Archive for the ‘Dog Training’ Category
When people hunt small prey, they usually use hunting dogs to bring their kills. If hunting dogs didn’t exist, hunters would need to go find the prey they hit on their own, losing time. A hunting dog that is trained properly will reduce the amount of useless work that the hunter needs to do.
But, you can’t just train any dog to help with hunting. There are special breeds designed to perform best in the conditions that hunting requires.
But, you can’t find a hunting dog like you would any other normal dog breed. These dogs are well trained to be able to meet the requirements of hunting. The training process for a hunting dog is usually a long one, that needs the trainer to be patient and to know how to work with the dog. As for the dog, he needs to have the right attributes to become a proper hunting dog.
Choosing the right breed
As I said before, you can’t use just any type of dog to train for hunting. You should work with a dog breed that is specially designed for this, and that has a history of serving men in this capacity. You need a dog breed that is made to do this kind of job.
Some of the dog breeds that are well suited to be hunters include pointers, spaniels and retrievers. Each of these three have their own traits that are unique to them. Once you choose such a dog, the trainer needs to make the most out of their unique traits.
One trait that all hunting dogs have is a great sense of smell. This helps them track the prey in the field. Another trait is that they’re adapted to outdoor life and can be easily trained. If you want the best possible hunting dog, choose a breed that meets all the requirements. In most cases, people choose Beagles, Dachshunds, Bloodhounds or Labradors as hunting dogs.
What dog to choose?
If you want to train a dog to hunt, you shouldn’t choose one that is already fully grown. You should go with a puppy, since his behavior isn’t formed yet and he can be trained easily. The second requirement would be for the dog to have some affinity to the handler. You can’t expect for that affinity to form alone. This is why you should train the dog personally, or at least assist the trainer with it.
What does training usually entail?
A hunting dog needs to be able to master these six tasks:
a) Quartering
b) Retrieving
c) Steadying
d) Marking
e) Shaking
f) Following hand signals
What about scent and gun fire?
Some dogs will be scared when they hear gun fire. So they need to be specially trained to get used to it. Usually, this is done by conditioning the dog, by getting him used both with game birds and gun fire.
Game birds will be associated this way with gun fire. When he will hear it in the future, he will know that when the hunter shoots, he needs to look for the bird. After they get the prey, they will expect to hear the gun fire again.
One thing you should do when training the dog, is getting him used to a certain scent, depending on what you want to hunt with him. If you’re looking to hunt boar, than he should know the boar scent, so he can track it.
It’s much harder to do dog training than it is to train them in other areas. But, if you’re a true hunter, you will need a great dog to assist you.
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When it comes to dog training, one of the most important, and high priority training sections is house training your dog. With a new puppy coming into the house this is slightly easier as your puppy will know no other way and grow into the surroundings, but with a re-housed dog this can be difficult considering that you donât know the dogâs history and fears which could trigger them into fouling up your house. Â The first thing you must do is predict when your dog is likely to need the toilet. This isnât that hard to do, because it will follow a predictable routine. They will normally need the toilet about 10 â 15 minutes after they have eaten their dinner. Other occasions that can lead to a toilet break will be after they have awoken from a sleep, after a long play session with plenty of energy burnt, and also after an exciting event such as having visitors call at the house to get them worked up. All dogs have their own mannerisms, but generally speaking when that times comes look out for them to sniff around an area repeatedly, maybe circle a specific area, and start to squat somewhere in the house. Once you pick up on these traits it will greatly ease the rest of this dog training program.
When you get the correct signs that your dog need to go to the toilet, encourage them outside to your desired spot and use a trigger phrase that you can use specifically for this event. I personally use the âbe quickâ command, but it can be anything that suits your own dog training style. When they do go praise them while they are doing it, and when they are finished step up your enthusiasm and make a big deal of your praise with a good treat so your dog is in no doubt what they did right and will repeat it on the same trigger word.
There will be times when you wonât be there when your dog needs to go. On these occasions make sure your dog is left where you donât mind them fouling, so no damage is done in your dog training program.
As hard as it sounds, one thing you canât do is punish your dog for messing in the house. You must attempt to train them out of it instead. If you punish your dog for fouling in the house you will make them fearful of going to the toilet and therefore you dog training will go into reverse. The result of this will be that your dog will go to the toilet in concealed areas like under the stairs and will make this part of your dog training very difficult. A common theme as way of a punishment is to put your dogâs nose in any mess they do. If you watch any dog after they go to the toilet they will happily sniff around the area themselves so doing this as a punishment will not aid your dog training in any way.
For more great dog training tips and other pet care advice check out the link provided. Â
A good dog training video can be one of the best purchases you will ever make. Puppies don’t come to us already trained and well-behaved. Like human children, they have to be taught what is expected of them. It takes time, consistency and patience.
Obedience training your dog also takes knowledge of how to teach, how to break that information down into small pieces and communicate effectively so they understand. Puppies need to learn when and where they can potty, what they can chew on and what they can’t. They need to learn what behavior is acceptable and what isn’t.
Without proper training, your puppy will grow up to be a problem dog. A misbehaving dog can turn your life and home upside down with destructive and expensive chewing, destroyed carpets, rugs and furniture. An aggressive or unruly dog can keep your friends and family from wanting to visit and can be a danger to others and himself.
On the flip-side, a well trained, well-behaved dog is a priceless addition to your life and home. Few things will enrich your life like a good dog will – companionship, devotion, fun and friendship, even protection.
You can teach an old dog new tricks! There is no dog too old, too stubborn or too set in his misbehaving ways to give up on. Even the worst behavior can be improved and quickly with the right information and tools. It’s getting that information and those tools.
That’s why you want a Dog training video.
You could go to the neighborhood pet store “obedience” class and learn a basic or two, like sitting and walking on a leash. But that’s about all. They don’t address most of the issues you may, or do already, have. The classroom situation is far from ideal as well, especially for beginning puppies and dogs. With all the other dogs around, the distractions are often too much to overcome. That’s why there are so many “obedience” class flunk-outs. It isn’t your dog’s fault.
Expensive trainers can come to your home for one-on-one training. Great if you can afford it. The trainer will come in and train you. Exactly right. Not train your dog, train you. There is no point in teaching your dog if you don’t know what to do with him or how to reinforce and maintain the lessons learned. Training is as much relationship building as anything and only you can do that.
Dog and puppy training books are a great resource, but are lacking in that voice and body language are so important in training. You can read about it, but if you can’t see it or hear it, you are disadvantaged. You may experience slower or less than positive results and not know that it’s just a matter of changing the tone of your voice to turn it all around quickly.
Dog training videos do it all. They show you step-by-step exactly what to do and how to do it, broken down into small bite-sized pieces so you and your dog will have success together every step of the way. You can see and hear the trainer so you don’t have to try to imagine the vocal pitch or level of calm or excitement. You can see the dog’s response so you’ll know when you’re on the right track with yours.
Best of all, you can move at your own pace and the learning speed of your dog. A good dog training video will be the second best purchase you ever make. The first one, of course, was your dog.
For more information on training, nutrition and health of your pets, please visit her pet resource website at 4 Fur People and her blog Pet Passion Paradise Blog.
Background
I got my puppy from the local animal shelter. The description in the local paper was: “I am a beautiful, lively black puppy from a variety of dog breeds. I was abandonment and desperately need a home. Please come fetch me or else I will be going to doggy heaven”
Needless to say the puppy’s appeal worked and low and behold he was home with me. The abandonment word, led me to call him Bandit. I could not have asked for a more lovable dog.
Unfortunately that cute little puppy grew into a 60kg long-legged lively lovable dog that like a typical teenager listens to nobody!
This became a problem. Big and boisterous it ran my household with furious enthusiasm.
Now, what?
Can you train an 8 month old big dog? (Gosh, I forgot to mention, he must have some Great Dane in his family history somewhere, because Bandit sure stands high!)
Consequence
To be frank! I work long hours and come home late at night, which means Bandit do not get a lot of park time and on top of it I am so tired after a day at the office that I normally become a coach potato in front of the television.
This led to a very lovable but badly behaved dog with behavioural problems.
Considerations
Things I considered doing:
Enrol in the local dog training days, which normally was a Saturday or Sunday.
Look on the internet to see if there is a do-it-yourself course on dog training with written as well as video material.
From what I know of my work schedule and my social schedule I knew that the local dog training days were not an option for me as I wanted more flexibility.
So I started searching the internet.
Oh Dear, what I did not anticipate was the amount of web sites that offer dog training at home.
The search took a couple of days and at last I selected a training program.
Solutions
I chose the dog training program based on the following criteria:
Researched the web site as much as possible to get an opinion from existing users.
Asked some of the dog owners at the park their opinion on do-it-yourself dog training.
Checked the cost of the on line dog training material.
Checked what material the online dog training program offered.
To be honest, although I felt I had done a fair amount of checking, I could still not put my hand on my heart and swear that this online dog training course would be the program I was looking for.
Results
After one month Bandit was a 100% more obedient dog than before. The material, specifically the dog training video material was excellent.
Today, one year later, I have a wonderful obedient dog that listens and behaves when spoken to.
If this story is also your story and you are a dog lover, you owe the training to your dog. He or she would love it as this is another way that you give your dog the added attention he or she needs.
The effort is certainly worth it and you can do it at home like I did with the occasional practise day at the park.
Taking Bandit out for a walk or to the park now is an absolute pleasure. Before the training I became very stressed out when I took Bandit for a walk as fighting to restrain him from running off behind every other dog was difficult.
If you want to find out more about training your dog at home, please visit my web site.
With the advent of the internet, dog training has gone online! Now, you can get in touch with a myriad of professional trainers as well as get advice or take whole online dog training courses. Traditional dog training classes certainly provide you with a wonderful opportunity for working with your dog, but if you are self-motivated, there might be a number of advantages to selecting a course for online dog training. Here are a few different advantages of online dog training over traditional training:
1. There are a lot of online dog training courses available. Most of them you are able to find reviews about from previous customers. These reviews help you to decide whether a program may be successful for you or not.
2. Videos: Many of the best online dog training courses now have video that accompany them as part of the package. These videos demonstrate each of the obedience skills to you, just like an instructor in a traditional class would.
3. Cost: Online dog training is often less expensive than enrolling in a traditional obedience class. Sometimes, there are even extra, supplemental videos or e-books as part of the deal.
4. You can take the classes whenever you want to! If you want to work with your dog in the middle of the night, you would be able to. Your schedule is entirely set by you.
5. Some online dog training courses have online chats, forums, or the ability to e-mail questions to a live trainer. This way, if you are unsure of something, you are able to verify the methods or problem solve.
6. When you work by yourself, you are able to focus solely on you and the dog. You have no other distractions to work with, and you don’t have to deal with anyone else’s dog either. Your dog can work in a more concentrated way too.
7. Does your dog have a behavioral issue that might make a traditional class difficult? Online dog training classes work very well for dogs that might be extremely stimulated by the presence of other dogs, are very shy or frightened in crowded situation, or a dog that might have different aggression issues that would be hard to manage in a traditional class.
8. Depending on the course, the online dog training course may include multiple options for teaching a particular skill. Also, there may be more skills included like trick training in the class. These are the eight main potential advantages to an online dog training course.
Overall, the online dog training courses might be able to offer a cost efficient and time conscious option to working with your dog. Remember to make sure to select a training program that has had a lot of customers purchase or participate in it. Also make sure to have thoroughly researched the program and read reviews to insure it will be a positive and beneficial experience for you and your dog.
Owners would like to have an obedient, calm and faithful dog because an obedient and trained dog is a happier dog, most unlikely to get into tussles with people or with other dogs. A well socialised and trained dog is more reliable and interacts so much better with family companion, especially in households with young children.
They are also less likely to suffer from behavioural problems such as unprovoked biting and vicious attacks on humans. Many communities require that the dogs living in their neighbourhoods be well trained, and for a good reason – especially for many breeds thought to have aggression and behaviour problems – dog breeds like Pit bulls and Rottweilers for instance.
When considering training your own dog or having someone else to help you train it, there are certain basic commands that must be mastered by your dog. These basic commands include:
* Sit – it is vital to train your dog to sit on command. Speak to it in a very firm and authoritative tone, otherwise your dog may not realise that you are serious or associate what you say with danger and discipline. Say it like you mean it. Start training early, when your dog is still a puppy. Make sure that you use the same gestures, body language, the same command words (i.e. “sit”, “roll over”, “come here”, “fetch” etc) consistently in order to allow the dog to associate these words or motions with what he is supposed to do. Practise, practise and practise.
* Heel – it is important to teach your dog to learn how to walk beside you on a loose leash, neither pulling ahead nor lagging behind.
* Down – lying down on command is more than just a cute trick; it is a key component of any successful dog training program. This is also to make sure that your dog obeys your order as the leader of the pack.
* No – make sure that you train your dog to respond to the word “No”. This, of all the command words, is the one word that all dogs MUST learn. Training your dog to respond to this word will stop your dog right in its track from doing what it is about to do, sometimes this could mean in life and death situations.
* Stay – a well trained dog should be able to remain where it is when this command word is used, no matter how excited or threatened it feels.
Dog training does much more than just to create an obedient, willing companion. Training your dog properly could actually strengthen the bond between your dog and you and make it a much more fulfilling experience for both parties.
Dogs are by nature pack animals and they always look to their pack leader to tell them what to do. It is therefore crucial to establish yourself as the pack leader as early as possible to address dominance issues with your dog. The key to successful dog training is to set this right from the word go as failure to do so leads to all manners of behavioural problems.
A well-trained dog will respond properly to all the owner’s commands, and will not display anxiety, displeasure or confusion. A good dog training program will focus on allowing the dog to learn just what is expected of it, and will use positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviours. Routine and patience is the key to successfully training your dog to perform these commands correctly.
Ongoing obedience training is a great way to fulfil some of the dog’s own needs, including the need for exercise, the security that comes with knowing what is expected of it, a feeling of achievement, confidence building and bonding with its handler. Dog training also provides the dog a job to do and important goals to reach. Giving your dog a job to perform or challenges is more important than you may think. Dogs were originally bred by humans to do important work, such as herding sheep, guarding property and protecting people. Many dogs today have no important job to do which often lead to boredom and neurotic behaviours. This is especially important for high energy breeds like German Shepherds and Border Collies. Training sessions are a great way for these high energy dogs to use up their extra energy and simply to enjoy themselves. So incorporate lots of playtime into your dog’s training sessions and have fun!
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