October 8th, 2009 by Terrie Jay

There are dogs that do not have bad behaviors, and even if their owners are trying hard to teach them to obey some simple commands, these dogs are hardheaded. Chances are, many owners would just dump them to dog pounds because they are already fed up, and could no longer understand the behavior anymore.

These things could have been avoided if obedience training was used and implemented. Most obedience training in dogs is used to create a groundwork from which the dog and his master will learn how to effectively correspond to each other.

Moreover, obedience training is also employed by dog owners whose dogs are behaving badly. It is one way of incorporating discipline in the dog’s behavior. This kind of training makes him realize that certain behaviors are not allowed and that he should not act that way.

When obedience training is incorporated into a dog’s behavior, the dog, in turn, will be able to respond properly with the right behavior that is expected of him to manifest.

Consequently, many dog owners are wondering whether it would be better if a professional should handle their dog’s obedience training. In most cases, it can be much easier to have a professional trainer or an obedience school to teach the proper way to follow a command. However, if the dog owner feels he can do just the same, then, there is no special condition for that matter.

Whether the obedience training is done at home, by a professional trainer, or in an obedience school, there are things that must be considered when incorporating this kind of training. Here is a list of the things that should be taken into account.

1. Fun

Obedience training does not necessarily mean that strict rules should be imposed. This is because the dog is not aware of the reasons why he should be trained. Therefore, for him to respond to the commands, the training must be done in such a way that the dog sees the activity as something that is fun.

The dog will be able to respond positively if he sees that whenever he follows what he is asked to do, he gets rewards or praises, and that is having fun for them.

2. Consistency

During the course of obedience training, it is really important to have consistency in the training. For example, if a dog was allowed to sit on the rug the other day and when the dog tried to sit on the rug today, he was scolded. Things like this should not be taken for granted. It is extremely important to teach the dog what he should and should not do and stick to it. Confusion will only make the matters worst.

3. Obedience training instructor/trainer

When people choose to enroll their dogs in an obedience class, it is important to analyze the trainer before the owner leaves his dog. The character and personality of the trainer is extremely important. They should be professional enough to know how to handle the dog’s behavior and how to train them properly.

4. Referrals

It is best not to try new and unfamiliar obedience training schools. This could be really risky both for you and for your dog. It would be better if dog owners ask for some referrals from their veterinarians, dog breeders, or other people who can give their honest opinions.

5. Charges

Not all obedience training schools are created equal. They vary depending on the kind of services that they offer. Therefore, it is best to consider the amount of charges that they provide and the dog owners should know how to analyze if the prices are worth it.

6. Methods used in the training

It is highly recommended that dog owners should contemplate first on the kind of methods being used in the training. This is because some obedience training schools do not use the appropriate method in training the dog. In this manner, dog owners do not get the results they expected.

Obedience training can be very useful in fulfilling most of the dog’s essential needs. It gives them something to direct their skills and actions thereby making them reliable and happy pets.

Most people just don’t know this, but one of the reasons why dogs behave inappropriately is because they don’t have the right direction to guide their actions.  They are confused on how to respond appropriately with the environmental and social variables that they encounter.

With obedience training, your dog will be on the way to a happier and more enjoyable environment.

November 23rd, 2008 by Terrie Jay

I have many friends and family who have recently adopted a dog for a pet and are seeing great joy and pleasure with their new found friends. But a little closer look reveals some frustration in their lives when it comes to their pets behaving badly. Well how else are they supposed to feel when lil’ Scarfy starts barking and doesn’t stop no matter what you say or shout at him!

When it comes to problems like this one, or any other bad behavior problem, I always suggest a simple training session or two to get a good general idea of what their dog is thinking and what it is he/she really wants from them.

Not only that, they can also find out what their dog thinks of them!  To know this can really simplify things overall.  With the right tools you can confidently call out commands to your dog.  They will obey knowing full well that you are and always will be their master.

But to actually get to this stage you have to put a little elbow grease into the training process.  Luckily there are guides out their to teach anyone how to raise and train their pets properly.

People sometimes don’t like the idea of having a trainer physically come over to the house to tell them what to do.  That’s why I like the idea of picking up a manual and reading a few points and suggestions about how I should handle situations with my dog.  This leads me to taking action and following through on a consistant basis until ‘BOOM’ I’ve made a well behaved dog!

 So this Christmas, I’m giving all my friends and relatives with dogs a GIFT VOUCHER to the SitStayFetch Online Dog Training Manual.

It’ so easy.  Just fill out a form and press send.  I’ve already sent 1 Gift Voucher out to my sister for her new dog.  She’s reading it and it’s already improving the relationship with her new best friend.

If you’re wondering what to get someone this Christmas, if they have a dog the perfect gift is right in front of you:

The Downloadable Dog Training Guide
Christmas GIFT VOUCHER from SITSTAYFETCH
A $37 value

November 1st, 2008 by Terrie Jay

You can teach a dog tricks, take it for a walk, and it will always be a loyal companion. Some dogs like to test their owner’s patience by acting out. This may be in the form of:

• barking non-stop,
• biting things around the house,
• or back yard hole digging.

Correcting Dog Behaviors

Correct Potty training Problems

Accidents in the home sometimes occur and if they aren’t corrected swiftly, the problem can be a persistent one. Many puppies relieve themselves wherever and whenever the mood strikes them. This is one of the bad dog behaviors that can really impact your life. It’s important for the owner to take the dog outside at regular intervals when it is young so it becomes accustomed to not going inside the house. If that’s not possible, you can paper train the dog, which is also very helpful.

Correcting Dog Biting Problem

This is especially troubling if you have young children in the home. Correcting bad dog behaviors like this is really important. You don’t want to end up having a dog that bites people who are at your home visiting. This could have very serious results so you need to work with the dog, by scolding it when it does attempt to play in this fashion.

I signed up for the 6 Day Mini Course from SitStayFetch and found some great tips to help me understand my dog a little better.

YES! I want to claim my free instant access to the SitStayFetch 6 Day Dog Behavior and Training course ($27 value). Your Name: Your email Address:   (This is a private and fully protected mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time).

October 10th, 2008 by Terrie Jay

- Use meaningful rewards. Dogs get bored pretty quickly with a routine pat on the head and a “good girl” (and, in fact, most dogs don’t even like being patted on the head – watch their expressions and notice how most will balk or shy away when a hand descends towards their head). To keep the quality of your dog’s learning at a high standard, use tempting incentives for good behavior. Food treats and physical affection are what dog trainers refer to as “primary incentives” – in other words, they’re both significant rewards that most dogs respond powerfully and reliably to.
- Use the right timing. When your dog obeys a command, you must mark the behavior that you’re going to reward so that, when she gets that treat in her mouth, she understands exactly what behavior it was that earned her the reward. Some people use a clicker for this: a small metal sound-making device, which emits a distinct “click” when pressed. The clicker is clicked at the exact moment that a dog performs the desired behavior (so, if asking a dog to sit, you’d click the clicker just as the dog’s bottom hits the ground). You can also use your voice to mark desired behavior: just saying “Yes!” in a happy, excited tone of voice will work perfectly. Make sure that you give her the treat after the marker – and remember to use the marker consistently. If you only say “Yes!” or use the clicker sometimes, it won’t have any significance to your dog when you do do it; she needs the opportunity to learn what that marker means (i.e., that she’s done something right whenever she hears the marker, and a treat will be forthcoming very shortly). So be consistent with your marker.
- Be consistent with your training commands, too. When you’re teaching a dog a command, you must decide ahead of time on the verbal cue you’re going to be giving her, and then stick to it. So, when training your dog to not jump up on you, you wouldn’t ask her to “get off”, “get down”, and “stop jumping”, because that would just confuse her; you’d pick one phrase, such as “No jump”, and stick with it. Even the smartest dogs don’t understand English – they need to learn, through consistent repetition, the actions associated with a particular phrase. Her rate of obedience will be much better if you choose one particular phrase and use it every time you wish her to enact a certain behavior for you.

These are some excellent tips that you can start putting into practise right away.  A big resource for dog training is SitStayFetch : the ultimate training and knowledge database for dog owners. With a focus on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors, as well as obedience work and ‘tricks’, SitStayFetch  covers a vast variety of topics in minute detail – all round, an invaluable manual for dog owners everywhere.

You can check out these below pages for some great information:

Testimonials - This page leads you to dog owners with success stories from the training they recieved from the SitStayFetch Manuals and Videos.

6 Day Free Email Course - Claim your free instant access to the SitStayFetch 6 Day Dog Behavior and Training course.  (A $27 value).