Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Why Dog Training is So Important

March 21, 2009 by admin

dog training helps dogs to fit into their family home in a much better way. Dogs feel much more comfortable with a stable structure to their family life. Because they are descended from wolves, dogs have the same pack mentality as their ancient wolf cousins. They look up to a leader to guide them. Believe it or not, most people also live their family lives under such conditions. This is why dogs and humans are so well suited to live and get on together.

All types of dogs are suitable for dog training. Different breeds are more suited to different types of training. And different breeds fit in well in different types of households. Most people would not like to have a fierce Rottweiler around, but some people do. Some prefer poodles or Pomeranians. Different breeds of dogs are better able to become guide dogs and hearing dogs. While other dogs make good guard dogs. But almost any type of dog can be trained to fit into a loving family home.

Dogs can be amazingly helpful in our working lives as well as our family homes. Already mentioned are the wonderful guide dogs for the blind, but now we even help dogs who help hearing-impaired people. They can hear a door bell, or a telephone ring, or more importantly, a smoke alarm and they can alert their owners to the sounds. Dogs have been known to be able to reach people after an avalanche and bring much needed supplies.

It is usually more useful to choose younger puppies if they are to do one of the more specialized jobs. Usually, younger dogs are more eager to learn because they see it as more fun. They can get used to a new owner better and pick up their training more quickly. With an older dog who is much more set in its ways, you could probably train it new tricks, but it would take much longer with many more repetitions.

It sounds easy doesn’t it? Training a dog takes a lot of hard work. A firm voice should always be used so that the dog knows exactly what you want it to do. When it does something right you can reward it A reward can be a doggy biscuit, or a play with his favorite toy. Another good way to reward a dog is to pat him on his head and say ‘Good Dog’ in a really happy voice. They are surprisingly receptive to your tone!

When your dog does not do the right thing, however, you must not punish him. Your dog will not understand why he is being punished and will only become confused. The best method of training is to use positive reinforcement – that is to reward the good behavior and ignore the bad.

Who knows what a dog could be trained to do. Some dogs can fetch sticks, sit up and beg, roll over. I knew a dog who’s owner would put a coin in its mouth and send it to get the evening paper. Now that’s what I call useful!

Visit http://www.greatdogsforpets.com for more on dog training, dog grooming and basic dog care.

Article Source: Why dog training is So Important – ArticleSpan.com

Filed Under: Dog Training

Making Dog Training More Effective With Training Equipment

March 20, 2009 by admin

When you first get a new dog it may seem a little overwhelming the amount of things you have to buy. You will have to buy food, a bed, bowls and toys to mention just a few and it is also a very sensible idea to get some dog training equipment.

While it is possible to use ordinary items this may not be the case in some circumstances.

For instance, it will certainly be necessary to get a case if you intend to crate train your dog and you may want to purchase a clicker or a noisy chain. If you are training a hunting dog then you will want more specific dog training equipment to help with the process of training.

A clicker is used to help with positive reinforcement. Every time you praise your dog you click the clicker and give him a treat and so he recognizes the noise to mean he has done well and is being rewarded.

On the other hand a noisy chain is used to throw at the feet of your dog as negative reinforcement when he has done something wrong. The noise of the chain hitting the floor is irritating to the dog and will certainly get his attention. You should never use the chain to reprimand the dog directly and it should only be used to make the loud noise.

There are other more unusual training aids. You can get remote spray collars that work like ordinary collars but have a small water spray attached. When your dog misbehaves you can click the button and the water will spray into his face.

This will invariably stop him in his tracks and after using this a couple of times it is very unlikely he will do the same thing again for fear of getting water sprayed in his face.

Walking big dogs can be a real challenge. Specialist collars can help. Harnesses give you much more control over a boisterous dog that usually has the run of you when out on walks and the choker chain works by tightening around the dog’s neck but quickly loosening again when the tension on the lead loosens.

Electric collars give out a small electrical shock to your dog although this form of punishment is best for hunting dogs and teaching them not to approach certain harmful animals like snakes. This dog training equipment is all fairly inexpensive and will make your life a lot easier when first training your dog.

Dog Obedience Training and Puppy Training product reviews so you know you are only teaching your dog the very best techniques

Article Source: Making dog training More Effective With Training Equipment – ArticleSpan.com

Filed Under: Dog Training

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