Teaching Dog Tricks The Easy Way

By Andrew Strachan

If you were to ask what the quickest and easiest method was for teaching your dog a new trick, the answer would be - work with the nature of your dog, not against it. What we mean here is that you should look at what tricks your dog naturally does, or look for a dog trick in the making, like naturally putting a paw on your knee or rolling over etc.

If you choose a dog trick that naturally occurs, half your work is already done. Your dog will probably be eager to please as most dogs are and should therefore respond well to rewards. You can build on this to reinforce your dogs’ natural ability rather than starting an entirely new dog trick.

Which Dog Trick Do You Choose?

Observe your dog and watch out for a potential dog trick. This may be something as simple as crawling along on its belly to, catching a Frisbee or a ball. As soon as your dog performs one of its natural tricks, associate it with a hand gesture or verbal command and then reward your dog with its favorite treat. It wont be long before your dog learns the procedure.

Eventually over time, you will be able to cut back on the rewards until your dog will perform the dog trick with just the hand gesture or verbal command such as fetch or go get. Now that the new trick is firmly lodged in your dogs head, you will be able to build on it.

For example, if you have taught your dog to catch a Frisbee, how about increasing the distance that he will catch it from, or throw two Frisbee’s one after the other. Get your dog to catch one, drop it and then run for the other!

Popular Dog Tricks

Some of the most popular dog tricks are sit and come etc. These are pretty simple to teach. To teach your dog to sit, with your dog standing firmly press on its hind quarters directly above its back legs whilst at the same time saying the word Sit quite assertively but NOT shouting. Most dogs will naturally sit. At this point, heap lots of praise on your dog and then give them a treat. After several repetitions of this, your dog will soon learn what Sit means. Do not try this on older dogs that may have arthritis in their hind legs or hips.

If your dog does not sit when told, NEVER scold it. Just ignore it and try again another time. Otherwise your dog will associate Sit with being scolded. If your dog persistently fails to sit, try another trick.

Each dog has different talents.

To teach your dog to come is simple. When your dog is at a distance, say loudly but not shouting Come here or Come. This will usually get your dogs attention. Repeat the statement Come on, Come here. Most untrained dogs at this point will probably look away and carry on with whatever it was doing.

At this point walk up to your dog but keep within around 5 feet away. Say Come here. Your dog will probably now come to you. When he does, its time for a lot of praise and a treat. Repeat this but increase the distance that your dog has to walk towards you more each time. Eventually, your dog will instinctively come to you whenever it hears you shout Come here, from any distance.

Again, if your dog fails to come to you, DO NOT scold it. I once got asked "Why wont my dog come to me?” On further investigation I found out that every time the dog ran away and then failed to come back, the owners would scold the dog when they got hold of it again. WRONG! The dog started to associate the command Come here with a scolding. Totally the opposite. No wonder the dog failed to come to command.

Another dog trick you can try is Paw. This involves saying Paw then gently lifting the dogs paw with your hand followed by lots of praisetreats. After a while saying Paw will cause your dog to raise its paw. You can extend this to two paws where your dog Sits pretty on its haunches.

Another trick is Speak. This usually works best with a naturally vocal dog. Every time your dog howls or makes a funny noise, praise the dog whilst saying the command Speak. Eventually your dog will speak on command.

Teaching your dog a new dog trick should be a fun experience for both of you, and will give you lots of quality time together. Enjoy!

Article by Andrew Strachan. Find out more about dog behavior training and types of dogs at http://www.types-of-dogs.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Strachan

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Easy Dog Training Tips and Tricks

http://buy4pets.blogspot.com Get more Pet Tricks and Pet supplies reviews here. Thank you for watching. Please subscribe..

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Training Your Dog Behavior And Tricks

By Pam Mitchell

I have had many dogs in my life time and one thing I can day is true is that a dog that is not trained is hard to keep. It is extremely frustrating when you own a dog and they are not well behaved, they are not house trained and they don;t know any tricks. You cant let them inside because they will make a mess by getting into everything and anything they can get into and they will defecate on your floor.

When I was young my parents never had the time to train our dogs. My siblings and I werent quite sure how to train our dogs. We taught them a few basic tricks that they would perform once in a while if they felt like they wanted a treat, but that was the extent of their performance. We werent quite sure how to house train our dogs so they stayed outside most of the time. The outside made them a little more wild than if they would have been kept inside. They started running away for a few days once in a while. Eventually they would run away for longer and longer periods of time and eventually they ran away and never came back. This is the reason why I decided to train the dog I have now.

Dog training is truly fantastic. Its amazing that you can get a puppy that doesnt have any behaviour training and "relieves" themself anywhere they want to having a dog that is so well behaved that not only can they do tricks, but they can make your life easier. For example if I want to sit down and relax after a hard day and I cant find the remote, I trained my dog so that he will bring me the remote if I am to lazy to find it. It also feels good having a dog that doesnt run up to people, bark and scare them when we go on walks.

I highly recommend taking the time to train your dog. With all the online books about dog training, its really not that difficult and does not take a lot of time and effort. Plus it is great having a dog that knows how to behave themselves and can come inside your house without you having to worry.

For a review on the same ebook (electronic book) I used to train my dog go to http://trainapup.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pam_Mitchell

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Tips And Tricks For Effective Dog Training

Dog training can be very intimidating to someone that has never done it before. There is a lot of information out there and sorting through it all can seem difficult. These are just some tips to help you start out with dog training the right way.

If your dog possesses specific triggers associated to bad behavior, try to keep him busy while the temptation passes. For instance, if your dog reacts negatively to other dogs, you need to keep his focus on you as you come into contact with them. This will help him correlate the relationship between that stimuli and the positive things that come from it.



 When you are working on crate training with your dog or puppy small steps is what works best for them to get used to it. When they seem comfortable in it with the door open, try shutting the gate and feed them treats through the wires. At first, leave the dog enclosed in the crate for only short periods of time, such as 10 seconds, and then gradually increase the duration. If the puppy gets too upset then you increased the time too much, too fast.

 As with most things, and this goes with dog training as well, dont ever give up. Your dog will not remember his training if you are not there to constantly remind him of what you expect. In the same way that nourishing your dog with food and a safe place to live is a daily commitment, so is teaching and encouraging good behavior.

 Make sure the whole family is familiar with your dogs routine and rules. Dogs like routine and consistency. If one person trains a dog differently, then the dog will be confused about how it should properly behave.

 If you catch your puppy chewing on things, stop him. By doing this, you are teaching him what is okay to chew on.

 You do not want to use wee-wee pads when potty training your dog. The pads eventually leak; leaked waste marks certain areas in the house as "potty areas". Wee-wee pads can also train your dog to think that other items that are the same shape are a potty area as well. The best way to housebreak a dog is not to allow them to use the bathroom in the house; there is really no alternative.

 Depending on the personalities of your dogs, it may not be possible to train them at the same time. Dogs have the tendency to distract each other. If you find this happening it is likely best to separate them.

 Dont be ashamed to ask for help if your training program doesnt change your dogs behavior. Particularly if you are struggling to achieve the results you desire, professional help may be just what you need. Professional dog trainers know the ins and outs of this better than you. This may be what to takes to get your dog started on the right foot.

 A trick you could teach your dog is to hold something in his mouth, such as a toy. Get your dogs attention with a clicker and reward him with a snack when he tastes or mouths the toy. When this has happened several times, hold off until the dog grabs the toy with his or her mouth. As this happens, press the clicker and then offer the reward. Also, rewards should only be given if the toy remains in the dogs mouth.

 Pick a phrase you will say to your new puppy the whole time you are working on house training him. Every single time you take your pup to do his business, say something like "need to go out?". It does not matter the phrase you choose, as long as you keep it consistent. This will keep him focused, and will teach him to associate those words with the action of relieving himself.

 Consistency is very important when training your dog. Have a set list of commands that everyone in the household knows. Also, make sure to be on the same page regarding rewarding good behavior and never rewarding bad behavior. Different training methods will only confuse your dog and delay training.

 Although a harness is more comfortable for dogs, it does not offer as much control as a cinch-type collar. Using a collar and harness combo and only tugging on his collar when needed can teach your canine that he has to listen while harnessed, too.

 Remember how many treats you reward your dog with during the course of the day to avoid fattening him up. A lot of people forget to account for treats given during training when considering a dogs diet plan.

 Your dog needs to get plenty of exercise. Dogs can get bored very easily. Dogs that lose interest are hard to train. Dogs are more inclined to obey when they are regularly taken out for exercise and happily accepted as a member of your family. It is a great idea to take your dog out on runs or walks through the neighborhood.

 There are many different approaches that can be used to crate train a new puppy. Many dogs are intimidated by the crate. To cure this, place something they enjoy in it and shut the door. If a dog sees something in the crate that they want, they will desire to enter it. Praise your dog once he gets into the crate.

 As with any professional, research their reputation to verify that you are getting the best animal behavior specialist out there. There are a lot of different approaches taken by dog trainers concerning how to correctly train a dog. Understand the trainers philosophy so that you can be sure the trainers approach is similar with your own views of dog training.

 To help you train your dog you should know what kinds of foods your dog likes to eat. Since these will be the rewards for good behavior when you are training the dog, it should be something that really motivates him. Make note of your dogs reaction when the reward is offered.

 Behavior problems that suddenly occur with no reason may indicate a medical problem that needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian. Your dog might be acting out because he is suffering. This behavior may be his way of telling you that there is something wrong with him.

 You can prevent your dog from destroying your home by keeping it outdoors when you are away from the house. When this isnt possible, you want to provide things that both appeal to your dog and that are okay for the dog to chew on. Establishing acceptable chews toys is also about keeping those things you do not want your dog to chew up behind closed doors or well out out of reach.

 As this article has demonstrated, dog training is a very wise use of your time and energy. A badly behaved dog can destroy your house and stress everyone in the family; soon no one will want him around. By applying the information found in this article, youll be making a wise choice and helping your dog to be an enjoyable member of your family..

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Dog Tricks

Wow there is a wealth of information on dog grooming, training, breeding, dog barking and the like. Where does one start. Stop take a deep breath and make it an enjoyable journey - Dont try and do all at once. Remember Teaching or training your dog is a continuous task and look at it as bonding time with your best friend. Do not take it too seriously - Aim for results but remember enjoy the journey !!!

I will give constant updates to help you on your journey. As an Avid dog lover and having owned a few myself I do know the pleasure of loving a dog.

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