Training and playing are very important pieces in the human/dog relationship. They establish trust and build a strong bond between the person and dog. We ask every dog owner we visit what commands they give and what kinds of games they are playing. Here is a list of common responses:

Commands:

Sit – rear on the ground long enough to get a treat.

Off – dog growls at you when you go to sit on the sofa

Stay-Away – Dog barking at UPS or postal worker.

Stay – your dog growls or bites if you or a guest moves

Leave it- Dog growls or snaps at you when you reach for something he has.

Heel – Often taught to visitors when they come in or go to leave your house

Look- Dog stops suddenly on walk to focus on something

Come – Dog barks at something until you arrive

Games:

Follow The Leader – your dog drags you down the street

Hi There! – Your dog jumps on everyone that walks in the door

Look Who’s There! – Dog barks at doorbell and runs to greet your guest and you follow because he can’t work the doorknob

Keep Away – You trying to keep the steak on the kitchen counter and out of your dog’s mouth.

Guess the Squish – Puddles or piles found late at night

What’s That Smell? – Hidden puddles or piles

Hide and Seek – Your dog grabs your favorite shoe and hides it for you

Chase – Similar to Hide and Seek but he taunts you with it in his mouth

Tug – Dog has your favorite shoe and you want it back but he won’t let it go

Wanna Play – Dog brings you a toy from his stash

Outside – Dog lets you know he needs to go outside. Followed by Guess the Squish or What’s That Smell

Mine- Dog growling when you get too close a toy or his food

Fetch – Dog barking at pantry where treats are stored

Open the Door – Dog barks or scratches at door to be let in

Okay, those were all written very tongue-in-cheek but how many did you recognize? Those are all real examples of how people interact with their dogs. In these instances, the dog is in control of the situation. He initiates contact, rewards behavior and gives the owners boundaries that they can or cannot cross. And, although, we can agree some of the “games” are not fun in the human world, they happen every day because dogs think differently than we do.

Dogs have a different view of the world than humans. First and foremost, your dog is a pack animal. They have inherited drives and one of those is the need for leadership. He is born with the desire to listen, interact and look to you for leadership and it is your responsibility, as a good dog owner, to give him leadership. The moment you took him into your home, you started shaping his behavior. They are “shaped” by the reinforcement we give them.

How are you shaping your dog’s behavior? Let’s look at “reinforcement”. It is an action, whether negative or positive, that strengthens a response to a stimulus. When training, we use a negative reinforcement to eliminate unwanted behavior and a positive reinforcement to get the dog to recreate a behavior. We see the positive reinforcement everywhere because it has taken over the dog training world with clickers and treats but it doesn’t end there. We send mixed signals to our dogs with some of the games we play. It’s natural, we don’t mean to reinforce bad behavior with a positive but we love our dogs and want them to love us back.

Leadership is very important for to build a strong bond with our dogs. It instinctively gives them the structure they need. The leader controls everything in the dog world. In order to shape them into the well-behaved best friend we desire, we have to be aware of what we are reinforcing and how we are doing it. If you’re at a loss, call a professional trainer to get help with any of these behaviors that might be causing you trouble.

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we think that dogs adapt to our family because of what we see on television, but that is not reality. Dogs do similar behaviors for different reasons.

Dogs are born with natural instincts of self-preservation, chasing, biting, being territorial or protective, and a need to be part of a social group. From the Chihuahua puppy you picked out at the breeders to the older Great Dane you rescued, all have specific needs and drives. Depending on the breed of dog, some of these needs may be more intense. They communicate with their body and mouth. All dogs have teeth and are born knowing how to use them. Puppies use their teeth often with their brothers and sisters (litter mates) to let them know if they are playing too hard or have something they don’t want taken away. Dogs lick to show submission, to groom, or to get another dog to regurgitate their food. Dogs hug each other to show who’s more dominant, wrestle to show who’s bigger and stronger, and chase to hone hunting skills. Dogs communicate differently than we do.

We, as humans, are very physical, too. Children are taught to hug and kiss to show affection. They wrestle to play, squeal to show excitement and run to release all the energy pent up in those tiny bodies. When a child runs, it activates a dog’s need to chase and bite.. Children want to hug or kiss on their dogs to show affection and don’t realize they may be making their dog uncomfortable. When children are too rough and hurt us, we stop them and tell them why. Dogs lack the verbal skills to explain and reason with a child. Therefore, teaching both dog and child how to interact accordingly is important! Owning a “safe” dog is more about how the dog is raised (nurtured) and “trained” than the breed.

Dogs and children are not natural buddies. Dogs and puppies view children in their household as lesser pack mates. Children motivate a dog or puppy to bite or nip them by wrestling, squealing, or playing mouthy games. Children do not understand the old adage, “Let sleeping dogs lie.” Children don’t understand a dog’s need for personal space and are unable to pick up on the subtle cues that the dog is uncomfortable. Dogs are just being dogs and reacting the only way they know how. The owner of the dog has the responsibility to keep both children and the dog safe.

Biting statistics are scary! Did you know that most bites that are reported are children 14 years and under. The majority of those children are between the ages of 5 to 9 years, with boys being bitten most often. The scariest statistic is that it’s not the neighbor’s dog biting these children, it’s their household pet.

Training is the answer to making your dog safe around your family and friends? It takes time, effort and money to be a good dog owner. Having a dog is a responsibility and a privilege. Once again, dogs and children have their similarities, having either is a privilege but both are a responsibility. Depending on the breed of dog, that privilege/responsibility could last from 8-20 years. Dogs need time with their pack/family. They are born with a need to be part of a family unit. Your dog wants nothing more than to spend time with you. Spending quality time with your dog.

Money is the daily expense of dog ownership. A lot goes into owning a dog, much more than just buying food. There are usually additional vet bills, remodeling bills, or even lawyer fees, added if you decide to skip the training step…

Effort is a little trickier. Webster’s definition of effort is “a vigorous or determined attempt”. Dogs want a leader to set rules for them to follow. Dogs do not think like we do. They are reactionary animals. We take away and change their sense of security and balance when we are always change the “rules” by not being consistent. Training is a very important part of the positive interactions between your family and your dog. Simply engaging in training starts your family and new puppy or dog on the right road to co-existing happily, this begins to help establish rules and boundaries putting you in a leadership position for your dog.

Children and dogs are similar in so many ways. They both need and want discipline. They both require constant supervision. Both need to learn how to properly interact with each so that everyone can live happily ever after.

Talk Dog Training and Coaching is a professional people and dog training service. We specialize at In-Home training. Coming into your home, getting the whole family involved to address all behavioral issues in the dogs’ enviroment. We give you the tools and knowledge to have a well behaved friend for life.

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Training a pet can be a difficult feat to achieve for various people, whether it’s due to lack of time or patience, or simply because previously attempted efforts didn’t work out. Regardless of the situation, a lot of people wind up giving up or paying someone else to do it for them, potentially missing out on a great opportunity to bond with their dog. However, there are a few easy dog training tips that you can find online and which may help to avoid breaking your bank and your patience.

Sometimes, easy dog training methods aren’t always about what saves the most times or has the clearest-cut path in order to obtain results, and it’s important to remember that not every method will be something that works on each and every dog. In some cases, it’s necessary to do your research and to try different things in order to get on the right track.

It’s important to understand that any dog or any person can struggle with certain training methods. This is more so with cases that are ongoing and problematic regarding your pet, and could require new methods or approaches. Fortunately, there are numerous and easy dog training approaches that you can find, which may be able to offer a solution.

One of the hardest things for people to teach, it seems, is house training, especially for newer dogs or even older ones who are new to be inside of the home. While accidents are bound to happen, especially with a brand new puppy, you can help to eliminate much of the hassle and the frustration by trying various methods, should the ones you’ve already attempted not be working.

Other common issues when regarding training, and that you can often find information on how to handle, may include behavioral, kennel and leashing training. While some of these are fairly common and easy to take on, behavioral training can sometimes be hard to pinpoint, much less remedy. However, you may be able to find out tips and information for specific behavior issues in order how to understand them and your pet, so that you know what to do next.

Easy dog training is more than likely to come about if you’re feeling at ease with the methods that you choose to will, since your dog will also feel more comfortable and that the training itself is more positive. Therefore, it’s a key factor to make sure that you stay patient, yet to also play around with different approaches until you find the right one, providing you give a reasonable amount of time for certain methods to work correctly and to sink in.

While there may be a number of easy dog training ideas and sources for information online, it’s still important to make sure that your research as much as possible. This will help to ensure that you’re finding something that will work the best for your dog and for yourself, helping you both to stay on top of things consistently and, hopefully, will help to provide more success.

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Copyright © 2011 Kat Drew

There are several important issues to think about when you want to teach your dog tricks. Things like the amount of time you should spend on the tricks and what you should actually do when you want to teach the actual trick you are planning on.

As a rule I say to make sure to teach your dog the action of the trick first. Then you can attach the command word to the trick. This is the same rule for any obedience training.

If your dog seems very uncomfortable with a trick, and does not seem to understand what you want or does not seem able to do as you want, after you have been working on it for a few days, then maybe skip this trick for now and move on. Think about how you are teaching this particular trick. Think about why the dog is not understanding it. Nevertheless, jumping back and forth from trick to trick is not a good idea. Although occasionally a dog just has trouble with one set of movements.

Do not try and train your dog on a trick that might interfere with a specific health problem. If your dog has back problems, then a trick such as rolling over might be too difficult. Do not force tricks on him. Test him and respect his limitations. If he thinks he is not living up to your expectations he will not enjoy the training either. Having success if makes training more fun for the dog as it does for you lol.

Make sure that your training sessions are done without outside distractions and do not work on a trick for too long. Praise and reward your dog for performing what you asked of him. DO NOT punish him for not doing the trick correctly. Just keep working on it. Always remember that tricks are enjoyment for the two of you. The journey is not a race to hurry up and learn each new dog trick. This is a journey of enjoyment and learning together. Some dogs are cleverer than others and some learn some tricks very quickly. Sometimes your dog will learn a trick after just one session. However, do not rush into the next trick and teach him three on the same day. Stick to this same trick for a few days. It give a good success feel for the dog when he is repeating a trick. Just look at his waggling tail for your proof of his enjoyment.

Doing tricks teaches you a lot about your dog and his potential. Training to do dog tricks can be very rewarding and a fun experience for your dog and you. I wish you the best of luck and hope that you enjoy this bonding experience with man’s best friend.

If you are serious about learning how to teach your dog tricks then go get Kat’s FREE and popular e-course at => http://www.dogtrainingacademy.org.uk

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Copyright © 2011 Kat Drew

Teaching your dog tricks can be really enjoyable for you and very rewarding for your dog. Helping and coaching him to do tricks can be a great playtime bonding activity.

As soon as your dog has learned his first trick, he will be beaming with confidence and want to learn more. He will be wagging his tail just waiting to do new tricks to please you. Enjoy the fact that he may turn into a bit of a show off in the process!

There are lots of dog tricks that you can teach your dog, but the main ones are:

To shake, to bow, playing asleep, playing dead, to spin, to beg and many more.

These are advanced tricks to teach your dog so it is a good idea that you have already taught them the basic obedience commands. These are: Sit, Down, Come, Stay, Heel, Fetch, Stand, Leave It.

Teaching your dog tricks is a wonderful addition to fetching a ball or a frisbee. Sometimes you want to do something different to mix it up a little bit. Dogs love to use their brains and learning new tricks is the perfect brain exercise. And these dog tricks can be performed indoors which is great when the weather is bad. Your dog gets to exercise indoors using his brain as well as his body.

Dog tricks can also be used as a substitute for bad behaviour and habits that your dog may have picked up. For example, if your dog runs out the front door at the slightest chance, you can teach him to shake when someone comes through the front door. He will look forward to being able to show off his newly learned tricks to the visitor at the door. Another fun example is if you meet a child, or even an adult, that is afraid of your dog, you can get your dog to perform a cute trick such as taking a bow. Your dog will seem less threatening and more interesting after the trick.

When you begin teaching your dog new tricks don’t make your training sessions too long, make them short and fun. Learning tricks is entertainment for your dog so you do not want to make it seem like work. Your dog cannot concentrate for long and he will get tired and not understand the training.

Once your dog has mastered one trick, you can move onto the next. Don’t be in too much of a hurry, through, as dogs rely on repetition to learn.

Special tools are not needed for you to teach your dog tricks. Just load yourself up with a few of your dog’s favourite treat and you are ready to begin. And you can come up with more tricks to teach him as you get better together. And remember this is fun journey for both of you and not a race to the destination. Your dog can keep learning tricks for years into the future.

If you are serious about training your dog and teaching him tricks go get your FREE and popular e-course at => http://www.dogtrainingacademy.org.uk

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