If you find you are unable to give your dog the kind of training he should have in an effective manner, you may decide to find a private trainer to assist you. When you begin to investigate the situation, you will probably find that there are nearly as many dog trainers as there are dogs to be trained. Like dancers and athletes, there is a wide range of  innate ability and talent among trainers. If you are going to go through all the effort and expense of using a professional, make sure you get a good one. Don’t get carried away with promises of things like “Three Days to a Perfect Dog,” or assurances that your pooch will push Lassie aside for the annual canine acting awards. Good trainers take as much time as each dog requires to learn his lesson. That time frame varies from dog to dog. Credentials speak louder than promises, and so do recommendations from people who have used the trainer. Ask for both. If the trainer appears insulted that you’ve asked-go elsewhere. An accomplished trainer is proud of what he or she has achieved and even prouder of the students that have successfully graduated.

Be realistic about what you hope  a trainer will do for you. A good trainer knows the task at hand is to teach you how to train your dog. You can send him away to a school where the training takes place, but if you haven’t learned the proper way to deal with your own dog, all the training lessons in the world will be a waste of time and money.

Related posts:

1. The Come Command
2. Dog Training Classes
3. The Sit And Stay Commands

There are a few limits to what a patient, consistent owner can teach his or her dog. If you choose to go beyond the basics to advanced  obedience work, you may want to consider local professional assistance. Professional trainers have had a long-standing  experience in avoiding  the pitfalls of obedience training and can help you from making common mistakes.

Most dog owners train their pets at home in the privacy of their backyard or garden. They are later upset to find that their well-trained dog cares not one iota about obeying when strange people and dogs are present.

All too often, beginning trainers read several books about training techniques and try to apply the principles gleaned from all of them. Sometimes this works, but more often than not, confuses both dog and owner. Staying with one trainer and following his program to its completion will reap greater rewards.

Training assistance can be obtained in many ways. Classes are particularly good for your dog’s  socialization and attentiveness. Your dog will learn that he must obey-even where there are other dogs and people around to provide temptation. There are free-to-charge classes at many parks and recreation facilities, as well as very formal and sometimes very expensive individual lessons with private trainers. Your veterinarian may have lists of classes and where they take place, or your local pet emporium may hold classes, so it is wise to check these places if you are unable to find what you are looking for on your own.

Related posts:

1. Professional Dog Trainers
2. The Come Command
3. Leash Training

Having your dog heel simply means that your dog will walk on your left side with his shoulder next to your leg on a loose leash. The dog will do this no matter which direction you might go or how quickly you turn. Teaching your dog to heel is really important because it will not only make your daily walks far more enjoyable, it will make for a far more tractable companion when the two of you are in crowded or confusing situations. There are a lot of times that you often see people being pulled down the street in all but a flat-out horizontal position behind their dog. There is no reason for this to be going on, and mastering the heel command will help prevent this from happening.

You may want to begin the heel lesson a few steps at a time. Three or four steps at a time without pulling on the lead are three or four steps in the right direction. Take those pull-free steps, have your dog sit, and praise him to the high heavens. It is a good idea to change from the collar your dog normally wears to a special training collar constructed in a manner that will assist in the training. There are many different kinds of collars that can be purchased.

Related posts:

1. Leash Training
2. The Come Command
3. The Sit And Stay Commands

Once your dog has mastered the sit and stay commands, you may begin work on the down command. This is the single-word command for lie down. Use the down command only when you want the dog to lie down. If you want your dog to get off your sofa or to stop jumping on people, use the off command. Do not interchange these two commands. Doing so will only confuse your dog, after which evoking the right response will become next to impossible. The down position is especially useful if you want your dog to remain in a particular place for a long period of time. A dog is usually far more inclined to stay put when he is lying down than when he is sitting. Teaching this command may take more time and patience than other lessons. It is believed by some animal behaviorists that assuming the down position somehow represents submissiveness to the dog. It’s all part of canine body language.

Begin with your dog sitting in front of and facing you. Hold a treat in your right hand with the excess part of the leash in your left hand. Bring the treat under your dog’s nose and slowly move your hand down to the ground. Your dog will follow the treat with his head and neck. As he does, give the command, “down,” and exert light pressure on his shoulders with your left hand. If your dog resists the pressure on his shoulders, do not continue pushing down. Doing so will only create more resistance.

An alternative method to getting your dog headed into the down position is to move around to the dog’s right side, and as you draw his attention downward with your right hand, place your right hand or arm under the dog’s front legs and gently slide them forward. In the case of a very young dog or puppy, you will undoubtedly have to be on your knees next to the youngster. As your dog’s forelegs begin to slide out to the front, keep moving the treat along the ground until the dog’s whole body is lying down while continuing to repeat, “down.” once he has assumed the position you desire, give him the treat and a lot of praise. Continue assisting your dog into the down position until he does so on his own. Be firm, be patient, and be prepared for those occasional “I have no idea what you mean” looks your dog student may give you.

Related posts:

1. The Sit And Stay Commands
2. The Come Command
3. Leash Training

The sit and stay commands are just as important to your dog’s safety (and your sanity!) as the no command and learning to come when called. Even the very youngest preschool puppies learn the sit command quickly, even if it appears to be a game and a food treat is involved. Your pup should always be on his collar and leash for lessons. Young puppies, even grown dogs for that matter, are not beyond getting up and walking away when they have decided that you and your lessons are boring.

As in most cases with dogs, a food treat always seems to get the lesson across to the student. By placing a food treat in front of the dog, raising it over his head, and telling him to sit, the dog will most likely sit automatically as he follows the treat. If he accomplishes this, praise him lavishly and give him the treat as reward. If this doesn’t work, give the sit command immediately before lightly pushing down on your dog’s hindquarters or gently scooping the hind legs from under him, molding him into a sit position. Praise your dog when he does sit, even though it is you who made the action take place. Continue holding the dog’s rear end down and repeat the sit command several times. If your dog makes an attempt to get up, repeat the command several times. If your dog makes an attempt to get up, repeat the command yet again while exerting light pressure on the rear end until the correct position is assumed. A treat given as a reward will make him eager to repeat the command. Make your dog stay in this position for increasing lengths of time. Begin with a few seconds and increase the time as your lesson progresses over the following weeks. If your young student attempts to get up or lie down, he should be corrected by simply saying, “Sit!” in a firm voice. This should be accomplished by returning the dog to the desired position.

Once he has mastered the sit command, you may start on the stay command. With your dog on leash and facing you, command him to sit, then take a step or two back. If your dog attempts to get up or follow you, firmly say “Sit, stay!” While you are saying this, raise your hand, palm toward the dog, and again command, “Stay!” Any attempt on your dog’s part to get up must be corrected at once, returning him to the sit position and repeating, “Stay!” Once your dog begins to understand what you want, you can gradually increase the distance you step back. With a long leash attached to your dog’s collar (even a clothesline will do), start with a few steps and gradually increase the distance to several yards. Your dog must eventually learn that the sit and stay commands must be obeyed no matter how far away you are. Later on, with advanced training , your dog will learn that the command is to be obeyed even when you move entirely out of sight.

As your dog masters this lesson and is able to remain in the sit position for as long as you dictate, avoid calling the dog to you at first. This makes the dog overly anxious to get up and run to you. Instead, walk back to your dog and say, “Okay,” which is a signal that the command is over. When your dog becomes more reliable in this respect, you can call him to you. The sit/stay lesson can take a considerable amount of your time and patience, especially with a puppy, because of his short attention span. In the case of young puppies, don’t make the stay part of the lesson go on forever. Everything in a very young dog’s makeup urges him to stay close to you wherever you go. Forcing him to operate against his natural instincts can be bewildering to the dog.

Related posts:

1. The Down Command
2. The Come Command
3. Leash Training

One of the most important commands your puppy will ever learn is the meaning of the word “no”. It is critical that the puppy learns this command just as soon as possible. Understanding that the command must be obeyed could save your dog’s life.

Running off and becoming lost, chasing a child or another animal on the road, or picking up and eating a harmful substance are not beyond the average dog’s behavior. Being able to stop the action instantly is obviously important in these situations and using the word “no” is the shortest, quickest way to do so.

One important piece of advice in using this and all other commands – never give a command that you are not prepared and able to enforce. The only was a puppy learns to obey commands is to realize that once issued, commands must be complied with. Learning the no command should start on the first day of the puppy’s arrival at your home.

Related posts:

1. The Down Command
2. The Come Command
3. The Heel Command

It is never too early to accustom your puppy to a collar and leash. It is your way of keeping your dog under control. It may not be necessary for the puppy or adult dog to wear his collar and identification tags within the confines of your home, but no dog should ever leave home without a collar on and without the leash held securely in your hand.

Begin getting your dog or puppy accustomed to his collar by leaving it on for a few minutes at a time, gradually extending the time you leave it on. Most dogs become accustomed to a collar very quickly and forget they are even wearing one. Once this is accomplished, attach a lightweight leash to the collar while you are playing with him. Do not try to guide him at first. The point here is to accustom the pup to the feeling of having something attached to the collar.

Some puppies adapt to a collar very quickly and, without any undo resistance, learn to be guided with the leash. Other pups may be absolutely adamant that they will not have any part of leash training and seem intent on strangling themselves before submitting.

If your puppy is one of the latter, do not continue to force the issue. Simply create a lasso with your leash and put your puppy’s head and front legs through the lasso opening so that the leash encircles his shoulders and chest, just behind the front legs. Problem pups seem to object less to this method than having the leash around their necks. Encourage your puppy to follow you as you move away. If he is reluctant to cooperate, coax him along with a treat of some kind. Hold the treat in front of his nose to encourage him to follow you. Just as soon as your puppy takes a few steps toward you, praise him enthusiastically and continue to do so as you move along.

Make the initial session very brief and enjoyable. Continue the lesson until the puppy is completely unconcerned about the fact that he is on a leash. With a treat in one hand and a leash in the other, you can begin to use both to guide him in the direction you wish to go.

Related posts:

1. The Down Command
2. The Sit And Stay Commands
3. The Heel Command

The most important lesson for any dog to learn is to come when called. Many trainers believe that your dog’s knowledge of this command is central to everything else that will eventually be taught to him. Learning to come teaches the dog that you are in command – you are the ultimate authority that must always be obeyed.`

It is recommended to always use the command with the dog’s name. Therefore, it is very important that even a very young puppy learn his name as soon as possible. Constant repetition of the pup’s name usually does the trick. Use his name every time you speak to him. “Want to go outside, Lad?” “Come, Lad, come!”

Learning to come on command could save your dog’s life when the tow of you venture out into the world. The come command must be obeyed without question, but it should represent nothing but positive things in the dog’s mind, It is your duty to help the dog associate the word with life’s pleasantries-praises, pats, treats, and you, of course. He should never associate this command with fear. All too often, novice trainers get very angry at their dogs for not responding immediately to the come command. When the dog finally does come or gets caught by the owner after a chase, the owner scolds him for not obeying. The dog then begins to associate the word “come” with an unpleasant result.

Use the command initially when the puppy is already on his way to you or give the command while walking or running away from the youngster. Clap your hands and sound very happy and excited about having him join in on this “game”. The very young dog will normally want to stay as close to his owner as possible, especially in strange surroundings. When your puppy sees you moving away, his natural inclination will be to get close to you. This is a perfect time to use the come command.

Later, as the puppy grows more self-confident and independent, you may want to attach a long leash or rope to his collar to ensure the correct response. Again, do not chase or punish your puppy for not obeying the come command. Doing so in the initial stage of training makes the youngster associate the command for punishment, and this will result in avoidance rather than the immediate positive response you desire. It is imperative that you praise your pup and give him a treat when he does come to you, even if he purposely delays responding for many minutes.

be sure that you repeat this command in exactly the same way every time you expect the dog to respond to it. Don’t say, “Come, Shep, come,” one time and “Here boy,” the next. It’s just as if someone asked you to do something in English one time, in Swahili the next, and in Martian the time after that. Be consistent in the way you ask your dog to do something, and, in no time, he will consistently obey.

Related posts:

1. The Down Command
2. The No Command
3. The Heel Command