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Dog Training: Tips and Tricks to Stop Your Dog from Digging Up Your Yard
 by: O’Neal Hendrix 7eb

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It’s downright infuriating to look out the window and see Buddy digging another hole in the yard. You yell out the window; he may or may not even acknowledge he’s heard anything; then back to the digging. This dog behavior has got to stop.

WHY DOGS DIG…

Did you ever stop to think WHY Buddy digs? (except to make you mad!). This is the real trick - to figure out why he’s digging in the first place, the motivation behind the dog behavior. Then you can take dog training steps to discourage it, redirect that energy and possibly stop it completely.

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1. I’M BORED!

Location: Digging along the fence lines and at the gate.

Why? He is bored and wants to get out for some action.

Solution: Provide more exercise for your dog, both physical and mental. The more exercise the better, according to your dog. A tired, happy dog will rest nicely between great outings.

2. I’M HOT!!

Digging along the edge of the house or shallow "pits," especially in the heat of the summer.

Why? Your dog is most likely creating a cool spot in the cool under-earth. If under the porch, he’s creating a den.

Solution: Check to make sure you are providing fresh cool water throughout the day and night.

Is there adequate shade to protect your dog from the hot sun? Is good air circulation available or possibly a nice breeze? Or is the space filled with stagnant air?

Provide plant life (trees, bushes) for shelter from the hot sun. Cool grass keeps the ground heat down.

3. IT’S JUST MY NATURE!

Sometimes it’s the breed of dog, not so much the environment. Some breeds tend to be burrowers -hounds, huskies, malamutes are a few examples.

Solution: If this is the case, work with your dog to agree on a place he can do his thing and camouflage it with something like plants or fencing.

4. I LIKE IT!!

Some dogs just like to dig, and dig they will, no matter how much you yell and scream.

Solution: Create and help them with the ideal digging place - a sandy blend with hidden treasures that reward digging at that spot. Having a prepared area encourages the digger to focus the digging to the area you set up in an out-of-the-way place. Remember to keep the area stocked with assorted treats and toys.

TO FILL OR NOT TO FILL - EXISTING HOLES

The second part of the story is…

What to do with the holes that keep reappearing, no matter what you do? Have you back-filled holes dug by your dog only to find them dug again, over and over?

When this happens, the next stage of hole-filling is called for.

You might think this next step it involves yelling at your dog, or rapping on the window. Nope. Are you really going to stand and stare out the window hoping to correct the situation while it’s happening (which would be the only way to really correct it using this method)?

TECHNIQUES FOR "FILLING" HOLES

There are two better techniques to encourage your dog to rethink digging that hole.

The easier of the two is to fill the hole until almost full. Mix the last portion of dirt with dog poo, pinecones, moth balls, or other repelling non-harmful substance. The next time your dog arrives for the big dig, he quickly finds the game has changed. Most dogs quickly change their behavior.

The second method is more time consuming but effective. Cut a section of chicken wire or similar to cover the hole plus 8" or more. Dig a hole a few inches deep that surrounds the hole and will fit the wire shape.

Fill the hole and then press wire in place and cover with dirt. Pack the area well, particularly around the wire edges. When your dog returns, the wire will stop his digging progress.

If along a fence line, secure the wire to the fence along the inside of the fence, just a short distance from the ground. When the wire gets to the ground, keep going vertically a short distance underground. Then bend the wire so the bottom is perpendicular to the top (forms an L). Bury the horizontal part underground inside the fence, pointing away from the fence. When your dog digs he is stopped by the wire and his weight on the earth helps keep the wire in place. The result is the dog gives up on that area.

Pretty cool, huh?!

CONCLUSION

We humans see digging as bad dog behavior. Dogs don’t, and they dig for different reasons. If you can figure out why they’re digging, you can put dog training steps in place to stop it. Some dogs dig, that’s what they do. Set them up a space to dig and you both win!

Try these dog training techniques to change unwanted dog behavior. They seriously work.

About The Author

O’Neal Hendrix is a premier professional dog trainer in Atlanta, GA. For many years, she has "worked miracles" with dogs and their owners. See what works for her. Check out her website — Trainer’s Pick Dog Supplies, http://www.dog-supplies-dog-accessories.com/.

SItStayFetch! The No 1 Training Guide!

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This article was posted on January 13, 2006

Digging Dogs

A lot of dogs enjoy digging, some breeds more than others. The terrier breeds are amongst the worse dogs for digging they seem to actually thrive on it!

Why is My Dog Digging?

Does your dog dig? Digging can be a destructive behavior in dogs. Find out why dogs dig holes in dirt, in your yard or in the garden and how to stop digging.

Training a Puppy to Sit

Training your puppy how to sit it will be very important in many instances. One of the ways you control your puppy will be through the command of getting him to sit. As a responsible dog owner, you need to teach your puppy this command as soon as possible to keep your dog well-mannered and safe.

By far one of the simplest commands to teach your puppy will be the command to sit. Your guests will surely be impressed by your dog responding appropriately to the "Sit" command. However, many other benefits exist that have greater importance like sitting when guests come, or when you run into a neighbor to talk, or to cross a busy intersection. A dog’s ability to sit will undoubtedly help keep him out of trouble in many different situations that you will never even think of until the need arises.

Teaching your dog to sit will be simple for one good reason, you can ask him to do it for any reason that you like so there will be many opportunities for practice. Some obvious examples for sitting will be to wait for his meal to be served, to go outside, to have his leach attached, to cross the busy street in order to avoid cars or to simply wait for a treat.

The way to teach him the "sit" command is by saying his name to get his attention and then saying the command. Every command you teach should be preceded by his name to claim his attention so he knows you are talking to him and no one else. You want his full attention on yourself when giving him a command. You will find that puppies love to have a name mainly cause they love attention. Later when they are older, adolescence sort of affects there brain and they sometimes don’t want to respond always. Reinforcing it now will help for your dog to respond better later in the future.

The simplest process of training him the "Sit" command will be to gather a response by holding a small treat just above his nose enough for him to have to look up. As he looks up, slowly move the treat back wards out of his reach and within eye view. With practice, he will properly follow it and eventually find himself in the sitting position. As he does move into the sitting position say the "Sit" command. Once he gets into the sitting position, then reward him with a very small treat while saying "good dog" in a higher pitched voice. Rewarding him with both praise and a treat will help reinforce his learning of this command.

Directly above we talked about the motivational approach where he finds his sitting position on his own. Another way requires your assistance to gently push his rump to the ground. Simply sit beside him in order to hold the treat above his nose as before while moving it back wards. At the same time, voice the same command while using your other hand to gently push his butt down to the ground. If he wants to push back up with this butt in obvious force, simply distract him in order to start all over.

Let’s talk a little about rewarding him. Above we discussed using two ways about rewarding him at the same time. Those were giving him an edible treat along with giving him loving praise in a high-pitched voice. Eventually you’ll want to not give him a treat every time you command him to do something. It will be good to give him praise, but you do not want him to expect to treat all the time. A tree will be very important when your dog is young like a puppy stage or adolescent stage. You’ll need your dog’s full attention, so using food at these stages of growth will help bring his full attention to you. Later you can slowly remove the usage of a food treat reward.

With this command well learned, you have a priceless tool to help control your dog in many situations. When possible, you will want to continue the learning in places with many different kinds of distractions. This will prepare your dog for many different kinds of scenarios where sitting will assist you to keep your dog under control.

Seek out more information by finding out how to become a better dog owner through positive dog training and crate training your puppy at http://www.dog-training-obedience.net.

Dog Training Aids: the Art of Training your Dog With a Whistle

One of the most commonly used dog training aids is the whistle. Historically, the whistle was used to train hunting herding dogs. 

Stop a Barking Dog 

Some dogs have a keen ear for the obvious. I have told my most prevalent barker - Thank you, I would not have known there was a helicopter flying overhead

Labrador Training Tips- Should You Punish Your Labrador Retrievers …

Labrador Retrievers are popular dogs, being able to perform roles such as assistance dogs. They would surely enjoy activities to stimulate their minds and body, being intelligent and energetic dogs they are. But despite their large size and exceptional abilities in working and detection, Labrador Retrievers are also ideal and loyal companions.

This breed responds well to praise and positive attention but we cannot deny the fact that they sometimes commit mistakes. However, you should always bear in mind that a dog will never do anything on purpose, and besides he is not even aware whether what he is doing is right or wrong. Additionally, a dog isn’t aware of the consequences of his actions. It is for you as dog owner to understand your dog’s behavior and how to deal with it.

Mistakes committed should be corrected at once to prevent your pet from doing it again. You should make him understand that what he did is wrong and you are not very happy with what he did. There are many methods to train a dog as well as approaches to correct his mistakes. These vary depending on the owner or trainer, some still believe that training a dog should be done in humane way. But there are some who would rather verbally or physically punish their dogs. Verbal punishment includes shouting or using an angry tone to your dog while kicking, hitting, rubbing his nose in the carpet and other forced actions fall under physical punishment.

If you come home and hit your dog after you found out that he urinated in the living room floor, you will not make him understand why he is being hit. He may not even realize that it is his punishment for doing something unacceptable which took place hours ago. The result of this however is not a well-trained dog but a confused and scared dog. He will associate your return with hitting or yelling and will make him scared of you returning home. Of course you do not want this to happen, don’t you?

"How should I correct my dog’s behavior if I am not going to punish him for the mistake he committed?" Dog owners would probably ask that question. There are training methods effective in modifying a dog’s behavior without inflicting physical pain. Use praise and positive attention to correct Labrador Retrievers. Your gentle words and tone as well as your loving touch will encourage them to behave properly. You can also modify your dog’s behavior through perceived punishment. If you caught your dog doing something unacceptable, you may want to create a sudden loud noise to refrain him from doing it. In time, he will realize that the loud noise occurs every time he is not behaving properly. The point here is that, this perceived punishment does not appear to come from you but somewhere. And also, he is not physically or emotionally tortured.

Just treat your dogs right and they will surely reward you with happiness and lifetime friendship.

SItStayFetch! The No 1 Training Guide!

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Labrador Potty Training

There are few things cuter than a new Labrador retriever puppy, but that little dog quickly loses his cuteness factor when he is brought home with you and.   Read more…

Labrador Training: The Best Way | Smart Pet Shop

Labrador training starts early, at twelve weeks your dog should already be learning simple things like how to associate with people.

3 Important Dog Training Tips by Felix Senhouse - ArticleCity.com

Dog training can be a grueling process but if done correctly, it can be very rewarding in the end. Whether you have a dog in the city, the suburbs, or the country, a trained dog is always easier to handle, especially when it comes to social situations.

1. Be fair with corrections.

Be sure that your dog comprehends what you want before you correct him for not doing it. Also, let the punishment fit the crime. A correction should not be a release of anger on your dog. Instead, a correction is a way to communicate with your dog, a way to foster in him a clear understanding of his place in your human pack. At its mildest level, a correction can be the absence of praise. Before jerking the leash, remember to ask yourself if you’re being fair.

2. Be positive.

As a dog’s trainer, you must have the right attitude. Praise that is well timed and appropriate is essential to your dog’s learning process. If all that you ever do is say "no!" to your dog, your relationship isn’t going to be a very good one. How would you like to work with a boss like that?

Praise is cheap and free - so use alot of it! Use praise when your dog attempts to get it right. Use it more when your dog is successful in his task. Use it when your dog pays attention to you, because that’s the first step in the training. It’s not necessary to be some gushing goof, but you should let your dog know when you’re proud of him.

3. You and your dog are on the same team.

Don’t think of training your dog as a you versus your dog endeavor. Instead, think about the two of you being on the same team, albeit in different positions. Just as if you were the quarterback, you call the plays. Winning is a team effort. It’s just a matter of your dog learning the plays first, and you’re the one to teach him.

As a team, you will need to spend time together. Bring him into your life. Let him sleep in a crate in your bedroom, practice his "sits" in the kitchen. The more opportunities for interaction and practice you have, the faster and more reliably your dog will perform.

SItStayFetch! The No 1 Training Guide!

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Is Dog Obedience School for You
If you have searched the web in this topic, you probably found some sites that are basically search engines within search engines, no real information about dog obedience schools.

How To Stop Your Dog Biting

How to stop your dog biting the mailman or others who enter your yard. Learn the pros and cons of dog obedience training. You don’t need some 12-week dog obedience training plan…

Aggressive dog behavior can not only take the fun out of having a dog, it can be dangerous too. The last thing you want to see in your beloved canine is aggressive dog behavior.

As soon as most dog owners see aggressive dog behavior, they try and do something about it, of course. Unfortunately, what these owners do is yell at their dogs or hit their dogs to try and get control of the canine aggression.

With aggressive dogs, it’s easy to make mistakes that can lead to big problems. To make sure you don’t make these mistakes, avoid these aggressive dog behavior training no-nos:

1. The first mistake people make with aggressive dogs is keeping the dogs penned up. Not exercising an aggressive dog is a big no-no!

A bored dog is far more likely to be an aggressive dog. Most dogs have a lot of pent-up energy. They’re simply designed to be active. When you don’t allow your dog to be as active as he or she wants to be, this can lead to problems.

The best way to avoid dog aggression is to work off that pent-up energy. Take your dog on daily, long walks. Play fetch with your dog. The more you interact with an aggressive dog in a playful, fun way, the less aggression you’ll see.

2. Another big aggressive dog behavior mistake is hitting the dog. Training aggressive dog techniques require touch, but not hitting! You never want to hit any dog, but certainly not an aggressive dog. Violence will simply encourage aggressive behavior.

To correct an aggressive canine, pull at the scruff of the neck or gently nudge the dog. A firm voice and a specific gesture that telegraphs your displeasure will work too.

Your goal in correcting an aggressive dog is to surprise and get across your message. You’re not trying to hurt or punish the dog.

3. Being a wimp is a big aggressive dog training no-no. Dog training aggressive behavior out of your dog requires you to be the boss! A wimp isn’t going to be affective at dog training aggressive behavior out of a dog.

Dogs need guidance. They need a leader. Dog parenting doesn’t simply mean care. It means leadership too.

To establish leadership with an aggressive dog, be sure you’re the one in control. Enter a room first unless you give your dog the okay to go ahead of you. Establish that you’re head honcho.

4. Dealing with repeated dog biting yourself is a big mistake. Aggressive dog training for dog biting requires the pros. If your dog bites, you need aggressive dog training from a professional dog trainer. Don’t try and deal with a biting dog yourself. The consequences are too dire. If the above tips don’t help control aggressive dog behavior, get some help.

Your dog deserves to be well-socialized so he or she can have a happy life. Take steps now to deal with aggressive dog behavior.

 Mistakes and Correct Training For Aggressive Dogs

 Puppies that start out being aggressive usually become aggressive dogs. Dog owners think the aggressive dog is only being playful since it is a puppy.

 Control Food Aggression In Dogs In Four Simple Steps

In the wild, the leader of the dog pack is always the first one to eat, usually by himself.You may be sending your dog the wrong message if your always leave him by himself.

Dog Training The Gentle Way - The Sit Command
 by: Jennifer Ivey 7eb

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Dog Training using positive reinforcement techniques is the gentle and humane way to teach your dog the rules. You will be fostering a loving relationship with your dog instead of intimidating and scaring your dog into submission. In this article you will learn the basic steps to teach your puppy or adult dog to sit.

1. Put a leash on your dog so they cannot wonder off while you are working with them.

2. Put some treats in a closed fist so they can smell them but not see them. If your dog sees the treat each time he will learn to only obey when you have food in your hands.

3. With your finger draw an invisible line from the dog’s nose between the eyes to the top of the head as you say sit. The head will move back to follow your hand and therefore push the bottom down to the ground.

4. As soon as the dog’s bottom touches the ground, say ‘Good Sit’ and give them a treat and praise them excitedly.

Below are some Dog Training Tips for successfully training your dog to sit.

1. Keep your bait hand low. While moving your hand over the dogs head, make sure that your hand is not too high or the dog will jump to reach the treats. Your hand should only be a couple of inches over the dogs head.

2. Do not force the dog. Resist the urge to push the dog’s bottom down if they are having a hard time learning how to sit. Just be patient and keep trying to slowly draw a line over their head with the treat and they will learn.

3. The dog will need to be weaned off the treats. During the first week use the treats heavily. During the second week start mixing the treats up giving every other time or every third time while continually using praise and excitement. After about 3 weeks treats will no longer be needed and you will be the only reward your dog will need.

4. Even after you wean off the treats, continue to use the sit hand signal as well as your voice. The benefit of using hand signals and voice commands simultaneously is so when you are in a situation where you cannot use your voice to give your dog some direction, such as talking on the phone, you can give your dog a quiet hand signal without disrupting your phone call.

5. Label your commands. When giving your dog a training command, label the action, not the dog. When your dog sits, tell them good sit, not good dog. Your dog will learn the command faster because they hear the command word again and they are praised for the specific command.

6. Keep training sessions short. If you are training a puppy, keep your training sessions under 10 minutes. It is best to have several short training sessions per day so that your dog will not get distracted.

7. Be consistent. Everyone in the family should be involved with training your dog. Children as well as adults should learn the commands so the dog sees ALL humans as dominate and therefore listens and obeys everyone equally.

About The Author

Jennifer Ivey is a positive reinforcement http://dogtrainingbehavior.blogspot.com who writes articles on many dog related topics. Read more of Jennifer’s articles at http://www.bestdogarticles.com.

This article was posted on August 28, 2006

Teaching you dog to ‘Sit’

Teaching you dog to ‘Sit’. There are many ways to teach your dog to SIT.

Hand Signals On Dog Obedience Training 

Since we don’t have an official hand signals on dog obedience training we practice commonly used basic commands and these are the heel, sit, stay, down and come.

Easy Tips For House Breaking Your Puppy
by: Dy Witt 7eb

Click here to get your copy of SitStayFetch!

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If you are lucky enough to get a 7-week-old puppy, there is no excuse for any bad habits to develop over his lifetime. Puppies learn INSTANTLY when they are that young, and if you use the proper training methods, gentle but consistent, he will behave like an angel his whole life through.

The most important training, of course, is housebreaking. Boys are easier than girls because exploring outside is their favorite thing. They just cannot get enough of all the new smells out there!

The main key to housebreaking is watching. Watch your puppy AND the clock. Once every hour is not too often on a day he is active and the weather is good. The younger the pup, the more often he needs to go out, mostly because he is growing so fast. He must drink more water to fuel his metabolism than he does as an adult. Also, since he eats three or four times a day, you know what that means.

Watch him for subtle changes. If he is happily chewing his toy, and gets up suddenly with his nose to the floor, move quickly! He is ready to squat! If he has had a nice nap, get him out of his crate and outside right away. If he has just had a good grooming, it stimulates his circulation and guess what? Time to go out again. And of course after a meal, watch him extra close.

Things to remember:

—Do not punish him for mistakes. They are YOUR fault. Every time you take him out he will go, and praise praise and praise! Happy face, laughter, happy noises! He loves your happy face. When he makes a mistake, your frown and your face turned away from him is all the punishment he needs. He will get the point.

—He is learning English, you must use the same phrases over and over. "Good go potty!" "Hafta go potty?" "Wanna go potty?" He can learn in one afternoon that "go potty" means a jaunt outside and your happy face. Whatever phrase you choose, stick with it.

—I cannot recommend strongly enough getting a crate. They truly help with all phases of his training. They make him more secure, provide him with his very own private space and a place for him to hide his favorite toys and chewies. This is even more important if you have other adult dogs in the house.

Be consistent, always be kind and gentle, and be patient as he learns your language, and your puppy will always look forward to his training sessions. Dogs love to work!

About The Author

Dy Witt has shown, bred and trained standard poodles for 25 years. To read free articles, more about her dog and puppy training techniques and her new ebook, visit: http://www.DogTraining15MinsADay.com.

This article was posted on November 10, 2005

  Dog Toilet Training

 You should train your dog to urinate and defecate outside or in a designated place.

  Use a Crate Properly for Training a Puppy | youguysshouldknow.com

 Don’t leave your dog or puppy in the crate for extended periods of time. Other than when confining him in the crate at night for the purposes of housebreaking a puppy, your pet …   Read more…

Have you ever noticed your dog trying to barge right ahead of you everytime you walk in or out the door? 

This means that your dog thinks he’s in charge.

What you need to do, is making sure that you always are ahead of the dog thru the door. Have him sit and wait every time you go in or out.

Coming home with a puppy is a wondrous feeling. This cute little being arouses a storm of emotions in most of us. Congratulations to the start of another kind of life!