Daily Dog Care|Dog Day Care|How to Take Care of a Dog

What makes good dogs turn aggressive the second you put a leash on them? Having a dog that pulls and lunges at dogs and people presents a danger to others and a roadblock to your training efforts.

Skipping walks is not an option and may exacerbate the problem. Can you curb leash aggression so your daily walks aren’t nightmares?

Dogs are like children in many ways. Often you can avoid bad behavior if you redirect their attention. If you see something that usually causes your dog to become aggressive, immediately distract him. Tell him to sit or lie down to keep him busy until the dog or person passes.

If you are about to pass another dog, don’t tense up or pull the least taut. Your pet will be able to tell and he will think that you are scared, so aggression is much more likely. Animals pick up on our signals – just remain calm and relaxed.

Some dogs may require a gentle leader harness or muzzle. These should only be used temporarily until your dog learns not to lunge. If you have a dog who is a danger, they can keep others safe. This is the first priority.

If you have tried to curb leash aggression and your dog still misbehaves during walks, it is time to find a good trainer. You need professional help to stop this at once: not only is it disruptive to your own walks, it is dangerous to everyone and every animal you pass on the sidewalk.

Leash aggression isn’t uncommon, but it is a potentially big problem. Start taking measures to cure your dog of this bad habit before bigger fixes are needed.

People are always impressed with well-trained dogs. Beyond impressing your friends and neighbors, teaching your dog the stay command can be extremely useful. Treats and lots of praise will make the learning process much easier, faster, and fun. For optimal results consider dog obedience training.

First, tell your dog to sit or lie. When he does, put your hand, palm towards the dog, and say, “Stay.” Use a firm voice.

When your dog stays, praise him immediately. Likely your dog will only be able to stay for a second or two at first. This is great; it’s a terrific beginning, and he will be able to do it for longer periods as he practices.

Also teach him the release command so he learns when it is time to get up. “Ok” or “Come” are often used. Again, kudos and treats make training easier. Praise and treats help alot when it comes to puppy training tips.

Gradually work on the length of time that your dog sits and stays before you give the release command. Make him work for that treat!

Optimal training should last about five to ten minutes at a time. Any more than that will strain your dog’s attention span and counteract your efforts.

Another way that dogs are like children is that they have short attention spans! If you require him to train for longer than ten minutes, he is likely to become obstinate and disobedient. Also keep in mind that he’ll have to have a lot of practice in order to perfect the command. Repeat “Stay” several times and be prepared to reteach him the command a few times.

If you keep working, your dog will be able to stay for longer periods. You’ll be impressed when he stays even when you leave the room. Treats will become unnecessary after training, but praise is never obsolete. Let your dog know when he is doing a good job.

Obtain more information on dog training collars.

Tips for training your puppies

All of us dream of parenting the perfect dog, a pup that is a CGC or canine good citizen and is well behaved and dependable at all times. Well dreams do come true if the training is done with care and dedication. Remember pups learn from day one and need to be taught what is right, what is wrong, and proper socialization.

Pups are like children, they need constant supervision and training. Training a pup need not be an ordeal all you need to keep in mind are a few simple rules:

•    Until your pup learns you need to keep an eye on him at all times. When you cannot then you must crate him. Create a schedule for the pup this will help the pup settle down quickly. The schedule must include things like hourly bath rooming visits, eating times, rest periods, walks, play time, training, and so on. A pup that has a busy day has no time to be bored and get into mischief.

•    Teach the pup to respect you. Dogs live in packs and instinctively follow a leader. If you establish your leadership in no uncertain terms then training will become easy as the pup will obey you at all times and not challenge your authority.

•    Use only positive training methods. Never shout at, hit, or punish a dog. It is not just cruel but can lead to behavioral problems. Use of electric shocks, prong collars, sprays, and so on could hurt the animal.

•    Teach the pup “nothing in life is free.” This is a system that is widely acknowledged as a useful training tool. If you practice this, the pup will learn that to get something like love, a walk, or treat, he must behave well.

•    Teach the meaning of “No,” from day one. Do not encourage behaviors like jumping, mouthing, tug-o-war, barking, or running out of open gates and doors. Praise good behavior and ignore or walk away when there is bad behavior. The pup will learn that if he misbehaves he will loose his companion/playmate.

•    To correct a behavior you must catch the pup in the act and startle him by rattling a can of pebbles. Once you have done this make him correct his behavior and immediately offer him a treat and praise. Pups do not recall what happened earlier so scolding him after an event is of no use.

•    Always call/use his name positively. Never say “Bad TOM,” or “No Tom,” this will cause confusion and the pup will think that if you call his name then it is something bad. The pup must associate his name with happy events like hugs, petting, walks, treats, and such. If this happens he will come willingly when you call out his name.

•    Create a training schedule that is short and sweet say 10 minutes thrice a day. Long repetitive lessons can be boring and the pup will loose interest in learning. Make learning fun and use trick training to teach commands like sit, down, come and so on.

•    Bond with the pup and both of you will enjoy your lessons. The pup must look forward to spending time with you and not avoid you by running away or hiding. Be sure to socialize the pup early. Socialization is one of the most important lessons. The pup must learn to be around other animals, people, sounds, vehicles, and other activities. So, slowly introduce the pup when he is little to everyday activities and sounds. Take him to the mall/ park, introduce him to children and other pets, and make him unafraid of the vacuum and garden hose.

•    Learn all about crate training, leash walking, house breaking, as well as food training. These are kindergarten lessons that every pup must master. Know about all the idiosyncrasies as well as peculiarities of the breed this will give you valuable insights on how to successfully train the pup.

As a pet-parent you have many choices. You could choose to train the dog yourself or register at a professional training school. Training a dog has many stages: kindergarten, obedience training, doggy sports, showing and conformation, as well as other aspects like therapy dogs, hearing dogs, and so on. What level you choose to train depends on you as well as the learning abilities of your dog. As you know, different dog breeds like humans have varied talents. Choose well and both you and your pup will have fun times together.

Have you taught your dog basic behavior and obedience commands like sit, stay, fetch yet?

Many dog owners know the importance of dog training and teach their dogs commands such as sit, stay, fetch to communicate and train their dogs in proper behavior. However with so many different dog commands, which are the truly important and effective commands to know?

Well, essentially, there are 12 dog commands that we believe that every dog needs to know to get along happily with the rest of the world. Here are the list of commands…

[Come]

This is the first and most important command in your dog’s command repertoire. Usually taught together with your dog’s name, it’s a command that you will use actively to recall your dog back to you if he/she breaks free from the leash or is running around disturbing other people in the park.

[Sit]

This is one of the easiest commands to teach, and also one of the most useful especially to control your dog from getting too excited while you are preparing its meal. Dogs who understand the “Sit” command are easier to manage and are also less likely to misbehave like jumping on people, chasing animals or fighting with other dogs.

[Stay]

Often used in combination with commands "sit" or "down," the command "stay" is useful to keep your dog out of harms way should he/she approach something dangerous or attempting to run across a busy street. Not the easiest command for dogs as sometimes their curiosity and animal instinct might take over instead of staying put when told.

[Wait]

Different from the “Stay” command which is more often use to keep your dog away from danger, the “Wait” command is more of a obedience command to keep your dog in check, letting him/her know he/she has to wait till your next command. Commonly use on dogs that have a habit of rushing through doors or pull ahead on a leash.

[Down]

Unlike the “sit” command, the “down” command means your dog goes down on his/her stomach. This command is an essential part of doggy etiquette. It’s also more comfortable than a sitting position when you want your dog wait for you for more than a minute or two.

[Stand]

This command tells your dog to stop moving and be still. It’s useful for when you are having a veterinarian examining him/her over or when you are bathing and grooming him/her.

[Okay]

The “Okay” command is use to release your dog from a previous command you have given earlier. For example, your dog is now free to walk through the open door after you had early given the “Wait” command.

[No]

Depending on the situation, the “No” is usually use to discourage or break up undesirable behavior such as chewing, biting or jumping. This is an important command that you should teach your puppy from the beginning.

[Off]

The “Off” command is useful to teach your dog to get off that expensive sofa or your bed and is also applicable for telling them to stop jumping on you or other people.

[Leave It]

Dogs are inquisitive animals and sometimes give in to their instinct to explore things that appeal to their senses. The “Leave It” command is perfect to stop dogs that fancies poop eating or having a fetish chewing habit to chew everything around the house.

[Drop It]

The “Drop It” command is necessary to get your dog drop whatever it is in their mouth especially items like your expensive leather shoe or unknown substances that might be potentially harmful. This command is also useful when you start teaching your dog how to “Fetch”.

[Heel]

“Heel” simply means that your dog will walk on your left without lagging behind or running ahead of you. This is extremely useful for your dog to understand this command to prevent him/her pulling you on the leash while going for walks. This command becomes all the more necessary if you have a large dog.

Knowing these 12 voice commands will give you the essential fundamentals to having a well behaved dog in your every day life.

If you are interested to learn how to execute these commands correctly and effectively, Sit Stay Fetch will teach and guide you Step-by-Step all the basic 12 commands and many other more… to having a well-mannered dog!