Train in a quiet place. Attach a 6-ft lead to your dog’s collar, but, instead of holding the lead, leave it lying on the floor. Get your dog’s attention with a favourite food or toy treat.

With your left foot, start to walk forwards. The dog will move too, drawn by your movement. When its shoulders start to move past your left leg, stop suddenly and silently, stepping on the lead.

Your dog is brought to an abrupt halt. He may at first appear bewildered by what has happened and will turn to look at you. Smile and lure him back with the treat in your hand.

Encourage your dog to return to your side by using welcoming gestures and friendly body language as well as the treat, Be as flamboyant as you need without overexciting your dog.

When the dog returns, reward it. Repeat the exercise, this time stopping and luring the dog back before it gets to the end of the lead. When the dog responds well indoors, move training outdoors.

Problem Solving

Indoor first

This method of lead control takes a little practice. Start in a hallway until you feel comfortable using your foot to control the lead. Make sure you gently place your foot on the lead instead of stamping on it.

No hands

Remember to keep your hands off the lead and a smile on your face. Your foot on the lead means you are in control. If you have a strong dog, a few knots along the line of the lead will prevent the lead from slipping under your foot.

Make it positive

Remember that - as far as the dog is concerned - the tightened lead has nothing to do with you. Wait for the dog to come back by your side. Walk forwards only when you have its attention and there is no tension on the lead.

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Your dog or puppy’s safety and wellbeing depend on you. A dog should never be allowed to run free unless it is under your supervision in a protected environment, away from danger. You should have already trained your puppy to sit and lie down while wearing a dog training leash and to walk with you without wearing a lead. Now you can teach it to walk on the leash without pulling.

Training a dog for this exercise should start indoors. Let the puppy look at and smell the dog training leash - especially if it is new to him so that he can get accustomed to it. Then attach the lead to the puppy’s well-fitting, comfortable dog training collar.

With the puppy on your left side, hold the dog training leash and a food reward in your right hand. Your left hand holds the slack, ready to slide down to the collar. Give the puppy the “Sit” command.

Begin to walk with your left foot first. As the puppy walks beside you, give the command “Heel”. If the puppy surges forward, slide your left hand down the lead to its collar and gently pull backwards.

When the puppy is in the heel position, give the reward and verbal praise. Then command the puppy to sit. Slowly increase the distance you cover as the puppy obeys the sequence of commands.

Once the puppy is able to walk to heel and sit obediently as you go from room to room, you can train it to turn right. Guide it around to the right with your left hand, and give the command “Heel”.

To make a left turn, increase your own speed and hold the food in front of the puppy’s nose to slow it down. Keep the puppy close to your left leg and give the “Steady” command as it slows down.

Dog Training Tips and Troubleshooting

Climbing up the leash

If the puppy tries to jump up or climb the leash, sternly say “No” or “Off”. Move away, give the “Sit” command, and start again. Do not train on outdoor walks at first - they can be too distracting. Train indoors, and slowly try busier locations.

Collapsing

If the puppy refuses to move, gently and patiently entice it with a favourite squeaky toy.
Do not pull the puppy, or become angry with it. Instead, you should encourage the puppy with praise, and allow it to build up its confidence.

Pulling forwards

Every time the puppy pulls on the dog training leash, stop. Lure it back beside you before stepping off. Neither you nor the puppy should lose concentration. If your dog is particularly boisterous, use a head halter instead of a dog training collar.

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When you do go outside, pick a boring spot

As you progress in your loose dog leash training indoors, you’ll eventually be ready to move outside. Outside is a higher-distraction environment - but you can find ways to make the transition from low- to high-distraction a little more gradual. Try to find the most boring places you can. For example, your next step, after indoor practice, might be walking in your driveway, or in the backyard. The sidewalk closest to your home or apartment is probably more boring than the park, and is more appropriate certainly when starting leash training dogs.

If you have a fenced-in yard, you might try letting your dog out loose first, so she has a chance to check all the new smells or sights that weren’t there the last time she was out. Then snap on the leash for some walking practice.

Progress slowly

Dog leash training whilst walking, like any outdoor behavior, is challenging because outside is distracting. Outside, a dog’s senses are being tickled by myriad sounds, sights, and smells. We sometimes forget that when leash training dogs (or any other dog training routines for that matter) we’re asking a lot when we expect our dogs to notice what we want when there is so much other, interesting stuff going on!

Of course, every dog is different. Some dogs will naturally be calmer, and some will be more excitable. The trick is to match your training program to your dog. If you are consistently “failing” in your attempts to get your dog to walk nicely on leash, you’ve been trying to progress too quickly. Go back to the beginning and start over - and this time, make sure your dog has mastered the baby steps before moving on.

Use the walk as a reward

One of the best rewards you have when leash training a dog is the walk itself. Your dog wants to go. So make moving forward a reward for a loose leash.

Conversely, if your dog ever puts pressure on the leash - if he ever makes the leash taut - then stop. Wait for him to look at you. Wait for him to take a step back toward you so that the leash goes slack again. When he does that, start walking again.

If you do this consistently, your dog will learn that he makes you go by keeping the leash loose.

Avoid bad habits

If you let your dog practice pulling, guess what? You’re dog leash training routine is teaching your dog to pull. If your dog hasn’t mastered loose leash walking, find alternative ways to give her exercise, such as romps in a fenced-in yard. When leash training a dog, don’t rely on leash walks for her daily exercise until she’s had plenty of practice keeping that lead loose.

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Even the most stern of pet owners will typically admit that they like to occasionally pamper their pets, and naturally, a little spoiling is okay. However when not enough boundaries are set, many issues can arise. Firstly, the proven fact that a dog who is given "full run of the house" is sometimes a dog who causes aggravation and isn’t enjoyed as much as those that respect their limits. Whilst no-one is advocating that your dog should have to live a militant lifestyle or not be permitted to have fun, it’s not irrational to have certain expectancies for your pet. As an example, the begging at the table that customarily appears so lovable and leads to you giving your dog human food is bound to lose its charm when guests are attending. Not to mention the jumping you will overlook when your dog is pleased to see you arrive home from work, not quite as amusing when Aunt Sarah is coming in the doorway carrying a cake and wearing vacation clothes.

If your dog could use some work on jumping, begging, barking, taking, play biting, bolting out the doorway or any other behaviors, a little obedience coaching can go a ways toward sharpening up his manners. By teaching your pet some straightforward commands,eg "heel" ( walk at my side ), "sit," "down," "stay" and "come," you can then use the commands in daily life to coach new, good manners when you need them. The down / stay command is useful for working on things like begging, stealing and play biting, whilst the sit / stay is extremely beneficial in working on not jumping, bolting out the doorway or licking visitors. Naturally, there’s also the additional benefit of having your pet respect you more sometimes, so when you are saying "no," he’ll feel more like he needs to listen. If you teach your dog on your own or with aid from a pro, it’s so far easier to enjoy your pet when you have established boundaries for your dog companion. Who knows, by setting those boundaries you just might discover a new found freedom.

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Looking to train your dog and stumped about which dog training method or philosophy is best?  Ask ten different people how they believe dogs should be trained and you’ll likely hear ten different stories.  The truth is there are really two major dog training approaches, positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.  And most training techniques fall under these two approaches.

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training Techniques

Positive reinforcement isn’t a new technique however it is a more recent approach when compared to negative reinforcement techniques.  Positive reinforcement basically means you reward for good behavior.  It embraces the philosophy that animals perform better when they know they’re going to receive a reward. The training results are permanent and positive reinforcement doesn’t create negative behaviors.

Benefits of positive reinforcement include

• Creating a bond of trust between owner/trainer and dog
• Creating a structure of behavior and reward
• Eliminating and preventing negative or aggressive behaviors
• Empowering owners to train – it’s easier to use positive techniques successfully
• Motivating dogs to learn.  When a dog knows they’re going to get a treat they’re much more excited to learn a new behavior.

Positive reinforcement training embraces several training methods including clicker training, play training, nothing in life is free, and even luring.  The essence of these techniques only differs in the process.

For example, with clicker training the click marks the correct behavior and the behavior is enforced with a reward.  It can be a food reward, a belly rub or a game of tug of war, it doesn’t matter. 

Food rewards, are of course easier and most dogs are very responsive to food. Play training substitutes the food reward with play time and luring guides a dog’s behavior with food.  Okay, onto negative reinforcement…

Negative Reinforcement Dog Training Techniques

Before there were positive reinforcement dog training techniques, negative reinforcement was the standard approach trainers took.  Now negative reinforcement isn’t all bad.  Sometimes a little aversion goes a long way.  However it has it’s time and place.

Negative reinforcement takes the following approach – punish for bad behaviors and the dog will remember what they’re not supposed to do.  Negative reinforcement training techniques range from yelling at a dog when they do something wrong to electric shock – think about those invisible fences, that’s negative reinforcement.  Choke chains and confinement are also forms of negative reinforcement.

Here’s the thing…

There’s a reason why positive reinforcement is a more recent philosophy.  Trainers and animal behaviorists have learned that negative reinforcement typically doesn’t help an animal to really learn a behavior.

When a person or an animal receive a positive impulse there are chemicals released in the brain that make associations.  Positive associations help an animal learn a behavior faster and better than negative reinforcement.  Additionally, negative reinforcement creates potentially negative emotions like fear and aggression.

Fear and aggression are the most common causes of unwanted behaviors in dogs thus making negative reinforcement techniques a potentially vicious circle.  Many traditional dog training methods like the Koehler Method embrace and are founded on negative reinforcement techniques. 

Depending on your dog, your personal training philosophy and the reason you’re training your dog, different approaches may work better for you.  Additionally, often times a combined approach, using positive reinforcement 99% of the time and the occasional negative stimuli 1% of the time, may be the most effective.

Dog training techniques are wide and varied.  When exploring which method is right for you, examine whether they embrace positive or negative reinforcement techniques and what tools the method uses.  Some methods are developed for high level agility training and competition and others are designed to help you cohabitate with your dog in a loving and structured environment.  You know your dog best, what method fits your goals and needs?

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Portable kennels come in a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate practically any dog or area. Not to be confused with crates, a portable kennel is usually outdoor structures (although some people use them in garages or basements) ranging in size from about 4 feet wide by 6 feet long, to just about as big as you want to make them.

The actual portability of them depends on the finished size of course, but all portable kennels come apart and set up relatively easily if you want to change their location. Generally, they have the advantage of being large enough for a sleeping area (with a dog house, if you like) a play area, and a potty area.

A portable kennel can be used either as your dog’s main exercise and play area in the yard, to contain him if the rest of the yard is in use, or to visually and physically designate a potty area in your yard. They usually come with an attachable roof, so are generally a very secure option for containing your dog safely.

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Traditional solid dog fencing is probably the most reliable way to keep your dog in your yard and relatively safe. The main disadvantage to them is that they are expensive. Also, some determined dogs will climb over even high dog fencing or dig under them (although there are things you can do to deter both of these behaviors).

Many towns and cities have restrictions on what type or height of dog fencing you can have, which may not be suitable for your dog. Some areas don’t allow visible fences at all. For this reason, you may want to consider an electronic or invisible dog fence.

No matter what kind of dog fencing you use, until your dog is reasonably trained, he shouldn’t be spending unsupervised time in the yard. You want him to reliably come to you when you call, and to know where he’s supposed to potty, play, and dig before you allow him the option of making up his own mind.

Invisible dog fences have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive (at least compared to traditional dog fencing), and are generally acceptable by even the pickiest of homeowners associations. They also have several disadvantages that should be carefully considered.

The primary disadvantage of invisible dog fences is that they don’t stop dogs or other animals from coming into your yard to harass your dog, which may be mildly annoying or downright dangerous. In addition, some dogs are too sensitive for them, and will either react with extreme fear or avoidance, sometimes refusing to leave the house or porch.

Also, some dogs have been known to develop aggression problems because they connect the shock with the presence of people or other dogs outside the boundary. Finally, some dogs have such a high pain tolerance that they don’t mind the shock and will cross the boundary without hesitation to tour the neighborhood. Invisible fences do make excellent backup options if you’re going with solid dog fencing for diggers and climbers, and some companies offer indoor versions as well.

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If you have a yard and want to allow your dog access to it, you’ll need some kind of fence for dogs to keep him in the yard. You have some basic choices when it comes to outside containment options for your dog, including solid fences; invisible or electronic fences; portable kennels; and tether, runner, or trolley systems.

Depending on your budget, your dog area restrictions, and how you use your yard, you may want to use more than one type of fence for dogs or other containment option to keep your dog safe.

If your dog digs under the fence, try burying an underground dog fence or chicken wire, metal hardware cloth, concrete landscape pavers about a foot deep all along the fence line to provide an underground barrier. Dog climbs over? You can try putting an additional foot or so of fencing along the top of the existing dog fence angled in toward the yard. For determined escape artists a backup invisible dog fence may be necessary.

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The success of your dog obedience training and how you get on with your dog depends on the measure to which you are consistent. You can socialize your dog perfectly, but without consistency the effect of your efforts will be minimal. If you are inconsistent, your dog will be confused. If inconsistency slips into your dog obedience training plans, it is totally unclear to the dog why it may snuggle up closely to you on the sofa today and tomorrow it is not allowed, and the fact that yesterday you did not mind it barking while today you punish it for the same behavior.

Maintaining flexible rules in the house is confusing for a dog - ideally there should be only firm and strict rules in your dog obedience training, because for a dominant dog such a changeable method constitutes a reason to try to snatch power. Other dogs become unsure or ignore your commands more often.

However, I realize it is extremely difficult to be consistent. Nearly always, being consistent means that in the end you are not consistent. Being consistent is continuous and implies that anything you permit the dog to do, you must always permit, and any thing you forbid, you must always forbid. To keep this up requires not only effort from you, but also from the rest of the family and everyone must keep to it. It means that, even before the pup arrives, you and your family must agree together about what you do and do not allow - you must draw up your dog obedience training plan together. Is the dog allowed to lie on the sofa, sleep on the bed, jump up at people? You must discuss these things beforehand.

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Home dog training means you’re going to need some decent dog training equipment to make your life easier. Indoor confinement options will help you housebreak your dog, as well as help prevent property damage from inappropriate chewing. You will probably want to crate train your dog when for you’re out of the house and when you’re home but can’t pay attention to what your dog is doing.

Gates can be used in home dog training to both to keep your dog in the same room with you and to keep him out of off-limits areas. Finally, tethers and draglines can help you control your dog by limiting his options and keeping him close to you.

A sturdy crate is your best friend (other than your dog, of course) when home dog training and the easiest way to keep your dog from being destructive. When it comes to housebreaking, a crate is practically an essential. Crates come in a few basic types. The most common are plastic airline crates and wire crates. Which type you choose will depend on your budget, decor, and to some extent, your dog.

If you don’t want to have to buy successively larger crates as your dog gets bigger, get the size that will fit him as an adult. Wire crates usually have panels that can be used to adjust the size of the crate. To determine what size crate to get, figure out how much space your dog needs to stand up, lie down, and turn around, without too much room to spare. If your budget allows, you might consider getting two or three crates, so your dog has a safe place to be in your car or in a second room, like your bedroom at night.

In home training your dog, gates are an easy way to give your dog a little more space without giving him the run of the house. Use gates to control space, keeping your dog in and out of specific areas you designate. Gates come in a wide variety of sizes, functions, and prices. From the simplest, old-fashioned, expandable baby gate you can get at your local box store for around $10, to a more elaborate gate with a door that opens when you step on a lever, there is a size and type to suit practically any need and budget.

If you’re home dog training and have an open floor plan, you may have to get creative with your gating choices. You can easily make custom gates from PVC lattice fence panels available at most major home-improvement stores. The panels come in several sizes, but the 4" x 8" sections are probably the most versatile. Attach them together with cable ties or cut them for a custom fit.

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There are several types of dog training equipment that you can use to help your dog realize the error of his ways when he makes poor choices. You want to use something that is aversive - that is, something your dog doesn’t like and will work to avoid - but isn’t harmful. What you use will depend on your dog’s individual personality. Just like people, what one loves, another can’t stand, so you’ll have to experiment a bit to figure out the best dog training equipment that is most effective for your dog.

Commonly used aversives include noisemakers, like throw chains or shaker bottles (1/2 gallon or gallon-sized plastic milk jugs with ten pennies inside and the top taped shut). Squirt guns or spray bottles with stream settings can be a very effective addition to your training equipment arsenal and can also be used to interrupt or deter your dog from unwanted behavior, as long as your dog isn’t one that thinks a stream of water is something to play with!

For certain behaviors, particularly unwanted "mouthy" behaviors like play-biting, inappropriate chewing or excessive barking, you will want to use some form of dog training equipment that tastes bad to your dog. You might use one of the readily available possibilities like Bitter Apple, vinegar, Tabasco, or human breath spray. Whatever aversives you use, have plenty of them handy wherever you hang out with your dog. You don’t want to have to go find something; you want it to be there when you need it.

Once you’ve assembled all your supplies and dog training equipment, yippee! You’re ready to bring your dog home!

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There is an abundance of dog training aids at your disposal to help keep your dog safe and out of trouble. Depending on the circumstances, you might use a combination of dog train ing collars, crates, gates, tethers, draglines, and leashes to keep your dog under control - and that’s just indoors! This article will focus on the supplies you need to interrupt and prevent mischief.

You’ll need to gather some supplies to get started out right.

• Crate: at least one; consider getting a second crate for car travel.
• Collar; at least one well-fitting collar; maybe get a special dog training collar later.
• Leashes: at least one 6-foot leash (longer lengths are helpful), possibly a retractable. Do yourself a favor and buy a leash that feels good in your hand, rather than what fits your dog or matches his collar. A well fitting and comfortable leash is one of the most important dog training aids you will buy - so don’t skimp on quality as it will be well worth the investment.
• Gate(s).
• Draglines: at least one 6-8 foot and at least one 25-50 foot.
• Aversives: at least six of each type you use (noise, water, or taste).
• A fence, or at least a plan for how you will contain your dog outside.
• Food and water dishes: stainless steel is best.
• Food: If you know what your dog is eating now, get enough to feed him for at least a couple of weeks so any change can be done gradually.
• Toys: Time and experience will teach you what your dog likes, so start with a few
• different types
• Chewing items: again, experiment with a variety - there are essential dog training aids that will help stop your dog chewing the furniture and other "illegal" items.
• Soft treats for rewards - another vital dog training aid - it’s amazing what you dog will do for a tasty snack..
• An appointment with your veterinarian within a few days of bringing your dog home.

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Before you bring your dog home, take a few minutes to visualize him two years from now. When learning how to train a dog, think about how do you want him to behave? For the next two years, remember you are training your dog whether you intend to or not.

Leaving the Past Behind

One of the great things about dogs is that they live in the moment. Good or bad, whatever background they come from, they are ready to leave it behind. When training your dog you may need to bear in mind that some of them may need a little help in overcoming learned fears or in changing bad habits, but they don’t lie around dwelling on anything that happened before. Whatever your dog’s past is, there is nothing that you can do to take it away or make up for it, so all you can do is move forward.

Let It Go

While letting go of the past is easy for dogs, it often isn’t so easy for people. Sometimes new owners focus on the dogs’ past, making excuses for the dog’s behavior and attributing every mistake to a history of abuse, real or imagined. They can actually keep the dog from progressing because they’re so wrapped up in coddling the "victim." While coddling might make the caretaker feel better, it doesn’t help the dog at all. Training your dog should focus on his future, not his past - remember this and everything will work out fine.

Other people might be holding on to their own past, or memories of past dogs, and expect the new dog to behave in the same way as the previous dog did, especially if they are the same breed. Even worse when training your dog is expecting the new dog to know the same rules and commands the other dog knew.

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Practice in different rooms of the house. Practice when your dog knows you’re holding a treat - and when she knows you’re not. Vary the reward.

Sometimes reward a sit with a treat. Sometimes reward it with pets and praise, or by playing a game.

When I’m training my dog, or working with my clients, I never make the practice sessions long, but I do practice often. If you take a few minutes, every day, to work with your dog, you’ll make steady progress toward your goals.

Use obedience skills for control and focus

Once your dog knows a few basic obedience skills, you can use those behaviors to ask your dog to control herself, and to focus her attention.

For instance, suppose I’m training my dog on a leash walk and a squirrel runs by. Assuming you’ve worked on a sit outdoors - while walking on leash, with enticing distractions nearby - you now have a tool to keep your dog from going crazy about the squirrel.

You can use the same techniques I use when training my dog to manage your dog - to prevent her from getting too close to people if they aren’t dog lovers, or if you aren’t certain they will approach your dog properly. Having your dog sit or lie down on cue is also very useful around small children - particularly if they are carrying food!

If your dog tends to become anxious or aroused, asking for a sit or down can help redirect her attention, and may help her become more calm.

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When you’re practicing your dog training commands, bear in mind that it’s one thing for your dog to sit on cue in the kitchen, when there’s nobody else around and he knows you have a treat in your hand. But you may need your dog to respond to cues like "sit" and "down" in other situations, too. So it’s a good idea to work on these dog training commands and behaviors under more difficult conditions.

For example, most dogs are more distracted outside than inside. So work on having your dog sit in your yard, or during walks. You may also work on these dog training commands when there are other people or animals around. If your dog becomes excited by doorbells or telephones ringing, for example, use these events to add a little more challenge to your training.

At the same time, don’t set your expectations too high. It’s far better to take baby steps than ask too much of your dog, too quickly.

Suppose your dog responds well to all his dog training commands, and sits reliably, on cue, in the house. A logical next step would be to work on sitting in a quiet yard. If you take your dog to a busy city street and ask for a sit, he may be too overwhelmed by all that’s going on around him to respond. But if you focus on a reliable sit in your backyard for a few weeks, tackling sitting on a busy city sidewalk is more likely to succeed.

And of course, every dog is different! Some dogs get distracted more easily than others. So make sure you’re paying attention to how quickly your dog catches on when you add distractions - including how easy or hard it is to get his attention. Then adjust the speed of your training program to your dog, and introduce more dog training commands as he builds confidence.

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Here’s some free dog training techniques for teaching your dog the "sit" and "down" command. Sit and down are two great basic obedience behaviors. They come fairly naturally to dogs (dogs sit and lie down all the time), and they are behaviors you can train indoors, which is an ideal environment for using your dog training techniques due to it’s low distraction levels.

Sit and down are also useful in a lot of different situations. For instance, using these dog training techniques for telling your dog to sit when greeting human visitors is a great behavior to instill in your dog. Telling your dog, "Down" is a way to keep your dog’s mouth away from your kid’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich when she’s eating on the couch. In fact, you can use either of these dog training techniques as an "alternative behavior" any time you want your dog to not do something else.

An easy way to train sit or down is to use the luring dog training technique. With luring, you use a treat to "lure" your dog’s body into the desired position.

The basic procedure for luring is to close a treat in your fist. Your dog will be able to smell it, but not see it or eat it (until you’re ready). Then move your hand in a way that gets your dog to take the position you’re trying to train. When she’s in the right position, say, "Yes" and give her the treat.

For example, when using this dog training technique to train a sit, begin with your dog standing. Holding the treat in your fist, move your hand back over the dog’s head, as if you are petting her. As her nose follows your hand, she’ll drop into a sit. Say, "Yes!" and give her the treat.

Do this four more times. Then take a break for a while. Practicing four or five times, per session, is plenty. In fact, most dogs do better with frequent, short training sessions than with long sessions.

In your next training sessions, you’ll notice your dog catching on: she’ll start sitting faster. She may even sit as soon as she realizes that you have a treat in your hand. When this happens, don’t lure her any more - just give her the treat.

At that point, you can expand on this dog training technique and start to add the sit cue. As you see her begin to sit, say, "Sit." Then give her the treat. Again, repeat this four or five times, per training session.

What you’ll notice next is that saying "sit" triggers the sit behavior. Congratulations! You are now on the way to having your dog’s sit behavior on cue.

Using this dog training technique to teach your dog to lie down uses the same process, only instead of luring your dog into a sit, put your hand all the way down on the floor so that you draw her into the down position.

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The slip collar is an ideal means of correcting your dog. Wolves correct each other with a short, sharp bite in the neck. If a slip collar is used in the correct way, it has the same effect on a dog and is understood well. A chain put on this way slackens as soon as you stop pulling on it.

If the chain is put on the wrong way round, it often stays tight. This makes the dog uncomfortable and you cannot correct it properly in this manner. Neither can you correct it properly when the leash is kept taut. All you do then is to pull the dog along a little bit, but the effect of a "bite" is lost. You only achieve this when the slip collar stays loosely around the dog’s neck and you then give it a short, sharp, but clearly felt tug.

Various types of slip style dog training collars

There are various types of slip collar. They vary from very thin links to large oval links. The fine, thin links are the most suitable for pups from the age of about three to seven months.

From seven months onward you can give your dog a chain made of large, oval links. The advantage of the large oval links is that can you "lock" these into a piston clip, so that the chain has a double function. You can also use it as an ordinary choker collar. The larger links are less damaging to the neck hair. Quite often, hair gets caught in the small links. That irritates the dog and this can result in a partially bare neck.

A slip training collar, by the way, is only worn during training or walking in the period of upbringing. Indoors it is better not to put a chain on your dog at all. During long walks in the wood too, when your dog can frolic about freely, a chain of this kind can be dangerous because it can easily get caught on something.

It is better not to use a metal slip collar until your dog is three months old; until then a nylon slip collar is more suitable. The chance that you will need to correct your pup before then with a slip dog training collar or slip chain is very small.

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Begin getting your dog or puppy accustomed to his collar by leaving it on for a few minutes at a time, gradually extending the time you leave it on. Most dogs become accustomed to dog training collars very quickly and forget they are even wearing one.

Once this is accomplished, attach a lightweight leash to the collar while you are playing with him. Do not try to guide him at first. The point here is to accustom the pup to the feeling of having something attached to the collar.

Some puppies adapt to a dog training collar very quickly and, without any undo resistance, learn to be guided with the leash. Other pups may be absolutely adamant that they will not have any part of leash training and seem intent on strangling themselves before submitting to any sort of dog shock collar training..

If your puppy is one of the latter, do not continue to force the issue. Simply create a lasso with your leash and put your puppy’s head and front legs through the lasso opening so that the leash encircles his shoulders and chest, just behind the front legs.

Problem pups seem to object less to this method than having the leash around their necks. Encourage your puppy to follow you as you move away. If he is reluctant to cooperate, coax him along with a treat of some kind. Hold the treat in front of his nose to encourage him to follow you. Just as soon as your puppy takes a few steps toward you, praise him enthusiastically and continue to do so as you move along.

Make the initial session very brief and enjoyable. Continue the lesson until the puppy is completely unconcerned about the fact that he is on a leash. With a treat in one hand and a leash attached to your dog training collar in the other, you can begin to use both to guide him in the direction you wish to go.

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• The dog must understand that It is being rewarded;
• The dog must understand why it is being rewarded.

This would seem to be a natural conclusion, but in practice it does not seem to be so obvious. How often is a dog rewarded with only a mumbled "Good boy" and a nonchalant pat on the head? Or a morsel is thrown at it without a word being wasted?

You can tell from the dog’s reaction whether this is experienced as a reward. Its entire body and expression should radiate joy. You can achieve this by rewarding your dog lavishly with a high voice and a sincere hug. When it does something good, it is the best dog in the world and you must let it know this too!

Many people find this difficult, especially when other people are around. Don’t be shy about this, because with a clear reward your dog will learn faster.

The moment of rewarding must be well-timed. You do not reward before your dog has obeyed a command and neither do you do it afterward. If, for example, you want your dog to lie down, do not reward it at the moment it starts to obey, but only when it is actually lying down.

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Bringing a second adult male dog into your home can be tricky, especially in some of the more aggressive breeds. Two entire male dogs (i.e., dogs that have not been neutered) in the same household will always bear watching. Problems between two females are usually less likely, but not entirely unheard of. Introductions should always be handled with care and consideration, with benefit of the doubt given to the resident. An adult dog with seniority may mistake a new puppy’s exuberance for aggression and react accordingly.

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And yet, it is useful to know a little basic dog training theory. Why? Because your dog is unique. No trainer has ever worked with your dog. No writer has ever written a book about your dog. Understanding the basic dog training heories can help you come up with creative ideas and solutions, even when your dog’s behavior doesn’t quite fit anyone else’s experience.

So take the time to learn a little behavioral theory. Then, if your dog does something that seems really strange, you’ll be better prepared to understand it, why it happened, and how you should respond.

Basic Dog Training Tips - Understanding Body Language

It’s also helpful to learn how to read a dog’s body language. We like to think we know our dogs, and that we can empathize with our dogs. But the fact is, we can’t really get into a dog’s brain and experience what a dog experiences.

But we can observe dogs. And we can come to reasonable conclusions about their general states, such as whether they are relaxed or aroused. These observations, in turn, can help make us better trainers. They can help us understand how our training is going.

For example, if my dog becomes too aroused, she’s more difficult to train. It can be hard for me to even get her attention. By watching her body language, I can adjust my expectations and avoid setting her up for training failures.

Dogs who are aroused may have raised hackles. Their ears will be pricked. They may hold their tails erect.

A dog who is anxious may hold his tail between his legs. He may crouch or "slink" along the floor. He may turn his head away from whatever is making him anxious. Every dog is different. The better we become at reading our dog’s responses to our basic dog training methods, and to the environment, the better trainers we become.

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Getting Ready for the New Arrival

Before your dog conies home, you may want to take at least a couple of days off to sleep in (especially if you’re getting a puppy) and gather supplies. It’s so much easier to have them before you need them, rather than wait until the dog is in the house to realize what you need but don’t have.

You may also want to plan your dog’s arrival around a vacation so you can adjust to your new routine without worrying about keeping a tight schedule. You should stick as closely to your normal schedule as possible, including the times when your puppy will be crated when you go back to your normal activities.

Before you get your dog, you will want to have a safe way to transport your dog to his new home. A crate is the safest option for any age dog, but a puppy or small dog can be held on the lap of someone in the back seat for a short trip (have towels handy in case of accidents on the way home). Seat belts are available for the restraint of larger dogs. For the safety of the dog and everyone else on the road, the dog should not ride on the driver’s tap.

You should also plan on having at least several days’ worth of whatever food your new dog is currently eating on hand to avoid adding digestive upsets to what will already be a stressful time.

Home at Last!

When you first get home, give your dog a few quiet minutes to relieve herself before bringing her in the house to meet her new family. Let her explore the immediate area and meet each family member on her own time without everybody grabbing at her. Everyone is bound to be excited, but try not to overwhelm her with everyone in the neighborhood coming over to meet her the day you bring her home. Give her a few days to settle in while you both adjust to your new routines.

Expect a few sleepless nights. This is a whole new life for your dog, with none of the things that are familiar to her to give her comfort. Crating her in your bedroom at night is a good idea. Letting her out of her crate to sleep in your bed because she’s crying isn’t. Grit your teeth and Hang in there. Some dogs are soothed by a wind-up clock ticking right outside the crate, and it wouldn’t hurt to give her a couple of big fluffy toys to cuddle up with.

It helps to make sure she’s tired out and recently pottied before you put her in the crate for the night. If you do have to take her out in the middle of the night to relieve herself - chances are you will for a few weeks - don’t play with her or give her treats. Give her a few minutes to do what she needs to do, and then put her right back in the crate. Don’t forget to take lots of pictures so you don’t forget her first days home.

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For instance, just the sound of a link-chain collar when it is jerked will let your dog know he is doing something wrong. When you decide how far you want to take your training, you can invest in the proper dog training aids and equipment.

Toys

Do dogs need toys? Yes! Do they need one of every toy that is offered for sale? An emphatic no! Toys actually make pretty good dog training aids, and puppies and new dogs do need several toys of different kinds to keep them occupied, exercised, and out of mischief. However, don’t give your dog so many toys that the dog begins to think everything that exists is a toy to chew on.

The toys and similar dog training aids you do choose can be anything that is appropriate for the size and the age of the dog - just be sure the toys are safe and do not have buttons or strings that can be chewed off or swallowed. Also, avoid balls made of soft material that can be chewed apart and hard plastic toys that can splinter easily.

Make sure any toys and other dog training aids you give a puppy or even grown dog are too large to become lodged in the mouth or caught in the throat. Bones can be instrumental in keeping your dog’s jaw and teeth occupied and your belongings safe, especially with teething puppies.

Large knuckle bones may not seem like dog training aids (or toys for that matter), but your dog will undoubtedly think otherwise. A dog can spend the best part of an afternoon gnawing  away on the same bone! It helps keep him calm and relaxed, and therefore he’ll be more responsive when it comes training time.

Teddy bears or stuffed animals that are not made specifically for dogs are not a good idea. Most of them have plastic or glass buttons for eyes that can be swallowed. Even with those removed, they are risky. Ears can be torn off and swallowed or the stuffing ripped out and ingested.

Some dogs treat stuffed animals and other soft types of dog training aids with great love and affection for weeks and months, and then suddenly, as punishment for some offense of which we have no knowledge, a dog decides to totally dismantle and swallow Mr. Teddy’s innards. You and your dog may have to spend some very unpleasant and costly time at the veterinarian’s office when this happens.

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People often wonder about the importance of dog training. They feel this is pointless and dogs should be left to do what they want. What people fail to realize is that dogs are animals and if left to behave how they want they will behave exactly like animals. Dogs that have not been trained in any way are more likely to bite, bark excessively, chew household items and dig holes. Training your dog to behave properly teaches the animal when it is appropriate and inappropriate to do these things. The dog should learn that it is wrong to use that bathroom in the house and that this is to be done outside. However, this is not something that dogs will instinctively know and they need to be taught.

It has also been found that dogs that have no formal dog training tend to control the house. They learn quickly that they can be the "alpha" dog in the household and it sometimes hard to change this before. Therefore it is important to teach the dog who is charge from day one. When doing this is important that you do not attempt to become the alpha dog yourself but instead you should work to show your dog that you are the owner of the house and that the dog must listen to you and follow the rules of the house. When you establish this relationship with your dog through proper training there will be less occurrences of acting out and misbehaving from your new puppy.

If you are getting a dog that is no longer a puppy and one that has never been formally trained in any way, don’t be discouraged. It is never too late to train your dog. However, in these cases your dog may require more formal training that is offered through your local pet store. Often new dog owners are overwhelmed and not sure how to tackle the chore of training their dog. If you are looking to enroll your dog in obedience training classes you can contact your local pet store to see what is available. There are also people to offer one-on-one training services where they will come to your home and take care of the training for you. This is a great idea for people who have never had experience in training dogs before. There are a multitude of resources out there for training your dog and you should take advantage of them all.

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Imagine the scene - you’re late for work. It’s raining, snowing, or brutally hot (take your pick). You don’t want to wait half an hour for your dog to potty; you want him to go, and go now.

As far as dog potty training goes, teaching your dog to eliminate on command is a way for you to make your life with your dog a little easier to say the least. Potty training dogs in this manner is not necessarily something I would use all the time, but if your dog understands it, it can come in very handy.

Going to the Potty on Command

Before you start training and using this dog potty training technique, decide what command(s) you’re going to use. You can use one command for both, or teach separate commands. “Hurry up,” “Do your business,” and “Get busy” are popular choices, but as always, the words you use aren’t important. Using them consistently is. Plan on taking two to four weeks of consistent reinforcement to teach your dog his new command.

When you’re potty training your dog, take him to his potty area, and be nothing more than an observant post. Don’t talk to him, or your neighbor, or let your dog entice you into taking him for a walk before he potties. The moment you see your dog assume the position, repeat your command several times, calmly and quietly (you don’t want to distract him from his task) “Hurry up, Gooood. Hurry up, Hurry up.”

After he finishes, don’t forget the most important part of your dog potty training routine - to give him praise and a treat, then give him some playtime or take him for a walk. Repeat this dog potty training technique for at least a week every time you take him to his potty area before you test your command. To test it, take him to his potty area and give him his command once. House training a dog in this way will teach your dog when to go, and that there’s a reward waiting for him once he’s completed the task.

If he starts looking for a spot and produces right away, give him praise and a treat like he’s the best dog in the world (well, he is, isn’t he?). If he doesn’t start looking for a spot, just continue as you were for another week before testing again.

Why Not Take a Walk to Potty?

One of my other dog potty training tips is concerned with walking and pottying together. If the object of your walk is for your dog to potty, rather than to exercise and spend quality time with her, then you’ll probably end the walk as soon as she goes. This teaches her to hold it so she can prolong the walk. The longer she can hold it, the longer walk she’ll get.

Let’s say you walk her until you’re tired, whether she’s gone or not, and head for home. By the time you’re back in house, she either has no reason to, or can’t, hold it anymore and does exactly what you were trying to prevent. By making the walk part of the reward for pottying, you can encourage her to potty quickly and in the right place.

As you’ll see, dog potty training is all about getting inside your dogs head, and understanding how she sees things.

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Looks Aren’t Everything

Choosing your dog based primarily on how she looks makes about as much sense as choosing your spouse that way. Let go of any preconceived notions you have about training a dog, and about certain breeds that you’ve gotten from movies or TV, and be honest with yourself.

If your idea of a perfect weekend is spending two days under the covers watching old movies (and not spending much time playing with and training your dog), then an energetic and active dog isn’t an ideal match. Work all day, stay out late, and sleep in? A puppy probably isn’t a good idea at this point in your life.

The Tough Questions

Before you start searching for your new dog, ask yourself some tough questions:

• Why do I want a dog now?
• How many hours will the dog be alone each day?
• Am I active or sedentary?
• How much time can I realistically devote to daily basic care like training, exercising, and brushing my dog?
• How much living space do I have?
• Are there children prominently in my life?
• Can I afford the costs involved with owning a dog?
• Who will end up as primary caretaker of the dog, and does that person want a dog?

Now that you’re thinking about how your lifestyle affects your choice of dog, and how much time you need to devote to training a dog, you’re ready to start doing research to find the right dog for you. You may have even decided that this isn’t the right time to add a dog to your life.

If you’re not sure, do a little research project for a month. Most people who own dogs are more than happy to talk about them. Ask people you meet with a dog how the dog is to live with - how much money, time, and energy they spend taking care of the dog, and what they like most and least about dog ownership. Take notes and re-evaluate your decision.

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Manage distractions

Distractions - that is, anything that competes for your dog’s attention - can complicate your training regimen. So it’s important that you manage them.

For example, take a behavior like sitting. You might think that a sit is a sit whether you expect it in your kitchen, at the park, or on a crowded street.

But it’s not the same. Some environments have a lot of distractions. Some have few. Some distractions are … very distracting. How to train a dog the right way requires you to know and understand the difference - especially for your dog’s sake.

Maybe your dog sits beautifully whenever you are in your living room and you say, "Sit." Maybe he’ll even sit beautifully for you when you are outside in your backyard. That doesn’t mean he’ll sit when you ask him to just as a squirrel runs by.

So here’s the thing. When you start training your dog to learn a new behavior, pick a place that doesn’t have many distractions. Think boring. Later, as your dog becomes more fluent in the behavior, you can try it in situations where there are more distractions.

By managing the distractions as part of your training routine, your dog’s behaviors will have a solid foundation. When you do introduce distractions, he’ll be better prepared to handle them.

Observe your dog

Learning how to train a dog is also about observing your dogs reactions. Every dog is different. To figure out how to train your dog, you have to become a good observer. Is your dog relaxed? Aroused? Is it easy to get his attention, or hard? What rewards get him jazzed?

The more closely you watch your dog, the more information you have about whether your training is working. You’ll be better able to adjust your training so that it fits your dog. Learning how to train a dog is an ongoing process - never stop teaching him new tricks, and never stop noticing how he responds.

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Keep sessions short

Generally speaking, more frequent, shorter training sessions are more effective than less frequent, longer sessions.

How short is short? This depends, in part, on your dog. If you notice your dog starting to lose interest, the training session has already lasted too long.

A good rule of thumb is to work on something for three to five repetitions at a time. Then take a break. Play with your dog, or do something else for a while - then come back later for another (short) session.

Be patient

One of the biggest challenges with training a dog is expecting perfection-especially when you expect it right away. We often have a mental image of how a well-trained dog behaves. But training dogs takes time, so be patient. You and your dog wilt be together for a number of years, if you don’t reach all of your training goals the first couple of weeks, that’s okay. You’ll get there.

Break behaviors into manageable pieces

Many behaviors are actually made up of more than one action or position: they are several behaviors, combined. For example, paying attention is a foundation behavior for recall (coming when called). For a dog to come when called, she has to notice that you’ve called her. So the first "piece" of the recall behavior is getting your dog to pay attention to you.

If you want your dog to retrieve a ball or toy when you toss it, one part of the behavior you need to train is give - she has to let you take the ball from her mouth.

Sit is a component of the sit/stay behavior.

Sometimes we need to invest time in mastering pieces of a more complex behavior before we can move on to the behavior itself. Start with the basic dog training approach, then start to use several new tasks together.

Think of training your dog as a kind of dance. First you learn the steps. Then you put them together into the final routine. By breaking the behavior into its smaller steps, your training will be more successful. It will also be easier to notice how much progress you’re making.

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So don’t think you need to use store-bought dog cookies or other treats for your training. I use tiny bits of kibble-the kind made for toy breed dogs - for much of my training needs. If you do buy or make larger treats, break them into pea-sized pieces for training.

You should also feed your dog less on days when you give a lot of training treats. Just make sure that the combination of treats and regular meals you’re providing add up to a balanced diet. (Check with your vet on this if you’re not sure!)

While you can use people food as training treats, some foods are known or suspected to be toxic to dogs-including chocolate, grapes, raisins, and onions. Check with your vet if you’re not sure about what training treats are safe.

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Start immediately

Get started on housetraining the first few minutes a new dog comes into your home. One of the secrets of good pottying behavior is to establish habits. If you don’t start reinforcing good pottying habits with your dog right away - the very first day she comes to your home - you’re making the job harder than it should be. The last thing you want is to let your dog get into the habit of pottying where she shouldn’t.

Prevent "Accidents"

The better you are at preventing accidents, the more quickly your dog  will become housetrained.

So how do you prevent housetraining accidents? First, make sure you give your dog frequent bathroom breaks. (If he’s a very young puppy, this may mean taking him outside every couple of hours at first.)

Second, pay attention to your dog’s behavior. Many dogs act a certain way when they need to relieve themselves. They may whine, go to the door, or circle around the floor sniffing. Puppies often need a bathroom break right after playing, eating, or napping.

And finally, consider a crate for those times when you can’t directly supervise your dog. In most cases, confining your dog to his sleeping area trains him to wait to relieve himself.

Use a crate

Crates are a great housetraining tool. Healthy dogs don’t usually soil their own beds. So confining your dog to her bed when you can’t directly supervise her is a great way to prevent housetraining accidents.

Of course, it’s important to introduce your puppy to the crate properly. Your dog should view her crate as a comfortable place where she wants to be when she’s resting or sleeping. Research crate training and other housetraining puppy tips to help you build a strong and loving relationship with your new pet.

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The equipment you use depends on what you want to tech your dog to do. If you want to teach it to retrieve, there are very colorful toys you can buy that the dog can easily see when you throw them. This by playing a game of fetch and using the word Retrieve, you c an train your dog to retrieve things both on land and in the water.

The clicker is a piece of equipment most often used by trainers. With this the trainer clicks the clicker as soon as the dog does what it is supposed to do. The trainer then rewards the dog with a treat. The dog learns to associate the click with a good experience and after a short time, it will intentionally repeat the behavior because it knows that this brings a reward. Then the trainer can start using the word associated with that behavior so the dog will learn to associate the command with the action.

The Bark Collar is another item used in training dogs. This collar contains a sensor that will give the dog a slight shock every time it barks. Instead of positive reinforcement, as in using a clicker, this equipment uses negative reinforcement to teach the dog what it is not supposed to do. There are many varieties of these collars on the market with the latest ones having an LED screen that will tell you how many times the dog barked since you put the collar on. The collars are very lightweight and have several levels of stimulation that is activated by the sound of the barking.

If you are interested in training your dog for entry into dog shows, there is a wide variety of equipment available for teaching the dog to do all kinds of ability jumps. The same applies to training hunting dogs in the many whistles and other equipment trainers can purchase and use. Dogs that are used by the police, search and rescue or as seeing-eye blinds need specialized training and specialized equipment that the ordinary pet owner would not have any need for.

Whatever equipment you decide to use, it is important for you to know the importance of having a well trained dog. If the dog is well behaved there is no reason why it can’t remain in the room when you have company. You won’t have to fear that it will jump up on anyone or become aggressive with children if you have trained to respond to certain commands. Training allows you to have more control over your dog’s behavior for its own protection and the protection of others. You won’t have to put a Beware of Dog sign in your window to warn visitors.

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