Dog Training Aids To The Rescue

You can go through your dog training activities in a breeze if you are equipped with all the right stuff. Among the basic items that you will need in training your dog are a 6-foot leather leash, a slip or choke collar, a 15-foot line, cotton rope or webbing, bait pouches, a crate or exercise pen, baby gates, motivational toys and grooming tools.

Leashes or Leads

There is a wide variety of leashes available in the market today. Leashes can be made from a number of different materials and may come in different sizes and widths. Among the most common materials used for leashes are leather, nylon and chain.

For maximum comfort for both you and your dog, it would be advisable to choose a 6-foot leash made from good quality leather and use it during your dog training sessions. Among the many advantages of using leather leashes are the following:

.It can provide more comfort for you and your dog during trainings. Unlike nylon leads, good quality leather does not cut or burn your skin. And unlike chain leashes, leather leads do not produce earsplitting noises.

.It is lightweight and is therefore easier to carry.

.Leather leashes last a lot longer. They can even last for several years!

Collars

Using slip or training collars can be a logical choice when you are trying to train your dog. These collars tighten as the dog pulls and loosen as he/she relaxes giving your dog the appropriate signals whenever he/she is making a mistake. However, collars should never be used to punish or choke your dog. When buying a collar, make sure you pick one that fits your dog properly. Collars that are either too small or too large can be dangerous and extremely irritating to your dog.

Dogs who do not respond to slip collars would do better with a halter. A halter fits over the dogs head and muzzle while allowing him/her to pant and to drink. You can easily control the direction of the dogs head and his entire body as well by using a halter.

The 15-Foot Line

A 15-foot line is like a long leash that enables you to control your dog even at a distance. You can easily grab it at different places to show your dog who the boss is and as such, can be a very good dog training device.

Bait Pouches

Having dog treats in your pockets can be one of the worst inconveniences you can encounter during your dog training sessions. When the treats are scattered on your pockets, you might fumble for a while just to find where they are. As a result, there will be a delay between the time your dog performs something worthy of a treat and the actual time when the treat is given. You may not promptly give your dog the reward he or she deserves and hence, defeating the purpose of the activity altogether.

To solve this, consider purchasing or making your own bait pouches. These bait pouches can be made up from any ordinary canvas tool pouches and tied around your waist during your dog training activities. This will make access to the goodies a lot easier and your dog wouldnt have to wait around indefinitely as you fumble for the doggie treats they just earned!

A final word of advice - do not trust every word your friendly salesman has to say. All of these items were designed to make your dog training efforts incredibly easy but with the popularity of these products in the market, a lot of manufacturers are out there to make a buck or two from unsuspecting dog owners! Know what really works and what doesnt. You need to know which of these gears deliver on their promises and which ones were designed specifically to make a profit. It would be best to do your research extensively and seek advice from credible sources to know more about these things.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Dog Training

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The Benefits Of Good Dog Training Aids

By Garnett Johnston

Dog training aids involve more than just a simple collar and leash and over the years have seen good improvements in the range and availability of these training tools. If you are taking on the task of training your own dog then there are several advantages you can benefit from by using good dog training aids to assist you in achieving the goals of your training with your dog.

An obvious case of where this is true is whilst teaching your dog to fetch. It simply cant be done without having something to be thrown, collected by the dog and brought back to you. Typically a stick is a good choice, but if you are in a park and there are dozens of similar sticks then your dog may become confused and you wont have the same success.

An alternative to the stick would be something like a training dumb-bell. These can be thrown a good distance without much effort. They are bright and easy to retrieve - even when your dog doesnt and many of these float on water if you are using it on a pond or lake. These are also easy and comfortable for your dog to pick up whereas I have seen sticks cause damage to a dogs mouth and gums over time.

Teaching your dog to heel can be aided by the use of a dog training line. This is essentially a long leash that can be used to indicate, by tugging, that you wish the dog to return to you when you issue the heel command. These training methods do not do away with the need for voice commands but instead make it easier for your dog to understand the desired response you are looking for when you do call to him.

Other training aids can include collars that discourage barking. These collars emit a pungent spray when your dog barks. The smell is not liked by the dog and over time the dog will realise that not barking prevents the release of the spray. The collar can be removed and hopefully the dog will not bark just as often as before.

If you are training your dog for more sporting activities then the use of whistles can be effective. Here you will typically issue a command to the dog like heel or sit and then back this up with a whistle command. The dog will eventually associate the whistle with the desired response. The trainer or owner can now issue the same command to the dog but over a larger distance. This technique is also used extensively by sheep farmers or herding dog owners for the same reason.

Training your own dog can provide lots of rewards and satisfaction, however it does take considerable patience. Good dog training aids can help reduce the amount of time required to reinforce the training and provide positive results. Remember to reward your dog when you see them showing the right response regardless of what training aid is being used.

The author runs a free dog training information site where you can pick up lots of hints and tips on training your dog. There are also some useful free dog training videos that can make the whole process of training your dog much easier to understand. For more advice on dogs please visit http://www.dogtraininghut.com. Training your own dog can be a rewarding and satisfying experience and will help you bond more closely with your dog.

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Dog Training Aids How To Stop Your Puppies Chewing and Nipping Habits

By Finley Zhang

Puppies are cute but can also be painful to play with. When puppies get too excited as you play with them they are prone to nip. This is at the least annoying and at the most can do real harm to young children who may be playing with the new pup.

Thats not the only problem from their teeth. When you are not keeping an eye on them they are testing out those powerful teeth on everything in your home. Veterinarians have found all sorts of things in the bellies of puppies after they got into a chewing frenzy. From drywall to clothing and even pieces of doors, puppies have no discretion when it comes to what they should be chewing on. Not only can this make a mess of your home, but it can also be dangerous to their bodies as they are taking in foreign substances that can make them sick.

When they are puppies, these are annoying habits, but as they grow up, it will only get worse, unless you stop it. So, how do you stop the chewing and nipping habits?

First you have to understand puppies. Just like small children, puppies use their mouths to get to know the world around them. They like to chew and nip at things. It is instinctual.

So, the first way to break this habit is by giving them things that are acceptable to chew on. From day one you need to teach your puppy what items are okay to chew on, and which ones are not. While many people like to punish their puppies for doing the wrong thing, this is not the best way to train them what you would like them to do. Instead the better way is to encourage them to chew on toys they should be chewing on. When you catch them doing something they should not you can point and tell them no sternly, then show them what is acceptable to chew on. Once they start chewing on their toys, praise the behavior and play with them so they know this is the right thing to do.

When it comes to nipping, usually it is hands that are nipped by puppies. This may well be because you are moving your hands around in play and they see this is as natural response to the action in front of them. One of the obvious answers to the situation is to make sure your hand isnt where they can bite it. That means using toys that do not involve your hands being close to the puppy mouth. Instead of tug of war games, teach them fetching games where your hand is nowhere near the toy when they grab a hold of it.

If the puppy is nipping, it is time to correct the behavior. You need to firmly tell the pup no and then pull your hand away. Sometimes a pup will come forward and try to nip again. At this point you have a few options. The first is to say no again and walk away from the puppy, and isolate him for a minute or two (no longer). Puppies dont like to be alone and this will be something they do not want repeated. The other option is to tell the puppy no and then hold their mouth closed for a few seconds. Most puppies will whimper and may back away once you let loose. Again, it will be an action they dont want. Other puppies like the challenge and may try to nip again. This is when you need to switch to the isolation response. Another option is to make the puppy not like the taste of nipping. There are many bitter tasting training liquids at pet stores. You can put some of this on your hands and when the puppy starts nipping, he will get a bitter aftertaste, and realize the results are not what he had hoped.

When working with puppies and chewing and nipping habits remember it is a puppy you are working with. Just like a small child it may take them a while for him understand the rules and get them right. It is important to be persistent but also patient.

Finley Zhang is a dog lover, and he enjoys sharing information and knowledge about dog. He is owner of YummyHealthyDogFood, It has helped dog owners increase dogs lifespan by sharing dog food recipes, dog care, and dog health tips. Access the tips now by visiting http://www.YummyHealthyDogFood.com/blog

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Dog Training Aids

By Pam Phipps

It used to be the only dog training aids you had available would be to either take your dog to a training site and with gas prices these days who needs the extra added cost. You could also pay to have a dog trainer come to your home but the cost for these types of lessons can be very expensive.

As with anything else the Internet has made available tons of dog training aids. Every year more and more top trainers around the world are putting together dog training aids in the form of down-loadable ebooks, audio and video training lessons. These dog training aids allow you access to some of the best trainers at only a fraction of the cost and in many opinions a better format because you are training your dog.

It serves to build a better relationship with your pet when you are the one providing the training rather than a stranger who is going to spend time training once a week or so and then be gone.

With these new dog training aids you can take the time to go over the training and then work with your dog as much as needed to ensure it is being effective. Using a trainer at your home you always have the worry of cost and if something is taking longer than normal then it is costing you more money.

Many of the new online dog training aids also come with access to member forum areas, question/answer session with top trainers and access to support if you are experiencing problems with the lessons. In most cases you have the same or more support than you would using a local dog trainer.

Trainers like Dove Cresswell who has spend years training dogs and other animals for the movies and television are creating outstanding dog training aids. You can choose a complete course or there are specific types of training for obedience, house breaking, chewing / biting, etc.

If you would like to get more information about some of the top online dog training aids you can visit a review of the top programs provided by onlinemoneytruth at the link below.

Dog Training Aids Reviewed

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