If you are having behavioral issues with your dog that you cannot seem to resolve on your own, getting professional help is an excellent idea. However, there are two different kinds of professionals that can help you with your situation: a Dog Training School, and an Animal Behavior Specialist. Which one is right for you and your pet?

The answer to this question lies in whether or not the behavior that the dog is exhibiting is normal, or explainable. For instance, if a dog is threatened in a violent manner (horrible to think about, but it does happen), then it would be appropriate for the dog to bite in retaliation. However, if a dog starts biting you after you feed him a treat, this isn’t as easily explained. In this second situation, you’d want to access an Animal Behavior Specialist to get some help, instead of one of the many readily available Dog Training Schools.

Most behavioral issues with dogs are related to pet owners who aren’t aware as to how to manage their dogs. For instance, jumping on people or things, pulling on their leash, not listening or responding to commands or eliminating in the home are all management issues. These can normally be treated with obedience training through a Dog Training School.

Dog Training Schools are usually staffed with professionals who have received formalized training in the field of animal behavior modification. The methods used in these programs teach you how to think like your dog, and communicate with each other better. They also help your dog to understand his place, what is expected of him, and how to stop negative behaviors, and replace them with positive ones.

If any of these behaviors are apparent in your dog, are causing a problem in your home, you’ll need to contact a Dog Training School as soon as you are able, in order to start the training process quickly. These Dog Training Schools can correct behavior in as little as a couple of weeks.

Animal Behaviorists are professionally trained as well, but rather academically rather than vocationally. Their training normally includes some sort of graduate work in psychology, biology, chemistry, neurology, zoology and the like. They will also have specialized training in the types of animals they work with. These professionals are equipped to deal with the more serious of the behavioral issues in a pooch, such as aggression, fears, anxiety or compulsions.

After reading this article, choosing the proper professional to help you help your pet shouldn’t be terribly difficult. Now all you need to do is find an appropriate person; ask friends, people who work at the local pet store and your vet for recommendations. Soon the negative behavior will only be a memory in your loved one.

(c) 2005 dog-training-info.com. This article may be republished as long as these bylines are included. Kevin Simmons is the webmaster of http://www.dog-training-info.com. Please visit the site for more free dog training articles. Online URL for this article: http://www.dog-training-info.com/dog-training-school.htm

As with every training tool used to modify a behavior in your pet, electronic dog training collars need to be used correctly in order to be effective.

Some dog owners buy an electronic dog training collar because their pooch doesn’t follow orders consistently, or at all. As soon as they get home, they strap it on, expecting some sort of miracle. And when doggie decides to do something special, like growl at another dog, his owner zaps the animal.

However, with no conditioning, the dog won’t know what to do, and will immediately be scared. What he’ll learn from this process is not to stop growling, but instead, how to avoid the pain. Quickly he’ll figure out one of probably three different methods of avoidance:

• RUN as far and as fast as he can, until the zapping stops;

• FREEZE and do nothing until the zapping stops; or

• FIND his owner.

None of these three responses to the electronic dog training collar, however, teach the dog anything new. If anything, they reinforce more bad behavior: if he RUNS, or FREEZES, he learns an avoidance technique of the pain, but doesn’t change the behavior, or he FINDS his owner, and starts to associate safety with the owner’s presence, and loses his independence.

This article will detail the proper ways to modify your dog’s behavior using an electronic dog training collar, so that you don’t encounter these frustrating mishaps.

Learn the Proper Command

Before you start using an electronic dog training collar, your dog must first understand what is being asked of him. There are no shortcuts during this step, and it can take longer or shorter depending on your dog’s temperament, breed, and time allotted. Be patient.

At this stage, the only thing that needs to be done is to show the dog what you want them to do, along with constantly repeating the action. So, if you want your dog to kneel, you would show the dog what kneeling is, and say, “Kneel, kneel, kneel.”

This stage is NOT a punishment stage, so no disciplinary action should be taken. Just work with your dog a lot until he understands what you are trying to tell him, and associates the word with the action.

Once this has been achieved, now is the time to test your electronic dog training collar. Find out at what level your dog responds to, and do NOT use a level higher than that. Watch your dog carefully during this testing phase; he should not be in pain, yelp or get scared, he should only be mildly uncomfortable.

Now you are ready to try all of what you’ve learned, together. Before you ask your dog to kneel, push turn on the electronic dog collar. Then, immediately say, “Kneel,” until your dog responds. After a couple of tries over an extended period of time, your dog will start responding to the command faster than he does the stimulation. Soon, you’ll only be using the electronic dog collar to remind your dog to listen to your “Kneel” command, instead of using it each time.

(c) 2005 dog-training-info.com. This article may be republished as long as these bylines are included.

Kevin Simmons is the webmaster of http://www.dog-training-info.com. Please visit the site for more free dog training articles. Online URL for this article: http://www.dog-training-info.com/dog-training-collar.htm

Is your dog one of those that pulls at his leash constantly whenever there is a distraction? A child walks by, or he sees another dog? If a cat or small animal scoots by, or if a car wooshes in front of him, does he tug to get closer? Is he hard to manage while visiting the vet, or when you have visitors?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then your dog training needs to include self-control measures. A child is taught similar things when they are growing up (don’t put your hand on the stove, or you can’t have a cookie unless you ask, first), a dog requires the same kind of love and attention, too. Just as you would teach a dog how to sit, speak, come when called or stop, you also need to provide dog training related to self-control.

A few simple guidelines are all that are required for owners to follow. Join me here as I briefly discuss them.

Teach Commands, Not Actions

When your dog lunges at something, instead of pulling tight on their leash to get them to stop, you should instead be telling them what to do in a firm voice. Tugging, even lightly on their leash only tells a dog who the master is, but not what behavior he should be exhibiting. Use this time constructively to practice commands that are appropriate in the situation, instead.

Treat Your Dog like a Friend

Realize that sometimes, your dog just won’t be able to do what you ask him to do, just like a good friend can’t sometimes as well. Dog training shouldn’t be about who is in charge, but instead about compromise and taking variables into account as required. So don’t ask your dog to sit still if he is truly excited about something - ask him instead to sit quietly.

Show Doggy How

Unless you show, or tell, your dog how to react, he won’t know how. Instead, he’ll do what he always does, which is pull and tug at his leash. Give him positive ways in which to respond to every tempting situation, and with some guidance he’ll be able to do what’s right.

Speak On His Terms

When you raise your voice or talk sharply, a dog hears this tone as being excited, similar to barking. It reinforces his already excited behavior, and gives him the idea that you are excited too, so it should be okay! Instead, use your dog training to speak softly and in quiet tones to get your dog to calm down, and he’ll realize soon enough it’s not appropriate behavior for the situation.

(c) 2005 dog-training-info.com. This article may be republished as long as these bylines are included. Kevin Simmons is the webmaster of http://www.dog-training-info.com. Please visit the site for more free dog training articles.

Many pet owners don’t like using a leash, for a wide variety of reasons: “My dog stays right next to me.” “He pulls the leash too much.” “My dog wants to explore on his own terms.” “I feel like a leash restricts my dog, and I don’t believe in that.”

However, in order to keep your dog safe, you require control of your pet. Your dog also needs to know this, to ensure he’s aware who the boss is. And, once you train your dog to not pull on his leash, or other bothersome behaviors (take a course through a local dog obedience school), you’ll figure out just how fantastic dog leash training really is.

A dog that doesn’t have any boundaries, such as a leash and an owner, doesn’t realize that others have boundaries that he is required to respect. Proper dog leash training will show your pet what is expected of him at all times, no matter what is thrown at him. You cannot control if another dog attacks your pet, runs out into traffic, gets distracted by a wild animal or is so excited that he’s not paying attention to his surroundings if your dog is unleashed. But with some dog leash training and a few commands he recognizes, you’ll have the utmost of control in almost any situation.

Essentially, you are teaching your dog respect with a leash. And this training requires frequent, consistent, and appropriately timed positive reinforcement. Without a leash, this is pretty difficult.

If your dog, for instance, doesn’t respond well to the command, ‘Come’, then using a leash can help with this skill tremendously. Try it the next time you go for a walk. Put the leash on your dog, and go for a leisurely walk where you know he’ll be tempted to do something he’s not supposed to. When he does it, gently say, “Come”. If he does not respond right away, use the leash (once again, gently - you don’t want to choke or otherwise hurt your dog!) to tell him what is expected of him, while saying the word, “Come” again. Repeat this until your dog comes to you, and then praise him instantly.

Do this consistently over a couple of days, and you’ll notice just how much easier it gets each time. Soon, you won’t even need to remind your dog of your command with the leash - he’ll just respond appropriately and immediately, and you’ll praise him just the same.

Learning how to control your animal using dog leash training is an important respect lesson for both of you, and should be used regularly to achieve the highest results.

(c) 2005 dog-training-info.com. This article may be republished as long as these bylines are included.

Kevin Simmons is the webmaster of http://www.dog-training-info.com. Please visit the site for more free dog training articles. Online URL for this article: http://www.dog-training-info.com/dog-leash-training.htm

Making sure that accidents don’t happen in the first place is the focus of this article about dog house training. Training is far easier and faster then getting upset with your dog every time they eliminate in an inappropriate place. The methods discussed in this article are effective for both puppies and older dogs that are new to living inside.

First of all, you’ll need to purchase a crate for your pet. Talk to someone at the pet store to get an idea as to what size you’ll need, as it will depend on the breed, temperament and size of the animal. And don’t think of this crate as being a punishment, even before you bring it into the house. Instead, think of it as your dog’s special resting place when you are unable to protect your house or furniture from his temporary inability to control his bladder. Since dogs don’t like to eliminate where the rest or sleep, this is an effective, easy way of training.

Put the crate in an area that isn’t far away from the action in your household. The purpose here isn’t to segregate your dog into a separate living space, but rather to use the dog house training methods to teach them the appropriate place to take care of business.

Your animal may not like the crate at first, and this is normal. However, don’t reward negative behavior by letting him out when he whines, giving him treats to keep him quiet, or spending time with him when he’s barking or being boisterous. Alternatively, you MUST reward good behavior with affection, food or some other treat as soon as the behavior is displayed.

The first night that your new dog spends in your home, take him outside before he even gets into your home. Play with him there until he decides to go to the bathroom. When he does, reward him instantly. Then, play with him for a bit, and place him in his crate. This dog house training plan should include taking him outside every two hours (or more), since you don’t know his schedule, yet.

On the topic of schedules, now is the time to start keeping one. Make a list of every time your dog eats, goes to the bathroom, and sleeps. A pattern should develop, and once it does, make a note of it on your dog house training schedule. We’ll go more into this in a bit.

The first couple of nights, tuck your puppy into the crate, and go to bed. If he cries, take him outside for a potty break, gently support and encourage him, and then put him back in the crate. Within a couple of days, puppies should be sleeping through the night on their own.

Once you’ve figured out your puppy’s schedule, adhere to it. Most likely your dog has to go to the bathroom as soon as he gets up, so make sure to take him outside before you do almost anything else. Then, you can leave him out until about an hour before he normally has to go again. Then place him back in his crate, and take him out at the scheduled time. Do this until there are no accidents (and if there are, make sure to add that time to the daily crate list). Slowly, you can cut down this time until you no longer need to crate your animal. In total, this should take a couple of weeks, at maximum to finish this dog house training.

(c) 2005 dog-training-info.com. This article may be republished as long as these bylines are included.

Kevin Simmons is the webmaster of http://www.dog-training-info.com. Please visit the site for more free dog training articles. Online URL for this article: http://www.dog-training-info.com/dog-house-training.htm