When I discuss the concept of crate training with pet dog owners they often look a little befuddled. I know exactly what they are thinking in most cases before they even open their mouths. Pet owners think of their dogs as family members, loved ones in some cases even our furry kids. Why would we want to put them in a crate?

There are many benefits to crate training a dog, especially if you have a puppy or a young dog and you are in the process of house training. I often ask people, especially those with small children, if they ever used the baby pens. “Of course they reply, I would have never had any peace or quiet”. Well a crate for a puppy is the same concept as a baby pen. You would never leave your baby or child unsupervised, free to wander the rooms of your house where they could injure themselves. Puppies, like small children need a place they can go when you are not available to watch every move they make, a safe place where they can hear, see and smell you without being underfoot. A crate is a safe, quiet place your dog can go when they want peace and quiet, to snooze or just to withdraw into their own sanctuary. I have never met a dog that does not enjoy their crate if the crate is introduced into their world correctly.

There are many benefits of crate training your dog not just for housebreaking but also to prevent destructive behaviors such as chewing, counter surfing and trash exploring, especially while you are away. When a pet is injured or sick a crate is an ideal location for them to rest and, should you ever need to evacuate your dog you will be grateful if you can safely contain your dog on a long journey, in a shelter or in compliance with a hotel’s pet policy.
Contrary to what many may think, a crate is not a tool for punishment, or a long term confinement tool. With training, an adult dog can remain in a crate for up to 8 hours but will need plentiful amounts of exercise before and after crating and an assortment of toys for mental stimulation during its time in the crate.

There are many different sizes, models and varieties of crates. The more durable crates designed for airline travel, in my opinion, do not make the best crate for home use as they tend to be bulky and restrict the dog’s view of their environment. For my dogs, I use the canvas/mesh style of crates for their daily use and that is where they often disappear to be alone while we read or watch television. This design provides for shaded visibility, they fold easily, are durable and can be moved or stored with little problem. Many pet stores provide the metal wire crates that collapse and can be easily moved around the house. These are good crates for large dogs and dogs that may chew. They also come with accessories such as water bowls, fans to keep your pooch cool, and fabric covers to blend them into your home décor.

To start the crate training process make going into the crate a game. Dogs should be encouraged, not forced, into their crates. To generate interest feed them in the crate with the door left open, throw in the odd treat or toy and within a short period of time you will find them happily exploring the inside of their new place delighted to find a surprise. As time goes by gently close the door giving them treats for staying quietly inside, progress on to actually fastening the door and then extend the period of time you leave them in their crate. Remember, offer treats and toys to go in and do not let them out if they are barking or pawing at the door. You want to let them out when they are calm and quiet or they will learn very quickly that if they bark or paw the door opens. If you work on this and make it a fun happy place for your dog you will soon find them choosing to snooze in their crate as happy as can be.

Training your dog to obey is important and when you can teach him a few tricks, it can be a lot of fun to spend time showing off to family and friends. Many different dog breeds are fairly easy to train when it comes to teaching them new tricks. With a few good tools you can teach your dog tricks in just a couple of weeks. Here are a few tips and ideas you can use to help you dog learn faster.

Use a Collar
First, if you want to teach your dog tricks fast, start out by using a good collar on him. The collar can allow you to easily control the dog and it also allows you to use a leash on your dog as well. Using a six foot leash with the collar can allow you to easily control him, keep him from wandering off, and can also allow him some freedom during the training too.

Teach Basic Commands First
Before you even try to start teaching your dog any tricks, you need to each him some basic commands fast. Many of the best tricks are going to use basic commands as well, so you need to teach him the basics. Start by teaching him to sit on command. Other good basics to start out with include commands like come, stay, and lie down. Once he knows the basics, teaching him tricks will be much easier.

Start Out Easy
Don’t start with the tough tricks when you’re trying to teach your dog tricks in just a couple of weeks. Go with something very simple to start out with. One good trick to start out with is shaking hands. Starting with the easy tricks allows the dog to build up some confidence. It will also help you to build up the training until you are able to teach tricks that are more difficult.

Keep Training Sessions Short
You may be tempted to jam as much training into each day as possible so you can help you dog learn more tricks in a short period of time. This is not going to work. You will find that your dog performs better if you keep the training sessions short. Usually the sessions should be about 15 minutes at a time. However, since the sessions are short, you can try doing a couple different sessions each day.

Use Positive Reinforcement
It’s definitely a good idea to use positive reinforcement if you’re trying to get your dog to learn tricks fast. Whenever he does well during training, praise him. Lavish your dog with attention. It’s also a good idea to reward your dog with some treats so he starts corresponding doing well with rewards and positive praise and attention.

Vary Your Sessions
In order to make sure your dog learns as many tricks as possible, vary the sessions from time to time. This not only will allow you to teach him even more tricks, it also helps to avoid boredom. Don’t make everything about learning new tricks either. Take time out to simply play with your dog so you don’t overload him with new things.

Dog lovers like you are surely facing the challenge of training a dog. While there are many proven methods and philosophies on how you can train your pet dog, there are still common principles that can be taken into consideration. Before you start your training, one thing you must not forget is the fact that your dog knows his position in your house and in your family. If you train it well, you will be a leader in the dog’s eyes and it will turn out to be a happy, obedient dog.

Training means teaching your dog to interact socially and to communicate well with you and with other people. That’s why it is advisable to develop a leader-follower relationship with your pet. If you assume leadership, your dog will see the need to submit to your commands. If you are now convinced on the importance of dog training, then you better start familiarizing yourself with the easy ways on how to train a dog.

Among the straightforward ways to teach your dog is to get the services of a professional dog trainer that will work with you and your dog in a one on one setting. It will, of course, cost you money, but this is an easy dog training option that will quickly bring result. The trainer will coach your dog on how to properly behave when you are out for a walk and when you are asking him to do something. The trainer is also able to train your dog on how to react in complicated circumstances.

And if your dog finds it hard to behave well in a group environment, or if it seems aggressive or out of control, the easy way to train it is to get a specialist in dog behavior or an expert dog whisperer. This is a very humane approach that will help correct the dog’s behavior. It will also facilitate the way you communicate with your dog. The moment your dog becomes interested in interacting with you, that’s an indication that you can now start training him. So if you are one of those who are on the look-out for ways on how to train a dog the easy way, better keep these things in mind. But mind you, you will go a long way if you use these tips in your dog training.

Pets are always special. Lots of people keep pets in their house because they love these wonderful animals. Dogs are one of the most popular and lovely pets that people have in their home. If you have a pet in your house then you should always make sure that you take proper care of him.

There are various dog training tips which can really be helpful for you. Training a dog is not too easy. First of all you should learn how to train your dog and then you should start the training session.

Obedience training is one of the most important things that you should practice for your dog. It is always better to bring a dog home when he is still in the puppy stage. It is always easy to train a puppy than a full grown dog.

You might have an idea about the fact that dogs are intelligent animals and hence they do not take much time to learn these things. Dogs usually have the habit of living in packs and hence they have a leader. You need to evolve yourself as the leader.

You should make sure that the puppy recognizes you as the leader of the pack in the beginning you should teach him the common lessons like sit, stay, come, go and lie down.

You should give enough time to the dog to learn one basic command before you move on to the other. You can allot at least 30 minutes every day for the training. Make sure you follow it like a routine so fix a time for it. This is will also help your dog to become disciplined.

When you want to teach your dog to sit then you can gently pat the rear of the dog which is signal for him to sit down. Whenever the dog performs a command make sure you give him a treat.

This will encourage him and will also make him happy. You should repeat the command again and again and help the dog practice this for at least a week. Always make sure you are not impatient when the dog fails to perform the command correctly.

If he fails to do it then you should not punish him or scold him. Instead be gentle to him and talk in a firm voice. If you are rude to him and punish him then it might have adverse effect and the dog might refuse to learn anything.

If you follow the same tips for the other commands then you can surely achieve success within a few weeks. There are certain websites which can offer you with top tips on dog training if you subscribe to their website.