Dog Behavior Archives - Edie MacKenzie

The Simple, Step-by-step Technique for Leash Training A Dog

January 21, 2012 by admin Leave a Comment

Dogs have probably been pulling on the leash since the first time someone thought it might be a good idea to loop a rope around one. They don’t like being restrained. So when you pull them back they instinctively pull the other way.

In most cases, the dog isn’t being dominant, or trying to make you mad. It’s just that there are so many interesting sights, sounds and smells to explore. He can’t wait to see what’s up ahead, so he pulls to get there faster.

And therein lies the secret to stopping your dog pulling. Start to teach your dog that, until he calms down and stops his pulling, he’s going nowhere. Here’s how;

Laying the Ground Rules

Dogs are creatures of habit so they are very observant when it comes to routines. You’ve probably noticed that, even before you pick up his lead, your dog is already getting himself worked up. I’m sure you’ve wondered how he knows what’s coming.

Most likely you have some pre-walk routine that you’re not even aware of, but that your dog has picked up on.

If you want to improve your dog’s behavior on the walk you should start right here. Don’t put up with any misbehavior. Specifically, don’t allow any boisterous behavior – barking, running, jumping up. Get him to calm down before attaching the lead. If he get’s out of hand, stop, get him to sit, then start over.

At first this can be very frustrating, but you need to be firm and consistent. It gets easier.

When the dog is calm, and you’ve attached the leash, leave the house right away. If the dog gets over-excited again, make him sit, and wait for him to calm, before proceeding.

The dog will likely want to relieve himself as soon as he’s outdoors. Allow him to do so. Once he’s done, control and limit the amount you allow him to sniff around and mark territory. Ideally you do not want to allow this at all for large sections of the walk. Allow him to explore only when you say so.

The Best Way to Stop Your Dog Pulling

If you want to stop your dog pulling, you need to stop pulling back. The way to control this behavior is to teach the dog that pulling has a negative rather than positive result. When he pulls, stop the walk and get him to sit. Only carry on with walking when he has calmed down.

At first, this will be incredibly trying. But dogs are quick learners and he’ll soon make the connection. In a short while he will understand that his walk gets interrupted every time he pulls.

Once he breaks the pulling habit start getting him to walk beside, instead of in front of you. This will also help to curb the inclination to pull, especially if a cat suddenly darts across his path!

It is also a good idea to take some of his favorite treats along while he is in training. Give a treat whenever he is walking calmly beside you and you’ll further re-enforce his good behavior.

To read more about dog training, dog care, dog health and other useful dog info drop in at dogsanddogtraining.com

Dog aggression towards other dogs – how to stop it

October 13, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

If ever seen dogs are aggressive towards each other, you know how disturbing the dog on dog aggression can be. Aggression between dogs may take the form of growling, snarling, cracks, attitudes, and even downright fighting, which can cause considerable damage to the dogs. It can also be difficult for owners safely break up.

Dog aggression toward other dogs is disturbing, but unfortunately it is not so rare. There is a big chance, I saw it, or own a dog was involved or was someone else. You do not know what causes however.

Dog-on-dog aggression is almost always the result of inadequate socialization, while the dog is young. Socialization is a process in which the dog learns how to properly communicate and collaborate with others. This is the key to prevention is to be aggressive towards other dogs throughout life.

The socialization process involves exposing the dog to many other dogs as possible. It is important to allow her to meet, mingle, have fun and just be around a large number of dogs of all sizes and ages. This exposure to other dogs, which teaches the dog the difference between a neutral or positive interactions and behaviors that are really dangerous. Without a proper understanding of this difference, it’s easy to misinterpret the dog another dog behavior.

For example, that another dog may just want to play, but do not see it that way. Instead, it may be that she is threatened, and she will respond to this perceived threat is becoming aggressive. Think of socialization, such as how the dog learns to communicate and cooperate as appropriate with others.

Puppyhood, especially from ten to sixteen weeks of age, is the most important period in the dog’s entire life as far as socialization concerns. A dog that is not thoroughly socialized in this critical period is the best candidate for becoming too scary or behaves aggressively when he meets other dogs later in life.

Are you a new dog owner and want to learn how to properly train and care for your dog? We can teach you how! For more information on dog training and additional information on dog behavior and dog health visit http://www.dogtrainingadvicearea.com/

Dog Training With A Clicker

August 5, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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 2

July 2, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Making dog training a family affair is a fun and rewarding experience for everyone. To start, you must commit to declaring the rules that will govern your dog’s behavior, and let everyone know that these rules must be followed by everyone – because family-wide consistency is essential to achieve good results from training.

Establishing The Rules

Make sure everyone knows and follows the same rules with your dog, or your best-laid dog training plans will unravel. If one person allows the dog to jump on them or play rough games, for example, your dog will try these behaviors with other people. And when your family isn’t consistent about keeping the rules, don’t expect your dog to either!

The best time to establish rules is before you bring your puppy or adult dog home. That way, everyone can be consistent right from the start. Chances are pretty good, however, that if you’re reading this article now, you probably already have your dog at home with you. So the best thing to do is to start right away – establish your “good dog rules” today, make sure the whole family knows what they are, and have everyone agree to follow them, starting immediately.

Family Meeting Time

Call the whole family together to create a list of the important rules regarding the dog. Encourage each person, including the children, to offer ideas and describe how they’d like the dog to behave so everyone will feel included.

Discuss reasons for each rule you decide to implement so its importance is understood. Big rules – such as not feeding from the table or the types of play that will be allowed – must be the same for everyone.

Write down your list of agreed-upon rules and let the children illustrate the page by drawing pictures of your dog being good. The more personal involvement each family member has with the list of dog rules, the more likely everyone will be to abide by them. When your list is finished and illustrated, post it in a central location, such as the refrigerator, so no one forgets the rules (or pretends to).

I cannot stress enough just how important it is for your children (and everyone else in the house) to all have the same mindset and understanding of how you want your dog handled during training.

In the next article we will discuss how to teach the rules, how to initiate training games, and how to keep dog training consistent – all of which will fail if you do not set the entire family on the same path.

————————————————————–

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

————————————————————–

Dog Training – Use The Right Body Language So Your Dog Understands

June 28, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Dogs are highly intelligent creatures and many owners do not give them enough credit when it comes to dog training and how they can read and understand our body language.

Some people have no idea that the body language that we display has a major impact on how well a dog will listen to us and obey our commands. Using the correct form of body language can also quickly stop your dog from displaying an improper behavior.

Let’s use a very common example, such as the overexcited dog who likes to jump on every guest that comes to your door. We all go through this with our puppy or adult dog at some point in time. As soon as the guests arrive your dog is overwhelmed with happiness and excitement about who is at the door and whether or not they are going to play with him.

————————————————————–

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

————————————————————–

Do they have dog treats? What do they smell like? Do they want to play? How about I just jump all over them and see? This is exactly what your dog is thinking if we were to decipher his emotional behavior.

And meanwhile, you are giving every command possible to get your dog to stop being so excited and jumping on everyone. You try shouting but it only makes him more excited. You try giving harsh and loud “Off” commands but it’s not working. Eventually, you are so stressed with yelling and trying to pull your dog off that it turns into one big chaotic party.

And yes, the term “party” is a great way to explain it because to your dog you are just joining in on the fun and excitement that he is feeling. Can you see now how your body language and the way you are communicating with her voice comes across to your dog? You are only adding to the situation as opposed to changing our dog’s behavior.

Communicate better with your dog by using the following body language tips

In the above example of the overexcited dog who can’t seem to stop jumping all over the house guests, you understand now that your body language and excitability only made your dog feel more enthused about what it is he was doing. Therefore, you must take a different approach to the situation, regardless of what action you are trying to communicate with your dog. Below are a few basic body language tips that you can use:

1. When you’re angry at your puppy or adult dog, do not chase him around the house. You may be upset with them, but to your puppy, he thinks you’re playing a game and he will run around forever.

2. When you give your dog a command, display a very bold and upright body position. Stand up, chest forward, and head back. Your dog will have more respect and a slight bit of intimidation, which can help with training him.

3. If your dog is extremely excited then do not add to the problem by getting feisty. Instead, move slowly and talk in a soothing tone of voice. Display the same behavior you wish him to use.

Doing so will calm him down and it will be much easier to change his behavior. during your dog training

Dog Training Tips To Get Your Dog To Obey!

Recent Blog Posts