The woman who lives in the house next door to Tom just got a new Border Collie puppy. Tom immediately gave her a print-out of my dog training book (which you can read more about at:
http://www.dogproblems.com/secretsbook.htm )

She read the book. Especially the part about using a crate to confine your puppy when you’re not home. (This is the same way you’d confine a baby to a crib or a play pen when you can’t keep 100% of your attention on your baby). It prevents your puppy from learning bad habits, and it also gives your pup a sense on security and well-being, as it brings out their natural den instinct.

Now, I make it pretty clear in my book that the crates I recommend are the kind you can buy at any pet store. They are made of a plastic shell and have a locking wire mesh-gate door at the front, and wire windows on the side. (You can ask any pet store for the “airline approved” crates).

Anyway— Tom’s neighbor thought she’d get creative. Since it was only a 10 week-old puppy, she put the pup in a tupperwear box in front of her house during the day. (Yes, she left the top off, of course). But this was in lieu of buying the crate I recommended with the locking door… so that her pup would actually be confined.

The problem was that: The puppy wasn’t CONFINED.

It didn’t take a genius dog (or even a puppy) more than half a day to figure out how to jump out of the box.

Then it was off to puppy adventures…

The puppy learned how to chew plants.

The puppy learned how to urinate and defecate in unapproved areas.

And the puppy leanred how to run into the street and play with strange, stray dogs and other animals.

Fortunately—by the second day—Tom’s groundskeeper became aware of the pup, and started keeping the pup with him during the day. When the pup started to chew on plants, the groundskeeper would tell the pup, “NO!” and then take him away. When the puppy started to sniff around and look for a place to defecate, he’d take the pup to the APPROVED area.

And then praise the pup, after doing the desired behavior. (Hey—some people are just naturals!)

And when he couldn’t watch the pup, he locked the pup in the guard shack, which has a concrete floor, is shaded and well-ventilated. This functioned as a make-shift crate, because there was nothing in the guard shack that the dog could chew on, and no way to get out. (Also, the walls were concrete, so the pup didn’t have any floor molding or dry-wall to learn how to chew.

So, that evening—after talking with the groundskeeper– Tom had a talk with his neighbor and explained why it’s so important to follow the instructions in my book and not try to get “creative” with the process of raising her pup. (Like I said—some people get it naturally, and some people don’t.)

A dog which is slow in barking can be encouraged to do so by your imitating a bark, as the chances are he will reply to it, and if you reward him he will learn to bark as soon as he hears the word “speak.”

After a dog has been taught to bark once, you can teach him to bark any number of times, for when he has learned to expect a reward after barking once and you do not give it to him he is apt to bark again or until you give him a signal to stop.

Dogs are very observing and the signal to stop barking can be so slight that your friends will not detect it, such as a movement of the foot or hand, a dropping of the eyelids or a shifting of your gaze, and if you keep up a running fire of conversation and address your dog as if he were a human being his performance will be much more impressive and perplexing.

As an illustration, if you are exhibiting your dog to an audience and want him to speak, don’t simply say “speak,” but address him something like this: “Now, Buddy, all the ladies and gentlemen present are very anxious to hear you speak.” Put a slight emphasis on the word “speak” and your dog will catch it, but it will appear to the audience as if the dog understood the entire sentence and not only the one word “speak.” Of course, when training the young dog you should use only the word “speak” and that distinctly and free from other words, so as not to confuse him.

If your dog knows how to speck on command, you can try to teach “singing” – which is to teach him to howl on command. It is not expected that your dog will produce any melody but only repeat in a mechanical way a series of whines and barks.

Teach him to “sing” in the following manner. Try to imitate a whine yourself and try to get him to imitate the noise you make and to a certain degree, reach the pitch and style of noise make by you, be it a howl, whine or bark and with constant practice, a dog can and will learn to follow your tone quite accurately.

As your dog learn to follow your barking, say “sing” instinctively to associate this action. Praise and treat plentifully during training to encourage him further. Exercise him on a regular basis will help him to learn to sing in no time on your command.

In short, if you are serious about training your dog and demand Only success, You MUST apply these principles. No “If” No “But”. Get the basic right first before you start to train your dog!

Consistency
Consistency is very important during training and correcting unwanted behavior. Always use the same “command” for a specific task you require of your dog. Don’t confuse him by using different command for the same task.

Once you’ve establish some house rules such as – keeping the cooking area out of bound to your dog, enforce them constantly. If the dog learns that he can get away with it now and then, your previous efforts will go down the drain. Lastly, make sure everyone in the family accept and enforce your rules consistently.

Timing
Timing is critical to successful training. Praise your dog whenever he is doing something right. As expected, reprimand him on the spot and to the point whenever he misbehave or fails to response to your command. Praise and reprimand that happen later will have no effect on your dog.

* There are 2 main schools of thoughts concerning the timing of correction when your dog misbehaves. I called the first school of thoughts the “Direct Approach”. It simply requires you to reprimand your dog on the spot if he misbehaves. This is more of a tangible and straight forward approach to training your dog and is easy to understand for most trainers.

I called the second school of thoughts the “Endurance Approach” as it’ll require you to ignore your dog when he misbehaves. Using the cause and effect to your advantage, this approach requires you to ignore the dog, especially when he misbehaves to seek attention and encourage you to pay attention to your dog only when he’s a good boy.

Attention Factor (Endurance Approach)
Dogs love attention and are hugely motivated by it. Unlike man, dogs do not know how to differentiate between positive and negative attention. They see things in a simple way. If a certain action gets reaction and attention, you’ll bet they repeat it over and over again. (Cause and Effect)

Unfortunately, for most dog owners, we more often than not give our dogs negative attention. For example, “Do you let him out of his crate when he groans?” or “Do you give chase when he runs off with your socks?” These are negative attentions given to the dog and is certainly motivating his bad behavior.

Fortunately, the opposite is true if you pay enough attention to your dog when he behaves himself. When the dog understands that he’ll get attention only when he’s behaving, he’ll learn that only good behavior attract attention and he’ll repeat his good behavior always.

Focus your attention on your dog only when he is behaving; praise him or give him a treat, let him know that he’s getting the attention. If this technique is used correctly, he’ll be a well-behaved dog for a long time to come. Nevertheless, this approach is probably not for the short temper and requires you to go through an endurance ordeal. Imagine your dog chewing up your sock in your presence. “Endure Dude!”

Training Mood
You need to be in the correct frame of mind before you train your dog. Never train your dog when you are under the influence of alcohol or drug. Also try not to train him if you’ve a bad day or not in the best of your mood.

If you’ve just argued with your sweetie or got a telling off from your boss earlier on. You would most probably take out your frustration on him and threaten your relationship with him in future.

You should always use a positive approach to training your dog. Rewarding him with a treat and praise will go a lot further than hitting and yelling. Dogs and puppies want your approval and will try to please you to get your praise.

Once you have taught your dog the two basic commands of “sit” and “down”, you are ready to move on to the “stay” command. This command comes in handy when you are out somewhere and you don’t want your dog to get into something he shouldn’t or to keep him contained in a dangerous situation. The steps are basically the same as for any other training with the action and command being the differentiating factor. Here’s some steps you might use to train your dog to stay:

1. Get the puppy (or adult dog) to lay down or sit (You should already have them well trained in these commands before you can expect him to stay).

2. Give the “stay” command – some people put their hand up with the palm facing the dog in sort of a “Stop” command as well.

3. Give praise no matter how long he actually “stayed”. Of course, at first the dog won’t really stay at all, but you must give the praise anyway.

4. Release him by calling him to you and reward him with praise and a treat.

5. Praise the dog no matter how long he stays in position. At first he will only stay for a short time, but as he catches on you can lengthen that time period and eventually even leave the room and expect to find him as you left him.

6. Repeat the steps 5 times. No more than 5 times or it won’t be fun! You can try again later in the day.

With so many of a dog’s happiest moments spent running, jumping, catching, and stretching, dog agility training can really help dogs age gracefully and happily.

What is dog agility training?

You’ve probably seen dog agility training on television. The dogs run a course of tire hoops, tunnels, seesaw, dog walk plank, jumps, hurdles, weaving poles, and a 3-meter A-frame. Heeling, sitting, down stays, send-aways as well as walking off leash are also included.

Who can participate?

Anyone with a dog can do agility training. There is not age limit for people or dogs. In fact, children and puppies are encouraged to take part. All breeds and sizes of dogs without a physical disability can benefit from agility training. Be sure to check with your vet before you begin agility training if you have any doubts about your canine’s fitness.

What equipment is needed?

You as the handler will need comfortable shoes and clothes that you can run in, because this is not exercise for the dog alone.

Your dog needs a leather or webbed buckle collar and a leather, nylon or rope lead of fairly long length. Do not use a chain lead; it could get caught in the jumps.

Agility Training Courses for Dogs

There are two sides of agility training for dogs. They are the obstacles and the control training. There are also tips for training your dog.

1. Obstacles. Although it seems high to many handlers, the A-frame is the best obstacle to begin training. The dog walk plank, low jump and the tunnel (dogs love this obstacle) are also excellent for training the novice dog.

2. Control training is important to keep your dog disciplined both on the agility course and off. Everybody knows that a dog must heel and sit. You must also teach your dog to know and obey different commands: to go left and right, lay down, and wait. After those are mastered, the dog must learn normal recall (returning anytime you call) and recall over obstacles. Also important is the “send away” command, making the dog go ahead you.

Tips for Dog Agility Training

• Begin training by getting your dog’s attention.

• Talk to him and offer a small treat. Coupled with the love he has for you, he’ll be all ears.

• Be sure you have the correct lead (generally 6 feet) and a comfortable collar (measure the dog’s neck and add 2 inches) for your dog.

• Give praise often.

• “Tune in” to your dog to be sure she and you are ready to train.

Teaching your puppy crate training is the first and best step in his life. It makes all the other steps in his training go so much smoother, much like a solid foundation makes for a superior wall.

Establishing you as the Alpha member of his “pack” is one very good reason for starting your puppy in a crate when he is very young.

Another reason for crate training is that dogs love predictability. To know what is going to happen in any given situation makes him happy, and more apt to be the best-behaved dog he can possibly be.

A strong crate is the very basis of good puppy training. A wire crate with a lock is the best kind. Make sure it is large enough for him to stand up and turn around. But not so large that he can roam and wander around.

A too-large crate will inhibit house breaking. A crate that is just the right size will be perceived as his “nest”, where puppies never “go potty”. They will learn to hold it if you don’t make a prison out of it.

Never leave a puppy under 8 weeks longer than one hour in his crate. He will soil it, after struggling and suffering as long as he can.

Put a nice pad in there with a bone. Start with placing a tasty treat in there, he will go in and get it. Do this several times without closing the door, let him come in and out freely for an hour or so. Praise him highly each time he goes in, make it all very pleasant.

Then when his attention is on his treat, close the door. Praise him quietly, “What a good boy, it’s ok, such a good boy!” In 10 or 20 seconds, no longer, let him out without a word, no praise, just a pat.

Do this for increasingly longer intervals, but do not give him a chance to get upset. You can do this several times the first day.

Make sure every training session ends on a happy note, this is crucial.

Once he sees the crate is his own private territory, he will go in there on his own, expecting treats and your attention. When he does, say, “Wanna crate?” with a happy face while getting his treats.

Start leaving the room while he is in there for 2 minutes and onward, gradually. When you return, don’t make a fuss, just walk over and open the crate. In 3 days he will be officially crate-trained, ready to be left alone for an hour, no longer at first. Leave him gradually longer, slowly and carefully.

Q. Why do I want a crate for my puppy?
A. Because they love it is the best reason. They feel very safe and secure in there. Here are some more:

When you leave a puppy alone, he always has some measure of separation anxiety. This leads him to any behavior that brings him comfort, which is chewing, digging, or when it is severe, voiding his bowels. When placed in a crate, he feels safe because nothing can get to him, nothing can harm him. He will sleep and chew and wait for you to return.

Crate training is the first step in being able to leave him overnight at the vet. Without it he will cry the entire time, feeling lost and abandoned. With crate training, he is sure you will return, you always do. Of course the vet’s office is strange and will cause him some anxiety, but nothing like the pure terror he will feel without experience in being locked in.

NOTE: About crate-training, do not make a prison of his crate. Do not use it as punishment. Do not leave him there for more than 2 hours, just time for a long puppy nap and some chew time. After that he will cry. Do not remove him while he is crying. This will make him think he has to cry to get out. No matter what, make sure he is being good when you open the door. He will learn he has to be quiet to get out.

Do not make a fuss when you are letting him out, just quietly open the door and take him out to potty. When he potties, praise him to high heaven! Dogs naturally do not go where they nest, but sometimes it happens. Do not scold, just clean it out with a bland face. He will learn the lesson. If possible, try to clean it while he is outside so he returns to a clean crate.

http://www.dogtrainingmastery.com/Dog_Training/dog-training.htm

·Do not punish the dog. Punishment is not a training aid. It does little to foster willingness to learn and achieve. Limit yourself to a firm “NO” and to using your hands to block the dog’s negative actions. Refrain from hitting or physically abusing the dog.

·Display extreme levels of patience and persistence – never give up; if you do, you are relinquishing your status as the dominant one. The dog is bound by nature and genetics to test how far he can push you or get away with disobeying you. You must display a stern and stoic attitude and do not pat, praise, or reward the dog if he does not pay attention or refuses to do as you have asked. Only yield once your commands are followed. If you “heel” instead of your “dog” then he will soon know who is the boss.

·Be consistent in your training schedule. Always schedule a class at the same time of the day and for a fixed period –your dog will soon recognize that it is the time to learn and will willingly come forward. During training, both coordination and the trainer’s movements have a direct correlation to the dog’s comprehension. So, if commanded “come”, the dog must be gently guided towards the trainer by a helper or by using a leash so that the pet realizes that “come” means that he must go towards the master.

·Be repetitive with each learning block until the trick/lesson is mastered. Some lessons will be learnt quickly while others will take a while. The pattern is different for different dogs and varies from case to case.

·Use rewards and praise as often as required. Praise should immediately be forthcoming when a dog responds to any command. The pet will associate responding to commands with praise/rewards (treats) and will try and respond quicker to reap his rewards. Once a command/trick has been mastered then the treats can be withdrawn. You will find that obeying a command becomes second nature to your dog.

·Keep the lessons simple. To begin with, the lessons should be fairly easy and such that the dog can complete it within two-three actions. As his level of learning increases the lessons could be more complex. Just as our children go, at first to play school, then to kindergarten, and then to the first grade so also in the case of our pets.

·Respect the intelligence of your pet and allow him to think –use his mind. Give time to your pet to figure out what is asked of him. Do not try and help him complete the set task. If you do so, the pet will allow you to do the work for him. If you display patience, the dog will realize what you need him to do and he will obey you directions.

·Treat the dog as you would a colleague/ student. You must, talk to your dog explain what it is all about. Speaking to the dog while training will ensure that the dog keeps his attention focused on you. He will soon master the different tones used by you to give commands.

·Do not plan long sessions –their attention span is short. Therefore, short lessons are learnt better. It is recommended to have short 10-minute sessions repeated 2-3 times a day.

Whether you are a first time dog owner or a seasoned veteran, your learning never stops as far as it comes to training your dog. Each and every dog presents different training challenges, and the more equipped you are to handle these training issues the more likely you are to prevent any permanent and long term future behavioral problems.

If you are serious about your dog, and want the very best for her/him, then you owe it to your best friend to get a copy of this FREE Dog Training Mini-Course. You can still get it from here:

http://www.dogtrainingmastery.com/Free_Dog_Training/dog-obedience-training.htm

http://www.dogtrainingmastery.com/Dog_Training/dog-training.htm