Hold on… Are You buying Your first Pet Dog? Do you understand the responsiblities You have assume the moment you plan to buy a pup/dog. A dog can be a great addition to your family as long as you are all in it together. A dog needs lots of attention and training in order to be a joy instead of a pain. Also think of the type of dog you wish to get. It is important before making any more progress with your plans to be sure that everyone in family and even those people who work in house... more
It’s downright infuriating to look out the window and see Buddy digging another hole in the yard. You yell out the window; he may or may not even acknowledge he’s heard anything; then back to the digging. This dog behavior has got to stop. WHY DOGS DIG….. Did you ever stop to think WHY Buddy digs? (except to make you mad!). This is the real trick to figure out why he’s digging in the first place, the motivation behind the dog behavior. Then you can take dog training... more
We’ve always had dogs around ever since I was a kid, and even when our family was “between dogs” I adopted next door’s Boxer dog as my own. Despite this, as a family we didn’t have a clue how to correctly train a dog as long as it didn’t mess on the floor, chew up our slippers and finally came on the fifth yell of its name we thought things were just fine. Like many dog owners I didn’t know the first thing about training a dog. Well, we think we... more
If you own, or are thinking about owning a dog there are some things you will need to know about Dog Behavior if you are going to have a great relationship in the future. Most experts recommend some kind of formal training. Your dog is still an animal at heart and in order for you to have the best relationship possible you will need to not only understand how your furry friend views what goes on in your house, but also look into what causes some of the responses in your dogs… Dogs... more
[This article is the first in a 3-part series about changing dog behavior using positive dog training methods.] Be a leader, a dog will follow. Hum, what does that mean?! Simply put, if you lead the pack, your dog will follow you to the ends of the earth. Some basic and easy adjustments in your dog training routine can result in huge changes in dog behavior. The simple truth is…dog behavior is a result of human behavior. That is, your dog reacts to you. If you take the time to teach... more
Every dog owner must eventually deal with some unwanted behaviors on the part of their four legged companions. Some of the most frequently encountered training problems with puppies and dogs alike are jumping on people and performing those amazing feats of escape. Jumping up on people Jumping up on people can be a cute trick for puppies, but it quickly becomes a problem behavior as the dog gets older, larger and heavier. A very heavy dog can easily knock a child or even a small adult of... more
With so many dog trainers out there, it can be hard trying to choose the best one for your dog. Trying to determine which dog trainer is the best qualified to train your dog can be a difficult task. The American Dog Trainers Network recommends the following criteria for choosing a dog trainer for your dog: Reputation: Recommendations from your vet, other reputable trainers, friends that have had their dogs trained, etc. can help a lot in deciding which trainer to go with. Experience: You... more
When you bring home that adorable puppy her dog behavior is so cute. She puts her feet up on you to get your attention, jumps in your lap, jumps up and down on her hind legs begging to be picked up. And what do you do? You reinforce all those dog behaviors. Give her attention, pick her up, make sure she’s comfortable on your lap. Then, lo and behold, she grows from 15 pounds to 75 pounds and is still jumping on you. That cute puppy behavior is now bad dog behavior. In fact, it’s... more
Eating is one of the most primal activities for dogs. They love it, and they have respect for whoever gives them food (the leader in the pack). You can use your “power” of being pack leader to enhance your dog training efforts — every day. The following suggestions will help you establish your role as pack leader and reinforce dog obedience, deferment to your leadership, dog training techniques, and overall attitude and disposition (yours and your dogs). 1. CONSISTENCY A... more