Best Leash for Training

The best leash for dog training depends on how you plan to use it:

For agility training use a training tab.  This is a short leash about 8 inches long that will keep from getting tangled in legs or equipment.

For a leash you can leave on your dog while in the house use a drag leash which does not have a loop on the end.

For those times you need to keep the dog close to you use a 15-18 inch traffic leash.

Dog Won’t Go In Dog House

Lynn writes: any ideas/suggestions as to how to get Joey to go into his doghouse? He seems to be afraid to go in, either because it’s echoey or maybe he’s afraid to get trapped inside??It’s one of those igloo type doghouses. I tried putting blankets/pillows inside but Joey,being a puppy(earlier) would take out the blanket and play with it….I tried putting treats inside and he would just stretch himself enough to reach the treat without actually going all the way in.. So cute and pretty funny but I want him to go inside for especially if it rains/snows..
Thanks

Answer: There are several things you can try.  Start with washing it out thoroughly with bleach to make sure it is free of anything that might smell bad to him.  Next, if he has a favorite spot to lie down, set it in that place so he can see the direction he normally likes to see.  You can also try other locations if this does not work.  It may just be a matter of getting him use to it so you could put treats in the back of it several times a day so he has to go all the way in and will get more comfortable being in there.   You could attach his favorite blanket so he can’t remove it, you could get him in it and spend some time petting him and giving treats.  In a lot of cases training a dog is a matter of getting enough experience with something in a calm easy going atmosphere to make a dog comfortable.   This would all be easier of course if done as a puppy.

Dog’s natural instinct to not soil the den

Marian asked: what if your dog pees in the crate and lays in it is there any hope?

Here is an excerpt that may be helpful.  The idea is to keep the crate clean so they get use to having it clean again and work on a schedule to they get into a habit of only going at certain times.

Dogs Whose Natural Instinct Not To Soil The “Den” Has Been Broken By Over Confinement:

To redevelop the dog’s natural instinct use the same pen setup for very young puppies. The crate needs to be nice and cozy, not too big and always kept clean. Follow the schedule as closely as you can, but WITHOUT crate confinement.

This will make it easier to anticipate when your dog needs to relieve itself and you can be there to reinforce the desired results with praise. The process may take several months of your dog being given the option of not soiling its bed to correct this problem, so be patient.

More tips at http://www.artofdogtraining.com/pottytrain.htm

Dog barks at husband

A reader recently stated about her dog: “He still fears the ceiling fan and barks at my husband. I hoping one day to write you that we have a nice content dog who runs to my husband when he walks in the door not away from him”

Here are a few suggestions for hubby

spend more time with the dog, go for walks etc.

HAND feed the dog its breakfast and all of its meals.

AND don’t let the dog get away with this behavour! does it have a crate? if not i wouldn’t let it sleep with u, start to crate train..

Dog Intelligence

Don’t underestimate your dog’s ability to learn and be trained.

The March 2008 National Geographic has a story that includes information about a 6 year old Border Collie that understands 340 words. At 10 weeks old she sat on command and soon after that was learning names of objects that she would then go and retrieve. She also knows 15 people by name.

Find information on locating a good breeder.

House Training Older Dogs

Here is a recent question from a subscriber about her older dog.

I KNOW how to crate train a puppy.   This is a rescue dog, 7 year old, male lab/mix that spent his life outside on a leash.  He barely even knows his name.   He is urinating on EVERYTHING, lawn furniture, and he is marking in the house and I can’t have this at all & I can’t watch him 24/7.

I also have a 5 year old purbred choc. Lab female that I have housetrained & I’ve raised a puppy for Guiding Eyes for the blind for the first 8 months of his training.     I don’t know ho to teach an older dog…………

Thank you ~Nancy

Click on the following link for my suggestions:  Common House Training Problems

Comment from a Reader With an Aggressive Dog

Here is a very instructive comment from a reader of our free dog training tips at http://www.artofdogtraining.com

Hello

Thanks again for the article on growling

We have been doing everything as advised and written

Its all a matter of trust and I believe fear

A long process, but Winnie is starting the understand through commands and praise

what is good and what is not.

He is very good with other dogs. Sweet and playful. Children as well.

I have taken him out of our bedroom completely and he sleeps in his kennel

in the room next to ours.
We eat first & go out the door first. When he plays outside (where he is off leash) we make

sure we stand together and play with him. If he misbehaves we ignore him or turn our backs.

Patience and more patience is key in our home. I had the opportunity to give him back to the breeder just weeks after buying him, but we decided to work with him. How could we have known what

we were up against.

I also believe all of his bad habits stem from the breeder. Although it was pretty

hard to recognize at the time. Winnie seemed fine in her home, happy and playful. However,

looking back in retrospect there were

signs that I just didn’t see.

Have a great day

Thanks for all your e-mails

Will keep you posted.

Regina

The Importance of Training Your Dog

 Obedience training is a means of letting your dog cope better with it’s immediate environment. It grants every dog an easier life and makes them easier to live with. Training your dog will give you more opportunity to spend more time with your beloved pet, no matter where you are going and who you are going with.
 
 So get in their and give your dog a nice pat and take it out for training. A few magic words like ‘heel’, ‘down’, ‘stay’, ‘come’ and ‘sit’, will change your relationship with your favorite companion forever.

Resources for training your dog

Dog Training

Whether old or young, your dog will benefit from training, and you will too.  Training helps build your relationship and helps the dog feel more comfortable with the way he interacts with his/her surroundings.  Dog training also helps keep your dog’s mind and body strong and active.