How do I get my dog to stop jumping on the couch?

 Jumping on the furniture

Deciding whether or not your dog is permitted access to the furniture is a pretty big deal. If you have a big dog, it’s an even bigger deal. Furniture access is a matter of some importance for two reasons: firstly, because it’s mighty inconvenient to have to fight for space on your own couch; and secondly, because it strongly relates to the matter of dominance, which is of the utmost importance as far as a harmonious dog/owner relationship goes.

Your dog knows that the furniture – in particular, your bed - is your turf. If he’s allowed up onto your personal, private territory as a matter of course and whenever he feels like it, that’s conceding a pretty big point to him; especially since it’s rarely a two-way issue (when was the last time you invaded your dog’s own turf and snuggled down for a nap in his bed?). It’s best to be aware of these things before making a final decision on furniture access for your dog.

If you do decide to allow him unimpeded access, you’ll need to make sure that you’re extra-stringent with the other facets of alpha-dominance to prevent him from getting an over-inflated sense of self-importance.

Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to forbid your dog access to the furniture outright, until he’s at least five or six months old. When a puppy’s growing up, he’s forming the basis of his conceptions as to what constitutes appropriate behavior, and he’s figuring out his own ranking in the social hierarchy of the household.

If he’s allowed to leap onto beds, couches, and armchairs (the three most-prized pieces of furniture in the house for any dog) at will and from day one, he’ll have a skewed view of his own ranking. He won’t see it as the privilege that it is: he’ll see it as his God-given right, and something to be taken for granted. This does a lot towards equalizing your dog’s rank with your own, which – as far as your role as the owner goes – is decidedly not a good thing. To maintain a good relationship with your dog, not only do you need to be the boss, but he needs to know that you are.

To prevent attitude problems from developing in adolescence, it’s generally best to keep your puppy as humble as possible – which means that he needs to appreciate being allowed up ‘on your level’. Rule number one, as far as this issue goes, is consistency. You must be consistent! Once you’ve made your decision as to whether or not he’s to be allowed up on the furniture, you will have to stick with that decision, or else – whatever that decision was - you won’t have a hope of enforcing it.

So, if he’s to be allowed up on the couch but not the bed, for example, he must never be allowed up on that bed – not even for a moment. If you decide not to allow him up on any furniture at all, you must ensure that nobody counteracts your decision and invites him up there.

Changing the rules according to human whims and impulses isn’t fair on your dog. It’ll just confuse him. He can’t tell the difference between an expensive new couch and a grubby old one, or between clean paws and muddy paws. This can have a detrimental effect upon your own peace of mind (not to mention your dry-cleaning bill), and if you take that frustration out on your dog, it’s confusing and upsetting for him. This is why, if you’re going to allow him any access at all, it’s a fantastic idea to impose limits: to teach him that he can’t just leap up as and when he chooses, but that he must wait for an invitation.

Inviting your dog to join you on the couch is pretty easy. All you have to do is pat the seat next to you, and – in a cheery, friendly tone – say, “Up you get!”. Most dogs need little more encouragement than this, and will be up like a shot before the second syllable’s even passed your lips. You’ll also need to enforce the “off” command – this allows you to relax in the knowledge that, when you want some leg room, it’s there for the taking; and also reminds your dog, in no uncertain terms, that his furniture access is not a right – it’s a privilege!

As is to be expected, most dogs are less enthusiastic about obeying the “off” than they are the “up you get” command: on occasion, you may be required to resort to physical force to maintain obedience. Don’t worry, it’s not inhumane in the slightest, merely highly effective.

Here’s what you do:

- First of all, supply him with an attractive alternative. Being asked to get off a comfortable couch to lie on the unadorned floor is hardly something he’s going to respond to with enthusiastic obedience: set him up for success, not failure, by giving him a comfy dog bed. You can make one yourself, out of towels and pillows, or you can purchase ready-made dog beds in a variety of sizes and materials from the pet store.

- When it’s time for him to disembark, point to the dog bed and say, “Off” in a calm, authoritative voice. No need to raise your voice or shout: use a no-nonsense, but pleasant, tone.

- If there’s no immediate response, do not repeat yourself. Keep your arm pointing at the bed, and maintain eye contact. If you have a perceptive dog, often it’s enough to simply intensify your expression (raising your eyebrows or tightening your mouth).

- Wait for 30 seconds (which will feel like an eternity!).

- If there’s no response after 30 seconds, you can resort to a physical enforcement of your request.

The Humane Physical Enforcement

Some owners drag their dogs off by the collar, which is effective in the short-term (provided your dog is of a size that you can physically handle). However, it’s not recommended - simply because, as a technique, it allows your dog to demonstrate his refusal to obey you. He can still dig in his paws and strain against your opposing force, which is both downright disrespectful and counteractive to all the alpha-dominant behavioral training in the world.

It’s much more effective to think smart: make him get off under his own steam, simply by making the couch (or chair, or bed) uncomfortable for him. To do this, slide your hand, palm-down, under his rear. Slowly slide your arm forwards, using it as a lever to gently and slowly pry him off the couch. It raises his bottom in the air by degrees, which is increasingly uncomfortable for him – enough to make him leap off the couch of his own volition.

This is both more effective, and physically a lot less demanding, than dragging a reluctant dog off by his collar: by making him want to get off when you ask him to, you’re strongly enforcing your obedience requirements, which is great for your role as an authority figure.

Further Reading

For more information on canine psychology and behavioral problems, check out Secrets to Dog Training. It’s an absolute goldmine of valuable information and advice for the responsible dog-owner, and covers just about every topic you could ever need to raise a happy, healthy, well-adjusted dog – everything from obedience work to correcting problematic behaviors to dog-whispering to teaching ‘tricks’ is covered in full detail. You can check out Secrets to Dog Training by clicking on the link below:

Tips To Make Bad Fido A Good Fido

A common pet among many people are dogs. Dogs make great household companions, as they are very lovable and playful. Dogs can be a great pet for anyone if they are trained properly. Use the advice in the following article if you need help training your dog.

Taking a dog on a daily walk, or even two, is an essential part of obedience training. a dog without exercise is not a calm dog, and it's very hard to train a dog in an excited state. It is best to take them out before any rigorous training exercise so that they are tired and in a submissive state when you begin to teach them.

Give your dog a clear verbal cue that means "yes" to aid in training. Certain words like "yes" are great for bridging the time between obeying an order and receiving the reward.

If your dog barks and growls at strangers in your home, do this: leash your dog, make him sit, wait until his attention is on you, and hand the leash, in full view of the dog, to your guest. Then wait until the dog is calm again, with the guest giving commands as needed. This teaches the dog that your guest ranks above him in "the pack" and he must accept them. When the dog starts to react again, repeat the exercise.

If your dog is not listening while you are doing dog training, make sure that the dog is not ill. There will be no benefits to punishing your animal if it is not feeling well, and it can have very detrimental effects afterwards. If you are unable to decide if the dog is sick then contact a veterinarian for assistance.

Always be sure to have a reward or tasty morsel for your dog when he follows a command or learns something new. You want to teach your pooch that good behavior is beneficial. This is a great way to make certain the dog grasps what is right and what is wrong.

When getting a new dog it is important to create a bond between the owner and the dog. One of the best ways to build this bond is by taking the dog on long walks at least two or three times a week. This activity creates a link between owner and pet and will also provide valuable training time.

Don't give a puppy too much information and training at once, or you'll wear him out. Puppies do not have a very long attention span and limited energy, keep it brief and positive. A training session that wears your puppy out is going to turn into an unpleasant memory, making him less likely to respond well to subsequent sessions, and more inclined to ignore what you are trying to teach him.

When you are walking your dog, be aware of and pay attention to other dogs in the vicinity. There are irresponsible dog owners and dogs who feel they need to be in charge to make up for this. This is a bad combination. If you see a dog that seems to be unsociable or defensive, you must avoid it.

A great dog training tip is to let your dog know when they're doing something right. It's very easy to yell at your dog and tell them no when they're misbehaving. It's important to let your dog know when they're doing what you want because that reinforces good behavior

One trick to remember when training your pet is that the things that you do will surely mold its behavior throughout its life. This is especially important when it comes to playtime. Do your best to lead your dog in a positive direction.

A good tip is to get a breed of dog that matches your lifestyle. If you have kids, you'll want a breed that's good with kids. Chihuahuas have become really popular over the years and many families have started buying them. They aren't great with kids however, and a lot of them are being left in shelters.

When you travel with a dog, you need to anticipate all of its needs to help it avoid unwanted behaviors or accidents. Don't forget essentials like food and water, and bathroom items. Do not fret about food for your dog, you can buy it wherever you are.

Walking should be a time for you to work on your relationship with your dog. Your dog shouldn't totally ignore you in lieu of squirrels, trees and other interesting things. Instead, keep him occupied with commands and rewards for great work. This will encourage heeling and attentiveness in your dog.

In conclusion, dogs are a common pet for people. Dogs are playful, lovable, and make great companions. When properly trained, dogs are good pets for anyone. If you remember the advice from this article, then your dog will be properly trained and a lovable companion for you.

How To Stop Puppy From Biting You

 Fear Biting

A fear-bite is a bite that occurs out of sheer panic. It’s not to be confused with dominance-aggression, which is a sign of deep-set personality problems; a fear-biter isn’t necessarily a ‘fierce’ dog. He’s just scared.

Why does fear-biting happen?

A fear-biter bites because it’s his only way of expressing his extreme fear or panic, and his only way of telling his owner that he can’t handle the situation. Almost all cases of fear-biting are actually caused by well-meaning, but ill-advised, humans: they see what’s clearly a scared dog, and – intending to either comfort the dog or to show him that there’s ‘nothing to be afraid of’ – they approach too close, and push an already-anxious dog over the edge.

Dogs can’t ask us to please leave them alone. They can’t tell us that something’s bothering them, or that they need some space: all they can do is sign the message to us through their body-language. It’s easy to tell when a dog’s feeling scared or panicky once you know what to look for. Fear-biting never just happens ‘out of the blue’: it only occurs when people ignore the signs.

Fear-biting: the warning signs

Fear-biters are submissive dogs. When faced with a new situation or unfamiliar people, they do not react with the customary effortless confidence of a well-socialized, well-adjusted dog: instead, they become nervy and on edge. A scared dog, when faced with the unfamiliar, will assume a distinctively submissive posture, and will display several marked behaviors. The more common of these are listed below.

Posture
- Tail tucked (or, if docked, the back legs will crouch down and the haunches will ‘tuck’) - Hunched, lowered back
- Ears flat against the head
- Elbows bent in a slight crouch

Behaviors
- Excessive panting (hyperventilating)
- Yawning (an attempt to reduce tension)
- Avoidance of eye contact
- In extreme cases, a dog may also urinate or defecate out of fear

What makes some dogs into fear-biters?

All dogs undergo what’s called a fear-imprint stage when they’re about eight weeks old, and another one at about fourteen weeks. During this period of a dog’s formative puppyhood, he’s significantly more prone to ‘spookiness’: being excessively startled by new experiences and situations.

If a dog has a scare during this time which isn’t properly dealt with by the owner (ie, after receiving a scare, he isn’t then taught not to be frightened of that thing), he may develop a life-long phobia towards that object. For example, if he’s been frightened by a repairman arriving at the door unexpectedly, and isn’t then acclimatized to that person, he may develop a long-standing phobia of men who resemble that repairman (men with beards, men in overalls, men holding toolboxes, etc).

Some dogs are also just highly-strung and more prone to anxiety because of their breeding. Certain breeds – typically, the more intelligent ones, and the ones emotionally dependent on close, regular interaction with humans – have proven themselves more likely to develop phobias and excessive shyness than other, more emotionally stable breeds. A few of these ‘anxious’ breeds include Weimaraners, Great Danes, and Border Collies.

A history of trauma or abuse is another major cause of fear-biting: many abandoned or abused dogs develop anxiety problems, which, without proper treatment, may progress into fear-biting.

The difference between shyness and fear-biting

It’s quite natural for some dogs to exhibit signs of shyness towards unfamiliar situations. It doesn’t mean that that dog is a ‘difficult dog’, or that he will grow up to be a fear-biter – some shyness is to be expected in almost all dogs at one point or another. Shyness only becomes a problem when it begins to interfere with the course of daily life: when a dog can no longer be trusted around strangers, for example, or if his behavior is endangering his own safety (scared dogs often bolt, sometimes across busy roads), or when your own life becomes significantly restricted by your dog’s fear.

How to cope with fear-biting

First of all, make sure your own attitude to the problem is realistic. While the behavior of a fearful dog can often be significantly ameliorated by careful training and acclimatization, on other occasions – and sometimes, despite your best efforts – a dog will remain fearful to the end of his days. You cannot force your dog to overcome his fear. Treatment requires patience, persistence, and consistency: rough treatment (anger, frustration, shouting, a take-no-prisoners approach) usually worsens the problem, because it increases the dog’s anxiety levels instead of decreasing them.

You cannot train a scared dog not to bite: he’s responding to a powerful blend of instinct and sheer panic. No training in the world can counteract these two things – as motivators, they’re just too strong. What you can do is, firstly, build up your dog’s confidence, to reduce his overall anxiety and tension levels; and, secondly, pay close attention the cause of his fear, and work to desensitize him to it.

Building up his confidence

Obedience training is a great vehicle for doling out praise and rewards: simply dispensing treats at random won’t do any good, since the issue here is drawing attention to achievement and good behavior (your dog can tell the difference between an earned and an un-earned reward!).

Start small, with basic obedience classes, and practice the commands for five to ten minutes every day. Remember to set him up for success: start off with the easy commands, and make sure he’s thoroughly comfortable with them before progressing to the next level. Always treat and praise liberally for good behavior.

Desensitizing him to the fear-object

Desensitizing your dog is all about slowly accustoming him to whatever it is that’s eliciting the fear response, at a pace that’s comfortable for him. The emphasis is on maintaining comfort levels: your aim here is to keep your dog happy and serene (as much as possible), so that he learns through direct experience that the cause of the fear isn’t actually scary after all.

So if he’s afraid of, say, the vacuum cleaner, start integrating it into daily life. Remember to move slowly and not to push him too far, too fast: start by simply leaving it out in a prominent position, where he’ll have lots of incidental contact with it (for example, in the middle of the lounge carpet). Allow him plenty of opportunity to sniff it and walk around it, Play with him near it; feed him near it. Integrate the object or the situation (whether it’s the garbage truck, strangers approaching the door, small children, driving in the car) into normal, everyday life as much as possible.

Counterconditioning

Once he’s become desensitized enough to the fear-object that he’s reasonably calm around it (so, he might be exhibiting signs of fear, but isn’t panic-stricken to the point of wetting himself or hiding), you can start counterconditioning: teaching him to associate good things with the fear-object. You can do this by dispensing treats liberally, and doling out lavish praise for any improvements in his fear-levels.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do:
- Cue your dog. He takes his emotional and psychological cues from you, so make sure you’re a good role model.
- Adopt a straightforward, no-nonsense attitude, and stick to it.
- When he’s frightened, talk to him in a relaxed, don’t-be-silly manner, keeping your tone matter of fact and direct.
- Socialize him frequently and thoroughly. Even though the most critical socialization period is from eight to sixteen weeks, it should still be an ongoing process throughout your dog’s life. The more opportunity he has to accustom himself to the ways of the world, the easier it will be for him to see that, really, there’s not much to be scared of.
- Be patient and move slowly. Don’t try to rush your dog, or force him to confront objects, people, or situations that he’s scared of – you’re trying to countercondition his learned fear-reflex, and you’re not going to do that by teaching him to associate feelings of anxiety with the fear-object.
- Pay attention to his body language at all times. Some whining and trembling are OK, but if he’s wetting himself, hyperventilating, and showing the whites of his eyes, he probably needs some space.
- Even though a fear-bite isn’t inflicted out of a direct desire to cause harm, it’s still a bite, so give him what he needs!

Don’t:
- Crowd him. Scared dogs need space, more than anything else – you won’t make things easier for him by entering his ‘personal bubble’. If he’s really scared, back off, and wait for him to approach you.
- If he’s hiding, or strenuously resisting your direction, pay attention to what he’s trying to tell you: that he’s not comfortable enough to proceed yet. Forcing him outside his comfort zone is when bites happen.
- Don’t coddle him or reward his fearful behavior with special attention. It’s great to praise, pet, and cuddle him for good behavior, increased calmness, and being brave enough to approach/sniff/explore the object of fear – it’s not good to reward him for fearful behavior.

Save the special attention for when he deserves it: remember to reward the behavior you wish to see repeated; ignore the behavior you don’t.

For further information

For more information on problem behavior in dogs, check out Secrets to Dog Training. It’s a comprehensive training manual for dog-owners, and covers just about everything you could ever want to know about raising a happy, healthy, well-adjusted dog: from canine psychology to dog whispering to preventing and handling problem behaviors to obedience training, Secrets to Dog Training has it all covered. You can visit the Secrets to Dog Training website by clicking on the link below:

How Do You Stop A Puppy From Biting

You Need To Potty Train Your Dog

Whether Fido is tearing up the furniture or Fifi insists on doing her business in your favorite shoes, you are no doubt at your wit's end. Although taming your pet's wild behavior may seem like an overwhelming, impossible task at times, this article is loaded with great tips to help you get your pooch under control.

When you are training your new dog or puppy that will be living indoors a good thing to do is the crate training. The dogs first impressions of the crate are the most important. Try putting some dog treats around the crate and leading into it so that they can walk around and inside the crate. Make sure that you are positive and upbeat so that they know it's a good thing.

It is important to take a leadership role while training your dog. This does not mean that you need to try and force your animal to bend to your will. Acting as a teacher and showing him what you want him to do by rewarding his actions will help your dog succeed.

You don't want to make your training sessions go on for too long. In the beginning try not to go over fifteen minutes. Even for dogs who are accustomed to training, you don't want to go over about twenty minutes for basic training. If you notice your dog starting to lose interest, stop the session for the day. If you try and push it. you'll get to get irritated and things will go down hill. It's better to quite while you're ahead.

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!"

Consider moving your voice up or down in a specific manner associated with individual commands, to help your dog remember them better. Dogs are fantastic at understanding pitch differences, even more than understanding the sounds of the words. So if you alter your voice slightly when you say a certain command, the dog will be more likely to remember what to do.

Make sure you are feeding your dog high-quality food. Behavior problems are often caused by a poor diet. High-quality dog food has human-grade ingredients and an expiration date. Making sure your dog eats plenty of protein and avoid giving him "junk" food from the table. A well-fed dog is a happy, obedient dog.

If your dog suffers from separation anxiety and gets restless when you are about to leave the house, you should feed your dog right before you leave. This will keep your dog busy while you prepare and distract it from the stressful situation. This should make the separation much easier.

If your dog's barking is driving you nuts, you might try acclimating the animal to whatever stimuli is causing the undesirable excitement. It can be a sound, or being face to face with other people or other animals. Your dog should realize barking in such situations is needless.

It is important that you teach your dog proper behaviors from day one. Trying to change bad behaviors after the fact is far more difficult than teaching them the good ones right away. If an owner feels strongly that their pet should not beg for food off the table, it is important that he or she refrains from giving it to the dog in the first place.

A good dog training tip is to start training your dog while it's young. Younger dogs are more impressionable, and far more responsive to training than older dogs. Older dogs tend to be stubborn because they already have experience and behaviors that they've become used to for a while.

A good dog training tip is to hire a pet sitter to watch your dogs when you're going on vacation, instead of leaving them in a kennel. Kennels are a terrible place to leave your dog when you're away. In kennels, animals are often neglected and it's not uncommon for them to become ill.

Teach your puppy the "Leave it!" command. This command is very important in day-to-day situations. Use it if your dog tries to grab food off a table or eat rabbit poop when you are out for a walk. To get the dog to follow your command, hold a treat in your hand (have one in the other hand, also). Hold your hand open, and when he goes for the treat, close your hand as you say the command "Leave it!" Then offer him the other treat, and discard the one you told him to leave. Repeat this step a few times, and he will learn to "Leave it!" when you tell him to.

Now that you are armed with the know how, it is time to take what you have learned and use it to get your naughty pup on the road to being a pet you can be proud of. The good news is, even the most frustrating of pups can be trained with a little gentle guidance and a good dose of tough love.

Useful Training Techniques For A Well-Behaved Dog

Training a dog may be one of the most rewarding experiences a pet owner can have. To see their dog sit, stay, and roll over on command is a thing of wonder. However, this sort of obedience and training doesn't happen overnight. Here are some tips to help you get your dog doing tricks.

As with anything, reinforce the good behaviors from your dog. Make sure that you have treats handy, or just use lots of praise for actions that are good. This will teach your dog to try and get a treat, or your praise and reinforce to them that what they just did was something you want them to keep doing.

Verbal cues are very important to make sure that your dog is under your command. The word "yes" may serve as a good gap-filler in between the dog's good behavior and the giving of the reward.

Most dogs respond better to positive reinforcement rather than negative punishment. If you're trying to train your dog, reward him for good behavior and only scold him if absolutely necessary. Your dog will remember the reward for good behavior more distinctly than the punishment for bad behavior, making rewarding more effective.

The best way to prevent your dog from barking excessively, is to make him more comfortable with whatever it is he barks at so frequently. Dogs bark at anything that scares of threatens them, so if you show your dog that the object of their fear is nothing to be afraid of, he'll stop barking.

You should make sure to eat your own meal first before feeding your dog. This shows your dog that you are leader of the pack and helps establish your dominance. Your dog will be much more likely to follow your other commands if he or she knows that you are the boss because you eat first.

To train a dog how to act around people and guests in your home, it is crucial that the dog is socialized with other people. This contact with people, especially people who are new to your dog, will allow you to train the dog on how he should react. This is very useful to the training process.

When you train your dog it is important to reinforce every example of behavior you want to encourage. Whenever your pet behaves according to your wishes it should be rewarded. This will prevent your dog from becoming confused and establish positive reinforcement associations. Behavior that is rewarded is behavior that will be repeated and eventually become habitual.

It is vital that the dog's leash remain loose when you are trying to train it to walk on a leash. This gives your dog the option to explore and walk around freely. Their eagerness will cause the leash to be strained. Some owners do not encourage this behavior and instead, allow some slack on the leash.

By being consistent in toilet training, you dog will learn to wait until he is outside to relieve himself. If you are home, spend time everyday with your puppy, and take him out every hour or so. When the dog eliminates outside, offer it praise. Do not scold the dog if he relieves himself inside the house. He is not yet aware that this is wrong and he is going to learn if you just yell at him. Instead, give the pet every chance to succeed by taking it outside as soon as you remove it from the crate and roughly 15 minutes after it eats or drinks.

Dogs can be spoiled just like children. While rewards are definitely necessary to keep your dog on the right path, too many rewards can lead your dog to expect them! Your dog should be treated for challenging tasks, or performing tasks he knows under exceptional circumstances. Making him work for his grub encourages him to stay on his toes.

When training your dog, avoid overlong training sessions by training your dog in several smaller sessions spaced throughout the day. By scattering your training at different times throughout the day your dog will learn to listen to you whenever and wherever you are.

Listen to professional advice. If you adopt a dog from a shelter or a rescue organization, listen to their advice. More often than not, they will have spent a lot of time with the dog, and will know the best method to train him. Some shelter dogs are very skittish, and require extra care when trying to train them, especially if they have been previously mistreated.

By way of conclusion, the rewarding feeling of teaching a dog to obey your commands is blissful. To watch them do what you say can bring a smile to your face. If you practice, and have the right advice, it actually can be rather simple to train them. This article offered plenty of advice to help.

Train Your Pooch By Following This Advice.

A cute puppy can melt anyone's heart. If you've started considering getting one, congratulations! A well trained dog is crucial for having a successful relationship. When your pet knows what is expected and behaves as such, it is much easier for you to accept him and show your love. The following article offers several tips to help you effectively train your dog.

There are many different approaches that can be used to crate train a new puppy. If your puppy seems reluctant about entering the crate, place a chew toy inside and close the door to the kennel. Your dog will get excited at the prospect of the treat and soon be eager to enter the crate. Once they go in the crate, praise them so that they know they did well.

Ask yourself how your dog is seeing things. You need to exercise patience with your pet, even if you think he should be learning at a faster rate. Understand your dogs position, to reduce any tension that you may have towards them. Imagining things as they see things may give you a different perspective in training them.

Sometimes it may be necessary to physically establish yourself as the Alpha in the pack. If your animal is being aggressive to another animal or a person, hold them by the scruff of the neck and put them in a prone position on the ground firmly, not violently. This lets your dog know you are in charge and exhibits behavior they would expect from another dog.

If you cannot calmly work with your pet, it is best to put training aside until you have composed your mood. Your dog does not understand bad moods. Confusion can set in with your dog if you become frustrated in trying to work on basics. Patience and kindness are key factors in a dominant leader.

Young dogs can easily be trained to retreat to their crate when they are tired. When crate training your dog, always keep the crate in the vicinity of where you and the dog are interacting. When he tires from play he will naturally gravitate towards the crate because to do so doesn't isolate him from you.

When you are working on commands with your dog, work only on one command at a time, and only say the command one time. Do not say the command word more than once. Your goal is for your dog to obey the command immediately. You don't want to have to say the same thing over and over.

To keep your dog from barking while you aren't home, you need to make him think you can appear at any moment. This will take some time on your part. Pretend to leave the house, but stay outside until the barking starts. Then open the door and deliver a stern "No!" This will make your dog think you are all-seeing and all-hearing. A few sessions of this technique, and you'll train your dog to keep it quiet.

Producing good dog training involves patience, encouragement and a good reward system. What you need to do is establish a quality reward system for when they are doing the right things. Supplementing positive behavior with treats is a great way to start, and after some time you can train them with a different reward system such as compliments and affection. The main thing to focus on is encouraging them to do the right thing.

Encourage your dog's cooperation in training by rewarding good behavior. Dogs respond to a calm, confident leader who earns respect. When your dog responds to commands make sure you reward him with play or food, and make sure you reward easy commands as well as harder ones to build his confidence.

Make sure you are feeding your dog high-quality food. Behavior problems are often caused by a poor diet. High-quality dog food has human-grade ingredients and an expiration date. Making sure your dog eats plenty of protein and avoid giving him "junk" food from the table. A well-fed dog is a happy, obedient dog.

To teach your dog to go outside, you should keep a very close supervision on it for a few weeks. Every couple of hours, take your dog outside to the area that you would like to see it use. Wait until your dog is done, and reward it. If your dog does not go, take it back inside the house and try again later.

You should have discovered some dog training techniques here that you might not have known about. Use the information that is right for you. As time progresses, you will develop a love for your faithful friend. Training is an important part of your dog's life. The importance of having a trained dog simply cannot be overstated. Best of luck to your and your beloved dog -- or dogs.

How to Handle Dog with Serious Food Guarding Issues

 Food-Guarding Issues

How to Handle Dog with Serious Food Guarding Issues - If you've never seen a dog with serious food-guarding issues, it's difficult to appreciate the potential severity of the problem.

Food-guarding issues are not necessarily a reflection on the personality or training level of the dog: it's an instinctive thing, and although dogs with a general aggression problem are naturally more prone to demonstrating the condition, it's also exhibited by otherwise-sweet, well-behaved, well-adjusted family dogs. Like an evil djinn, the problem can rear its ugly head only when food (or the food bowl) is present: a real case of Jekyll and Hyde.

A dog with serious food-guarding issues can be a real danger to anyone who should approach her during a meal: it's not a scenario in which you can expect to train your dog to "play nice". Instinct is what's compelling her to act in this undesirable, and even dangerous, way - you need to take steps to turn the behavior around before your relationship with your dog suffers or somebody gets hurt.

There are different degrees of food guarding. In the mildest case, a dog will merely tense up a little or freeze if somebody approaches her while she's trying to eat. She may even continue eating, but her posture will be rigid and stiff: she'll clearly be uncomfortable.

Signs that the problem is more severe would include a marked increase in eating speed, a direct, hard stare right at you (often accompanied by a still, tense, "watching" posture), a lifted lip, a snarl, a snap, and finally a real bite.

NOTE: A dog exhibiting any of these last three symptoms has a pretty severe case of food-guarding aggression, and may be prepared to inflict actual harm. If this is the case with your dog, hiring a hands-on trainer may be the best answer for you: it'll ensure your safety, and they'll be able to examine your overall relationship with your dog and see if there are other areas contributing to the problem.

A food-guarding dog is a pretty confused one. In her mind, she's got your role mixed up. She fails to recognize that you are the dispenser of food (which should accord you automatic alpha-dog status, ensuring your immunity from any kind of aggression or dominance), and instead is viewing you as a threat: a blackguard who might be going to take away her precious food. Hence, the possessiveness.

The degree of aggression that a food-guarding dog is capable of might be hard to understand, until you consider the fact that food is one of the greatest pleasures of your dog's life. Dogs are scavengers by nature: they're programmed to eat just about anything they can get their jaws around. As well as the instinctiveness of this gluttony, most dogs also simply enjoy the tactile and gustatory sensations that come with a good meal (or an indifferent one .. and sometimes even a bad one). They just … like to eat.

And it's this overwhelming importance that's placed on food that gets some dogs a bit mixed up: their grasp of the situation gets a bit thrown off, and they begin to wonder, miser-like, who might happen upon them and take away their cherished food. The obvious conclusion: you. Or anyone else who comes along at meal-time.

To cure her of this frustrating and antisocial habit, you need to remind her that you're actually the purveyor of that which she holds so dear: to make it clear to her that you're the one in charge of the kitchen, and of all the delightful morsels contained therein. Dogs can develop food-guarding instincts at any point in their lives: some will have had the problem since puppyhood, but for others the tendency lies dormant until it's awakened by an item of particular juiciness.

For most dogs, the deciding factor is meat, in some shape or form - whether it's a marrowbone, a mutton hock, or cast-off scraps from the dinner table. Meat to dogs is like money to humans: it can change them, make them do things they otherwise wouldn't do. So it's not entirely surprising that the intrinsic value of meat-related foodstuffs can give our dogs a new, unpleasantly skewed perspective on the sanctity of the food-bowl.

Because of the possibility of food-guarding becoming an issue in your dog's behavior at any point in her life, prevention is obviously the ideal path to take: whether you get your dog from puppyhood or adopt her as an adult from a shelter, you should make a point of approaching her during mealtime.

Have you ever heard a friend with dogs ask you to "leave her alone when she's eating"? This is a short-term solution at most: it'll prevent anything untoward from happening, provided that all the humans play by the rules and ensure that they don't disturb the dog - but the dog is still the one calling all the shots.

And what will happen if the unexpected occurs? What if a toddler charges full-tilt towards the dog and makes a playful grab for her bowl?

In a wolf-pack, the alpha dog is never disturbed when he or she is eating. Not only does she get to eat first, and eat the lion's share of everything; but he or she also eats undisturbed. This is why a dog that's permitted to eat in solitary splendor can actually become more food-aggressive, not less; without anyone to take her down a notch, she begins to assume more authority than she actually has.

To prevent your dog from getting an overinflated sense of her own importance, make sure you disturb her plenty while she's eating. Don't make a point of tiptoeing around whenever the food bowl's out; it'll just accustom her to solitude and silence when she eats (which are things that only the alpha wolf or dog is entitled to).

At the other end of the spectrum, don't make these disturbances a negative experience for her either, or else you may actually create a problem where none previously existed. All you have to do is approach her from time to time while she eats - starting from the very day you bring her into your home - and add something tasty (and small!) to her dish while she's eating, to make the connection in her head that 'humans approaching food bowl = good news'. A spoonful of scrambled egg, a piece of liver treat, a few chunks of cheese - anything that she'll enjoy, and that has a greater "food value" than the kibble she's eating, will work perfectly.

Of course, if it's too late for preventatives and your dog already has a problem, you'll need to adopt a very different approach. Here's what to do:

- The dog bowl is going to be put away for the next seven to ten days. Over this time, you're going to be feeding your dog by hand - one small handful at a time. Yes, I know this is going to be time-consuming, but the alternative is even worse: a dangerous dog that can't be trusted around food. So feed her by hand for the next week or so. Be sure not to encourage any greedy snapping or grabbing for the food: only allow her to take the food from your hand when she does so gently. Remind her that bite inhibition is necessary to get what she wants!

- Once at least a week has passed and she's eating politely from your hand, you can reintroduce the food bowl, with one slight modification: it has to be empty. And it stays empty until you pass by and drop a small handful of kibble into it for her to eat. When that's been polished off, wait at least a full minute before adding another, small, handful of kibble. Keep doing this until the entire meal's been consumed - this is a very effective way of teaching your dog to actively long for your presence near her food bowl!

- When she's graduated to the next stage, you can start setting down a half-empty food bowl for her. Don't let her lunge at the bowl and start gobbling: holding the bowl out of reach (or placing it on a handy counter), make her sit and wait before you allow her to eat. Don't put the bowl down until she complies. Sit or crouch beside the bowl and continue to add small handfuls of kibble, just as you did in step two, until a full meal's been eaten.

- The fourth, and final, step is to allow her access to a full food bowl. Again, it's very important that you do not allow her to call the shots: she must sit and wait until you release her with an "OK!" before she's permitted to eat.

To keep the message clear in your head that you are in charge of the food in this house, practice calling her away from her food a few times a week and rewarding her with a super-tasty treat for her exemplary obedience while she's trying to eat.

If at any time your dog's behavior gets shaky on any of these four steps, backslide until you've reached the stage at which she is 100% reliable. Wait at this stage for at least two or three more days before attempting to progress once more. As with any training, it's essential that a solid foundation is built before moving on to the next level - she must be completely comfortable with each step before trying a new one.

Further Reading

For detailed, in-depth information on canine behavioral problems (both preventing and dealing with them) take a look at Secrets to Dog Training. It's the complete handbook for responsible dog owners, and is packed with valuable advice and step-by-step how-to's for dog training. You can visit Secrets to Dog Training by clicking on the link below: