Training A Dog Not To Bite | Turn Your Problem Pet Into A Good Companion

 Training A Dog Not To Bite

Training A Dog Not To Bite - Training your dog is important if you want him to know his place in the family. You may love to spoil and pamper him but he still needs to understand that you are the pack leader and he is not. This article can help you to understand the benefits of training your dog.

You, as the leader of the pack, should always eat first. In the animal world the Alpha always eats before the rest of the pack. This confirms dominance and establishes trust in the leader. When you exhibit this behavior you teach your dog to respect you as leader and also to trust that you are leading in the proper way.

Treats are not the mainstay for rewarding your pet when training. Dogs will learn that if you give them a treat for a response they should expect it always. This is not necessary and should be reserved for occasional rewards. Dogs see loving, physical contact as a reward as well and will enjoy it much more than a treat that is gone in a split second.

Although a well trained dog can be taught to put up with just about anything, there will be times and situations where they are truly uncomfortable with a person, another animal, or a place. Don't force your dog to suffer through more of this discomfort than is absolutely necessary. There is a reason that they are uncomfortable and you need to determine that reason.

It takes many repetitions before a dog is able to learn new commands. You may need to repeat the same command lesson from 25 to 30 times before your dog learns it. Continue repeating the same command with patience, and eventually your dog will learn it.

To teach your dog to sit, gently push down on his behind as you give the verbal command "Sit!" and make a hand gesture with your palm facing down. Each time your dog sits successfully, even if you have to help him out, give him a treat and praise him. It is important that your dog know how to sit so that you can build on this command and eventually teach him to "Stay!"

Take a class on training or study books and websites regarding the topic before starting to train your dog. It seems easy to train a dog but a lot of things that make sense to us won't make sense to a dog. Learning the proper way to train and studying how to run a good training session will be beneficial for you both during this process.

Be consistent when training your dog. Your furry buddy will be easily confused when you vary your routine too much. Always give the same encouragement for a job well done. Use the same phrases to help your dog recognize what words are for what actions. Always say 'good dog' and don't vary the tone.

When training your dog, be competent! Your dog wants to know that you are in charge and that you know what you are doing. If you are inconsistent, anxious, irritable, angry, or in any way unstable while training your dog, you will not succeed. You must be calm, consistent, and competent. If you don't know about dog training, it is a very good idea to learn from books, videos and people who know before you ever get a dog!

If you want your dog to stop digging, play with him in the yard. Many dogs who dig do so out of boredom and the desire to get back at their owner. Playing in the yard with your pet offers him the socialization and exercise he needs, and it is also a fun way to bond with your favorite pooch.

Remember how many treats you reward your dog with during the course of the day to avoid fattening him up. It's very easy to overlook how many treats you give your dog, especially during a training session, but they add up if you don't pay attention.

Train your dog so that living together is fun for both you and your dog. Living with a dog should not be a hardship, but it can be if you don't take the time to research the type of training a dog understands. A dog does not think like a human, so learning how to train in a way they understand will make it easier for both of you.

A good dog training tip is to not spoil your dog by giving them dinner scraps all the time. The more you spoil your dog, the more you enable bad behavior such as begging. Instead, make treats part of a reward system. When your dog has been good, give them a treat as a reward.

As already stated, dog training can be important for getting your dog off to the right start in the family. It will be harder if you wait till later to try training. This article can help you to make the decisions about dog training that can help your dog keep his place as a cherished family member.

Training A Dog Not To Bite

 How To Stop Dog Barking

How To Stop Dog Barking - Some owners seem to want their dogs to stop barking, period: a good dog is a quiet dog, and the only time that barking’s permitted is when there’s a man in a black balaclava and stripy prison outfit, clutching a haversack marked ‘Swag’, clambering in through your bedroom window.

Dogs don’t see barking in quite the same light. Your dog has a voice, just like you do, and she uses it just how you do too: to communicate something to the people she cares about.

I don’t think that barking is necessarily a bad thing – in fact, I think it’s encouraging that my dog wants to “talk” to me, enough so that I can overlook the stentorian qualities of his voice (which, in enclosed spaces, is positively overpowering) in favor of his desire to communicate with me. It’s the thought that counts (even though I feel better-equipped to stand by this sanctimonious belief when my ears are sheltered safely behind industrial-quality ear-plugs).

Barking dogs, Understanding it and dealing with it

Unfortunately, the language barrier between dogs and humans is pretty well impermeable, which means it’s up to us to use the context, the body language of our dogs, and the circumstances of the vocalization to parse meaning from a volley of barks.

So why do dogs bark?

It’s not easy to say (it’s like trying to answer the question, “Why do humans talk?” in so many words). Let’s start off by saying that dogs bark for many different reasons. A lot of it depends on the breed: some dogs were bred to bark only when a threat is perceived (this is true of guarding breeds in particular, like Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds); some were bred to use their voices as a tool of sorts, to assist their owners in pursuit of a common goal (sporting breeds such as Beagles and Bloodhounds, trained to ‘bay’ when they scent the quarry), and some dogs just like to hear themselves talk (take just about any of the toy breeds as an example of a readily-articulate dog!).

However, all breed specificities cast aside, there are some circumstances where just about any dog will give voice:

* She’s bored
* She’s lonely
* She’s hungry, or knows it’s time for a meal
* Something is wrong/someone is near the house
* She’s inviting you to play
* She sees another animal
* She needs the toilet

If your dog is barking for any of these reasons, it’s not really realistic for you to try to stop her: after all, she’s a dog, and it’s the nature of all dogs to bark at certain times and in certain situations. Presumably you were aware of this when you adopted your friend (and, if total silence was high on your list of priorities, you’d have bought a pet rock, right?).

Of course, there are times when barking isn’t only unwarranted, it’s downright undesirable. Some dogs can use their voices as a means of manipulation. Take this situation as an example:

You’re lying on the couch reading a book. Your dog awakes from a nap and decides it’s time for a game. She picks up her ball, comes over, and drops it in your lap. You ignore her and keep on reading. After a second of puzzled silence, she nudges your hand with her nose and barks once, loudly. You look over at her – she assumes the ‘play-bow’ position (elbows near the floor, bottom in the air, tail waving) and pants enticingly at you. You return to your book. She barks again, loudly – and, when no response is elicited, barks again. And this time, she keeps it up. After a minute or so of this, sighing, you put down your book (peace and quiet is evidently not going to be a component of your evening, after all), pick up the ball, and take her outside for a game of fetch. She stops barking immediately.

I’m sure you know that respect is an essential part of your relationship with your dog. You respect her, which you demonstrate by taking good care of her regardless of the convenience of doing so, feeding her nutritious and tasty food, and showing your affection for her in ways that she understands and enjoys. In order for her to be worthy of your respect, she has to respect you, too.

Something that many kind-hearted souls struggle to come to terms with is that dog ownership is not about equality: it’s about you being the boss, and her being the pet. Dogs are not children; they are most comfortable and best-behaved when they know that you are in charge. A dog has to respect your leadership to be a happy, well-adjusted, and well-behaved pet.

In the situation above, there was no respect being shown by the dog. She wasn’t inviting her owner to play; she was harassing her owner to play. In fact, I’d even say bullying. And even worse, the behavior was being reinforced by the owner’s capitulation – effectively, giving in to this behavior taught her that to get what she wants, she has to make a noise – and she has to keep it up until her goal is achieved.

Affection and play-times are obviously necessary aspects of life with a dog, but they have to be doled out on your own terms. If she learns that she can get what she wants by barking, then your house is going to become a Noise Pollution Zone (and this is not going to endear you to your neighbors, either).

To prevent this bullying behavior in your dog from assuming a familiar role in her repertoire of communications, you have to prove to her that you’re not the kind of person that can be manipulated so easily.

It’s simple to do this: all you have to do is ignore her. I’m not talking about passive ignorance, where you pay her no attention and simply continue with whatever it was you were doing – you need to take more of an active role. This means conveying to her through your body language that she is not worthy of your attention when she acts in such an undesirable manner.

The absolute best and most effective thing for you to do in this case is to give her the cold shoulder. When she starts trying to ‘bark you’ into doing something for her, turn your back on her straight away. Get up, avert your eyes and face, and turn around so your back is towards her. Don’t look at her, and don’t talk to her – not even a “no”. She’ll probably be confused by this, and will likely bark harder. This is particularly true if you’ve given in to her bully-barking in the past – the more times you’ve reinforced the behavior, the more persistent she’s going to be. In fact, the barking will almost certainly get a lot worse before it gets better – after all, it’s worked for her the past, so it’s understandable that she’ll expect it to work again.

As in all aspects of dog training, consistency is very important. You must ensure that you don’t change your mind halfway through and give in to what she wants – because by doing so, you’re teaching her to be really, really persistent (“OK, so I just need to bark for ten minutes instead of five to get a walk,” is the message she’ll get).

But what can you do in other situations where bullying isn’t an issue and you just want her to stop the racket? If you want to get the message across that you’d like her to cease fire and be quiet, the most effective thing you can do is to use your hands. No, I’m not talking about hitting her: this is a perfectly humane, impact- and pain-free method of conveying that what you require right now is peace and quiet.

Here’s what you do: when she’s barking, give her a second to ‘get it out of her system’ (it’s a lot kinder, and a lot more effective, to give her a chance - however brief – to express herself before asking her to be quiet). If she doesn’t calm down under her own steam, reach out and clasp her muzzle gently, but firmly, in your hand. She’ll try to shake you off, or back away, so you can place your other hand on her collar to give you greater control.

This method is useful for two reasons: firstly, it effectively silences the barking (since no dog, no matter how loud, can bark with her mouth shut!). Secondly, it reinforces your authority: you’re showing her through direct physical action that you’re a benevolent but firm leader who will brook no nonsense, and who won’t balk when it comes to enforcing your guidance. Hold onto her muzzle and collar until she’s stopped trying to break free: only when she calms down and stops wriggling does it mean that she’s accepted your authority. When she’s still, hold on for one or two more seconds, then let her go and praise her.

In addition to this short-term fix, there are also a few things you can to do to reduce your dog’s need to bark in the first place. The number-one cause for unwanted barking (as in, the kind of barking that’s repetitive and is directed at nothing) is nervous, agitated energy – the kind she gets from not getting enough exercise.

Most dogs function best with one and a half hours’ exercise every day, which is a considerable time commitment for you. Of course, this varies from dog to dog, depending on factors like breed, age, and general level of health. You may think that your dog is getting as much exercise as she needs, or at least as much as you can possibly afford to give her – but if her barking is coupled with an agitated demeanor (fidgeting, perhaps acting more aggressively than you’d expect or want, restlessness, destructive behavior) then she almost definitely needs more.

Fortunately, the fix for this problem is pretty simple: you’ll just have to exercise her more. Try getting up a half-hour earlier in the morning – it’ll make a big difference. If this is absolutely impossible, consider hiring someone to walk her in the mornings and/or evenings. And if this is impossible too, then you’ll just have to resign yourself to having a loud, frustrated, and agitated dog (although whether you can resign her to this state remains to be seen).

The second most common cause of excessive vocalization in dogs is too much ‘alone time’. Dogs are social animals: they need lots of attention, lots of interaction, and lots of communication. Without these things, they become anxious and on edge. If you’re at home with your dog, you’re not paying attention to her, and she’s spending a lot of time barking at what appears to be nothing, she’s probably bored and lonely and would benefit from a healthy dose of affection and attention.

Recommended reading

If you’d like more information on unwanted behaviors that your dog’s exhibiting, you’ll probably be interested in taking a look at Secrets to Dog Training. It’s a complete, A-Z manual for the responsible dog owner, and deals with recognizing, preventing, and dealing with just about every problem dog behavior under the sun. You can check out Secrets to Dog Training by clicking on the link below:

 

How To Stop Dog Barking

Teach Dog Not To Bite | Hard Time Training Your Pooch? Try These Tips!

Teach Dog Not To Bite

Teach Dog Not To Bite - It is extremely important to be able to train your dog to not bite people unless the dog is being used for defense. This is important because unwarranted dog biting can lead to fines, loss of your dog, or termination of the dog's life. The tips in this article will help you with preventing your dog from biting.

Negative methods of training your dog don't work. Just as with humans, positive reinforcement of behaviors is much more effective. Use praise, treats and play time to show your dog that you are pleased with their performance. If he cannot do what you are asking him, do not punish him or yell at him. He will associate trying to do the task with negativity and will avoid the task even harder the next time.

Dog training sessions should occur at the same time each day, if possible. Dogs, much like children, can thrive on a set schedule. This pattern will promote a learning environment in which your dog is eager to learn at the given time. Sporadic training causes confusion within your pet and can prolong the training.

House training your puppy can be a lot faster and more effective using a crate. The crate should never be used for punishment. The puppy should be put in it at night and in between times of interaction with his owner. His natural instinct is to not relieve himself in his sleeping area.

Don't force your dog to go into his crate. Instead, profusely praise him when he enters his crate on his own. Young puppies, in particular, might be somewhat afraid of the crate when it is first introduced. If you force them to enter it their fear might turn into terror. Their natural curiosity will eventually override their fear.

At a very young age, puppies are able to learn simple commands. If your puppy is tired, highly excited, or exploring his space, your training session will probably not be very successful. You will need your puppy's full attention to assure your training session is worth your time.

If your otherwise well-behaved and housebroken dog starts exhibiting poor behaviors, such as urinating indoors, take it to a vet to rule out any medical problems. Many medical issues can cause a dog to act out. Don't punish your sick dog for showing you that it is sick; help it.

You want to begin your dog training as early as possible, but not too early. You want to wait until the dog is at least 49 days old before you begin trying to train them. But after that, you'll want to begin quickly so that your dog can learn while he's still adapting to his environment, and you don't have to undo behavior that he's already learned.

Make sure you're not reinforcing an undesirable behavior. You don't want to give your dog treats or special attention during training if they're not performing the task properly. If you do, then they'll think you're pleased and continue to do things the way they're doing them, and they won't improve.

The best way to crate train an adult dog is to allow the dog to train himself. Put the crate in a quiet room with a comfortable blanket and a favorite toy inside and leave the dog alone in the room with the crate. This way, the dog learns that the crate isn't something to be afraid of.

Not all dog training needs to involve food based treats. Some dog breeds respond better to non-edible rewards. These rewards could very well include stuffed toys, rawhide bones, or rope toys. They will also have the added benefit of giving you and your dog a new activity to enjoy together.

Never punish your dog, or discipline him, after the fact. If you find that he urinated on the carpet earlier in the day, punishing him now won't help. Dogs cannot reason and have very short term memories, so they will not associate the earlier accident with the punishment at hand.

A great dog training tip is to get everyone on the same page. If you're trying to correct certain behavior, you don't want a family member enabling that bad behavior. By having everyone on the same page, your dog will be much more likely to respond to training.

If your dog is being destructive when unattended, it is likely a sign that he is not getting the physical exercise that a dog needs. Find a class that you and your dog can enroll in together and you are sure to find that it is fun and he will be far less destructive when you leave him.

In summary, nobody wants to be bitten by a dog. You are responsible for anything that your dog does, and if someone is bitten by it then you will pay the price. Follow the tips in this article in order to keep your dog under control so that both you and your dog will benefit.

 

You can visit the Secrets to Dog Training site by clicking on the link below:

Teach Dog Not To Bite