Dog Health Questions: Guard dog training help?

how do i train a dog to protect my home
i have had my dog for a year now he can do the basic commands ( sit, down, come, paw,ect)
I was up stairs today and my friend walked through my front door and my dog waggged his tail and jumped around.
The dog has only ever meet my friend once for 5 mins in the past.
why did he not bark ?
i thought dogs were meant to protect there home and there owners
he is a staffy cross

Are You Selecting the Right Dog Training Treat For Your Dog?

Recommended Answer:
You wont be able to make a guard dog out of a staffy.

They see the world thru rose coloured glasses.

Maybe invest in a good alarm system and get a better lock for your door!

Because even a robber is a visitor coming to play with them.

Take care.XAdd On; My dog Rocco is the same. He 'talks' to people walking past us in the street. He smiles at everyone. They are more likely to lick a burgular to death than ward them off.

Electronic Dog Training Collar

• Well, I can only go from personal experience, but dogs tend to react to a person on how you react to someone. Because you knew the person that walked through the door, you body language was relaxed and so your dog realised that the friend posed no threat.
  If, however, you had seemed fearful or shocked when they walked in, it is quite likely that you dog would have become defensive. I wouldn't recomend trying to train your dog to become more aggressive towards strangers because you could end up with an overly aggressive and nervous dog. Just trust that you dog will protect you when the time comes. I should know because my normally friendly, and very licky, dog scared away an intruder in my garden only a few months ago.


• You should do a test with somone (preferably someone your dog has not met) knocking at your door or ringing the doorbell. See if he barks. More than likely, he will.
  
  It could be that your dog smelled the friend and remembered (dogs are amazing that way). If someone rings the front door (even people they know), they go ape-spit barking.
  
  Dogs are by nature territorial. I would guess that if someone broke into your home at night, your dog would give you good warning. Just experiment with strangers or even with your friend knocking as if he/se were a stranger.
  
  Also, remember that unless you have a specific breed and have been training in protective maneuvers, most dogs aren't really going to 'protect' your home...they are best served to warn you if anyone comes in or near. I can attest that although my lab and pitbull mix dogs are very menacing when the door rings, they would rather probably just play with whomever came through if he/she acted normal.


• I say congrats on having a friendly, well socialized dog. :)
  
  get an alarm if you want to keep intruders out, because all a staffy will do is lick them to death! my dogs bark if somebody knocks on the door. maybe get a 2nd dog like a terrier? something that will just bark to alert you to somebody but also be well socialized and friendly is what you want. you don't want a dog that will actually attack. just a bark at the front door is more than enough.


• He is keying off your body language. Your body langauge said this is my friend and therefore your dog went this person is okay. Five minute is enough for dog to remember that this person is okay. if you had reacted differently your dog woudl have reacted differently. That my guess anyways.


• If you want a barker. Get a small hyper dog ie terrier,or chi-wa-wa.If you want a biteing dog go for Akita,or pit bull (then make sure your lawyer is on spead dial).


• get a german shepherd.


• Even in a five minute visit your dog would learn that your friend is not an enemy.
  
  You are doing all the right things with your dog so far. This is evident because he met your friend with gentleness. Dogs are naturally protective of their territories and owners. Trust your dog to sense when there is an intruder or danger. Any dog. large or small will protect their owner in whatever way they can if the need arises.
  
  I have seen far too many dogs destroyed by owners that want a more protective pet. I'm relieved that if you keep up the positive training, yours will not be one more :).
  
  I would like to add that if you would like your dog to act as an early warning system, you can teach him to bark each time the door is opened or knocked on. It would be similar to down and stay teaching. You will need a friend for this who will come to the door. Get your dog barking in any way that works such as playing, have your friend walk in the door at the same time and reward your dog immediately. Be consistent and he will bark without the rewards once he realizes that that behaviour makes you happy. You will still have a wonderful family pet that will not become aggressive unnecessarily.
  
  If more staffy owners were as responsible as you , they would not have the reputation they have received due to inexperienced owners.


• If you indicated to your dog that this was a friend, then your dog would consider the person to be a friend and would not bark unless the dog sensed ill intent on the part of your friend. Had a stranger whom your dog had never met walked in, I am sure he would have barked.
  
  Your problem is not your dog. your problem is your friend, who is RUDE! It's highly inappropriate for anyone to just walk into someone else's home without knocking, ringing the bell and waiting for the owner to come open the door.
  
  You need to LOCK your front door and tell your "friend" that you don't like people just walking in, no matter WHO they are.
  
  You don't need a staffy to have a dog who will protect your home. ALL dogs protect their home and owner. The longer the dog is with you, and the stronger your bonds to the dog, the stronger the dog's instinct to protect you and home become.
  
  I agree with SC!!! And she's right. A terrier would probably bark at everyone at the door.
  
  But, if you want a dog that threatens everyone at your door, and everyone you pass on the street, please get a lot of insurance to cover the cost of your dog attacking people. I won't tell you how to make your dog vicious but if you're so misinformed that this is the only way to have a dog that protects you, then that's what you are looking for... a vicious dog... because that's what you may get if you insist on a dog that barks at everyone you pass or who comes to your home. A GOOD guardian dog will be friendly to good people, and only go into protection mode when you are actually seriously threatened.
  
  I think you're totally confused as to what a person needs in the way of a good guard dog, and what a good guard dog who's also a GOOD dog should do. You need to educate yourself on proper actions of a good guard dog. Take your dog to obedience class and ask the trainer to teach you what a good guard dog should do -!-

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: What are the different types of dog training tools?

I'm going to be getting a 10 month old husky mix this coming up weekend. I've owned several huskies in the past and absolutely love these dogs. Before I have effectively been able to use a pinch collar to teach them to not pull my arm off when walking. I'm interested in learning what other types of training tools are out there and how effective they are compared to the pinch collar.

The only type of tool I won't use is any sort of harness because I'm hoping to teach him to Skijor so he needs to retain his drive to pull, just not when we're walking on a leash.

Top Three Problems Solved by a Secret to Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
Even if you have experience with dogs, it's always best to seek a professionals help when using a new tool. Any new tool (or old tool) can cause damage to a dog if not used correctly.

I've tried several available tools and only found one to really be effective when dealing with pulling/lunging (of course, it was used at the discretion of my trainer and along with proper training techniques.)

Here's a list of the tools i've used and what i found out about them with MY dog:

1) Head Halter: Not effective in the sense that it made my dog MORE frustrated when working around other dogs. Instead of dealing or correcting the excited behavior, it turned her away from the dog and that made her throw a tantrum. Every single time we used it, she threw a big one and ended up worse off. In terms of pulling it helped, but when she wanted to go somewhere she stiffened her head/neck and went on pulling.

2) Harness: Traditional harnesses encourage pulling. The no pull ones that make it uncomfortable just made her walk on her hind legs when she wanted to go. The ones that snapped in the front made her walk sideways, and eventually she managed to pull OUT of them.

3) Pinch (slip) collar: She pulled too much (too constant) for me to safely or effectively correct the behavior.

4) Prong collar: This one worked. She stopped the behavior VERY quickly after a correction and i was able to return her focus to me. I have since STOPPED using it because she got the point very quickly.

Note: I used tools because her behavior would get bad enough that a treat and simply Positive reward training would not get her attention OR the behavior i wanted. I was advised by a trainer.

Dogs respond to different tools in different ways. Some could respond well to the Head Halter even though my dog did not. Others could be too timid or fearful for a Prong collar. It's best to consult with a professional to figure out which tools are needed, if they even are. It's best if NO tools are needed at all because removal of the tool could mean recurrence of the behavior. Secrets to Dog Training, by Dog Trainer Expert, Daniel Stevens. It's a terrific book on how to train dog.

http://kingdom-of-dog.blogspot.com/

Dog Training - How to Handle Outdoor Dog Training

• My tall & very muscular male Dobermann would pull on the way to the park/castle/nature reserve, so I purchased a prong collar. I agree with Unstoppable that the collar is only as effective as the handler using it.
  
  When the dog attempts to forge ahead, a quick check then immediate release of the collar, when the dog walks to heel praise. As a training tool it was excellent, as my Dobe responded instantly to the correction & now walks to heel in a flat leather collar.
  
  I use a strong cotton/metal half check on my other Dobermann. Again it is effective if used correctly.


• I use a cloth slip collar or any regular buckle cloth or leather collar. Place the collar on the dogs neck close to the jaw, as opposed to it being close to the dog's body. Gently pull the leash straight up from the dog, leaving no slack. This will require the dog to remain close to you, in the healing position. The dog will not pull because of the collar placement.


• The delmar smith command lead works amazingly well. I've had dogs that could pull a sled with a pinch collar learn to lead with one of them. Definitely recommended.


• WHY...er,HOW ...can you imagine that a TOOL does anything?
  It's the HUMAN using it that matters!
  
  You had success w/a prong collar? USE IT AGAIN!.

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Disturbed dog training/.Bad habits?

She was deserted on the dessert when very young.She is a loveable dog.,She acts like she was mistreated.

How to Incorporate Dog Training Into Dog Play and Exercise!

Recommended Answer:
Do you need help training? GO to www.dogproblems.com and get a subscription. It's amazing.

Dog Training Tricks - Cool Dog Tricks To Teach Your Dog

• I am not sure what your question is here. Are you asking for help with behavior or are you asking if her history is causing her behavior.

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Good Afternoon DS: Dog training question?

Do you think its imperative for any good trainer to at least consider the possibility of using different tools, depending on the dog that they train?

Especially for the all positive crowd, do you think that EVERY single dog can be trained w/o some sort of a physical correction?

I met a lady for lunch who claims to be a "certified dog trainer"....she stated that she will NOT use anything but positive reinforcement when training other people's dogs. That statement completely turned me off against using her as a trainer....shouldnt you at least acknowledge that other methods exist and that they might be necessary for certain situations/dogs?

LEGIT: Will everyone hug a bunny this Sunday? :)

Are You Selecting the Right Dog Training Treat For Your Dog?

Recommended Answer:
I'm with you.

There is no ONE way to train every dog.

I've never been a fan of 100% positive reinforcement training, BUT I acknowledge it DOES work on some dogs. For example, I have a now 15 year old German Shorthair Pointer. Before I got her, someone had beat the crap out of her. She was about 2 years old, but only 30lbs. She is now old and kind of frail and still weighs 62lbs. She cowered at quick movements, yelped if someone had a broom, and hid in the bedroom if a man she didn't know came over. For training, she required much more of a positive approach than I was used to using....BUT I had to adapt for the dog. so she ended up getting some kind of mixture, but it worked.

LEGIT: Stupid bunny means I need to go shopping for basket fillers for the kids. I still have Halloween candy in my house. Boo.

Are You Selecting the Right Dog Training Treat For Your Dog?

• You use the tool, any tool you have to in order to accomplish your goal, that is your job as a trainer.
  Refusal to use anything it takes means that you are not yourself secure in your training abilities and/or you have emotional issues.
  Personally, I dont have several years to train a dog, I dont have the temperament needed to sit and wait and play games and pretend the dog is "thinking" as its cycling through its tricks trying to get that food from my hand.
  So, be it a plain choker, a prong, an E collar or an atomic bomb, whatever it takes to get the dog to learn, so be it.
  
  Nope, no hugging bunnies...I am not religious!!


• I am a certified dog trainer and I ONLY use positive reinforcement and anybody who doesn't think that method works on every dog let me know and I will prove it wrong. There are different methods to every method. So saying they only use positive reinforcement is in itself saying I use different tools under one big category. So, before all you people call me close minded think about that and stop living in ignorance and learn a bit more you are really the close minded idiots who made your belief before educating yourself.


• Yes! I often frequent a dog nutrition forum and the majority of the members are for all positive reinforcement. They claim that using a prong collar can damage your dog's "psyche" and anyone who mentions negative reinforcement is immediately jumped on. A couple of them are trainers, but I would never consider them. They are some of most close minded people I've ever come across. The ones that train with a mixture of positive and negative are much more open minded.
  
  Legit - Nope, not religious. I do like Peeps and bunnies, though!


• Having trained horses professionally for the last 25+ years I can tell you that to be effective as a trainer one must constantly be willing to adapt to each animal.
  
  I do not believe in the pure positive garbage. Dogs need to know there are consequences that are more severe then not getting a cookie.
  
  The method I use to train dogs adapts to each dog, in that you would not give a Rottweiler the same type of correction you would give a Collie.
  
  LG: My ranch is full of bunnies. My husband wanted to know why we had day bunnies and night bunnies, as he believed all bunnies were night bunnies. I tell them the union bunnies get to be out during the day, they got that in their collective bargaining agreement.


• When I was actively training I used behavior modification of the individual dog. What works for one dog may not work for another. So one has to be aware of the different correctional tools for the individual dog. & yes many times you have to fall back to method training.
  
  All corrections are leash corrections, never a hand laid on the dog. Lavish praise. What ever works for the individual dog. The only hand correction is for a redirected bite while dog is being agitated. Pent up aggression will redirect.
  
  Basic to Advanced obedience is strictly leash corrections.


• I agree with you. While I usually support positive training and attempt it first with my dogs, sometimes one has to use what works with the individual dog. That "certified dog trainer" needs to open their mind to all training methods.
  
  LEGIT: I will not be hugging any bunnies anytime soon -laughs- they are adorable and all, but I like to look at them from a distance. Those teeth, they scare me.


• I agree with you. I am not a certified trainer but I am working to be and I work with in everyday. We have 3 dobermans and every one of them gets a little different technique to go with their personality. I have one that I would dare someone to strictly use positive reinforcement. He would be a monster! Then another that is very light and docile so I do believe it depends on the dog.


• different dogs different personalities and issues yeah i agree that at some point you have to change to work with the dog.
  
  i am for positive reinforcement but certainly understand that there are some dogs that simply won't work on.
  
  people can whine and cry about training collars martingales, prongs and chokes until the day they die yes with some dogs it's overkill with others it is the only thing that will work.


• I have been MIA the last few days...
  
  If someone refuses to use certain methods - they are not the trainer for me.
  A good trainer will have methods for each individual dog with a well-rounded "training philosophy".
  
  Legit: I'm Catholic...so Easter will be celebrated in my family.
  I would be lying if I told you if there was a bunny in my midst I wouldn't hug it LOL.
  I even hug Quattro sometimes...WHAT UP NOW???? lmao


• I hear ya. I'd walk away from a trainer that said that too. Then again, the kind of dogs I work with are usually large and powerful dogs, not little guys that can be easily controlled with in all situations with a buckle collar and treats. I think EVERY dog trainer should understand and know how to use all the tools available in a proper way.


• It is funny. I was originally trained to use ''Bad dog!''. As more positive methods became the norm, it is now ''Ah, ah. ah!'' and offer a chew.


• I think a good trainer should adapt for every dog they train weither it be different tool or methods. And yes I will be hugging a bunny this sunday.


• You are 100% right. No one method works for EVERY dog. I wouldn't use anyone with such a closed mind (although I would LOVE to turn her loose with my headstrong GSD and watch her suffer, lol)


• I had the opportunity this weekend to see the written guidelines for an all-positive trainer. She basically will not take any dog that has problems, especially aggression.
  
  I actually called a trainer that does marker training when I was having so many problems with my Lab mix. I thought maybe he would have some ideas for a different approach, but I never heard back from him. I bought a marker training video, but after watching it I could see that it was not appropriate for my dog, and ended up fixing the problems myself with a prong and e-collar.
  
  I don't doubt that there are dogs that would do well with all positive methods.....fearful dogs, for example, but you know the old adage...."one size does NOT fit all". :o)
  ****
  Oh...missed the bunny part. Rabbits are pests, and are not welcome at my house. Especially the one that got up under my hood of my car while it was parked in the driveway and chewed through the wiring. No hugging here. :o)


• I use all clicker training/positive reinforcement with my puppy, but I don't see anything wrong with physical correction with tools like prong collars. Each dog is different, and requires a different approach. My dog is very sensitive, and yelps if she is scolded or given a physical correction, but I have met MANY dogs that are way to head-strong to use JUST positive reinforcement and need discipline too. I hate choke chains, because I have seen time and time again that they don't work well, because people do not know how to use them properly. I used a prong collar for a couple of weeks on Luna, but it just wasn't the right tool for HER. She would walk perfectly with it on, and never pull, but the second that we took it off, she would pull very hard, so I'm working on her to walk well on a leash using just clicker training. It is a VERY slow process, but I think in the end, it will last longer. Lol, I don't trust anyone who says they are a "certified dog trainer"! A certificate doesn't mean they are a good dog trainer! A dog trainer comes from experience and knowledge, not a piece of paper :)
  
  I will make sure to go to the pet store on Sunday and hug a bunny :D


• My opinions -
  Absolutely we should consider different tools. If one doesn't work after really, properly trying it, of course, try something that will work. And learn how to use the tools right, and give it a fighting chance.
  
  Especially for the all positive crowd .... Are there any all positive trainers even here on DS?
  But to your point, if we agree that different tools should be tried, would that include all positive as a tool? Or is that a method?
  
  All I know is that I wouldn't have the patience to do all positive. Dogs speak dog .. and dogs aren't purely positive, they correct each other all the time, it works for them, so it really doesn't make sense to me. Bunnies ... yum. The back legs are meatiest.


• I use positive methods but I'm not a purely positive trainer. Never have been, never will be. I use any method or any tool that will work for me.
  
  I love arguing with people like these. I can usually get them to slink off with their little tails between their legs. My questions usually have something to do with consequences which are corrections. It goes something like this:
  ME so you're a positive trainer
  IDIOT yes I have a degree in so and so dog academy.
  ME so you use no corrections?
  IDIOT no corrections are cruel
  ME so you don't use a collar pull
  IDIOT no
  ME the verbal correction no?
  IDIOT no
  ME do you use positioning?
  IDIOT no
  ME do you use blocking and behavior
  IDIOT what do you mean?
  ME lets say you catch your dog stealing food from the counter. What do you do?
  IDIOT I remove his feet from the counter and tell him to get off.
  ME isn't that a correction by positioning as well as a verbal correction?
  IDIOT ummmm a a a ummmmmm
  ME how do you keep the dog from getting on the counter again?
  IDIOT I pull him back when he tries to get on the counter again
  ME isn't that a collar pull correction?
  IDIOT ummmm a a a ?
  IDIOT I prevent him from jumping on the counter by getting in his way yeah yeah that's how I do it
  ME Isn't that blocking which is also a correction?
  
  By the time I'm done with these people I have their heads spinning. It gets even better when I start adding negative punishment, negative reinforcement, counter conditioning, redirection, rate of reinforcement, etc. I can baffle them with BS everytime they try and get me. Yes I love talking to idiots.
  
  As far as bunnies: They look mighty good on my plate lightly breaded and next to the mashed potatoes and corn.


• Well I used to use the old methods and I do acknowledge that they exist and that probably 95% of all the dog trainers and owners use these methods still, so I know all about them. With that said about 5 years ago I started or better yet saw the light and learnt about positive reinforcement type training and I know it works. I try to always come up with a better way a positive way and for the most part I would consider myself a positive dog trainer now. I am not perfect but I know being positive works 100% better. I wish I could show you I wish you could see what I have done with dogs using positive methods if you could I really think you would start believing also.
  
  Look I see dogs that have issues all the time and the reason these dogs are out there is the owners just didn't train them when the problems started or they used force based training and really messed the dogs up. So can positive reinforcement work with these dogs well to be honest some dogs are to badly ruined and no methods will work. These are the dogs that get euthanized over and over sad that no one will show the link between how they where raised and trained.
  So your question is do I think it is imperative? No I don't 5 years ago I would of said yes but now No! Positive training methods are better all day long I saw the science behind it and I am learning free shaping and positive reinforcement you should too.
  
  Sorry no hugging this weekend I have better plans.You say the trainer was closed minded well if she just started last week then maybe but do you think it is possible that she now knows a better way and couldn't be bothered with going back in time and methods? The old methods and the positive methods don't really work well together at all. Look if you wont buy into the positive training methods thats too bad, I still say you should of given them a good old college try I have never seen a dog get worse because of positive reinforcement.


• I hate the term "all positive" but I will agree that I won't use an e-collar, prong collar, etc in training ANY dog. Although the need for this may occur in a very small handful of cases, it is such a tiny fraction that I won't have the expertise to use it, and would refer to someone who does, for that particular issue, once I have established that it was truly necessary and done other essential training with the dog. I basically follow Bob Bailey's guidelines for the use of punishment
  
  The article is thought provoking, and comes from a lot of experience training a wide variety of animals (including dogs) for commercial and government purposes where reliability was extremely important, and can be read here:
  http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles…
  
  I have excerpted a paragraph that gives a general summary:
  
  My personal view is that virtually all animal training would profit from the use of positive reinforcement. There are a very few circumstances in animal training where the addition of punishment is, in my opinion, extremely worthwhile, and possibly essential. There are a few more situations where adding punishment would likely be very useful. In those rare circumstances where punishment offers potential benefit, it is always to stop some behavior that could cause harm to the animal, a human, or damage or destroy property. In my opinion, and just as examples, this would exclude the use of positive punishment in the training of sport or obedience training and severely restrict punishment in the training of service dogs.
  
  Back to me:
  
  In short, if I am going to use positive punishment (the application of an aversive) I am going to do it in such a way that it is not associated with me or my presence, and is only necessary a scant handful of times. Properly timed and applied punishment should only need to be done 1-5 times to eliminate the behavior. If I am having to do it more, I should be looking at what else is going on. In many cases, positive reinforcement is coming from the environment, rather than from the trainer, and that needs to be reversed.
  
  The caveat with training without using physical corrections is that it does take a different mind set, and a different skill set. It is not simply doing the same thing you did when you trained with corrections, and then not correcting, and many people don't recognize this fact.
  
  I hear the comment, a lot, about considering the necessity for different dogs and different situations, but somehow, what the dog needs generally is less important in the decision than what the trainer is used to using and comfortable with. A trainer who has used an e-collar successfully tends to use it again (hey, positive reinforcement works on humans, too!) on every dog- do all of the dogs NEED it? I don't doubt its efficacy, just its necessity. I've seen trainers put an e-collar on a dog on its second agility lesson because the dog wandered over to see the other owner (husband was training the dog, wife was watching outside of a fence.) The trainer was a seasoned K9 cop (but complete newbie about agility, he didn't have a clue!) and because of his status and experience, the husband allowed him to do this. I'm sure the cop had a lot of experience using the e-collar, but was it necessary? No, there was a lot of other training that needed to happen, that the cop did not understand, so he fell back on what he knew.
  
  I'm perfectly willing to acknowledge that physically aversive technniques exist, and that they can work, just not that they are necessary 99.99% of the time, IF APPROPRIATE OTHER TRAINING IS GOING ON. I do, however, use other techniques, such as negative punishment, extinction, the use of body blocks and space management, and strong management, in addition to positive reinforcement. I'm a huge proponent of teaching dogs Zen (a la Sue Ailsby) as written up here:
  
  http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20dogs/le… also known as Its Yer Choice (Susan Garrett)
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipT5k1gaX…
  
  Please keep in mind that the end behavior isn't a dog who just stays off food, or a toy, but a dog who has learned that the best way to get things is to exhibit self control in all situations.Add: Not all trainers of any kind want to deal with aggression, and I do know quite a few positive reinforcement trainers who either specialize in it, or who include it in their case mix. Funny how people start saying the dog wasn't really aggressive if he responds to +R, even when the dog got worse with more aversive methods... A good read is Pam Dennison's "Bringing Light to Shadow" about working with an aggressive dog.I'm working all weekend, no bunnies for me! And I doubt most bunnies like to be squeezed...

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Dog Training advice.?

Give me the best tips you can on training a dog...specifically a six month old Australian Cattle Dog (Blue heeler).
His name is Dexter.

Using Dog Training Collars to Train Your Dog

Recommended Answer:
Start with the basics- Sit, Stay, Lay, Shake and Come. Use treats as a reward when he does the trick. With the Come command my dog does best with a treat and a whistle- I whistle and when he comes he gets his treat- it works especially well when you're at a dog park and 5 dogs all have the same name. The most important thing is to have patience. You have a smart breed so he should be a bit easier to train than other dogs. Working dogs love to learn new tricks because they feel like they are earning their keep and that they are making you happy- which they strive for. Once he knows the basics you can get creative and find new things to teach him. You can also make him start earning his food and toys- make him sit before he's fed or make him lay down or shake for a toy. They love that. Really there's no limit to what you can teach them once you have the basics down.

Oh- another thing I do is a hand signal with the word (like if I want him to lay down I say Lay and then hold my hand flat horizontally in the air). That way I can communicate with him in more than one way- either verbal or with signals.

Don't forget to take him on at least 2 long walks a day (30minutes-1hr). The more energy he's able to get out the less destructive and disobedient he'll be. Another thing you can do is hide his toys around the house or in the yard. That hones his scent skills and requires him to focus.

Also- If you are still having problems I'd highly recommend watching It's Me or the Dog. It's on Animal Planet and it's a GREAT show. It's taught me a lot.Best of Luck!!

Clicker Dog Training - Getting Started Clicker Training

• Always start with the basics and since he's still a pup - sign up for some obedience classes so you can work as a team.


• Blue Heelers need to use their natural instincts to herd animals. My best advice is to find a sheep farm and find out if he can work there for a couple hours a week.
  
  My second best advice is to get him into agility classes if he can't actually herd sheep. Agility training will keep his mind busy as well as his body.


• Don't put up with anything now that you don't want to put up with for the rest of his life.
  
  Short training sessions, often. Keep them fun. Always end on a positive note.
  
  (Flyball is more fun and more affordable than either herding or agility .. and cattle dogs ROCK at it. Frisbee too!)


• He's still a puppy so he's not going to focus much when your trying to train him. So you shouldnt let training last too long. Start with Basics...
  Sit is the easiest one. give him a treat to get his attention. He's going to want more..let him figure out when you want him to do. Give him a sign with your hand that you will use as "sit" (i.e face your palm up..then close it) He'll jump and circle and try to figure out how to get it..then he will sit. As he's moving to sit say the word and give him a treat. He'll connect his action with your word AND sign.
  Lay Down can be difficult. And there are many ways to teach this. Kneel infront of your dog. Have him sit and drag the treat on the grown toward you and say "Lay Down". He'll follow it with his paws and when he lays down give it to him. Another way is (for small dogs) sit on the floor your dog at your side. Whatever side he's on...Bend that knee. and hold the treat between your legs. He'll have to crawl under your leg to get it. While he's crawling say "Lay Down" For Big dogs simply show them the treat...put it on the floor and cover it with your hand. They'll have to lay down to try and get it.
  Come can be used with a whistle (or you can whistle yourself) sit the dog in front of you and whistle then give him a treat. Then turn around and whistle. When he comes to face you and sits infront of you, give him a treat. He'll learn to go to you when you whistle.
  Jump up...just hold the treat up in the air and their jump to get it.


• read cesar millan's books and/or watch his show "the dog whisperer". get your puppy into a puppy training class from petsmart or wherever. start right away.


• AmyPatricia, I love the look of a australian cattle dog. They are so cute.


• There are many basic strategies you can try. The Internet is filled with them. However, if you are very serious and would like a well trained dog, it could take some work. I suggest you take a look at:
  
  http://www.squidoo.com/dog_obedience_training
  
  and see what the possibilities are. Obviously some breeds are well more suitable for certain tasks than others.


• Hi, I once adopted a dog from the local shelter and I had a terrible time trying to train him. Whenever he was left alone he would make a real mess! Anything I said was always just a suggestion to him that he could ignore. He was so rambunctious. He would not do anything I said.
  I tried lessons with the local trainer but those didn't work! But then I found a great dog training book series called "My Dog Tutor". I got my hands on these books and was able to fully train my dog in 4 weeks, I was so proud.
  Now I'm thinking about adopting a 3rd dog because it's just so easy to train them now!

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: What's the best site for dog training?

I have a new Golden Retriever, and I was hoping for some help with training her. I'm not looking for the clicker training method. I just want her to associate tricks with voice command and hand signals.

Dog Training Tips

Recommended Answer:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;…

Here is something that you may want to look into. I will not go into it again, but, read up on it and then make a decision. Good luck and I hope I helped.

Easy Steps to Boxer Dog Training

• The clicker is good but I recommend taking your pup to a puppy training school like the ones they have at Pet Smart. Or you can go to Barnes and Noble they have a ton of books available. Also check out Ceasars videos!


• Obedience training is the foundation for establishing a better relationship between you and your dog. Obedience training helps establish the owner in the role of "pack leader". Obedience will lay down clear behavior guidelines that your dog can follow. A well-behaved, obedient dog is more than just a pet of pride. The difference lies largely in the training, and good training can save a dog's life.
  
  These articles will give you tips about how to best train your dog.
  
  Dog Training - http://www.dog-pound.net/dog-training.ht…
  
  Dog Obedience - http://www.dog-pound.net/dog-obedience.h…
  
  Repetition, consistency, practice and correction are what it takes to train a dog to be happy and responsive. If you follow these simple steps you will find that your puppy can grow into an obedient well-adjusted dog.
  
  Repitition and Consistency in Dog Training - http://www.dog-pound.net/repetition-cons…


• Wonderful secrets to train your dog
  
  What are the problems that you may experience with a dog is not trainedDoes your dog is causing you problems, does your dog bark constantly and cause inconvenience to you and your neighbors, do you lose control of your dog.
  
  Problems may be many, but nevertheless there are many excellent dog training programs and strong, though mostly very expensive, but after a long search found a remarkable program has been used too many dog breeders and the name of this program (the secrets to dog training) and this Program has been used by more than 225 breeders of dogs around the world. Program qualifies for your dog professionally trained. And there with the mainland.
  
  The secrets to dog training prepares you for your dog professionally trained. There are success stories with the program for many people who have succeeded in training their dogs.What are the advantages of the secrets to dog training?
  
  1 - Save a professional coach salary and we know that they are paid thousands of dollars
  2 - the ability to deal with all kinds of dogs, whether puppies or adult dog
  3 - To reduce incidents that may be caused by non-trained dog
  
  Some important tips to control the stubborn dog
  
  1 - Make the dog feel thy might, and your control it
  2 - Use the many styles of leadership, which will be in the program learn the secrets to dog training
  3 - Look out for unwanted behavior and tried to immediately rectified and the program will help you to assess your dog for bad behavior in a short time
  
  4 - dogs are challenging but will be afraid of you if he feels you are stronger than.
  
  5- Remember, dogs know ONLY "dog language" when they come to live with us. WE must teach them our language. In the above examples, Major did not learn OUR translation for the word "COME". He learned "COME" meant "angry owner – I'm in trouble now. Better scram out of here!" We want Major to learn that "COME" means "Get your buns to me in the fastest way possible – NO EXCEPTIONS!" Major needs to understand that COME means GOOD stuff – ALWAYS!
  
  Success StoriesKirsty Halleran
  To: Secrets to Dog Training
  Subject: I now have control over my two dogs!
  Both dogs are very loving, fun and loyal but I've had to get a dog behaviourist out in the past as Molly's a rescue dog, has a nervous disposition and a habit of going bonkers through fear by barking, growling and trying to nip/bite. I think she was abused before I got her as she is extremely scared of children and doesn't particularly like strangers and other dogs. She loves the family and those she knows but it was/is really worrying so the fear biting section has been great for tips on dealing with that.
  
  They know now who's the alpha and don't try nearly as much nonsense as they used to. Obviously I'm not expecting them to change overnight, I realise I have to be rigorous in the re-training but so far they're coming along great!
  
  I really wish I'd heard/got the Secrets to Dog Training books years ago, in my opinion no dog owner should be without a copy. They're brilliant, very easy to understand/follow and they results are amazing! Please find attached my photo of myself and the dogs."
  -- Kirsty Halleran (UK)
  From: Dr. Stanley Hyman
  To: Secrets to Dog Training
  Subject: At last, No More Jumping!
  "Hi Daniel, Our Bichon, Jasmine, is a very friendly little dog who loves everyone she meets and shows it by jumping up on them. By following the instructions in your Secrets to Dog Training book, we were able to control her jumping."
  -- Dr.Stanley Hyman (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)What will you learn with the secrets to dog training?
  Here's a Small Sample of What You'll Learn
  
  1-Need to stop your dog from trying to fight with other dogs? Learn the best ways to break up dog fights and prevent them from ever happening again.(page 84-86)
  2-Want to know how to curb your dog's aggressiveness? Learn six powerful strategies for training aggressive dogs. (pages 60-72)
  3-Did you know that your dog may not know why you are trying to correct him? Learn how to make him understand. This will remove the frustration and rapidly increase the speed of your dog's learning. (Page 37, plus further communication strategies provided throughout)
  4-All the secrets of professional dog trainers are revealed, and best of all are easy to apply! Stop wasting hundreds of dollars (chapters 103, 201, and 301)
  5-Does your dog require urgent dog house training? Learn the dog house training techniques you must know that get the fastest results, whether you keep your dog indoors or outdoors. (chapters 103, 203, 302 - also on our video - plus house training bonus book)
  6-Sick of having your dog race out the front door? Read my book and you'll never have to worry about this again. (page 116)
  7-Got a dominant dog? We teach you how to deal with him. (chapters 201, 202, plus bonus book). In our downloadable video, Dave explains ‘The Alp


• www.dragonflyllama.com

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Did you ever take your dog to a dog training class, or did you train your dog yourself?

i was just wondering if its necessary to take your dog to training class, or maybe you can train it yourself?

Must-Have Tools For Easy And Fun Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
You don't need to take your dog to training, however you will need to work hard and make sure you have plenty of time to train him. I am training my 5 month old boxer puppy myself. I have a free summer and plenty of time to work on him.

If you decide to train at home, google information and look for videos on youtube for guidance.

Dog Training DVD, A Great Investment in Your Dog

• When I first started out I took my dogs to training classes.
  However, training classes are just the beginning of training your dog. You working at home with the dog, training the dog yourself is a huge part.
  
  And it all depends on what *you* feel you can do on your own. If you feel that you can train perfect recall, and whatever else to your dog without the help of classes, then go right ahead. However, classes are always good in case you do run into a problem, the trainer can always help.
  
  Obedience:
  For my beagle I learned a ton, and the classes were extremely effective.
  For my BC it was more about learning to behave in a "controlled" situation with other dogs opposed to me learning how to train.
  
  Agility:
  This is pretty much a must if you want to be able to safely perform on the equipment. My BC and I have been doing agility "training classes" for about 2 years now.


• I've taken 2 of my 3 dogs to formal training classes. I didn't think I needed to do training with my first dog. I was an idiot. I took all the training from my training classes with the second dog and worked with my first dog at home. I could tell that he enjoyed the challenge and training--he became a much better and happier companion. So I did train him myself.
  
  My current dog has been through several obedience training classes and is taking agility training classes. She is clever and enjoys a challenge. I can say that I have worked more on her training at home than any other dog. She is the best companion. I do pick out new tricks periodically since she needs mental challenges as well as physical ones. I feel the formal obedience training classes were designed to teach ME how to work with my dog. The really training for the dog is done at home outside of class. Training your dog is a life-long commitment, not something that magically happens one hour a week for a six week program.


• My wife and I took our dog to a training class that taught us how to train her. So in the end we trained her but we learned how to do that in the class. It's great to have a trained dog, everyone is happier including the dog. And by the way, the training never stops. We took her to another class 6 months after the first one. Good luck.


• My dog is fully trained we took him to a training class they were very useful and I would never have been able to do it by myself. he learnt really fast I would recommend contacting an expert if you want your dog to be properly trained but the internet and dog training books can also be very good.
  :)
  
  hope i helped


• Dog training classes were great for my pups mostly for socialization, I found anything they learned was really from being able to do it myself as you get to know your dog and what works for them but I still highly recommend classes for socialization and for new dog owners.
  
  What I found MOST helpful was this http://store.clickertraining.com/dogtrki…


• I am going to purchase a puppy in the next couple of months and I'm definitely going to professional classes...the trainers offer so much help, encouragement and training to you and your dog, and it's fun to compete with the other members to have the most obedient puppy. ^^


• If you have no experience with dogs and your a first time dog owner, it's best to enroll in an obedience training class. They teach you how to communicate with your dog.


• if you have no experience it might be a good idea to get a dog trainer. .. depending where you live i'll give you cheap classes!! :)


• My mum took our dog to dog training classes every thursday when he was a puppy....

Read More...