A Fundamental Dog Training Concept You Must Understand For Success With Your Dog

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I moved into a new house about 14 days ago.

The funny thing about this house is that—when you walk into the master bathroom, the light switch is on the left side, opposite of where the sink is.

Well, practically every other house I’ve ever lived in has always had the light switch on the right side—or at least on the same side as the sink.

And I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if EVERY SINGLE TIME I’ve walked into that bathroom, my hand doesn’t instinctively reach to the right to turn the light switch on. Even after 14 days, my prior conditioning has been so engrained that when I consciously try to remember which side the light switch is on… my hand still shoot out to the right, instead of the left.

This is the exact same type of conditioning we aim for when training our dogs. And this is why I advise that--- even after your dog understands a command—you continue to say, “come” and then give a tug on the line… up to a year after the initial training session.

Your dog should be so conditioned to respond to commands that it becomes an automatic response— Coming when called is responded to in much the same way that hearing a car backfire might make you duck your head, or cover your ears.

As I’ve already touched on this concept a few years ago in my book, which you can read more about at Dogproblems.com … I just had to share this experience with you, because it was so comical to the extent to which we animals (yes, we’re animals too!) can develop conditioned responses.

Just like our dogs.

Adam G. Katz is the author of the book, "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider's Guide To The Most Jealously Guarded Dog Training Secrets In History." Get a free copy of his report "Games To Play With Your Dog" when you sign up for his free weekly dog training tips e-zine at: dog training

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Dog Obedience Training - For Your Family Dog

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A lot of dog owners think, for some strange reason, that dog obedience training is only for those who would like to compete in obedience trials. This is just like believing that only kids who grow up to be professionals should learn how to behave properly in different circumstances. Nonsense! Kids and dogs should behave properly. It makes them a pleasure to be around.

Can a puppy understand words? Dogs do not know meaning of words, they do recognize words. They have an amazing sense of hearing, and can sense your TONE of voice. This is what your dog will focus on...your tone of voice. Dogs will remember words. And, your dog will be conditioned to respond to the words they recognize. They will respond by HOW you teach them to respond. Hence, dog obedience training!

Can a puppy understand words?

Dogs do not know meaning of words, they do recognize words. They have an amazing sense of hearing, and can sense your TONE of voice. This is what your dog will focus on...your tone of voice. Dogs will remember words. And, your dog will be conditioned to respond to the words they recognize. They will respond by HOW you teach them to respond. Hence, dog obedience training!

Does your dog really know its name?

We all think that when we call our dog it knows we are calling him. Not necessarily so! Test your dog with this. Go out walking, let him walk ahead of you, and then, in a normal tone, not shouting, call your dog’s name. Is he responding? You will be surprised how many dogs do NOT respond. There are many dogs that do NOT recognize their own name.

So, first of all, when training your dog make sure that he knows its name. Don’t assume it. Once you have taught your dog to recognize their name, start teaching your dog to respond to their name. They have to learn to respond every single time. Do this at first with cookies. Call their name, make them look at your, and then give them a cookie. It works great!

We all have to stop assuming our dogs or our puppies know what we want, or what we are saying. Always test your dog first. Once you are sure the dog knows what you want, start demanding it from them every time you give your command.

And please remember, this article is for educational purpose only. Always check with a professional dog person to see what is best for your precious pet.

Ruth is actively involved with the internet and she finds it very exciting. Her passions are people and pet health. She is a wife, a stepmom a dog owner and a business person. She is married for almost 30 years to Chris who has been, and still is, battling the monster MS. Two of her dogs are Certified Therapy Dogs. She is currently working from her home. Dog training is a passion for Ruth. She is convinced that a well behaved dog is welcome almost everywhere, by almost everyone.

Her About Page http://www.mimfreedom.com/aboutus.htm

Her home page: http://www.ruthsinformationabout.com

Her Pet Blog http://www.happypetstop.com/blog

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6 Tips For Dog Training - How to House Train a Dog

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The dog is said to be man's best friend. However, there are certain moments that dog owners get a little frustrated, and yes, sometimes angered by their pet dogs because of their innate rage to pee in every corner of the house.

How convenient would it be for dog owners if their dogs were a little bit more obedient? Getting one's dog trained is a very good idea since it relieves the owners of the hassles of cleaning every corner of the house.

However, getting professional trainers to do the job can really a hole in one's pockets, this is why more and more people are doing house training for their dogs. Here are some tips on how to house train a dog:

1. Observation is the key

From the start, one should observe his dog or puppy during times when he is excreting. This will tell a lot about the warning signals and the different signs that dogs are making when they are about to unload it. Perhaps, one can take down notes on what specific time of the day the dog wants to do "his thing" and what behavioral signs does he give when he is about to do it.

2. Go outside

Make it a point to make the dog feel comfortable outside the house. Let him explore your garden (but don't let him destroy the plants) for him to find a comfortable spot to relieve himself. Do this everyday and the dog will eventually be more comfortable in doing this outside the house.

3. Stay with him

When house training your dog, always make sure that you stay with him until he finishes. If you leave him by himself, he will have the tendency to do other things such as explore the garden or chase other animals.

4. Be patient

This tip is especially effective for puppy owners. When puppies arrive in a new home, he will feel very uncomfortable at first and will usually cry during the night. Owners should be observant to be able to identify the signals that the puppy gives to communicate that he would want to relieve himself. Owners should carry him to the designated place every time he does these signals so as to give him a message that excretion is to be done outside.

5. Never use ammonia-based cleaners

During house training, dog owners should never use ammonia-based cleaners to clean their houses. These substances' smell is a lot like that of urine's. Dogs will have the tendency of peeing on corners which smell like urine, so avoid using these substances.

6. Don't be harsh on the dog

There will be times that the dog or puppy will make a mess inside the house and there are cruel dog owners who would punish their dogs too much. Some slap their dogs with newspapers or other things (God knows what) or stick the dog's nose into his mess. This should be avoided since the owner has the sole responsibility of making sure that the dog does not make a mess inside the house.

These are just some few tips on house training a dog. Remember that a dog is like a family member who should be taken cared of and loved.

For more tips on how to house train a dog, click here

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Dog Training - Start Training Your Puppy by Winning His Respect

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The basis of training your puppy is winning his trust,respect, and confidence. Real training can't begin until your puppy has accepted you as his leader, respects you,and has confidence in you.

A mistake many puppy owners make is confusing love and affection for respect and confidence. It is important to love your puppy. It is equally important for your puppy to respect you, have confidence in you, and see you as the pack leader. Dogs are naturally pack animals and every pack member looks to the pack leader for direction. Making yourself the pack leader is vital to the success of training any dog. If you don't, your dog will assume the role. If that happens, neither of you will be happy.

Failure to gain the confidence and respect of your puppy can create a dog who is out of control, disobedient, and even dangerous. It is important to train your puppy correctly from the start since retraining a problem dog is possible but more difficult than training a puppy correctly the first time.

It is critical for any new dog owner, whether working with a 12 week old puppy or a 12 year old dog, to get his respect. That does not mean using rough or dangerous handling methods, but it does mean letting him know that you are in control of the situation. Dogs need structure in their lives and they will not resent you for taking control. As a matter of fact, your dog will appreciate your taking the role of trainer and coach as you begin your training sessions.

When you start working with your dog it is important to keep the training sessions short at first. This is particularly important when working with a young puppy. Puppies tend to have much shorter attention spans than older dogs so keeping the sessions short is fun and essential for proper training.

Beginning training sessions should focus on the most basic commands. The heel command is one of the most basic as well as one of the easiest to teach. Start by putting the puppy in a properly fitted training collar. Be sure to follow the instructions for fitting and sizing the collar to insure that it works as intended. There are other articles in this series about proper training collars. You can also check with your pet store or breeder.

Begin to walk and allow your dog to walk beside you. If he begins to pull, gently pull on the leash. This, in turn, will tighten the training collar and give your dog a gentle correction. If the gentle pressure is ineffective, it may be necessary to slowly increase the pressure. Always be careful not to over-correct your dog. Using too much pressure could frighten him and cause him to strain more. If the opposite problem occurs and the dog lags behind, you should gently encourage him until he is walking beside you.

Most dogs figure out the heeling concept fairly rapidly and they soon realize that they should walk beside you, neither lagging behind nor pulling ahead. You should also pick up the pace and allow him to speed up as well. Finally, walking along, changing pace, and changing direction often will reinforce the lesson the he should always walk at your heel.

From heeling, the next step is for him to halt when you stop walking. The halt works well as an adjunct to heel. As you are walking, stop and watch your dog. Many dogs immediately understand that they are expected to stop when their human does. Others may need the reminder of the leash and the training collar.

After the halt has been mastered, encourage your dog to sit on halt. Once your dog has stopped, gently push on his hindquarters to encourage the sit. Usually after this walk, halt and sit procedure has been done a few times, he will begin to sit on his own each time he stops. Of course, it is important to provide lots of praise and maybe even a treat every time he does as he is expected.

These three commands should be taught without voice. Get your dog used to your body language. We will cover halt and sit off leash in later articles. For now, get your dog to walk beside you, halt when you stop and sit immediately. You will be so proud of him and he will be proud of himself.

Join me on the web and sign up for my newsletter at http://dogsrule.hickorypublishing.com/

C Perkins is a dog lover who is allowed to live with her two dogs, Tillie and Pierrot, in the beautiful foothills of North Carolina. Sign up for the Dogs Rule newsletter at: http://dogsrule.hickorypublishing.com/?page_id=34

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