Many people believe that the best training can only be provided by professional dog trainers. Well I’m here to tell you right now that this cannot be further from the truth.

Adept dog trainers can certainly assist pet owners who do not have free time to train their pets at home. But if you have five to ten minutes to spare every day, then you can effectively train your pet. If you only have time for short training sessions, then the best option for you as a pet owner/trainer would be clicker training.

Clicker training defined

Clicker training is a method of teaching a dog to associate the sound of a click with a target action. A single click helps the dog associate the action that you want it to remember, with the treat or reward that you will be giving it after the click.

Clicker training is a form of operant conditioning wherein the animal is taught to perform an action because it yields a reward. An animal is taught a particular sequence, which allows it to differentiate between rewarding behavior and non-rewarding behavior.

Unlike classical conditioning, which often relies on verbal cues and hands-on intervention during training sessions, clicker training is unique because it relies on capturing target behaviors, and reinforcing these behaviors with rewards.

Clicker training your dog

The first thing that you should do when you are clicker training your dog is to perform the loading, or initializing, procedure. This procedure is necessary because it will help the animal associate the sound of the click with the reward that you are going to give it. You can perform the loading procedure anywhere; as long as you have the clicker and the treats with you, you can succeed.

This process is really quite simple – click, and give the treat. Each click has to grab the animal’s attention. If the dog was not paying attention at all to what you were doing, repeat until it raises its head in attention. When the dog starts paying attention to each click, reward it immediately. Most dogs create a concrete association between the click and the reward after 20 to 50 successful cycles.

We call them cycles because we aim for consistency during clicker training. Consistency can be achieved by timing the clicks. You can click every five seconds or every ten seconds, whichever works. You only need to click once per cycle. Do not overuse the clicker. Clicking multiple times will not help the animal understand the lesson at all.

When a series of clicks is used, the animal actually stops responding, because it waits for the clicking to stop before responding. The same principle applies when you are trying to teach your dog verbal signals. Don’t say “sit, sit, sit” when you want to teach your dog to sit, because the dog will become accustomed to waiting for three “sit” commands before performing anything. If a single word does not yield the desired action, simply repeat the command once and see what happens.

Do you have a new puppy or dog that you want to make sure is well behaved and obedient? I’d like to recommend that you get started the right away by following one of the excellent on-line video dog obedience training courses. If you like to learn best from watching and listening to an expert teach you, rather than trying to learn something new from a book, you will really benefit from getting yourself a copy of an on-line video program.

By starting to train your dog with the expert advice you can get through a great dog obedience training program, you will be getting started the right way-that way you can avoid the mistakes nearly everyone makes, which make it much more difficult to train their dogs themselves. Avoiding the mistakes of bad training techniques is almost as important as teaching the exercises themselves as far as getting quick and long lasting results. By watching an expert training a dog on a good dog training video you can really get a good feel for the training, and how you should go about training your dog.

By listening to the expert’s voice on the video, you will find that the tones of voice you use, as well as your body language, are important tools in your training effort. You will learn that you must use an upbeat and cheerful voice and lots of praise to get the great results that positive conditioning creates. On the other hand, if your dog isn’t behaving properly, you will learn what tones of voice to use to correct your dog-and why raising your voice to yell at your dog is a big mistake that will set back the training. In a book you are told what tone of voice to use, but with a dog training video you can actually hear the right vocal tones.

Dog training videos are great for those of us who seem to learn better by watching and listening than merely by reading or through just a vocal explanation. I know that I learn best when I can actually see how something is done, as well as listen to an explanation, so dog training videos really appeal to me.

I like to watch the dog videos on the Internet for good ideas and also for the entertainment. If you have watched some of these you can see everyone seems to have their own way of going about it. I have noticed that all the best trained pups and dogs were trained with positive training techniques.

However, I wouldn’t recommend trying to learn everything you need to know about obedience training and raising your dog from watching homemade Internet dog training videos. Anyone who wants to learn to train their dog using dog training videos as a guide really needs a complete program of step by step dog training videos that take you on a logical course from puppyhood basic training steps, and then through all the more advanced tricks as the puppy matures enough to absorb further training.

There are various dog trainer techniques, but it’s difficult to find which one will work best for you and your pet. Sure! The majority of techniques will work, if done properly, but you need to find one that’s comfortable for you.

One technique that you may of heard of is Clicker Training. What the heck is Clicker Training? Clicker Training has been around for some time now and began being used to teach marine mammals tricks for performance.

So Clicker Training isn’t some magical item that makes dogs listen. It isn’t a gimmick either. The key to making it succeed is to use the click noise with food. It pretty much works as a bridge between dogs finding out that the click means they did something good and is rewarded for it. It’s best described as an event marker and lets the dog know what they did right. Within time, you won’t need the clicker for your dog.

Dog Training Techniques: The Recall Game

I found this one on the internet and found it interesting. It was written by Rebekah Pless. A way to teach your dog to run to you every time you call them is, for starters, is never call your pet unless you can enforce the command. Every time you call your pet and they don’t immediately receive a food reward, then they won’t come to you. Always give them a treat. Keep treats in your pocket all the time. Every good act deserves a reward.

Also never call your pet over for something unpleasant. If you need to groom your dog, don’t call them over to you. Go to the dog instead of calling them over.

Now what you need to do is get 2 people involved in the training. Have the person point to the person calling them. Have them clap, whistle or call the dog. When the dog comes, they get a reward. Use the dogs name every time you call them, so they will become familiar with their name. You only tell the dog to come when they are coming to you.

Once the dog comes to you, hold them by the collar and give them their treat. This prevents them from grabbing the treat and leaving. After they receive the treat, point them to the next person they need to go to and repeat the same process. Not only will the dog learn to come when called, they will also learn to respond to pointing where they need to go too.

Dog Training Techniques: Crate Training

One last technique that you may of heard of is Crate Training. Providing your dog with an indoor kennel crate can help your dogs need for a type of den enclosure. It works as an excellent housebreaking tool, because it helps the dog from not soiling their sleeping place, plus it will also help reduce separation anxiety in puppies, also prevents chewing shoes and furniture and keeps puppies from getting into hazardous things around the house.

Furnish the crate with treats and toys. Make sure the toys are large enough to prevent them from eating them. Also be sure to put water in the crate and bedding. You want your dog to be as comfortable as possible.

Place the crate next to you when you are home. This will help the dog feel more comfortable with the crate. Every now and then, put dog treats in the crate. This will make the dog think of the crate as a positive thing.

Remember to only put the dogs in the crate for short periods of time in the beginning. Puppies have small bladders and usually need to pee over 12 times a day. If your dog has an accident in the crate, don’t punish them.

This technique doesn’t always work, especially with dogs who were bought from pet stores due to their having been forced to eliminate in their sleeping area.

Eventually they will be potty trained and will no longer have separation anxiety.

You may be the biggest dog lover in the world, but that doesn’t mean everyone in your family or circle of friends is a fan of canines “” even your cute Havanese may look scary. They might have had a bad encounter with a dog as a child or they might simply have an irrational phobia.
Or, it’s possible that they may be frightened by specific behaviors your dog may exhibit. It’s important to not only learn what is causing the fear, but then to figure out what you can do, as the dog owner, to cut it off.
The Source of the Fear
Step one is to talk to your family or friends about what is going on. Imagine if you were afraid of someone’s dog because it growled at you. How would you feel if the dog’s owner blamed you for the problem, assuming you have some irrational fear?
So, you shouldn’t do the same to them. Always start by assuming there is a sound reason for their fear and talk to them about it. Ask if they have seen something in your dog that causes the fear or if they were attacked as a child. The second you can figure out what started the cycle, you’ll be able to start dealing with it.
If Your Dog is Causing the Fear
If you find out that something your dog is doing in particular is causing the problem, keep an open mind. Most dog owners have blinders that keep them from seeing the negative things their dogs might be doing. You look at your Havanese and you see a perfect little angel.
If they happen to be growling whenever your friends go near their water bowl, you have a real problem that needs to be dealt with. It cannot be written off as the person’s fault.
To start with, address the behaviour. If the dog is showing aggressive tendencies based on their space or territorial actions, you need to take control of the space and show the dog that you’re in charge. Once you’ve done that, make sure no one is treating your dog improperly. If they’re up front or physical and that makes your dog uncomfortable, it can create an environment where fear is bred.
If the Fear is from a Past Incident
If it turns out that your dog is not causing any of the anxiety and fear that your family or friends are having, it very well may be the result of a past incident. In this case, it can be easy to simply blame them and tell them to “deal with it”.
But, again, would you want someone to be that callous with you? Probably not. I’m not telling you to hide your dog in a corner and keep him there until they leave, but you can introduce certain safeguards to maintain the safety of your home.
First, teach your dog to stop jumping at strangers. Make them stay calm and well behaved when new people enter the house. Second, make sure they understand that they do not have to pet the dog or greet him.
For most dogs, being ignored will breed ignoring. They will respond the same as this is a clear body language signal to be left alone – presuming there is no direct eye contact or touching.
With time, if you can show them that your dog is well behaved and patient, you may be able to communicate to them that the dog is not going to do anything bad. But, first you must show that the dog is under control.

This book is currently one of the highly favored dog training guides online and its author is Daniel Stevens. As an owner of several dogs, I already knew a few tricks when it comes to handling my pets. However, with a great deal of good feedbacks I have read regarding this book, I should say it is not a bad idea to give it a try. So what exactly is this book all about?

The book covers a range of information and goes a great deal more than problem behaviors. It includes helpful advice on choosing a dog for those who are decided to get one for a pet or companion. It offers effective guidelines for first time dog owners, such as breed information, housetraining puppies, etc. The book is packed with other interesting informational facts about dogs that anybody would surely benefit from.

Within several weeks since I got to practice the program I have learned so much about dog behaviors and how to respond accordingly. The dog training techniques are presented in more practical approach and the book offers step by step solutions in clear and detailed explanation. This is a quality book which will provide first time dog owners both systematic and creative method to train their dogs.

Sit Stay Fetch has recently undergone a change of name as the book is now known as “The Secrets Of Dog Training.” I have to say the name befits the true intent of the book, though it may no longer be a “hush hush” as the secret is open now to all interested to obtain it.

The book is an E-book, so you pay for it and then you can download it. They even give an eight week money back guarantee, so if you try the book, and it doesn’t help you can return it within two months! That is a really great deal. The bonus is, because it is an E book, it is easy to scroll through to the parts that you want to read and you don’t have to store it at home and flip through pages and pages, trying to find what you need. I don’t know who started the rumor that this book was a scam. These days people are less trusting. I assure you, however; this book is indeed real, well written, and easy to read for first time dog lovers.

The book contains some pretty interesting reading and I have no doubts in recommending this dog training guide to anyone who owns, or is thinking about owning a dog. The book really helps the user gain insight and comprehensive view of dog training. It is a great assistance and there is information guaranteed to be useful to all dog owners.

A well-trained dog is a must for most families.  After all, who wants a family pet in their home which has a hard time listening to commands and behaving in the best possible way?  This is where dog training can help.  A dog training course will help to teach your dog what to do and what not to do.  It will enable you to take your pet out and about without having to worry about Fido not listening and wreaking havoc on your outings.  The following will offer the basics of dog training and show how this type of course can benefit your dog.

Listening to Commands

The pet sitter professional will teach your dog how to listen to commands and follow them.  Hand signals, verbal commands and more will be taught by the dog trainer which will allow you to keep your dog in control.  It will also help your dog to follow your directions once you learn the necessary verbal and hand signal commands as well.

Acting In an Appropriate and Well-Behaved Manner

A dog who undergoes dog training, whether in a dog training course with other dogs or alone with a trainer, will be a dog who acts appropriately and in a well-behaved manner.  You want your dog to be lovable but also well-behaved at the same time.  By attending a dog training course, your family pet will learn what to do, what not to do and how to follow commands.

Dog Training Will Help You to Have a Dog Who Listens and Make It Easier On You

Dog training makes dog ownership a whole lot easier on you as you don’t have to worry about training the dog yourself but can use the commands which your dog learned during the course to keep your dog trained for the duration.  A dog who listens, as will almost always be the result of a dog training course, is one who will be well-behaved for his/her owner.