One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make when they train is training too long in one session.  Have you ever felt like your dog was going “backwards” toward the end of your training session?  This is probably because your training session was too long.  This is especially true for puppies.  After all you don’t expect a young child to have the same attention span as an adult.  By the same token a puppy may not be able to focus as long as an older dog.

It’s very easy, as a dog owner, to get caught up in training and want to keep going and going and going or work on various different issues all in one session.  This can be a huge mistake that actually holds your dog back from making progress.

Try breaking your training sessions up to much shorter time frames and do them 3-4 times a day vs 1 long training session.  You can get a lot done in just 3-5 minutes 3-4 times a day.  The breaks in between don’t have to be hours and hours and hours long, in some cases, an hour will do.

You may also see much better results when you work just ONE thing in any given training session.  The clearer your expectations are (what you want) the faster your dog will learn.  If you expect one thing this minute then something else the next you may just be setting yourself and your dog up for a lot of frustration.  For instance, if you want to work on stopping your dog from jumping up on people or on you, ONLY work that particular correction in any given training session.  Don’t work on jumping, barking, sitting, and staying all at once.  Just concentrate on one thing at a time.

This may not be an easy way to train, especially if you’re busy, but training your dog does take commitment and dedication from you if you want the best results!

Need guidance with training your young pitbull?  Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months is a great DVD that can give you exact instructions on training your dog.

Technorati Tags: pitbull training, Puppy Training

House training is one of the areas of dog ownership that’s most subject to misunderstanding, confusion, and just plain dread!

Today’s artilce is going to deal with two of the most common problems surrounding the issue of house training:

• Submissive/excited urination
• Scent marking

Common house training problem #1: Submissive / excited urination

What is it?

A ‘submissive urinator’ is a dog that urinates on the floor and himself (and sometimes on you and any guests you may have!) in situations of extreme excitement or stress - like when you return home at the end of the day, or when he’s being told off.

Why does it happen?

Puppies are the usual candidates for submissive/excited urination, but it’s not uncommon to see adult dogs with the problem 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.)

When does it happen?
Situations when an excited/fearful dog is likely to urinate:
- Greeting time after a prolonged absence
- Play time
- The arrival of guests
- Stressful situations at home, eg arguments
- During a correction (you’re telling him off)
- Sudden loud noises (thunder, fireworks)

What can I do about it?

Fortunately, it’s not difficult to “cure” your dog of his submissive/excited urination.

First of all, you should take him to the vet to make sure there’s no medical reason for the issue (like diabetes or a bladder infection.)

Next, it’s time to take control of the problem:

- Limit his intake of water to help him control his bladder more effectively. Don’t restrict his water intake over a prolonged period of time, but if you know there’s a situation coming which would normally result in urination – 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 neutral “hello”, a quick 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’s not something that he can easily control, and he’s certainly not doing it on purpose. 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.

Comon house training problem #2: Scent marking

Scent marking - where a dog “marks” his or her territory with urine – is technically not actually a house training problem, since it’s based on issues of dominance and territoriality rather than insufficient house training (a dog can be perfectly house trained but still 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: and since this is one of the most widespread problems among dog owners, we thought it worthwhile to include some practical advice.

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

Your dog’s probably scent marking, rather than genuinely relieving himself, if:

- The amount of urine produced is relatively small, and tends to be directed against vertical surfaces (walls, doors, etc)

- He’s male, unneutered, 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. (Unspayed females also mark, but it’s less common; spayed and neutered dogs can also exhibit marking behavior, but it’s relatively infrequent)

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

- He frequently targets items that are new to the house: new possessions, guest clothing/footwear, etc

- You live in a multi-dog household and there is conflict between two or more of the dogs

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

What to do about the problem?

First things first: 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; but 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.

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.) Oxi-Clean mixed with warm water is particularly effective; 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.

You can do this in a number of ways:

- 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

If there is rivalry between dogs in the household, you’ll 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.

How to do this: 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 – and when this hierarchy’s been recognizably established, territorial/dominant behaviors like scent marking often vanish overnight.

For more information on how to successfully house train your dog (as well as a whole bunch of in-depth information on house training troubleshooting and related issues) you’ll probably want to check out The Ultimate House Training Guide.

It’s the complete dog-house-training guide. The Ultimate House Training Guide and comes highly recommended.

You can visit the The Ultimate House Training Guide site by clicking HERE

Technorati Tags: house training, Housebreaking, housebreaking puppy, pitbull training

Neighbors can get pretty nasty when it comes to barking complaints. I understand wanting your dog to stop barking period. After all, your neighbors probably think that a good dog is a quiet dog, and the only time that barking’s permitted is when there’s suspicious persons clad in robber-like attire are trying to sneak into your property or theirs.

However, your pitbull does not see barking in quite the same light. Your pitbull uses barking as his/her voice to communicate something to the people he cares about.

I, for one, don’t think that barking is necessarily a bad thing. I wouldn’t want a dog who never barked. Part of the benefit of having a pitbull is to keep unwanted strangers from entering my own personal property. I’m sure you’ll agree.

But in addition to that, I think it’s cool that my dog wants to “talk” to me. Most owners can overlook the powerful qualities of their dog’s voice (which, in enclosed spaces, is positively overpowering) in favor of his desire to communicate with them.

Unfortunately, the language barrier between dogs and humans is pretty well impermeable, which means it’s up to us to use the context, the body language of our dogs, and the circumstances of the vocalization to parse meaning from a volley of barks.

So why do dogs bark? It’s not easy to say. Let’s start off by saying that dogs bark for many different reasons. A lot of it depends on the breed, but casting all breed specificities aside, there are some circumstances where just about any dog will give voice:
* She’s bored
* She’s lonely
* She’s hungry, or knows it’s time for a meal
* Something is wrong/someone is near the house
* She’s inviting you to play
* She sees another animal
* She needs the toilet

If your pitbull is barking for any of these reasons, it’s not really realistic for you to try to stop her: after all, she’s a dog, and it’s the nature of all dogs to bark at certain times and in certain situations.

Presumably you were aware of this when you brought your pitbull into your home (and, if total silence was high on your list of priorities, you’d have bought a pet rock, right?).

Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that there are times when barking isn’t only unwarranted, it’s downright undesirable (especially in your neighbors eyes!).

Here are some things to consider when dealing with your pitbull’s unwanted barking….

Some dogs can use their voices as a means of manipulation. Take this situation as an example: You’re lying on the couch reading a book. Your dog awakes from a nap and decides it’s time for a game. She picks up her ball, comes over, and drops it in your lap. You ignore her and keep on reading. After a second of puzzled silence, she nudges your hand with her nose and barks once, loudly. You look over at her – she assumes the ‘play-bow’ position (elbows near the floor, bottom in the air, tail waving) and pants enticingly at you. You return to your book. She barks again, loudly – and, when no response is elicited, barks again. And this time, she keeps it up. After a minute or so of this, sighing, you put down your book (peace and quiet is evidently not going to be a component of your evening, after all), pick up the ball, and take her outside for a game of fetch. She stops barking immediately. I’m sure you know that respect is an essential part of your relationship with your dog. You respect her, which you demonstrate by taking good care of her regardless of the convenience of doing so, feeding her nutritious and tasty food, and showing your affection for her in ways that she understands and enjoys. In order for her to be worthy of your respect, she has to respect you, too.

Something that many kind-hearted souls struggle to come to terms with is that dog ownership is not about equality: it’s about you being the boss, and her being the pet. Dogs are not children; they are most comfortable and best-behaved when they know that you are in charge. A dog has to respect your leadership to be a happy, well-adjusted, and well-behaved pet.

In the situation above, there was no respect being shown by the dog. She wasn’t inviting her owner to play; she was harassing her owner to play. In fact, I’d even say bullying. And even worse, the behavior was being reinforced by the owner’s capitulation – effectively, giving in to this behavior taught her that to get what she wants, she has to make a noise – and she has to keep it up until her goal is achieved.

Affection and play-times are obviously necessary aspects of life with a dog, but they have to be doled out on your own terms. If she learns that she can get what she wants by barking, then your house is going to become a Noise Pollution Zone (and this is not going to endear you to your neighbors, either).

To prevent this bullying behavior in your dog from assuming a familiar role in her repertoire of communications, you have to prove to her that you’re not the kind of person that can be manipulated so easily. It’s simple to do this: all you have to do is ignore her. I’m not talking about passive ignorance, where you pay her no attention and simply continue with whatever it was you were doing – you need to take more of an active role. This means conveying to her through your body language that she is not worthy of your attention when she acts in such an undesirable manner. The absolute best and most effective thing for you to do in this case is to give her the cold shoulder. When she starts trying to ‘bark you’ into doing something for her, turn your back on her straight away. Get up, avert your eyes and face, and turn around so your back is towards her. Don’t look at her, and don’t talk to her – not even a “no”. She’ll probably be confused by this, and will likely bark harder. This is particularly true if you’ve given in to her bully-barking in the past – the more times you’ve reinforced the behavior, the more persistent she’s going to be. In fact, the barking will almost certainly get a lot worse before it gets better – after all, it’s worked for her the past, so it’s understandable that she’ll expect it to work again.

As in all aspects of dog training, consistency is very important. You must ensure that you don’t change your mind halfway through and give in to what she wants – because by doing so, you’re teaching her to be really, really persistent (“OK, so I just need to bark for ten minutes instead of five to get a walk,” is the message she’ll get).

But what can you do in other situations where bullying isn’t an issue and you just want her to stop the racket? If you want to get the message across that you’d like her to cease fire and be quiet, the most effective thing you can do is to use your hands. No, I’m not talking about hitting her: this is a perfectly humane, impact- and pain-free method of conveying that what you require right now is peace and quiet.

Here’s what you do: when she’s barking, give her a second to ‘get it out of her system’ (it’s a lot kinder, and a lot more effective, to give her a chance - however brief – to express herself before asking her to be quiet). If she doesn’t calm down under her own steam, reach out and clasp her muzzle gently, but firmly, in your hand. She’ll try to shake you off, or back away, so you can place your other hand on her collar to give you greater control.

This method is useful for two reasons: firstly, it effectively silences the barking (since no dog, no matter how loud, can bark with her mouth shut!). Secondly, it reinforces your authority: you’re showing her through direct physical action that you’re a benevolent but firm leader who will brook no nonsense, and who won’t balk when it comes to enforcing your guidance. Hold onto her muzzle and collar until she’s stopped trying to break free: only when she calms down and stops wriggling does it mean that she’s accepted your authority. When she’s still, hold on for one or two more seconds, then let her go and praise her. In addition to this short-term fix, there are also a few things you can to do to reduce your dog’s need to bark in the first place.

The number-one cause for unwanted barking (as in, the kind of barking that’s repetitive and is directed at nothing) is nervous, agitated energy – the kind she gets from not getting enough exercise. Most dogs function best with one and a half hours’ exercise every day, which is a considerable time commitment for you. Of course, this varies from dog to dog, depending on factors like breed, age, and general level of health. You may think that your dog is getting as much exercise as she needs, or at least as much as you can possibly afford to give her – but if her barking is coupled with an agitated demeanor (fidgeting, perhaps acting more aggressively than you’d expect or want, restlessness, destructive behavior) then she almost definitely needs more.

Fortunately, the fix for this problem is pretty simple: you’ll just have to exercise her more. Try getting up a half-hour earlier in the morning – it’ll make a big difference. If this is absolutely impossible, consider hiring someone to walk her in the mornings and/or evenings. And if this is impossible too, then you’ll just have to resign yourself to having a loud, frustrated, and agitated dog (although whether you can resign her to this state remains to be seen).

The second most common cause of excessive vocalization in dogs is too much ‘alone time’. Dogs are social animals: they need lots of attention, lots of interaction, and lots of communication. Without these things, they become anxious and on edge. If you’re at home with your dog, you’re not paying attention to her, and she’s spending a lot of time barking at what appears to be nothing, she’s probably bored and lonely and would benefit from a healthy dose of affection and attention.

Recommended reading: If you’d like more information on unwanted behaviors that your dog’s exhibiting, you’ll probably be interested in taking a look at SitStayFetch. It’s a complete, A-Z manual for the responsible dog owner, and deals with recognizing, preventing, and dealing with just about every problem dog behavior under the sun. You can check out SitStayFetch by clicking on the link below:

*Get Rid of Unwanted Behavior*

Technorati Tags: barking, dog training, dogs, pitbull training

Yes, you can put your pitbull away in his crate when he is getting out of hand or loses priviledges.  However, a crate is NOT just something to punish your pitbull with.  I believe ALL pitbull’s should be crate trained.  It’s a huge part of training in general.

A crate can also be a safe haven for your pitbull, a place where they feel safe and secure when the “real world” is a bit too much.  During the holiday season, especially at New Year’s with all the fireworks going off, our dogs love being in their crates.  They feel very secure in there even with all the loud, strange noises going on around them.  Crates often act as shelters or dens for your pitbull.  Do not underestimate the importance of using a crate when training your dog.

At first your dog may not like being in the crate.  It may be a good idea to reward him for going in when you first introduce the crate, that way he learns that going into the crate is not a bad thing.  You can even just work on going in and out for a few minutes a day every day, each time, give a reward for him going in.

One word of warning: it’s a good idea to remove collars or choke chains from your dog while he is in his crate.  If you don’t, you take the risk of it snagging on something and choking him.

For more information on how to properly use crates in training your pitbull, check out our Training DVDs page.  The first two DVDs shown do address using a crate for training your dog.

Technorati Tags: crate training, pitbull training

The “Come” command is one of the most important commands in obedience training. Why? Because this is a command that can help keep your dog safe. This command is one that you need to teach your dog to obey in EVERY situation. In our home, this is one of the few commands that we give corrections for even in the “learning” stage of training. This command is one we MUST emphasize the need to obey no matter what.

One of the most useful tools to help with training this command in all situations is a 20 Foot Training Lead shown below. This lead allows you to give your dog the freedom to roam (or train from a distance) and still gives you the ability to make your dog “come” (if necessary) when you give the command. Again, this is such an important command and is not one you should allow your dog to ignore under any circumstance.

I once heard the story of a guy who had a dog which was rather well trained. They spend time together every day for hours. One day though, this dog was distracted by something and ran toward the road. That day, the dog did not obey the “Come” command and was hit by a car. This is why this command is sooooo critical. If your dog will obey this command in any situation, it just may save his life. One of the best tools to help with training this command is shown below.

20 Foot Training Lead

Technorati Tags: dog obedience, dog training, pitbull training

$40.00

A common problem pitbull owners have is their dog showing aggression.  Before you can effectively address the problem, it’s important to understand where the aggression is coming from.  Here we cover 2 possible Causes of Aggression.

Pack Structure Problem: Dogs are pack animals.  This trait is still very strongly genetically programmed in any dog.  It’s great if your dog views you as part of it’s pack.  However, the problem lies in WHERE YOU RANK in the pecking order.  ALL dog packs follow a hierarchy.  If your dog thinks he’s higher up on the pecking order than you are, he will not hesitate to challenge you.  This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.  For help establishing pack structure properly, check out the “Establishing Pack Structure” DVD shown here.  This is a must have DVD when owning a breed as strong as a pitbull.

Fear: Fear is another cause of aggression.  If your dog feels threatened or feels that he is in danger, there’s definitely a chance that he’ll show aggression to protect himself.  It’s critical as your dog’s leader, to protect him/her from dangers and from other dogs.  If you allow another dog to come up to yours an attack it, that dog is likely to be dog aggressive for the rest of it’s life AND you lose respect as an effective pack leader.

When you click on the Buy Now link for the Establishing Pack Structure DVD, you will also see a link to another DVD called Dealing with Dominant and Aggresive Dogs.  If you are having a dominance or aggression problem with your dog, I highly recommend picking up that DVD.

Technorati Tags: dog aggression, pitbull aggression

3 Things to Avoid When Training Your Dog

By Nancy Cope

Technorati Tags: dog training, pitbull training, training mistakes

Technorati Tags: homeowners insurance, pitbulls

Learning the Basic Commands of Dog Training

Wanting a calm and obedient dog is important for a dog owner for a number of reasons. Well-trained and obedient dogs are often happier and less aggressive with other dogs and people. The law is another reason for a well-trained dog; many cities have ordinances requiring properly behaved dogs. This is true for certain breeds that are reputed to have aggression and other behavior issues, such as Pit Bulls and Rottweilers.

Training your dog well will make him a much better family companion, especially if you have children. Studies show that basic dog training can help to lower the number of dog bites and other bad behaviors.

If you are thinking about training your dog or enlisting the help of a professional, there are certain basic commands that you and the dog should learn well in order for the dog to be considered trained. These basic commands are:

* Heel - it is important a dog learn to walk next to his owner on a loose leash, without pulling or being pulled

* Respond to “No” - This can save you and your dog a lot of trouble.

* Sit - This command is very basic and one of the most important.

* Stay - A well-trained dog should learn to stay where you tell him.

* Down - More than just a cute trick, down is a key element of a basic dog training program.

There is more to dog training than teaching obedience. Training your dog can help to create and strengthen your bond. Because dogs are pack animals by nature, they look to a leader for guidance. The key to successful dog training is to make sure you are the leader.

Establishing yourself as pack leader to your dog is very important. Each dog pack only has one leader, and in your case, it must be you, the human. Without this, there will be many behavior issues to deal with.

A well-trained dog will respond to all of your commands, and will not be anxious, confused, or belligerent. Any good dog training program focuses on teaching the dog what is expected of him, and will utilize positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviors.

Obedience training is not only great for you, but it helps your dog as well. It fulfills his need for physical activity, security, and trust between you and him. Dog training provides your dog with an important task, and a goal to reach.

Giving the dog a job can be crucial to his well-being. Dogs were originally bred by humans complete important tasks with them and for them. Most dogs today are merely pets, and have no important job to do. This can lead to boredom and bad behavior.

Basic obedience training, along with constant reinforcement of the commands can provide the dog with a task. This is particularly crucial for high-energy breeds such as German Shepherds and Border Collies. Conducting training sessions with breeds such as these is ideal for letting these high-energy dogs expend their energy and have fun with you at the same time.

Making your training sessions fun is a great way to prevent boredom for both you and the dog. Playing with your dog while training him strengthen the bond of love and trust between you - the pack leader - and your dog.

About the Author
To learn more about the basic commands for dog training and other dog training techniques visit http://www.greatdogtraining.info

Technorati Tags: Obedience, pitbull training, training commands

Train your Dog - The Groundwork

You should start training dogs as young as you possibly can. Puppies learn quicker and far from being cruel it helps them to adapt and be happier animals. It is absolutely essential that you get dogs into a routine before you can start any formal training and this should include set meal times and walk times. If you let your dogs out in the yard then you should try to do so at a time when they need to go out.

Some people express concern that training a young puppy is cruel. However, as its parent you are responsible for ensuring your dog learns right from wrong and performs the right actions at the right time. Without a structured life and input from you, your puppy is likely to become down and depressed. Start young and start relatively lightly, there is certainly no need to start agility training immediately but you should learn a few basic commands. Training your dog can also ensure it’s future safety. For example an obedient dog is less likely to run away from home or run out into the street. Obedient dogs are usually exceptionally responsive to their masters call and therefore it is possible to keep them out of harms way.

You should always be prepared to praise your dogs when they do something you like. Initially you may want to include an edible treat as well, but in time you can and should revert to solely using verbal praise. By instilling these positive feelings your dog will be only too pleased to listen to your commands and aim to please you. This makes training very easy.

Puppy training classes are excellent for giving you the groundwork to continue at home, and they also provide you with the perfect opportunity to socialize your dog in an understanding environment. Your puppy will get to meet other dogs and other people and you will be able to learn how he or she copes with the situation. Don’t believe that going to puppy classes once a week should be considered a fill training program for your dog though. You must continue with the training when you get home. Try to set aside some time every single day to carry on the training.

About the Author
Petra Smider is the editor of My Super Dog. Get information on dog obedience training, potty training, and a lot more.

Technorati Tags: pitbull training, Puppy Training