How to train a dog Lesson 15

Although you may find that your barking dog is an effective burglar alarm and brilliant protection, you need the ability to be able to control your dog’s barking. If your dog barks at everything and anything rather than at specific things such as alerting you to something dangerous, a stranger or a fire alarm, then this problem needs to be dealt with.

If you want protection for your home from your dog, the best command to use is the ‘guard’ command as opposed to the ‘speak’ command. The use of the ‘guard’ command will be much more threatening and more of a deterrent to a burglar as the burglar does not know how your dog has been brought up to guard your home. The ‘guard’ command does not mean that that your dog will physically attack someone but your dogs barking alone should be enough security for both the inside and outside of your home.

In order to teach your dog the ‘guard’ or ‘speak’ command, you should tie him using his lead from an item that cannot be moved such as a stake in the ground. Once your dog is tied, stand 3 feet away from him with his favourite toy or a treat and dangle it in the air. By doing this you are teasing the dog and he should then bark. As he barks give him the toy or the treat. Once your dog has done this next stage is to swap the toy or treat with your verbal praise. You should use the ‘guard’ or ‘speak’ command as soon as your dog begins to bark. One important point to remember is that timing is essential, and by watching his body language you are able to tell when he is about to start barking.

Teaching your dog when to stop barking is just as important, if not more so, than training your dog when to bark. To control your dogs barking give the ‘quiet’ command whilst he is barking. If your dog still continues to bark, tell him ‘no’ in a firm voice.

When your dog has successfully learned when he should bark and when he should stop, you should try and use these commands at further distances whilst continuing his training. Your dog needs to know and be able to respond correctly to these commands at any distance. Once your dog is able to respond to these commands in the right way, the next step is to untie him and get him used to responding to the commands
when he is free. Both you and your neighbors should benefit greatly from this training as everyone can have a peaceful, bark-free night.

How to train a dog Lesson 10

The problem of keeping your dog off the furniture is one that is usually created by the owner. When you first bring your dog home as a puppy you may have encouraged him to jump up onto your lap whilst you were sat down on the sofa, thinking it was cute. However, once your dog gets older, and bigger, you may not want him to jump up onto the furniture anymore. As your dog has been used to doing this all his life and has learnt how to jump onto the furniture, it is difficult to teach him not to.

Have you ever been dressed up to go out, sat down on your sofa and then got up covered in dog hairs? It’s not a good look. There’s also the problem of inviting guests round only to have your 50lb dog slouched on the sofa, refusing to move, causing great embarrassment. Even smaller dogs can be a problem when trying to get them off a piece of furniture that they have claimed as theirs.

A simple but effective way of training your dog to keep off the furniture is to use a ‘rattle’. This is really a tin can with 20 beans or coins it and can make a lot of noise! Dogs hate to be startled and the noise the rattle makes works perfectly in every situation. If you are lucky enough to have a dog that jumps up on the furniture whilst you are in the room, use the rattle whilst firmly telling your dog ‘no’. Tell your dog ‘no’ sometimes with the rattle and sometimes without the rattle.

Once your dog has learnt the ‘no’ command, the problem of your dog jumping up on your furniture should end. If your dog is sneaky and jumps on the sofa when you are not around, make a couple of  tin rattles and line them up along the sofa. Then when your dog jumps up on your furniture they knock the rattles,
causing the loud noise and therefore startling your dog. As with training your dog, just like any animal, patience is vital. Although it may take a lot of time and effort, the benefits in the long run are well worth it.

How to train a Dog Lesson 7

Barking is a dog’s way of communicating and when your dog is barking, there is often a reason for him doing so. Your dog may be barking for a number of reasons, such as boredom, excitement or to alert you to something that he can hear but you can’t.

Barking is a problem that can usually be relatively easy to overcome. This is especially true if your dog receives a lot of attention, has a lot of toys to play with to stop him from getting bored and is getting the right amount of exercise.

As an owner, you could start with simple methods of training using your dog’s collar and lead. When your dog begins to bark, give a firm tug on the lead and tell him ‘no’ in a stern voice. Hopefully your dog will realise that when he barks he will be punished and eventually his barking should stop.

However, if this simple method of training does not work, you may have to use more advanced methods of training in order for his barking to stop. Many of you may find that your dog barks when you are not there. This could be because your dog is bored or because he misses you. To solve this problem, try leaving the radio on when you go out, on a station where the presenters are talking for the majority of the time.. By hearing these voices, your dog may be convinced that you are still in the house and his barking will stop.

If this fails and your dog still continues to bark, record a normal family conversation using a continuous tape, using the word ‘no’ a couple of times throughout the recording. Put this tape on when you go out and because your dog will think that you are still there, he won’t bark because he knows it’s wrong and doesn’t want to be told off.

If all other methods fail, one day pretend that you are going out. Make it convincing by jangling your keys and shutting and locking the front door, as dogs are very perceptive and can pick up on your emotions. Have a slice of lemon to hand and when your dog begins to bark, open the door and squeeze a couple of drops of lemon juice on his tongue. Your dog won’t like the bitter taste and will stop barking immediately. This method may have to be carried out a couple of times in order for your dogs barking to stop but it is worth the time and effort in the long run.

Over time, you should be able to stop your dog’s barking by just telling him ‘no’ in a firm voice which leads to a calmer, happier environment and neighbors who love your dog rather than reach for the ear plugs all day!

How to Train a Dog Lesson 5

Kennel training and crate training are the same thing. A crate may look like a plastic case or a wire cage, and should be the right size for your dog, so allow growing room! Dogs that have been adopted may find it more difficult to accept this kind of training and is even more difficult to train a puppy. However it is extremely important that you keep on training your dog or puppy until they are fully trained.

There are a number of advantages of kennel training that many owners may not be aware of. One of the biggest advantages is that once your dog is crate trained it is far easier for them to travel as they are much more relaxed. Once your dog has been fully crate trained, or has been crate trained all his life, you may find that this is his favorite place in the house.

One of the biggest mistakes that some owners find they have made is not to crate train their dog. When you first bring home your new dog, you may have found that you were overwhelmed by the amount of other training you had to give your dog. However, crate training your dog is just as important as training your dog in other areas of their life. Imagine taking your dog on a four hour journey when they have not yet been crate trained. Your dog will find this experience very distressing and you may be upset seeing your dog in that state. Never use their crate as a form of discipline. Their crate should always be a place where they feel safe and comfortable. To begin crate training your dog, put a blanket, one of his favorite toys and a treat in his crate and leave the crate in a place where the dog often is with the door of the crate open. Without having to force him, your dog’s curiosity should lead him into his crate. As your dog plays with the toy in his crate gently close the door so he can become familiar with being inside the crate with the door shut.

After a while your dog will get used to being in the crate on his own, and may even enjoy it. When your dog does get used to being in his crate on his own teach him to use the crate with verbal commands. When your dog heads towards his crate, tell him to ‘go to your crate’, or to ‘go to bed’. Eventually your dog will associate these commands with going to his crate.

When crate training your puppy, remember to never keep him in the crate for more than a couple of hours a day. Another tip to remember is to exercise your puppy before he goes into his crate. When your puppy comes out of the crate it is an excellent idea to praise and play with your puppy as then he will think that being in his crate will get him love and attention from his owner. Also, when he comes out of the crate, ensure that you take him to the garden in order for your puppy to go to the toilet.