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.

Dog Leash Training – The Golden Rule

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Leash Training – Part 2

The majority of dog owners address the issue of leash training only once it becomes a problem. In the beginning, when walking their dog, they initially think it’s “cute” that a puppy pulls away the entire walk to the park because, they think, that the dog “just can’t wait to play with its ball”. But once this pattern of pulling in ingrained, it take patience to retrain.

No matter what equipment and training method you choose, experts will tell you to abide by one golden rule when leash training: any pulling by the dog means all forward motion ceases.

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Dog Training Tips To Get Your Dog To Obey!

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any dog to stop barking at strangers or from begging you to let him back inside –

Plus a TON more step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are already using, check out –

The Hands Off Dog Training Method

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As soon as your puppy or dog puts tension on the leash, you stop – every time! Ah, but rather than just stand there and make this a battle of wills, we humans outsmart our clever dogs and convince them that putting slack in the leash really works on their favor. Therefore, leash training will include treats, praise and other positive payoffs.

Add A Clicker To The Leash Training Mix

Help your dog learn that it’s a good idea to stay close to you, that good things happen when you’re nearby. To achieve this goal, we suggest that you use a clicker, which is a small, handheld device that makes a “click” sound when pressed.

The click marks the desired behavior the second it occurs and is immediately followed by a treat. A clicker is a good way to cut through the environment clutter that is a part of most leash walks, and helps your dog to focus on you and what it’s doing to get “paid”.

The clicker helps teach your dog to ignore tempting distractions because you become more interesting to your dog than anything else.

Not surprisingly, a young pup that has never had a chance to develop the habit of pulling is the easiest to teach. First, gather up your training tools and snap the leash on the buckle collar. Start walking and talking to the puppy in a happy, friendly voice. As he turns to look at you and the leash goes slack, CLICK!

This interaction teaches your dog that you are, indeed, an integral part of being walked.

Note: Frequent clicks and treats while walking will help teach your dog that the big payoff usually happens within a one-foot radius around you. When leash training, most pups will begin to stick around in hopes of another reward.

Dog Training With A Clicker

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Clickers are a fun and fast way to speed up your dog training. Clicker training relies on behavior shaping principles that mark desired behavior.

To begin, get ten treats. Click and treat; before you are finished, your puppy will be happily alert to the sound. Now use the clicker for dog training and to encourage good habits.

1. House-training: When your puppy eliminates in the right area, say “get busy.” Click the instant he finishes; then treat and praise warmly.

2. Jumping: When your puppy jumps, look away, Click, treat, and pet him after all four paws are on the ground.

3. Chewing: Anytime your dog is chewing an appropriate object, click, treat, and praise.

You can iron out everyday frustrations with the clicker. Use it to encourage silence, to train him to ask to be let out, to create a positive association to kids, and more. Also use a clicker to teach basic commands during dog training such as the following:

1. “Sit” command: “Sit,” luring your dog into position with a toy or treat if necessary. Click, reward, and praise.

2. “Down” command: “Down,” luring your dog into position with a toy or treat Click, reward, and praise.

3. “Come” command: Throughout the day, command “Come” when your dog’s near you.

————————————————————–

Dog Training Tips To Get Your Dog To Obey!

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any dog to stop barking at strangers or from begging you to let him back inside –

Plus a TON more step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are already using, check out –

The Hands Off Dog Training Method

————————————————————–

Dog Training: How To Make Dog Training A Family Affair

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Teaching good manners while dog training is not just something to be left up to the adults of the house. Although mom and dad will usually bear the most responsibility for the family dog’s training, including children in the process is important, too.

Your needs to know that it must respond and behave politely for all members of the family. Plus, giving the kids the opportunity to really help with their dog’s education can be a wonderful learning experience for them. Being involved in training a dog can teach children patience and compassion – and succeeding at the task will promote positive self-esteem.

Dog’s don’t generally view children as authority figures so any training techniques that rely on physical corrections tend to backfire when kids try to pursue them. Children are usually more successful using reward-based training techniques such as lure-and-reward or clicker training methods. This works better for everyone, because most dogs tend to work hard to earn treats, toys, and other enjoyable rewards.

Any family member can take part in training, feeding, and grooming your dog – just make sure they’re up to the job. Most children younger than ten (and some older kids, as well) need ongoing supervision and parental support to keep them on track.

Don’t expect more involvement than your child is mature enough to give, and remember to check daily that their jobs have been done – your pet’s safety and comfort are at stake. Yes, children need to learn responsibility – but this should never come at the expense of an animals welfare.

It’s usually best for an adult to start the dog on any new lesson before adding young co-trainers. That way the dog has a general idea of what to do and the children won’t be starting from scratch. Training will go more smoothly this way and the kids will experience less frustration and greater success.

To get kids involved in your dog’s training, first let them watch you working with the dog, then show them how to do it themselves. Stand by, at least in the beginning, to coach and support – and to get the lesson back on track, if necessary.

Some children actually turn out to be better trainers than many adults. If your child is one of these marvels, celebrate this success by allowing him or her to take on more of the training and teach the dog new tricks and tasks. Many positive dog trainers now encourage children to fully participate in their obedience classes so check around – there may be one that you, your dog, and your kids can attend together; this is crucial for the success of dog training.

Proper Clicker Training Means Using Perfect Timing

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With clicker training, timing is everything. You must capture the exact moment your dog is doing something right. Also start thinking in terms of stage-by-stage training.

Let’s say I want to use clicker training to teach my dog to make a left circle. I sit with my dog and click when my dog takes one step to the left.

That’s stage one. Then I hold out my click for two steps, then three,  then a full circle.

Training this way definitely takes longer than pulling my dog in a circle, but once my dog figures out the sequence, he’s doing a circle with far more zest and enthusiasm than if I tugged him around and around.

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Click Here Now to watch Chet’s Free Dog Training Video.

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The second secret of clicker training: Don’t attach a spoken command to behavior until your dog has figured out what is making the clicker work.

To explain, think of the behavior Sit. Each time your dog sits, click and reward.

After your dog is sitting, quickly start saying “Good, Sit” when feeding your dog his reward. Next say it simultaneous to the time your dog is sitting.

Next say “Sit” before a reward is offered and click good behavior. Yes! Soon you’ll be able to say “Sit” away from clicker training exercises, and your dog will be spot on.

Here’s an easy one, teaching your dog to lick your hand on cue. Spread a dab of peanut butter on your hand; offer it to your dog.

Click the second your dog licks you, then quickly offer his favorite reward. Timing is everything with clicker training, as your dog will know the sound soon after you introduce him to it.

Click the very moment your dog does what you want. Keep your clicker and treats with you and click each time your dog offers a kiss.

Once it becomes apparent that your dog has got the message, add the cue word “Kisses.”

No clicks go unrewarded. If you click, you must reward. One click, one reward. Treats should be small and easy to swallow so that your dog can wolf them down and not fill up.

Don’t treat your dog when he’s not having lessons or getting a reward won’t seem as exciting.

You can use the clicker to reinforce each step of your dog’s trick progression. Here are just a few more examples of how to reinforce everyday behaviors – basic stuff your dog probably already knows but exercises to help you understand how the clicker works.

House-training: When your dog eliminates in the right area, click and reward. After your dog associates the sequence, say “Get Busy!” When he’s eliminating, click the instant he finishes, treat, and praise.

Jumping: When your dog jumps on you, look away. Click, treat, and pet your dog once all four paws are on the ground. “Four on the Floor” can be commanded once the sequence is understood.

Chewing: Anytime your dog is chewing an appropriate object, click, treat, and praise warmly. Put the words “Bone” or “Toy” on the behavior once the clicker training sequence is understood.

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