Dog Training

We have a 7 month old beagle/coonhound mix and going to beginner classes for training.

The trainer said we should exercise her alot before going to class. We don’t want to tire her out too much…but will try more next week….see if it helps.

Are there any other suggestions besides tire the dog out?

Thanks

In terms of dog training, house training is one of the areas of dog ownership and one of the most common dog training problems that is most subject to misunderstanding, confusion, and just plain dread boy dog owners and even dog training experts.

In today’s dog training article we are going to examine and learn how to deal with two of the most common problems surrounding the issue of house training your dog:

- Submissive and excited urination

- Scent marking behavior

Common house training problem #1: Submissive and excited urination

What is it a ’submissive urinator’?

A ’submissive urinator’, in dog training terms, is a dog that urinates on the floor and himself (and sometimes on you or any guests you may have!) in situations of extreme excitement or stress, like when you return home at the end of the work day or when the dog is being told off for some bad behavior.

Why does this happen?

Puppies are the most usual candidates for submissive/excited urination, but it is also not uncommon to see this behavior in adult dogs as well. Usually, these are highly sensitive and timid dogs, and/or ones from a shelter/with a history of abuse (often these last two go hand-in-hand and one of most common things we see as dog training professionals.)

When does it happen?

Situations which are likely to trigger an excited/fearful dog to urinate:

- Greeting time after a prolonged absence of owner

- Play time where a dog gets too excited

- The arrival of guests (particularly unknown guests)

- Stressful situations at home, eg arguments involving owner

- During a behavior correction such as you’re telling him off

- Sudden and unexpected loud noises such as thunder or fireworks

What can I do about it?

Luckily as dog training experts will tell you, it is not difficult to prevent your dog from doing his submissive or excited urination.

Firstly and most importantly, you should take him to the vet to make sure there is no unknown medical reason for the issue (such as diabetes or a hidden bladder infection.)

Next, it’s time to take use good dog training techniques to control the problem:

- Try to limit his intake of water to help him control his bladder more effectively, this is very important. Don’t restrict his water intake over a prolonged period of time, but if you know there is a situation coming which would normally result in a loss of bladder control, for example, you have guests coming over, or are planning on a play session soon, take his water bowl away for a period of time (maybe half an hour to an hour) before the event.

- When greeting your dog, keep it calm and mellow. The more excited he is, the harder it is for him to control his bladder, so don’t encourage him to get worked up: ignore him for the first few moments, or give him a very neutral “hello”, a quick and gentle pat, and then go about making yourself at home.

- It’s important that you DO NOT punish or harshly correct your dog for this behavior. It is not something that he can easily control, and he’s certainly not doing it on purpose. Punishing a dog for this behavior can cause emotional distress and lead to more problems for you and the dog in the long run. When you catch him in the act, you can interrupt him (a firm “No!” followed by praise when he stops should suffice) but don’t punish him. Keep your cool, and try to be sympathetic: he doesn’t mean to do it, after all!

- If he urinates out of fear (submissiveness) when scolding him for another offense, try to take the stress levels down a notch by keeping a firm, authoritative, but not angry tone. Remember, you’re dealing with a sensitive, highly-strung dog: if you get angry or worry him further, the problem will worsen.

Common house training problem #2: Scent marking

In dog training terms ‘Scent marking’ is where a dog ‘marks’ his or her territory with urine. Technically this is not actually a house training problem, since it’s based on the dog training issues of dominance and territoriality rather than insufficient house training. A dog can be perfectly house trained but still feel the need to mark inside the house.

However, because – since the problem centers around the unwanted presence of urine in the house – it seems logical, in a way, to link this problem with house training. Since this is one of the most widespread problems among dog owners, we as dog training professionals thought it worthwhile to include some practical advice.

Scent marking and lack of house training: how to differentiate between the two

Your dog is most likely scent marking their territory, rather than genuinely relieving himself, if:

- The amount of urine produced is relatively small, and tends to be directed against vertical surfaces such as doors, walls or furniture.

- If your dog is an unneutered male and at least five or six months old. Unneutered dogs are much more territorial than neutered ones. If you have an unneutered dog in the house, you can pretty much expect a certain amount of scent marking as he defines his own areas. It should also be noted that unspayed females also mark, but it is much less common. Spayed and neutered dogs can also exhibit marking behavior, but it’s relatively rare but should not be discounted.

- It makes little difference how often he is taken outside for a toilet break

- He frequently targets items that are new to the house such as new possessions, guest clothing/footwear, etc that do not carry some form of his scent

- You live in a multi-dog household and there is conflict between two or more of the dogs. In this case it is a dominance issue between the two and they may both mark.

- There are other, unneutered or unspayed pets in the house

What to do about the problem?

From a dog training perspective the first thing you need to do is spay or neuter your dog(s) as soon as you possibly can. If you can do this early enough, ideally, at six months of age, this often halts marking altogether. If this is not possible or if your dog’s been marking for a prolonged period of time, he or she may continue to do so after being spayed or neutered, since a pattern of behavior will have been established.

Ensure you clean soiled areas thoroughly. Use a non-ammonia based cleaner, because it smells just like pee, and stay away from vinegar too, it smells similar to pee as well. Oxi-Clean mixed with warm water is particularly effective on these areas and there are also plenty of commercial cleaners designed specifically to lift pet stains and odors, which you can buy from pet stores and some supermarkets.

Because dogs tend to re-mark the same places, you’ll need to redefine the places that you know he’s marked to prevent repeat offending.

Many dog training experts will recommend the following ways to do this:

- Feed him next to or on top of the spot

- Play with him there

- Groom him there

- Put his bed over or next to it

- Spend time there yourself: hang out with a book or sit down and work

Finally, one particular aspect of dog training that is often overlooked is if there is rivalry between dogs in the household. In this case you will need to take steps to resolve it. Any conflict is likely to be hierarchical in nature (a ‘power struggle’), which means that all you have to do to stop the tension is pay attention to which dog seems to be more dominant than the other one (which one eats first, gets the toys he/she wants, ’stares down’ another dog), and reinforce this position to establish the hierarchy.

So how do you do this? From a dog training perspective it is relatively simple. First, feed the dominant dog first. Pet him/her first. Give him/her a toy before anyone else gets one. This makes it clear to all dogs in the house which one really is the dominant dog. When this hierarchy’s been recognizably established, territorial and dominant behaviors like scent marking often vanish overnight.

i bought a dog training clicker for my grandma, thinking that is might resolve the problem of her two yorkies fighting…. do you think it will work?

I’ve made progress with my dog training this evening. I got him to lay down. Twice. And he is finally going outside when I tell him to instead of pouncing on me. Yes!

Anyways, I’ve read (or maybe seen on a show) once that strips of meat work better when training a dog than biscuits. Is this true?

Thanks in advance!

Progress! !!!
Thank you all very, very much! I’ll definitely take these with me next time that I go to town!

www.ted.com Speaking at the 2007 EG conference, trainer Ian Dunbar asks us to see the world through the eyes of our beloved dogs. By knowing our pets’ perspective, we can build their love and trust. It’s a message that resonates well beyond the animal world.

If you have a new puppy or dog, then you need to provide some sort of basic training for your pet. You can train your dog yourself or can get it trained through an obedience instructor. As dogs are like kids, they need proper training to mould them into obedient pets. With the required training, your dog can learn how to behave. You can be a happy owner if you have a trained dog. Dog training involves learning to communicate with a dog properly. You can train young pups within 2 to 3 weeks while for an older dog it can take about 7 to 8 weeks for training. Basic training can be started for pups when they are about 8 -12 weeks old for teaching commands and tricks. From about 3 to 6 months, formal classes can begin.

With understanding and patience, the trainer can impart efficient training to resolve the behavioral problems of dogs. For adequate training of your dog, you do not require any strong language or physical discipline. There are a number of methods for making training enjoyable for both your dog and yourself. Certain specific trainings are also available for dogs for doing tasks such as rescue dogs, guiding for the blind, hunting dogs etc.

When providing training for your dog, ensure that the place is open and quiet without any distractions. You can make the training experience an enjoyable one for both of you for ensuring that your dog stays happy, gains confidence and behaves well. The way and tone of speech is important in dog training. You need to use a friendly and happy tone for commands like ‘come’ and ‘heel’. Your voice can be firm and low for commands such as ‘ stay’ and ‘Sit down’. You need to appreciate your puppy or dog by offering some toy or food when it obeys the command. After the training class, you can take a little time to play with your pup or dog and this can develop a bond between both of you during the training. You should have good endurance to train and always should avoid harsh punishment.

Remember that food is important in dog training, as most dogs will love to eat. Some foods are tasty for dogs and it is also convenient for the trainer as bits of food can be kept in bag or pockets. Also note that giving food brings positive associations while training. You need to just know which food your dog likes. Never use food for behavior control; instead food should support a behavior. Never train the dog on a full stomach.

Keep the leash a bit loose when you walk with your dog because a tight leash could teach the dog to pull. Do not punish the dog after calling to you. Only one command should be given at any one time. Dogs cannot differentiate the good and bad deeds, as they know specific behavior to certain situations; therefore name a behavior to reinforce some control. Behavior will increase with reward.

You can also choose online dog training if a dog trainer or dog training school is not accessible. You can enroll for some online dog training classes and know all the secrets and techniques used by professional dog trainers for activity training, behavior training and obedience training.

Dog training is very important if you would like to ensure that you and your new pet will be able to live in harmony. Dog training can correct or modify a number of the dog’s natural behaviors, making the dog much more suited to life being taken care of in your home. There are a number of different ways available to train your dog and by following these 7 basic dog training tips, you will find that the training goes smoothly and is fun for both you and your dog.

1. If you are unsure of how to train your dog, seek help.

Individuals that would like to train their dog often have no idea how dog training is conducted or how the personality of their dog will factor into the training process. There are a number of different books and reference materials available to help a person train their dog, and if the owner is still unsure or uncomfortable with the training methods, they can ask a professional dog trainer for assistance and additional dog training tips.

2. Negative reinforcement is the least effective training method.

One of the dog training tips that most dog training professionals wish more people knew is that using negative reinforcement or punishment to train the dog is the least effective way to get the dog to obey you, but is the most effective way of making the dog fearful or aggressive towards you and others.

3. Making dog training fun also makes the training more effective.

Another one of the most important dog training tips to remember is that dogs love to please and are eager to learn in all stages of life, so making the dog training fun for the dog not only makes the training more enjoyable but also makes the lesson easier to learn for your dog.

4. Don’t be afraid to use small treats as rewards.

Giving the dog a small treat for a job well done will not hurt the training process and will make the training more enjoyable for the dog. The treat chosen as the reward should only be given during the training process and on the successful completion of the task the dog was asked to do.

5. Research training products extensively before deciding which to purchase.

There are a large number of different training products on the market today and some of these products are intended for a specific use, not for general obedience training. Some of the products will have features that are not necessary to the training that you are trying to conduct, while some others may have features that will make your training sessions easier.

6. Dog training takes time.

Just as you didn’t learn how to read in a day, your dog will not master a command or a trick within the space of a day. It takes time for a dog to remember and execute a desired behavior after it has been introduced to them, so this important dog training tip is to give the training time to work and the dog time to understand what you are asking him to do.

7. If at first you don’t succeed, try again.

This last tip of the important dog training tips is that if your dog fails to understand a training method or a command, try a different teaching method. Just like different people learn in different ways, different dogs learn in different ways as well.

Being a dog owner for more than 20 years showed me the importance of dog training. Two of my dogs had accidentaly died hit by cars so I began to value the concept of training your dog not only for safety – the most common thought when people thinks about dog training – but for security and protect your dog from every danger the city might be.

Most people think that dog training should be done when their dogs are puppies, and sure is the best way to train your dog but what when your dog has some years now? As I said, I was interested in training my dog to protect him from the dangers more than protect me or simply obey me. I needed some sort of basic training that, for example, when I scream my dog’s name, he would come and site beside me inmediately, ignoring all that might be around. Imagine this situation where your dog walks directly to the street with heavy traffic, I guess you are now feeling the same as I did with my dog when he was hit by a car.

Also, training my dog would have additional instant benefits, like my dog behave in front of children, other dogs, and people in general.

So I began my quest for dog trainers and dog training courses I can afford and would satisfy my specific needs. If you are looking for a dog training program like I did, you are probably feeling the same as I did: dog trainers are too expensive, dog training courses doesn’t fit what I look for, they are expensive, tricky, time-consuming,etc. so you end up giving up your search and thinking “I’ll have to train my dog myself” which, you already know that this won’t happen.

Luckily I came across this dog training program that seemed to fit my dog training needs. Normally I don’t believe in these “magical” courses promising fake achievements, but because of the circumstances, I decided to give it a try and let me say this to you, this is the best decision I’ve made and I should have made it long before when I had my first dog. This couse gives you all you need to know about dog training in a simple and understandable way. So easy you won’t have excuses to quit your dog training.

The techniques used in this course changed the preconceptions I had about how to train a dog – everybody uses or used the words “come” and “sit” as at-home basic training steps, but you’ll be surprised of how and when to use these types of words correctly to train your dog effectively.

Overview of this course

Features:  Lots of information and training sessions step by step.
Value for money: Very good, at no high cost risk the reward is quite good

Conclusion: If you want to train a dog but don’t want to spend big bucks or expose your dog to unexperienced trainers and do it yourself, this course will help you out effectively.

I haven’t really seen this question asked here before.

I’m interested in a trainer/class training for:
Pet/manners/CGC training:
Competition training for obedience/rally/agility: and
Working dog training for field/ service/ protection dogs.

I know that there’s a lot of good and bad infornation posted here. I’m just curious as to what people’s thoughts and experiences are in training.

Personal protection attack dog training video of a 7 month old German Shepherd/ Belgian Malinois mix puppy. Although this dog isn’t old enough to do real guard dog work it is being prepared to do real protection work… sort of like sending a child to karate class. He will finish guard dog training at about 18 months old. Quality protection dog training takes patience, respect, and knowledge. If a dog is trained with yelling and intimidation…how do you expect them to do protection work on a yelling man? Beware of people who sell sport dogs (aka schutzhund trained dogs) as “personal protection dogs. Sport dogs are trained to look pretty doing specific protection routines on a training field and may be confused in a real situation when there is not a bite sleeve or protection suit to bite. Also these types of protection dogs are trained to take stick hits instead of avoiding them and attcking that arm. This is because you can’t hold the stick with an arm within sleeve and schutzhund is a sport that is meant to prove a dogs bravery and show they are worthy of breeding, therefore they are trained to take stick hits that are always used with a stick that won’t really hurt the dog and are always hit on safe spots of the body. This is setting the dog up for failer when they must fight a person for real that is planning on hitting them in the head with an iron bar. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the dog training video of Matrix… another client dog trained by K9-1 Specialized Dog …