FREE 6 Day course!
28 Jul 2009
Archive for Dog Training
Dog Training: Tips and Tricks
26 Jan 2009
Dog Training: Tips and Tricks to Stop Your Dog from Digging Up Your Yard
by: O’Neal Hendrix 7eb
155e
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.
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!
Read the Review or Buy Sit Stay Fetch now!
This article was posted on January 13, 2006
Dog Obedience Tips
25 Jan 2009
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!
Read the Review or Buy Sit Stay Fetcnow!
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 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…
Why is it so important to train my dog?
24 Oct 2008
Frankly, an undisciplined, disobedient dog can be a real pain in the ass.
It’s not only causing trouble for its owner. It might also be dangerous; to you, to your dog, to other people and animals - and also to the dog itself.
As warning examples we can mention:
- Your friends might dislike the beast so much it keeps them from visiting you.
- A non-trained dog might cause accidents.
- If your dog chews up your house it’s because you never told her not to
- A dog who is free to do as she please, will almost certainly put herself at highest rank. She will look upon herself as the leader of the pack
- It’s not unusual (No - this has nothing to do with Tom Jones!) that an undisciplined dog rushes out in the street, causing an accident - with disastrous result.
- You got the point now, I guess
People owning these impossible dogs doesn’t seem to realize that visitors not always loves to be jumped at by a dog that barks happily, drools and sheds hairs. Neither do they seem to understand that everybody in the dog’s surroundings are affected by its behaviour.
It is more important than you might think, that your dog early in her life learns to “mingle” with people and to obey its owner.
In my next few posts, I’ll cover the first steps in starting to train your dog - beginning with the day you come home with your new puppy.
If you are in a hurry you might want to get your hands on a fantastic little e-book that I myself found very interesting and useful.
See you soon!
//Pelle