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Friday, July 25, 2008

Things You Should Know About Dog Training

by Jenny Styles

photo courtesy of Mary R. Vogt from morguefile.com

Known as man's best friend, Dogs are the most loved domesticated animals in the world. Having a dog or puppy in a family is quite exciting for that family. But just having a dog or a puppy is not all. One should also pay attention to training his/her dog properly so that he can become an obedient and accepting part of the family. Dog training is not a simple job; it demands certain skills and approaches in order to make it useful, which can be learned in course of training. It is believed to be a good idea to train your dog yourself, though you can appoint or hire an expert or specialized dog trainer to look after the job. But both the ways have their respective merits and demerits.

Though you might commit mistakes and there could be instability in your approach it is always helpful to train your dog yourself as it gives you a better chance of establishing that significant contact or communication between you and your dog. You will gradually understand how your dog is reacting to any particular situation or what cause them to do a specific action - like barking. On the contrary, appointing a skilled person gives you immediate results but does not allow you to experience the "trial and error" method possible when training personally, which can be useful at some point of time.

Some will ask you to go for a blend of the two - train yourself, but also join a professional dog training class. This helps you to attend several things, its like eating your cake, and still keeping it. It also cuts down your expenses, needed in the case of professional trainer and still providing with the professional direction for the training. At the same time it also allows you to establish that special bond, which is possible when you train your dog by yourself.

Always keep in mind that patience; environment, and rewards are very important factors, irrespective of how you chose to train your dog. These factors affect a lot and give you total success if properly maintained.

While training you need patience, keeping in mind the fact that you are going to communicate with someone who does not speak your language or follow your way of using any communicative methods. If you see that your hard work is not yielding any satisfactory results or that you are not being able to proceed with it just do not give up. It will take some time to make your dog bark or sit by simply uttering or calling out some words to him as it is not a language which is natural or previously known to him. You have to go for many repetitions and must praise him, whenever he does something correctly, to get results.

Environment also plays an important part in dog training as dogs are very much influenced by their environment. It is better to do the training session in a quiet place with fewer disturbances, as any disturbance at the time of training can easily distract their attention. On the other hand you can select a noisier place for advanced training, but only after he is trained in basic obedience.

Dogs, being man's good friend, always try to please their owners and keep them contented. So in order to get a profitable result you must let know your dog when you are happy with him and reward him with cuddles or any treat after he performs anything, the way you wanted. This will give your dog an impression that you are happy with him and he will try to hold up this act of his in future.

So, dog training can be equally challenging and easy, if you follow the instructions provided to you here.

Information on dog adoptions can be found at The Dog Trainer.

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Saturday, July 19, 2008

Behavioral Problems Could Be Caused By Fear

Here is an excerpt from the book, The Cautious Canine by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D. (shown in my posting below)

"Does Fido's barking at visitors make you a little nervous? Does Queenie run into the closet when you turn on the vacuum or cower when trucks pass by? Has your dog ever growled while you were out walking when someone tried to pet her? All of these behavioral problems are often symptoms of a dog who is afraid of someone or something. This booklet is for people who own and love a dog who has a behavioral problem that is motivated by fear. Some fearful dogs simply run and hide, but others can act out on their fears and cause harm. This program is designed to prevent that.

The method described here, classical counter conditioning, is a universally effective treatment for fear-based behavioral problems. This method can help many animals get over their fears, so you can use this booklet if your dog is afraid of the vet or a ceiling fan, if your cat is afraid of another cat, or even for yourself. (I used it myself to help get over a fear of public speaking!) To illustrate the method in detail, this booklet describes a treatment program for dogs who are afraid of unfamiliar people. If you want to use this program to treat some other fear, just substitute the relevant problem and go from there.

Will this program help any dog? This program won't help dogs if their behavior is not motivated, at least in part, by fear. There are many reasons why dogs don't act the way we want them to around strangers, so be sure to have an accurate diagnosis before you proceed. If your dog has nipped or bitten, it is essential that you first do short-term management by preventing any more occurrences, and that you begin a program with a certified applied animal behaviorist, experienced trainer or board-certified veterinary specialist in behavior. "

You can find out more about Patricia McConnell at www.dogsbestfriendtraining.com.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Best Selling Dog Books

by Jenny Styles

1. HOW TO RAISE A PUPPY YOU CAN LIVE WITH, 4TH EDITION by Clarice Rutherford & David Neil



This puppy book starts way back with your breeder and steps you through all the processes to make sure you can raise a puppy the right way. It touches on the subjects of selecting breeders, bonding with puppies, discipline, house training, tricks and simple commands.

RAW DOG FOOD: MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG by Carina Beth MacDonald



This offbeat, light read received the Dog Writers of America Award for Best Book Under 100 pages for the year 2003. It is a funny, informative book on how raw diets can actually benefit dogs while being cost-efficient at the same time. This is a must-read book for those grappling with their dog's diet.

2. CAUTIOUS CANINE, 2ND EDITION by Patricia McConnell



This book is so handy it could even benefit people. Patricia McConnell walks the reader through training techniques such as counter conditioning and desensitization to deal with behavioral problems and phobias. It works with people too.

3. RALLY-O: THE STYLE OF RALLY OBEDIENCE, 3RD EDITION by Charles 'Bud' Kramer

(This book is currently not available on Amazon.com, but here is another book about Rally Obedience by Pamela Dennison)



Rally obedience advocates an exciting and fun approach to dog obedience. It's a surefire way for the dog and its owner to enjoy their training sessions. If one were to look for an effective, non-burdensome way to train to dogs, this should be in their shelves.

ONE ON ONE - A DOG TRAINER'S GUIDE TO PRIVATE TRAINING by Nicole Wilde



An intimate training guide to those new to one-on-one training sessions. It is an easily understandable, yet comprehensive guide to private training and focuses on the intricacies of the training psyche and the dog's response to such.

POSITIVE PERSPECTIVES: LOVE YOUR DOG, TRAIN YOUR DOG by Pat Miller



Almost a book about children. This groundbreaking read will change the way you view pet behavior management and pet upbringing. This comprehensive course emphasizes the emotional aspect of training and behavior modification. Also in this book: vaccination, training with treats, and housetraining.

BRINGING LIGHT TO SHADOW - A DOG TRAINER'S DIARY by Pamela Dennison



An inspirational story of how one trainer refused to give up on an ill-tempered dog with behavioral problems. It is a diary of sorts that deals with the issues, frustrations, solutions, and the patience it takes for one to deal with such difficult dogs. It is a fascinating read that should inspire every dog trainer.

Visit The Dog Trainer to learn about how to stop dog chewing problems and how to choose a dog obedience school.

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