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.

How to Cope With An Over-Excitable Dog

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Dogs are just naturally boisterous, excitable characters. However, if your dog is an out of control dynamo, it probably comes down to one of 3 things – not enough exercise, anxiety or leadership issues.

I hope you’ve noticed the common thread here. All of these are things you control.

Helping A Bored Dog

A common factor for many over-excitable dogs is that they are simply bored. The dog gets no regular physical or mental stimulation. He lays around all day waiting for your return, and when you arrive he explodes into action.

Fortunately, the solution is simple – your dog needs to be exercised. All dogs, regardless of size need it, but very few get enough.

How much exercise do they need? That depends on breed, age and physical condition. If you have a Bulldog, you’ll probably get away with a leisurely half-hour walk around the block daily, if you own a Husky, be prepared for 2-3 hours of high intensity work (at least!).

Dealing with Separation Anxiety

A common cause for over-excited behavior is separation anxiety. This is particularly true of dogs that are left home while the owner goes to work. Here are some things you can do to address the behavior;

*Stop Rewarding Your Dog – By this I mean stop giving attention, whether positive or negative, while the dog is running around, jumping up and barking. Once the dog has calmed down, give attention and maybe a treat to re-enforce the desired behavior.

*Mix-up Your Routine – Dogs pay a lot of attention to your habits. Your dog will know in great detail, the drill you go through each time you leave the house. You may not even be aware of it, but your dog is, and every time he notices it, his separation anxiety is triggered.

*Limit Access – Don’t give your dog the run of the house when you’re away, restrict him to a smaller area. You may even want to consider training your dog to stay in a dog crate when you’re not around.*Provide a Distraction – Keeping your dog occupied while your away will significantly reduce his anxiety. Something to chew on or a puzzle to solve, like a Kong toy, should work well.

Be the Leader

A dog that is uncertain of his place in the pack hierarchy will always be anxious, because he’s not sure how to behave. What can you do about it? Give him some basic obedience training like “sit”, “stay” and “down”.

Training provides discipline and mental stimulation. It also establishes your leadership. Once your dog accepts this, he’ll naturally calm down.

Applying these 3 principles will have a noticeable effect on your dog’s hyper-active behavior. Keep in mind that not all dogs were created equal. Some dogs (and some breeds) are just by nature more boisterous than others.

There’s lots more about dog training, dog care, types of dogs and other interesting dog info at www.dogsanddogtraining.com

Is Dog Leash Training or Dog Collar Training the Best Way to Success in Your Dog Training

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Copyright (c) 2009 James Mahoney

Fortunately, dogs are hard wired by nature to be social, pack oriented animal and to seek out leaders, and to follow the direction of those leaders.

Both dog leash training and reward training have been around for quite awhile now, and over that time they have been shown to be effective in getting the respect of the dog.

The leash and training collars for dog collar training are the most basic piece of training equipment used in dog leash training or in collar training dogs. The correct use of the lead and training collar in dog collar training is vital to any successful dog training.

Dog collar training is used to get dogs trained as fast as possible in a way that is also humane. The way a training collar is used to apply a certain amount of pressure each time that the leash is tightened. This then controls the amount of pressure placed on the training collar, and this pressure can then be adjusted according to just how the dog responds to the dog leash training.

Dog leash training is especially important in puppy training, since most dogs will not have a natural inclination to just follow by your side, but instead have a tendency to wander all over the place.

Dog leash training used when collar training dogs can represent the best way to accomplish many kinds of dog collar training programs. This is especially true in where the dog must achieve a rather high level of reliability in some situation. As an example, where dogs may have an important job to do, such as with rescue dogs, police dogs and guard dogs, dogs in these roles would greatly benefit from dog leash and collar training.

When starting dog leash training you should first purchase a sturdy and well made dog training collar, because you don’t want to risk your dog breaking his collar and running away. You should also make sure that the collar fits him properly.

The length of the dog collar should be approximately two inches longer than the circumference of the dog’s neck. You must use a measuring tape to accurately measure the dog’s neck. To be able to get an accurate measurement, the tape should not be tight around your dog’s neck.

In a collar or leash based dog leash training program, the dog is taught, at least in the beginning, a particular behavior, usually with the leash. After it is apparent the dog can show that he comprehends the particular command, the leash is then used to correct the dog when he might disobey, or when he falls short at any time. The leash is important tool when controlling and communicating with the dog in dog leash training or dog collar training.

There can be many different styles of dog training, even a different training style for every trainer. These styles even vary from dog to dog, and from breed to breed. This can make finding the one that works best for you rather challenging. The right training is important if you want to have a dog that is a talented, loyal and faithful companion for you and your family. The methods of dog training that are the most successful are those that work to strengthen the relationship between dog and handler, and therefore for a training program to be considered successful it must be able to get the respect of the dog.

J. Mahoney is the owner of Dog Trainers Ideas.com. Just feel free to visit www.dogtrainersideas.com where you will find a resource providing you with advice on all aspects of dog training, house training and dog health.

If you want to find more info on Dog Leash Training Click Here!

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.

Dog Training – How To Train Your Dog To Get Her Own Leash

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When it comes to effective dog training, remember dogs love to go for walks.

Though as a dog training technique teaching them to get their leash might encourage some late night deliveries, this trick is really neat to watch.

1. When your dog is not wearing her leash, encourage her to take it in her mouth.

2. When she’ll do it readily, say “Get Your Leash!” and praise/click and treat.

3. Fold the leash neatly and secure it with a rubber band or string. Place it on the couch and encourage your dog to get it by saying “Get Your Leash!” and pointing to it.

4. If your dog grabs the leash, click and treat. If your dog’s not interested, encourage her by running over and making a fuss over the leash.

5. Repeat Step 4, but reward only when your dog brings the leash to you.

6. Remove the string and let your dog grab the leash on her own. The weight and pull of the leash may seem awkward at first, but praise your dog as you encourage her to come to you.

7. Go to the area where you keep the leash and place it in an obvious spot. Stand just a few feet away and encourage your dog’s delivery.

8. Extend your distance from the leash as you repeat the request, and reward good deliveries.

Now how’s that for a neat dog training technique!

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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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