Sunday, July 1, 2012

Great Advice For Successfully Coaching Your Canine

By Barclay Luis


Your dog does not hate you and is acting crazy out of spite for you. No, it is just being crazy because it hasn't learned any other way for it to act yet. However, that is going to change once one learns the tips that are contained in this very article.

Security Dogs

Be a leader first and a "friend" second. From the moment you bring your dog home or begin to train him, you must constantly be leading. Attitude is your key to successful dominance and alpha behavior. Giving in to the playful side of your pet degrades the role you should be creating for your dog.

Does your dog like to run at the sign of an open door? If so, you need to exercise preventative measures. You may want to install a security gate that will block him. Then you need to start training your dog to sit and stay by the front door. Once your dog can successfully do this, have him practice sitting there when the door is ajar. After he gets good at this, allow him to sit at the door with it open and off of his leash.

An often overlooked component of good dog training is to evaluate and improve the dog's diet. The old adage that you are what you eat definitely applies to dogs. A lot of medical and behavioral problems can be traced back to a dog's diet. Make sure you are doing all you can to give your dog the very best food it can get.

Dogs with separation anxiety experience extreme stress when left alone. This can result in extremely destructive behavior, both to the dog itself and to your property. Make sure your dog has plenty of exercise before being left alone. Treats that provide mental stimulation may also ease anxiety. By preventing boredom, you can ease the stress of separation anxiety.

If your dogs are big and tough and young and go through beds as if they grow on trees, look for low cost alternatives. Use your imagination to come up with sofa cushions, comforters from the thrift store or garage sales, cast off pillows and other things that you don't mind having destroyed. Your dog will probably outgrow his bed destroying phase, and it's not worth it to get upset about it and spend a fortune on dog beds!

Dog training is most effective when it takes a dog's instinctive behavior into account. Dogs are pack animals, and in a human pack, the humans are the leaders. By being a leader to your dog, you keep him out of the stressful position of trying to make decisions, and end up with a happier, healthier pet.

Do not lean over your dog, no matter whether he is big or small. Dogs are intimidated by space-hogging body posture. Even your subtle movements are read by your dog, so a simple lean will suffice if you are attempting to block or redirect his path. Hovering straight over a dog may make them reactive as well.

When training your dog make sure you never stop training. This may sound silly but it is actually very sensible. Your dog may learn tricks quickly and not forget them, but dogs never stop learning so you need to take advantage of this by teaching often. Also, it never hurts to reinforce what has already been learned.

Spend time each day training your dog, even if for only a few minutes a day. Dogs respond well when they get to practice what they are learning and what they have learned. Practicing at least 15 minutes a day on commands your dog already knows keeps the dog in practice.

Your opinion on what truly means a dog is "trained," may differ from your neighbor, friends, or even dog training instructors. Whatever your beliefs, by training your dog to follow basic commands and to obey your instructions, you will create a happier, safer home for you, your pets, and other members of your family.




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