Show Dog competitions are popular all over the world. Thousands of dog fanciers find enjoyment through show dog competitions. Obviously, these owners of show dogs are very proud of their dogs, and they just love showing them off and hopefully win the competition.  Show dog training requires  a combination of obedience training, and also presenting your dog to the judges-where it will be prodded and probed as it is examined by the judge. Your dog must meet the standards of its particular breed, which the judge’s are closely looking for, and also maintain a perfect posture while remaining  relaxed throughout the examination.

There are several different categories that the show dogs compete in. Each category is  based on the variety of breeds within them  and the types of activities those breeds are best skilled at. The seven different categories include: Sporting, Non-sporting, Hound, Terrier, Working, Herding and Toy. Besides have a terrific confirmation, each dog must impress the judges with its skills -whether it is working livestock in the case of the herding dogs, or performing an obstacle course for a working dog. Sporting dog, such as Labradors will be tested in field trials. As you can see, there is a niche for every breed of dog.

Here is a list of the various show dog categories. Check out which one best fits your dog.

Sporting Dogs – These types of dogs were bred for hunting  game birds-either on land or in the water. Breeds in this group include Retrievers, Spaniels, Pointers and Setters.

Hound Dogs – These types of dogs were bred for hunting  game by sight or scent.  Breeds of hound dogs  include:  Beagles, Bassets, Dachshunds and Greyhounds and many other hound varieties.

Working Dogs – These breeds of dogs were bred to guard property, pull a cart and even to  perform search and rescue services. Included in this group are such dogs as the Akita, Doberman, Boxers and St. Bernard breeds.

Terrier Dogs-Terriers are breeds that specialize in hunting and eliminating vermin from farms – Included in the Terrier group are dogs  such as the Airedale, Cairn Terrier and Scottish Terrier, Jack Russell terrier and many more.

Toy Breeds – These little dogs have been bred to be household companions. Included in the Toy group are Poodles, Pugs, Pomeranians, and Maltese.

Non-Sporting Dogs – This category is formed by a more diverse group of breeds, that come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and includes Bulldogs, Standard Poodles, Chows and Dalmatians. The dogs in this group are primarily companion dogs.

Herding Dogs – This category includes dogs such as the German shepherd dog, Collies, Australian Sheepdogs, Old English Sheepdogs, and more. These types of dogs were bred to help shepherds manage their flocks, Depending on the breed of dog you want to have, after you have thoroughly trained your dog you can enter him in a dog show in the category you would like him to compete in. Each dog breed falls within a certain category, so the dogs he competes against will have similar skill sets.

If you are interested in dog show competitions, get more familiar with what’s happening in your area. Check out your local Kennel Club to find out more about coming dog shows. You can meet and network with other show dog handlers to get some good advice getting started with show dog training for your dog.

For example, if your dog is a working dog, you will want to concentrate on that particular type of competition and what you will need to train your dog for his particular category’s competition. Watching and learning from an experienced dog handler will help  you will quickly learn the right way to go about the type of show dog training your dog needs.

Of course, you can’t really get involved with show dog training until you have already done a very thorough job of obedience training your dog. If you haven’t already fully obedience trained your dog, of course you will need to concentrate on that first of all.

Dog training videos and DVDs are becoming a favourite, easy way of learning how to train your dog.  Dog training classes and private dog trainers are pricey, so more people are now finding it less demanding to download dog training videos which they can watch at their own tempo and in the comfort of their own home, on the move on their laptop or listen to dog training books that are on audio.

In an ideal world where cash and time are not an issue my first option for training my dog would be a series of classes with a well-known  professional dog trainer but like many people I simply cannot stretch to afford this.  We all want the best training for our dogs though and there are many other excellent solutions available.

Cesar Millan is a household name now and you can buy his dog training DVD course for just over $ 130 which is quite affordable but there are further costs, such as the Illusion collar you need to buy for your dog to follow Cesar’s dog training video course.  The collar is around $ 40.  A great option though.

Dog training DVD courses have been proven to work better than just reading a book as you can actually watch the dog trainer in action, hearing how the voice is used to give commands and secondly seeing the body language which should be used.  Your dog watches you constantly and hears you second.

It was these advantages to dog training videos that prompted me to find out more information online with a view to finding a good dog training DVD course by a professional dog trainer.  I was quite surprised that most reviews online were for mainly ebooks with maybe just a short video included and most reviews I came across were written by people who had clearly never been near a dog and neither were the dog training videos or books written by a proper dog trainer!

I finally found a dog training DVD course through going into dog forums where I was given a personal recommendation from someone who had been using a dog training DVD course by a well-known professional dog trainer for 6 months and she had rescued her dog who sadly had been abused and needed to regain trust with people, which he did with the help of the training and of course, love and care.

Some research online about the dog trainer himself was very positive so I downloaded this Dog training DVD course – written by a long standing British professional dog trainer.  There are 21 dog training videos, and over five hours of an audio book which is also supplied as an ebook to print and download.  I also receive a newsletter regularly (plus all the previous newsletters) and can contact the trainer personally should I ever need.  The videos are of the professional dog trainer with real dogs and the method of training does not involve harming your dog or require any special, pricey equipment.

I was happy with the price of $ 59 for this complete dog training DVD course which covers everything from preparing to bring your pup home, house training and ongoing training covering each stage of your dog’s life.  Common dog obedience problems are also addressed in depth.  These simple dog training videos helped me sort out my jealous little westie’s naughtiness!

There was a time when negative dog training was often used. Rather than only rewarding the desired behavior, punishment was given for incorrect behavior. Canines are naturally inclined to work, and most have a strong desire to learn as a way to work for a reward. This is why positive obedience training with dog treats is a far better approach.

Human Training First

Believe it or not, much of dog training has nothing to do with the dog and everything to do with the human. How you react is vital to how quickly your pet will learn. If you are slow to reward dog treats after a major success, then your pet may not pick up on why he or she was being rewarded. On the other hand, if you reward too often, your pet may not feel the need to work as hard. Find an ideal balance between praise and dog treats. The food reward should be saved for significant advancements while praise and petting can be used for each small step achieved.

Be Patient Every Step of the Way

Remain completely patient and avoid reacting negatively out of frustration. If your pet doesnt seem to understand a step, never take it as a personal attack. Dogs are not vengeful, and as humans we are emotional. We often displace our own emotions by applying them to our pets. The reality is a dog that seems stubborn may not understand because you are moving too quickly. Take a break, gather more dog treats and start again.

If things have become frustrating, and your pet doesnt seem to get the command, it is time to take a few steps backwards. Return to more basic steps and see where your pet excels. Once he or she seems to be getting it, you can slowly progress again. Make a point to offer dog treats as you did the first time through, especially when steps that your pet didnt understand are successfully executed. Never push yourself and your pet forward when he or she is not making progress.

Avoid Fear and Aggression

Dog treats, praise and petting are the only tools you really need to tell your dog he or she is doing the right thing. Negative behavior should be replaced, not punished. Do not hit or yell at your dog if he or she does something wrong during training. This can cause your pet to fear you. He or she may not understand the behavior was incorrect. As far as they can tell, you randomly punished them. Continuing down this path can lead to aggression, should your pet feel the need to become defensive.

That is not to say if your pet does something wrong you should not react. Bad behavior should be immediately stopped by removing your pet from the source, accompanied by a firm, deep no. Many pet owners find that this method is extremely effective and far more desirable than hitting or other forms of punishment.

There are a lot of ways by which people learn about things; learning by reading books, by working under someone experienced, etc. There is another way to learn of which a very few people know about, and that method is to learn by the videos specially made to explain a particular fact. There are ways by which people understand things better so that they do not forget them, like a school student reads his book while he is walking, or some read in a quiet place, some who doesnt get the facts by reading may learn fast when they listen about the thing, but the best way to learn is to experience that particular thing so that everyone could get an exact picture. We all know that learning things practically is not possible in all the cases, so, there are some firms who have come up with an idea of making people learn by showing them the illustrative videos for anything.

These companies provide training for various purposes for example the negotiation skills training, or the management skills, communication skills, customer service skills, the assessment tools etc. several of the important topics are covered by these firms in order to ensure that their clients get everything they need! These firms makes most of their videos with the real life things, say for example if we take the ken blanchard training in this video, ken Blanchard has used the killer whales to show how to be more productive and how to achieve greater results and also to create such a working environment where everyone would like to work. Well, surely the killer whales have no relationship with creating a happier and highly productive working environment, but these videos proves that there is logic in everything and we can learn from everything. But it is just that we cannot understand until someone tells us. There is a great deal that we can learn from these videos.

We might or might not get these videos in our local market, but if we want to watch those videos than we can buy them on the internet. Most of these firms have their own websites so that they can reach customers from any part of the world. One only needs to search for the appropriate firm and then they can buy their videos online. It is believed that the best way to learn is through experience, but this cannot be possible in every case, so these videos will surely give a virtual experience so that we will learn well.

Puppy Potty Training 101
By: Cyd Oldham, Dog Behaviorist

Before you bring a puppy home, plan to take one or two weeks off of work, so you have uninterrupted time to focus on the puppy — and, in particular puppy potty training. Otherwise, it will take much longer to housebreak your pup.

Puppies learn new skills at different rates. It will take time for your puppy to develop a firm understanding of where it’s acceptable to potty and where it is not. It will take time for your pup to consistently understand that all of the house is the den, an area not to be soiled.

There are basically two methods to choose from when potty training your puppy.  Once you have chosen a method – stick to it so you don’t confuse your puppy.

Potty Pad Method:
Prepare a “Safe Room” for your puppy (many people use a laundry room or bathroom for this purpose) by covering the entire floor with potty pads except for the place where puppy’s bed or crate is placed.  Puppies will not soil their bed, so any place else puppy chooses to potty will be on a pad.  After several days remove one pad from the room.  The puppy will continue to use the potty pads to do his business.  Every day or two remove another pad until there is only one left.  This is a good method for people who must be gone from home for several hours, as puppy can learn to use the potty pad and finally be allowed out of the safe room with continued access to the room and his potty pad.

Outside Only Method:
You must spend time with your puppy for this to work.  Remember that dogs “poop” after they eat – so if you free feed your puppy (leave food down all day long) you will never know when he needs to go.  Feeding puppy 3 times a day is best.  As soon as he is finished eating, take puppy outside to the place you would like him to go potty and tell him “Go Potty,”  then wait for him.  When he goes, praise him heavily then take him back inside.  Puppies “pee” much more often – sometimes as often as every 30 minutes to an hour.  You will need to take your puppy outside to that same spot and tell him “Go Potty” very often, giving him a couple of minutes to go.  If he does, praise him heavily before returning to the house.  If he does not, take him back inside, but don’t wait the full time before taking him back outside again.  You might try taking him out again after 10-15 minutes.  Also, some puppies sniff around to find a “spot” before they potty in the house, some don’t.  Keep a close eye on your pup – if he has lost interest in what he was playing with and seems to be wandering aimlessly – He Needs to Potty. 

A very important tip – dogs never understand punishment after the fact.  When an accident happens, just chalk it up to your not watching puppy closely enough, clean it up, and move on.  “Rubbing his nose in it” accomplishes nothing except to make puppy afraid of you.

Karate lessons in Ashford with Karate Leadership UK

There are many benefits to taking karate lessons. Learning karate can give your life the lift that it needs it can help you to get fit, increase your self-confidence and help you to feel that little bit safer. There are mental and physical benefits to karate training for men, women and children, which can help every person to develop key life skills and boost their self-confidence.

The benefits of searching the internet for karate lessons

There are many advantages of searching online for karate classes. The internet provides a very convenient means of finding products and services in general, and there is more choice than ever to be found for those who have an interest in karate classes.

Although different people will learn karate at different paces, keep in mind that it is not a race. You will want to find a karate school that treats you as an individual, so that you will be encouraged to develop further from your existing level rather than be left behind.

Reasons to choose Karate Leadership UK for your Ashford karate lessons

At Karate Leadership UK youll find that they offer premium karate, kickboxing and martial arts. They believe in teaching the code that has underpinned the martial arts throughout their history – teaching values such as integrity, respect and self-control, which mean as much to the trainee as the actual physical skills themselves. As you begin your journey to a black belt qualification, they will help you to achieve the best possible mental attitude. All of the important principles are taught with the heart and soul of the original masters, albeit in a way that is engaging and modern.

So, if you are interesting in taking a karate class and making a big positive change in your life, why wait any longer? Just call a company like Karate Leadership UK today. If youre lucky, the company you decide to choose will offer free trial classes, which are useful whether you want to get fit, lose weight, or really achieve something in your life that you will be proud of.