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.

What Type Of Leash Is Best For Your Dog?

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What type of leashes are best for your dog? Well personally, I prefer leather leashes. Nylon leashes have a tendency to cut and burn your hand. They also slip through your hands more easily if your dog suddenly pulls at you. A leather leash gives you more comfortable control. A good dog trainer can look at a leather leash and tell how much the dog owners are working with their puppies. The more they practice, the softer the leash becomes.

Some owners don’t like leather leads because they are more expensive and puppies have a tendency to chew on them during a walk. There is nothing more cute than a puppy carrying his leash while you walk him. If your puppy puts the leash in his mouth during a walk, then let him carry it for a while, but maintain control of it. If he bites too hard on it or really starts to chew, then this is a good time to practice the “Drop it” command. With a firm voice say, “Drop it,” and substitute a stronger motivator to satisfy his needs.

I do not favor chain link leashes. They are hard on your hands when you move up and down the leash to control your dog. The only good purpose to link leashes is if you’re tying your dog outside for a while – dogs can’t chew through them.

I am also not a fan of retractable leads. I feel the owner has little control over a dog or puppy with such a lead. Some owners feel they are giving their dog more exercise and freedom with a retractable lead, since the dog can move ten to fifteen feet ahead of the owner. But accidents easily happen – a biker or runner can quickly go by and if your dog moves toward them, a person can trip on this long lead. Also, it is very difficult to control a dog and gain back the leash quickly if someone is coming toward your dog or if your dog is moving toward them.

A retractable lead is made of wire and you cannot grab on to it. I think the best use for a retractable lead is when you are in a field and want to give some extra lead to your pup so he can run about with a little more freedom. Otherwise, on city streets, I only see it as a nuisance for other people.

Retractable leads also create a problem if your dog gets loose from you. The plastic housing at the end of the lead will bounce along as it trails behind the dog. This can frighten some dogs, particularly noise-sensitive dogs, and they will run that much further away trying to flee from the very sound that they can’t escape.

The Basset Hound And Dog training Advice

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Training a dog should be an enjoyable and easy task both for you and your dog, but things can be different in Basset Hound training. It is because Basset Hounds, just like any other hounds, are extremely hard to train. They tend not to obey commands given to them because as scent hounds they prefer to follow what their noses tell them. Low desire to please its owner is another reason why a basset hound is hard to train.

When it comes to dog training, especially obedience training, a Basset hound is less likely to be chosen by most dog owners and trainers because of its characteristics towards training. However, it is not impossible to train a Basset hound if you really want to. Some have been successful in training their Basset hounds but only a few of them. Patience, together with your great love for your Basset hound is essential in order to have a well behaved dog.

Training tips are just few clicks away when searching a web and you can also learn through seminars from dog experts. But the best method in Basset Hound training is to know and listen to your dog. Discover what exercise or activity your dog enjoys and start your way from there. Let him understand that training is fun! Be artistic and create fun and exciting training methods and as much as possible, vary it from time to time so as not to bore them. Limit the training session to only 10-20 minutes. Slowing down and showing resistance to work is an indication that he has become bored or he doesn’t like your training method.

Using training tools such as crate and rewards are ideal partner in every training session. Most Basset hounds obey command when offered reward, but will forget the training when reward is being offered. To do away with this, hide the reward from the dog before giving a command. Show him the reward only until he has complied with the command so as to come up with a Basset hound who follows command with or without the presence of a reward. The point here is to give him the idea that you may have a reward for him even if he can not see it.

It is also important to know the right time to start training. Making mistakes in the beginning of the training may delay the process and may not guarantee better results. Begin the training with something he enjoys so that he will be convinced to do it. Avoid being harsh and force your dog to do something which you think he doesn’t like. Consistency and determination is much more helpful.

With these tips, you will surely be able to come up with nicely trained dog. You can now aim higher levels of training such as obedience and agility training, and prove others that it is not impossible to train these stubborn four legged friends.

For more information on the Basset Hound or a full list of dog breeds take a look at this dog training website.

Article Source: The Basset Hound And dog training Advice

Dog Training: Train Your Dog To Become A Good Neighbor

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Their world may not extend beyond a couple of blocks – but nevertheless, dogs are an integral part of society and as a dog owner, you have a serious responsibility when it comes to dog training.

You must mold your dog into a good neighbor – not a nuisance or a menace. Left to its own devices, a dog naturally might enjoy destroying someone’s precious lawn, chasing other animals or having a loud dialogue with the midnight moon.

These and lots of other behaviors your neighbors will hate, of course, never strike your dog as anything but fun, unless you have employed dog training and supervised.

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This is your responsibility. Certainly you don’t want your dog’s behavior to become a point of contention between otherwise compatible neighbors.

To begin with, no dog should be allowed to roam indiscriminately. Most people are reluctant  confront the owner of an offending dog, but no one appreciates canine trespassing.

You must use some form of dog training  because dogs lacking human supervision will often leave destruction in their path, and you are liable for your pet’s activities.

Don’t let bad feelings start because you have given your dog a free rein.

Furthermore, you put your dog’s life at risk every time you allow it such freedom. Your pet may attack or be attacked by other animals – wild (think about rabies) or domesticated. Chances are, at some point, the dog will be hit and perhaps killed by a car.

A free-roaming dog is more susceptible to picking up parasites and disease. And it may simply disappear one day, leaving you to wonder whether it has been abducted or killed. Sadly, these are common occurrences.

If you want to keep your dog outdoors, an exercise run or a sturdy fence around your yard is mandatory. Hopefully, if your dog is a barker, your neighbors live a good distance away. However, in the densely populated urban and suburban areas in which most of us live, it is simply unacceptable to permit a dog to bark endlessly. You are going to have extremely unhappy neighbors. Breaking the barking habit can be a real problem; you can try working with a trainer to come up with a solution, or you may simply have to keep the dog indoors. Certainly, it is unfair to make other people suffer while you’re away.

Remember, barking is both natural for dogs and a learned behavior in certain situations. To correct unwanted barking, you must catch the dog in the act and administer a stern, forceful correction.

You cannot correct undesirable behavior via dog training unless the dog is actually caught in the act of performing it.

Dog Training – Teaching Your Dog “Come Here”

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Dog training does not have to be complicated, nor does it take enormous amounts of time to teach your pet the basics.

Speaking of basics, we all want our dogs to come to us when called. There are many ways to go about this dog training procedure, below is perhaps the easiest way.

The following instructions will have your dog responding to your “come” command in no time.

This easy technique revolves around luring your dog and then rewarding him. Please note that this will be a lot easier if your dog is hungry before beginning training. Also, have handy small dog treats that you will use as a training aid.

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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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1. For this dog training exercise, first stand in front of your dog and hold a dog treat in between your thumb and index finger so it can easily be seen. Your arm should be in front of you but resting on your leg.

2. Now simply get the atmosphere exciting to your dog by putting on a great big smile and with a sweet and fun tone of voice, say “Sparky, Come!”  Do not overdo the come command with too much excitement, just enough to get him to notice you and realize that you are happy.

3. Your puppy should start running towards you, especially at the sight of the dog treat in your hand. Most dogs come running at the first hint of food, but your puppy may need a little more motivation. If after a moment he does not respond, your next move is to squat down and reach out with the treat just slightly, while calling his name again and getting the “come” command.

4. Once your puppy does arrive at the treat and in front of you, try to lure him into the sitting position by stroking his neck and upper back with one hand and applying pressure on his hind for him to sit, while slowly moving the treat to his mouth with your other hand. Now is the perfect time to start praising him in a loving voice and creating a positive feeling that he will want to experience again when you call his name and ask them to come to you.

5. Eventually drop the dog treats altogether when dog training and repeat the above steps, but offering praise instead of food when your dog comes to you.

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