Dog Training Basics

Training your dog can be a worthwhile endeavor but before you start, there are some things you need to know in order to make training easier and more pleasant for both you and your dog.

The very most important thing you must always remember is that you are the boss!   By nature dogs are pack animals and adhere to a strict hierarchy with every pack having a ìleaderî.  In order to train your dog properly (and easily), you need to establish yourself as the leader early on in your relationship.

Some dogs may be more aggressive than others, some more dominant, some more easy going but no matter what your dogs personality, you must be firm in your commands.  Donít let your dog get the upper hand or he will start to think that he is the leader.  Now, I donít mean that you need to be physically abusive to your dog ñ far from it.  You need to show your leader ship with your actions.

Another thing to consider is that while your dog understands you at about the same level as a two year old, he is not a human.  In fact, your dog has many differences from humans that cause him to interpret your commands and act much differently than a 2 year old child would.  So, do not expect him to behave like your 2 year old during training.

When training your dog, you need to be consistent.  Set aside about 45 minutes or a half hour every day to work on training.  You can start training your dog as young as you want but donít be discouraged if you have an older pet as training can be done at any age.

You want to start training your dog with the basics.  The sit command is a good place to start as getting your dog to sit is the basis for many other commands.  Work on this one command every day until your dog has it down cold, then move on to the next command.

During training, you want to be firm.  Always use the same word for each command and say the word clearly.  Never punish your dog when he does not do what you want but, instead, use positive reinforcement when he DOES do what you want.  Punishing or scolding will only confuse your dog so have patience when he is not behaving the way you want ñ the best thing to do is ignore him and he will soon learn that he only gets the reward when he performs the desired action.

Try to work on training every day at first.  As your dog learns more and more commands, you can slack off a bit, but training should always be a part of your relationship with your dog.  It can be fun and rewarding for both of you to keep learning new behaviors and taking the training to the next level.

Dog training is a task that takes, consistence, persistence and patience but your efforts will be well rewarded with a well behaved dog as well as a stronger bond with your 4 legged friend.  Training your dog properly insured not only his safety, but the safety of those around him and it can also be a lot of fun for both you and your dog!

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Crate Training Basics

To a dog, a crate can be like his own special home inside your home. A safe place, a den of sorts, that your dog can go to when he wants to feel secure. Some people think that putting your dog in a crate is cruel, but it is only cruel if you do it in an abusive manner such as leaving your dog in there for more than a few hours. In fact, crate training your dog properly has many advantages for both you and your pet and should be something that you incorporate into your dog training plans.

While some dogs might take to a crate right away, others might be a little leery of this strange object that you want them to step inside of. The most important aspect of crate training is that you must never force your dog into the crate. Instead, you must make your dog want to enter it of his own volition. If done properly, you will find that your dog actually loves the crate and goes there on his own to sleep and “get away”.

Introducing Your Dog To The Crate

The first thing you need to do is “introduce” your dog to the crate. Take one of his favorite toys or a treat and “hand out” by the crate so that he simply gets used to the crate being in the room. Play with him hear the crate, repeating this for several days. You should start off with the crate in the spot you want to keep it in and this should be somewhere that is away from the traffic areas of the home but in a room that the family spends time in. You do not want your pet to feel isolated and lonely in a crate that is way off somewhere where no one ever goes!

Getting Your Dog Into The Crate

Next, you want to get the dog to go into the crate on his own. One way to do that is to “bribe” him by putting his favorite toy or a treat inside. Don’t put it too far in to begin with, just enough so he has to stick his head in to get it.

You’ll probably find that he pokes his head in and then backs out right away. That ís OK, just be sure to pet and praise him so he feels good about the whole thing.

You want to keep at this exercise every day, gradually putting the toy or treat in further and further. You also might want to be sure that you have a comfortable dog bed in there just in case Fido wants to try it out for a short nap.

Eventually, your dog will get used to going in the crate. When you see him in there, sit beside the crate and pet your dog while he is inside. This will let him know that being in the crate is “good”. Always keep the door open wide at this point.

Getting Your Dog To Stay In The Crate

Keep repeating the above steps while trying to get your dog to spend more and more time in the crate. When he seems quite comfortable with it, close the door but do not latch it. Leave it unlocked so that he can nose his way out if he feels uncomfortable.

Eventually, your dog will come to love his crate and will probably retreat there if he is feeling insecure as well as to sleep. If you are going to close the door, be sure you provide him with fresh water at all times and never leave your dog locked in the crate for extended amounts of time.

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How To Trim Your Dogs Nails – Tips For Properly Clipping Fidos Nails

Trimming your dogs nails can be a frustrating and unpleasant experience for both you and your pet but it doesn’t have to be  – if you go about it the right way.

The key to making this experience more pleasant is to get your dog used to having his feet handled.  Most dogs don’t care to much for this and if you can start when your dog is a puppy you’ll have a bit of an advantage.  However, even older dogs can learn to love getting a little pedicure every so often.

Before you even get out the nail clippers, though, you’ll want to touch your dogs feet often.  Just a little touch at first.  If your dog pulls away, don’t push it but keep it up,  touching his feet often throughout the day.  Eventually he’ll get used to it and you can proceed to holding his paws for longer and longer.  Once this seems to be acceptable to him (this could take weeks or even months), it’s time to get the clippers out.

When trimming your dogs nails the big thing to watch out for is that you don’t cut into the quick.  This is in the  middle of your pets nail and contains nerves and blood vessels so it can really hurt if you cut into it or even too close to it.  Depending on your dogs nails, you might be able to hold them up to the light and actually see the darker vein of the quick in the middle.

Start by trimming a little off the end, then a bit more until you see pink in the nail or feel like you might be close to the quick.  On dark nails, it’s pretty much impossible to tell so you’ll have to just cut enough to trim down the nail or else you will risk cutting the quick.  The edges of the nail might be a bit jagged after this so go ahead and file them down until they are smooth or they might end up catching on something.

You might want to have some styptic powder handy in case you do cut into the quick and hold this on the nail to staunch the bleeding.

How do you know when it’s time for trimming your dogs nails?

Your pets nails should just about touch the floor when he walks so if you hear clicking then the nails have grown too long and it’s time for a trim.  This usually needs to be done every 4 to 6 weeks but if your dog does a lot of walking on hard surfaces like pavement and concrete you could go longer as the surfaces themselves will help wear down the nails kind of like a natural nail file!

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