Adopting a dog from an animal shelter is very rewarding for the new owner, as more and more dogs are put to sleep if they are unable to find a home after a certain length of time. You are rewarded in the way that you have saved a dogs life, and additionally rewarded the animal shelter by helping them feed and look after the other dogs, and also that they have managed to save a dogs life and find it a new loving home.

When you purchase one from a shelter, it should have had the necessary injections, be checked for diseases and parasites and the new owner should be informed of the dog’s temperament and past history. This should come as standard.

The dogs at a shelter are not always strays and abandoned dogs, but quite a high percentage are handed in by the dog’s owners, for many reasons. This is beneficial for the new dog’s owner as they have more information about its history, whereas abandoned or strays have no history.

New owners should be informed of the dog’s behavior with children, if it is a noisy dog, and also whether or not the dog needs training, and if so pointed in the right direction for a dog training school.

Animal shelters provide a valuable service to the community by helping to keep the streets free of abandoned pets, and are mainly funded by the public, but the majority is voluntary. Adopting a dog, not only saves the life of one dog, but also allows space for another off the streets, potentially saving another dog’s life in the future.

This author is a long time keeper of dogs, and has put together a very informative resource site on dog training that can be located at http://www.abc-dogtraining.info

Have you ever found it difficult to get your dog to do as it is told?
Well, today we’re going to show you how to train him the lazy way, and get results every time.

Our first task is to get the dog to pay attention to us.
How many times have you seen someone shout their dog’s name with absolutely no response?

So, say your dog’s name in a moderate voice without shouting, and if he looks at you say something like “Good!” as praise and reward him with a treat.
Repeat this a few times, but cutting out the treat on occasions.
We don’t want an overweight pooch who only does things for food.
When this exercise has been repeated successfully several times we can make it harder by getting the dog to pay attention for longer, maybe 15 seconds before praising and giving a reward.
If your dog approaches you in an effort to see where you are hiding any treats it’s best just to ignore him.

When we’ve mastered this we can try it in different locations and with different family members calling his name and commanding attention.
Just make sure that whoever is in control gives the praise and treat.

Calling your dog’s name and getting a response quickly and every time is the 1st stage in getting your dog to do almost anything, as once you have his attention you can move onto the next step in your dog’s training.
From feeding time to going out for walks use your dog’s name on every occasion, but remember to be sparing with the treats, and eventually try to cut them down to a minimum as a special reward.

Leonard Mutch makes it easy to train your dog successfully, quickly and easily. Learn the easy steps to dog training at his website, and subscribe to his regular dog training newsletter . Visit:
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In a collar and leash-based training program, the dog is taught a particular behavior with a leash. After the dog demonstrates that it understand the command, the leash is used to correct the dog if it disobeys or makes a mistake. The leash acts as a control and communication tool.

The ideal size for a training collar should fit snugly and comfortably over the dog’s head. It is important that the training collar not be too tight or too loose. A tight collar is difficult to put on and off while a loose collar may just fall off the dog’s head when it lowers its head.

The basic dog training collar is also known as choke collar, choke chain, training collar, correction collar and slip collar. These are the more popular collars used by both amateur and professional dog trainers.

The proper measurements

To get a properly fitted training collar, it is best to measure your dog’s neck with a tape measure. Make sure that that tape measure is not too tight around your dog’s neck. The training collar must fit snugly, but not too tight. Add 2 to 3 inches to that measurement. For example, if your dog’s neck is 10 inches in diameter, then get a training collar that is 12 inches in diameter.

Chain slip collars are usually sized in 2-inch increments. Most training collars come in even sizes. So if your dog’s neck is an odd number, you should round up to the next size. For example, if your dog has a 13-inch neck, you would buy a 14-inch collar, and so on.

It is also important that the pressure on the training collar can be instantly relieved when the leash is slackened. If you are unsure which collar to choose, ask a professional dog trainer or the staff at your local pet store.

The training collar must also be put on the dog the right way. Unlike a normal buckle collar, there is a right way and wrong way of putting on a training collar. Putting on the wrong way can make the collar ineffective or even dangerous.

Here are some considerations when choosing a training collar:

• Fit - It is essential that the training collar fits your dog properly. It will be easier to use and safer for your dog.

• Wear - Putting on a collar the wrong way is potentially dangerous and ineffective.

• Use - A training collar should be used as a sharp reminder and not a punishment. Remember not to place constant pressure when using a training collar.

• Weight & Size - The weight should be in proportion to your dog’s size and weight.

• Placement - It is important to properly place the collar on your dog. The collar must be place on the dog properly for it to be effective.

Temporary measures

It is also important to purchase a training collar that is well-made and strong. A high quality training collar is crucial to your dog and your safety. If your dog’s training collar ever breaks, do not panic. Most dogs are not aware that they have broken the collar for a few minutes. In most cases, just act as if the leash is still connected. This way, you can probably still get control of your dog quickly.

Like this article on dog training?
We have lots more FREE dog training tips, ebooks and resources at http://www.dogtrainingartist.com!

Naming the family puppy can be a difficult task. There are many resources to help out with ideas and brainstorming, but in the end, a name that really fits your dog is hard to find in a book. The Internet provides a wide variety of searchable databases with thousands of names for dogs and some even allow you to purchase products such as nametags directly through their site.

Internet websites providing lists of names for dogs can be very particular. There are amazing amounts of websites that have names for dogs that only would be suitable for a small number of dogs. For example, I have found sites that list only aristocratic names for dogs, Celtic names for dogs, French names for dogs, Japanese names for dogs, Irish names for dogs, and Native American names for dogs. The most common names for dogs are usually non-gender names. Websites listing names for dogs pertaining to male or female gender, as well as non-gender names are also very abundant. The Pet Net Bookstore offers a wide assortment of names for dogs and you can purchase books, etc, directly from their site.

There are several people who want to help out with this difficult family task, and they have created their own personal websites in an attempt to help you brainstorm. These sites are usually just a comprehensive list of names for dogs, but these can still be very helpful suggestions. Try surfing through geocities.com to find this type of website.

There are professional sites that have lots of suggestions too.

www.dog-names.com is a free and searchable database list of over 6000 popular names for dogs and their meaning. www.petnamesworld.com is a really cool site listing a lot of names of dogs- including ethnic names for dogs and puppies.

www.doggynames.com displays thousands of names for dogs and puppies in a searchable database that provides the meanings of the names as well.

www.puppy-names.com has lots of good suggestions for naming your new puppy.

Hillary Kuenn is an author with a psychology major who specializes in creative writing, based on Marketing Strategies. To read more of her articles please visit http://www.dogs-cats-pets.reviewplace.com

Training your dog well will make it a much better family companion, especially in households where there are young children. Many studies have shown that proper dog training makes a big impact when it comes to cutting down the number of dog bits and other behavior problems encountered by dog owning households.

When considering training your own dog, or having someone else help you train it, there are certain basic commands that must be mastered in order for a dog to be considered truly trained. These basic commands include:

• Heel - it is important that any dog learn to walk beside its owner on a loose lead, neither pulling ahead nor lagging behind.

• No - the word no is one word that all dogs must learn. Training your dog to respond to this important word can save you a ton of trouble.

• Sit - Training your dog to sit on command is a vital part of any dog training program.

• Stay - A well trained dog should remain where his or her owner commands, so stay is a very important command in dog training.

• Down - Lying down on command is more than just a cute trick; it is a key component of any successful dog training program.

Dog training does much more than just create an obedient, willing companion. Training your dog properly actually strengthens the bond that already exists between dog and handler. Dogs are pack animals, and they look to their pack leader to tell them what to do. The key to successful dog training is to set yourself up as that pack leader.

Establishing yourself as pack leader is a very important concept for any potential dog trainer to understand. There is only one leader in every pack of dogs, and the owner must establish him or herself as the dominant animal. Failure to do so leads to all manner of behavior problems.

A properly 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 behaviors.

Giving the dog a job 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, and this can often lead to boredom and neurotic behavior.

Basic obedience training, and ongoing training sessions, provide the dog with an important job to do. 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.

Incorporating playtime into your dog training sessions is a great way to prevent both yourself and your dog from becoming bored. Playing with your dog helps to strengthen the all important bond between you - the pack leader - and your dog.

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