Posts Tagged ‘obedience classes’

How To Keep Your Dog Motivated

Keeping the attention of a dog while training is not always an easy task. Dogs can be very easily distracted, and it is important to not allow the dog training sessions to be sabotaged by boredom. Making dog training fun for the dog and the human alike is essential to creating a happy, well-adjusted and well-trained dog.

You should provide random positive stimuli throughout the day in order to keep the attention of the dog. Doing things the dog enjoys, like walking in the park, riding in the car, and playing with other dogs, are good methods to keep the dog’s attention, but you must reward him for small successes.

For instance, in order to reward the dog for coming to you when you call him, ask the dog to come to you, without giving any clues about a walk, a car ride, or other treats.

After the dog has come to you and obediently sat down, attach the leash and start the reward. This can be either the afore-mentioned walk in the park, ride in the car, or anything else the dog likes to do.

Giving some kind of reward, whether a treat, a special outing, or just a tickle behind the ears, every time the dog does something you want him to, is a great method to maintain your dog’s motivation while you are dog training.

If the dog knows something great is going to happen every time he follows your command, he will be motivated to please you every time.

Distraction training.

When training a dog, it is vital to not let distractions ruin the training. The dog must be trained to ignore distractions, such as other people, other dogs, other animals and loud noises, and concentrate on what is being taught These types of distractions can even be used as rewards when training the dog to come when called.

For instance, if your dog enjoys romping with other dogs, whether it be in a park or with the neighbour’s dogs, let him play with those other dogs. Then go into the park or garden and call your dog.

When he comes to you, provide lots of praise, treats and other rewards, then immediately allow the dog to go back to playing with his pals. Repeat this a few times and praise the dog every time he comes to you.

Your dog will soon learn that coming to you means good things (treats and praise) and not bad ones (being taken away from the park).

So-called distraction training is one of the hardest things to teach, because dogs are naturally social animals, and breaking away from the pack is one of the hardest things you can ask your dog to do. Most dogs will be understandably reluctant to leave their canine companions, but it is important to persist in dog training.

Training your dog to come to you when you call can take some thought on your part at first. For instance, waving a favourite toy, or a lure, is a good way to get your dog’s attention and put the focus back on you. If your dog has been clicker trained, a quick click can be a good motivator too, when training your dog.

Once the dog begins to get used to coming when called, you can begin to reduce and eliminate the visual cues and focus on getting the dog to respond to your voice alone. It is important that the dog obeys voice commands alone, since you will not always have the availability of a toy or other lure.

Does your dog require training? If you require further details on dog training, then visit our web site entitled Successful Dog Training

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Trendy Dog Names

Fashion seems to decree everything these days. From what you wear to what you name your dog, everything you do is decreed by the need to be cool. Cute dog names are hard to come by and even harder to choose. This is because no sooner is something in fashion, than it is out again.

Who would want to pick a cute dog name that may not be fashionable tomorrow? People usually play it safe as a result, which is why the same names have been so popular for so long. To try and break that cycle, five cute dog names are given below with the reasons why you should choose one of them for your dog.

Phoenix: What could be cooler than a bird that goes up in flames and then rises from the ashes? Phoenix is one of the cool dog names that will never go out of fashion because it is based in mythology. It has a timeless quality which has somewhat surprisingly failed to increase its popularity.

Star: Star is one of the cute dog names because it has so many meanings and connotations that you can struggle to find out where to begin. A star in the sky is a phenomenon and a star can refer to someone that excels in a particular field. It is a high form of praise and thus is definitely a cute dog name.

Lady: Lady is one of the most popular dog names but it is also one of the cool dog names because of the Disney cartoon film, Lady and the Tramp, which was a huge hit. This made the name popular but also gave it some credibility. In this case popularity comes second to cuteness.

Elvis: The coolest of cute dog names. Elvis Presley was definitely cool and remains cool today even after his death. It is immeasurably cool to call your dog after such a tremendous icon who has never gone out of fashion himself.

Shadow: There is a dark and mysterious quality about Shadow that makes it a cute dog name. It would be best used on a big breed of dog however, because it wouldn’t have the same striking effect with a small breed.

Whatever cute dog names you use for your mut, it is one sure way to give your dog an identity of their own and make your dog unforgettable to others.

Does your dog need training? If you need further information on dogs in general, then go over to our web site called Successful Dog Training

categories: dogs,dog training,obedience classes,pets,animals,family,advice,self help,terriers,classes,school,garden,outdoors,other

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Organic, Healthy Dog Food

The desire for healthy, organic food appears to apply just as much to pets as to humans, since many pet owners would rather buy organic foods to feed man’s best friend. One could be forgiven for being taken aback by the large variety of organic dog food on offer on the market. Just as for humans, there are a lot of pet illnesses that one could cure or even prevent completely by the use of organic pet food.

For instance, organic dog food could lessen the chance of the dog getting skin diseases and allergies. The explanation for the positive health impact is the absence of additives, chemicals, colourants and pesticides. Instead the ingredients of organic dog food are simply grain extracts and high quality proteins.

Healthy, organic dog food provides more nutrients, which is obvious from the greater levels of energy and the normal weight of the dog. Furthermore, regular dog food can cause diabetes and excess weight with all the concomitant problems that accompany these illnesses: back ailment, organ failure and decreased mobility. How can organic dog food help here, then? Well, simply because organic pet food does not contain bulk filler; they are nutrient-packed products that create energy not fat. Moreover, it is far better and definitely a lot easier to prevent health problems than try to treat them later.

Good digestion and a stronger immunity system are the other main benefits that come with the use of organic dog food. Because of the lack of chemicals normally present in regular pet food, your dog will no longer vomit or experience gas or diarrhea. A more efficient is what you will achieve with a healthy diet. Furthermore, the quality of the nutritional substances in organic dog food, boosts the immunity functions, thereby reducing the risks of infection and all sorts of specific diseases that affect dogs on a routine basis.

In general, veterinarian experts say that organic dog food significantly increases the life of any animal, to say nothing of the fact that it will go through old age a lot better. It is not uncommon that pet owners who choose organic dog food, are also interested in eating organic foods themselves, sticking to clean natural products that enhance bodily functions and reduce toxins and disease.

Ask your local dog food provider about organic dog food and if there isn’t any at your local shop, try to buy it online. There are many web pages that offer such foods at pretty decent prices.

One last tip, be very wary of dried dog food, no matter what it says on the packet. I used to have a dog that stayed at home alone during the day, while I went to work. I didn’t like to leave ‘wet’ food, because of flies, bacteria and vermin, so I bought dry food, which would not deteriorate during the day. However, within six years she had diabetes, which meant that I had to inject her with insulin every morning. The veterinary said that it was very common for dogs fed only on biscuits to get diabetes, so check with your vet first or feed organic wet food.

If you liked reading this piece on organic dog food and you would like to read more about dogs in general or dog training, please go to our our website at Dog Training

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What’s in a Dog’s Name?

Dog owners will explain that there is no proven method for selecting a good name for a new dog or puppy. Whether they have to come up with girl or boy dog names, they will normally pick a name that sounds trendy or a name they like rather than putting some thought into what the name actually means. Popular boy dog names have meanings, as do human names, so more often than not the meaning will not suit the dog it is given to. Here we give a list of the top five boy dog names and what they really mean.

In general, one of the first things you have to do when you get a new dog or puppy is think up a dog name for him or her. For most dog owners, this actually takes little thought. They just pick a dog name at random and that is the name by which the poor hound will be known forever. However, there is something you ought to think about when going through dog names in order to make sure that you choose a suitable one.

First of all, dogs sense attitude and tone of voice better than we can. If you pick a dog name for comic effect or after someone you don’t like, your dog will know by your tone of voice that something is wrong. The result could well be that, their attitude may change towards you or they may refuse to respond to your commands. Dogs’ names should mean something but should not be detrimental to their training, so you ought to take your dog’s name seriously.

While dogs are very intelligent animals, they can’t understand the same amount of data that we can. Therefore, dog names should not be more than two syllables long. If they are more than that, most dogs will not respond. Max, Sam, Becky, Lady, Molly and the like are excellent dog names because they are short and the names are easily heard. They understand these dog names and that will help your chances of training them successfully.

However, dogs’ names should help them form an identity of their own. Common names don’t really allow them to do that, so finding something simple but unusual can help their characters a great deal without damaging their ability to respond to a command.

Max: This is perhaps the greatest boy dog name and the meaning is probably why most people choose it for their hound. It literally means “the greatest”. After all, every dog owner thinks that their dog is the greatest.

Jake: Jake is short for Jacob, which means “conqueror”. This is a suitable boy dog name, if your puppy takes over the house within moments of setting foot inside it!

Buddy: Buddy is a variation of Budd, which means “messenger”. This boy dog name could suit a working dog, or one you can train to bring in the newspaper every morning. It is a popular boy dog name and can be very widely found within the US.

Bailey: The boy dog name Bailey is French and means “steward”. This is fairly suitable if your dog is responsible and sensible, so it is probably suitable for a Labrador or collie puppy, for example!

Sam: Sam seems to mean “an answer to prayers”. This is a good boy dog name for sedate dogs that are easy to train and are largely quiet!

Not many people consider a name’s meaning when picking boy dog names, so instead of just going with your first thought, it may be worth taking the time to find a dog’s name that is really suitable for your dog. After all, it doesn’t cost anything to spend some time thinking about your dog’s name.

Does your dog require training? If you require further details on dogs in general, then visit our website called Successful Dog Training

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Is She A Princess Or A Lady?

So you may wonder, what is in a dog’s name? Just what does it matter what your female dog’s name is? The answer is a fair bit, because your dog’s name defines him or her in the eyes of your neighbours, especially if you have a small dog. What small dogs lack in stature they can make up for in attitude. For small dogs, being cute will get them everywhere. But what is a cute dog without a cute dog name?

Cute dog names are usually meant for female dogs. Abby, for example is a very cute dog name. When you put that together with an image, you probably see a little Westie or a Labrador pup running around a lawn in your mind’s eye. Other cute female dog names are Brownie, Beauty, Becky and Blackie. All of these cute dog names seem to embody a bundle of fur that has a sweet nature and just loves cuddles. They all speak of a cute appearance and a very happy dog owning experience.

However, there seems to be rather few cute dog names out there for male dogs. This may be because it detracts from the masculine image that male dogs are supposed to have. Still there are some male cute dog names out there. Teddy, Casper, Patch and Spot are all cute male dog names that have the same effect as the female ones do. However, you do need to ensure that you have the right kind of male dog to give a cute dog name to, because if you get it wrong, ridicule is the result.

Cute dog names can be suitable for male and female members alike of certain breeds and can help to develop a lovable personality, because of the affection, with which it will be treated. But do be warned, you do not want to leave your dog open to ridicule so choose when to give cute dog names rather carefully.

Whilst dogs are very intelligent animals, they cannot process the same amount of information that we can. Therefore, dog names should never be more than two syllables. If they are more than that, it is very rare that a dog will actually respond. Max, Sam, Lady, Molly and the like are excellent dog names because they are short and the syllables are hard. They easily respond to those dog names and it can increase your chances of training them successfully.

Moreover, dogs names can help them shape an identity of their own. Common names do not allow them to do that, so finding a short, simple but unusual name can help their characters a great deal without damaging their ability to obey a command.

I would bet money that most pet owners do not consider the points mentioned above when thinking of dog names for a new pet. Instead, dog names are chosen at random, but it really is well-worth putting a bit more thought into it, for your dogs mental health if for no other reason.

Does your dog require training? If you require further details on dogs in general, then go over to our website called Successful Dog Training

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