog training. He’s written a very detailed book on this which you can read more about it by clicking here. Customers are giving good testimonials about his training strategies and I’m sure you wont be disappointed. Visit his site here
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By Gerald Njuguna