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We love 'em -- we care for them, we may even have done all the research to find the right breed for us -- but the fact is, we won't have the dog we really want without the proper TRAINING!
“How To Choose a Professional Dog Trainer”
An Article by Adam Katz
“I’m about to reveal what you must know in order to intelligently choose a professional dog trainer.”
If you have any questions that are not answered in this article, please post a question on our Discussion Board at: Dogproblems: DOG TALK
Okay, let’s begin.
1.) Versatility— A good dog trainer will use techniques and training styles which are compatible with your dog’s temperament. Every dog is different, and some dogs respond better to certain approaches. What works for a Rottweiler won’t necessarily work for a Poodle.
2.) Experience— I know people who have been driving an automobile for 30 years and still can’t parallel park! And dog training is the same way! Don’t measure a dog trainer’s skill by his number of years in the profession. Instead, judge a trainer by what he has done in the ‘Dog World,’ rather than how long he has been doing it.
3.) Cost— When you pay for training, make sure you are paying for results... not for a specified number of hours or sessions. Good dog trainers know that every dog (and owner) is different. Some need more time to learn than others.
4.) Avoid Group Classes— I’ve never seen a dog that is 100% reliable come out of a group class. When professional dog trainers train their own dogs, they never do it in a group setting. It’s always one-on-one. There are just too many distractions for a new dog in a group class.
5.) How Much Should You Expect To Pay For a Good Dog Training Program: Expect to pay between $400 and $1200. A good dog trainer will sometimes have a waiting list of dog owners who want to work with him. Your goal should be to work with the best dog trainer you can find, not to haggle over the price. And in virtually all cases that we’ve seen, the dog trainers who are charging bargain basement prices are the ones who you probably don’t want to be working with in the first place. It’s better to spend your money intelligently on a top-notch dog training program in the first place, than to waste your money chasing a bargain, and then have to pay more money for a good dog trainer somewhere down the line.
6.) Ask for a Free Consultation: You don’t need to pay a dog trainer to take a look at your dog. This should be done for free. And besides, you don’t want to pay money to meet a dog trainer, and then have to decide whether you want to work with him!
7.) Should You Send Your Dog Away To Be Trained? No. The idea of doing this is largely a scam predicated on kenneling the dog so that the dog training company can charge you even more money. For example, as a skilled dog trainer, I can train your dog, and get him responding in a very impressive manner, in about two days. But when I give him back to you, he’s going to say, "I’ve never had to do anything you say before! Why should I start now?" It’s just like driving. I can build you a fantastic sports car, but if you don’t learn how to drive it, it won’t get you from point A to point B. You must find a dog trainer who will teach YOU how to train YOUR DOG!
8.) Should You Have A Dog Trainer Come To Your Home? No. It’s going to work much better if you learn to train your dog in a neutral territory.
9.) Why You Should Avoid the big, chain pet store dog training programs: Because in most cases, the dog trainers you’ll encounter have only 2 to 3 months experience, and have been recruited through a newspaper ad. Dog training is both an art and a science. There is no way that you can become a professional dog trainer without apprenticing with several experienced dog trainers, with varied backgrounds, over an acceptable period of time. Stay away from the large pet store dog training programs.
Do you want to be able to take your dog anywhere, and KNOW that he'll listen to you... even if tempted by another dog, a cat, or even a piece of food??? Then check out: “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider’s Guide To The Most Jealously Guarded Secrets In History!” By Adam G. Katz, Owner of South Bay K-9 Academy and Dog Problems.com. For more information, go to: SECRETS OF A PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER
Adam Katz is the owner of South Bay k-9 Academy and the author of the Best Selling SECRETS OF A PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER: AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO THE MOST JEALOUSLY GUARDED DOG TRAINING SECRETS IN HISTORY.
SECRETS OF A PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER is the #1 Top Seller in the marketplace. And PUPPY DOGS INFO’s #1 Recommended Dog Training Guide.
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1. Adam is an experienced, champion dog trainer. He knows what he’s talking about!
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3. As Adam says, his clients “expect a support system AFTER they buy my book and/or video.” And Adam delivers! He’s the trainer other trainers go to for answers. In other words, he's the best!
4. Adam's Free Weekly Newsletter is the best!
To get Adam’s Free Weekly Newsletter, go to: Dog Training Tips E-Zine
"5 Surefire Ways to Show Your Dog You're the Boss"
An Article from The Dog Training Zone
Do you have problems at your house with who’s in charge? By that I mean, does your dog think he’s the boss? In your effort to form a stronger bond with your dog you may have inadvertently told him he’s the Leader of the Pack.
Here are 5 simple and effective ways to correct that.
You Must Be The Alpha Dog
First, let’s take a look at what a “pack mentality” means. Dogs are born into packs. In the wild, packs are the essential social order. Unlike humans, who use a variety of political processes to determine leadership and rank, dogs sort out their social order by dominance and power. In a wolf pack, there is a Top Dog – a clear leader who is the dominant, Alpha male. He’s the Big Dog, with pride of place at the dinner table (well, if wolves had a dinner table!), first in mating, first in decision making for the pack.
Whether you realize it or not, your dog views your household as his own personal wolf pack.
The pack mentality is so engrained in your dog’s psyche that he will either view you as a leader - or a follower - depending on your actions. If you are to have a well-trained dog, you must establish that you are the leader, and he is the follower.
Your dog has to know in his heart that you are the Alpha Dog, the Head Honcho, the Big Dog, the Top Dog – call it whatever you want, but your dog needs to know you’re in charge.
Dogs are a little like children in one respect – they’re looking for someone else to be the leader. They want rules and regulations because that makes their role in the pack more clear-cut and understandable. It’s scary being the leader. If you’re not up to it, your dog may assume the role – because someone has to be in charge!
If that’s what’s happened at your house, you need to re-establish your position as the Top Dog, or “Leader of the Pack.” But here’s an important note: being the leader of the pack has absolutely nothing to do with harsh punishment. It has everything to do with consistency and setting limits.
A simple rule to remember (and one people have great difficulty keeping in mind) is that you are the leader, not your dog.
1. You Go Through The Door First
Even something as straightforward as who walks through the door first can reinforce your position as “dominant dog.” Leaders lead. Followers follow. If you allow your dog to charge through the door ahead of you, he perceives that as asserting his dominance over you. Put your dog on the leash, and make sure you’re the first one through the door.
2. You Eat Before Your Dog
Who gets fed first in your house – you or your dog? In a wolf pack, the leader eats first, and when he is done, the rest of the pack can dine. Do you feed your dog first because he pesters you when you’re cooking your dinner, and it’s simply more convenient to have him quiet and out of the way when you’re eating?
Food is a powerful motivator that can be used to clearly demonstrate who is the ruler of the roost at your house. In no way, shape or form am I suggesting that you withhold food from your dog. That’s cruel and unusual punishment any way you look at it. What I am suggesting is that you control the timing of the food. You should eat first. Your dog second, after you’re done with your meal.
3. Don’t Walk Around Your Dog
Does your dog lie on the floor and expect you to walk around him?
In the wild, dominant dogs lie wherever they want, and dogs lower in the social order go around so they don’t disturb the Big Dog. If you walk around your dog, he will assume this to be an act of submission on your part; therefore he must be the leader, not you.
If your dog is lying in the middle of the hallway, or right in front of your easy chair, make him move. If he’s on the couch and you want to lie down, make him move. Don’t step over him. Just gently nudge him and make him get out of your way.
You’re the Big Dog, remember?
4. You Determine When Your Dog Gets Attention
Even asking for attention or affection can be seen as an act of dominance from your dog’s point of view. Dogs that demand attention are asserting dominance, so if your dog gets pushy, ignore him. When you’re ready to give him attention or affection or pet or play with him, ask him to sit first.
Don’t run after him just so you can pet him. Make him come to you when you’re ready to give him attention, or play with him. And when you play with a toy, make sure that you end up with possession of the toy, and then put the toy away when you’re done. (Note: I’m not talking about his favorite toys that you leave in his crate. I’m talking about play toys that the two of you use for games.)
5. Don’t Let Your Dog Sleep In Your Bed
This is a tough one for a lot of people, but when you let your dog share your bed, at best you’re making him an equal to you. He should have his own bed, either a dog pad or his crate that he feels comfortable in. You can even put the dog pad next to your bed if that makes both of you happier. But don’t let him take over the sleeping arrangements.
Before you know it, he’ll be trying to make you sleep on the floor!
Again, reinforcing or retraining your dog to recognize you as the Head Honcho has absolutely nothing to do with harsh discipline. These are changes you can make that will change the way your dog thinks about you. And making even small changes like these can have an enormous impact on the way your dog views the social hierarchy in your home – all without a harsh word being spoken!
Click Here to Learn More About DOG TRAINING SECRETS
"At What Age Should I Start Training My Puppy?"
When you get your puppy, you must start training early. BUT DO IT GENTLY.
Your puppy has to have confidence in you before he can begin learning. Remember that puppies are like children - they have growing bodies, short attention spans, and will only learn things when the conditions are right and when they understand what it is you're trying to teach them.
That said, the earlier you start training dogs, the better. More specifically, it's best if you start “socialization” from 8 weeks -- simple commands like “come” and “sit” from 12 weeks -- and more intensive training at 5 to 6 months.
While some early training can be started as soon as you bring your puppy home, the optimum time to begin obedience training is somewhere around 9 to 12 weeks of age.
Keep in mind that training can cover a broad range of topics. I’m not suggesting that you begin training your puppy at 8 weeks of age for agility competitions! Your training should start off with the basics – teaching him “No!” and beginning house-training.
Socialization skills are next. Experts tell us the best window for your puppy to learn socialization skills is between 3 and 16 weeks. That’s the best time to insure that your puppy grows into a well-adjusted adult.
And remember, socialization isn’t about teaching him the right fork to use at the dinner table. It’s about giving your dog the self-assurance to deal correctly with any social environment he finds himself in is one of the most valuable and lasting lessons you can teach him.
A well-socialized dog will interact well with all types of people and situations, even those he has never been in before. With appropriate social skills, your dog will show little or no fear of most objects, people or other animals. And even if startled, will recover quickly and won’t panic.
Bottom line, a well-adjusted dog is one that is comfortable in a variety of situations and surroundings. He may be excited in a new setting, but not fearful. The key here is to create positive experiences as you expose your dog to more and more new situations.
Even training your puppy for 5 – 10 minutes per day as soon as you bring him home will make a big difference in the social skills and adaptability of your puppy.
Keep in mind that puppies have very short attention spans, so keep your lessons short and fun. How short an attention span? That depends on the age of the puppy, his breed and how mature your individual puppy is. But a good rule of thumb is to keep the training sessions within that 5 -10 minute range.
Depending on your puppy’s age and maturity level, sometime between 3 and 6 months of age you should be moving the training into the area of the basic commands such as Sit, Heel, Down, etc.
It’s important you have realistic expectations about your dog’s capabilities at this point.
I don’t expect a puppy to be responding to the basic commands with any degree of regularity until they’ve reached 6 months of age.
Click Here to Go To The DOG TRAINING ZONE -- To Learn the Secrets of Our Favorite PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER
"What is the Right Leash and Collar for My Dog?"
In the past, when people spoke of training collars, they really generally were referring to the dreaded "choke chains." A choke chain is a metal chain with a sliding ring that is attached to your dog's nylon or leather leash.
There’s a reason it’s called a choke chain. Because there is no limit on how tight the training collar can pull against your dog’s neck, there exists a very real possibility it can choke him, as well as cause other injuries, such as:
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Severely sprained necks
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Tracheal and esophageal damage
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Injured ocular vessels
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Cases of fainting
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Transient foreleg paralysis
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Laryngeal nerve paralysis
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Hind leg ataxia
And if you think I’m kidding about any of these injuries, I’m not. They are all well-documented cases taken from hundreds of veterinary practices who have treated the dogs injured by choke chains.
Bottom line? In the hands of an experienced trainer, a choke chain can be used appropriately. But for the most part, your average person has no idea what an appropriate use of a choke chain entails.
My own personal preference is for a flat buckle collar, either nylon or leather, which can be used for training and everyday use. It should fit snugly. But it should leave room enough for you to slide two fingers between the collar and your dog’s neck. Any looser than that, and it may slide off over your dog’s head. Any tighter and it may cause chafing and discomfort.
The choice of nylon or leather is simply a matter of personal preference. Nylon comes in a variety of bright colors, and is a good choice for dogs that spend a lot of time in the water (or mud!) Leather is durable and will absorb oils from your dog’s coat, making it more flexible over time.
The width of the collar should be appropriate to your dog’s size. For example, a wide, heavy or thick collar just won’t work on a Chihuahua, in fact, it would look ridiculous. By the same token, if you have a Rottweiler, a diamond- or rhine-stone-studded poodle collar is going to look pretty silly.
And don’t forget an identification tag – if your dog is lost or stolen, this is a quick way for authorities to notify you when your pet is located.
Another terrific solution is a harness – a device that goes around the neck and ribcage, thus eliminating the possibility of choking. Harnesses are an excellent resolution to the problem of having a large dog that hasn’t been well-trained and pulls or lunges when out for a walk. It’s a great way to restrain the pulling without getting in that choking “tug of war” that you sometimes see.
Harnesses are also good for small dogs, which can have serious problems with collars pressing on their small and fragile airways.
Now for the proper leash.
As with collars, you have a choice of flat nylon or leather (or braided leather is also available), and as with collars, it’s largely a matter of personal preference.
I use a 6 foot nylon leash for training my dog. I find it’s the perfect length for walking, heeling and virtually all of my training sessions.
Many dog owners prefer a retractable leash. These are nylon leashes that are encased in a plastic casing, and vary in length up to about 25 feet or so. The best models of this type have a one-button “braking” system that stops your dog from going beyond a set distance, as well as a spring mechanism that allows you to adjust just how far you want to extend the lead.
Retractable leashes are a good idea if you walk your dog in a variety of settings. You can “reel” him in if you’re on city sidewalks or in situations where there are a lot of people or other dogs around, then you can expand the distance between you when you get to the park or an open space...
To learn more about Training Your Dog, see...
SECRETS TO FIXING ANY DOG PROBLEM, FROM ADAM G KATZ -- "SECRETS OF A PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER" -- THE #1 BESTSELLING BOOK ON TRAINING YOUR DOG...
Click Here to Learn More About SECRETS OF A PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER!
"Puppies go through all the stages their human counterparts do -- at startling speed!" -Roger Caras, author of A CELEBRATION OF DOGS
"DOG TRAINING ESSENTIALS: The Basic Commands" An Article by Brian Alan Burhoe
There are of course many reasons for owners to want a calm, obedient and faithful dog. For one thing, obedient and trained dogs are happier dogs, less likely to get into tussles with people or with other dogs. Another reason is that many communities require that the dogs living in their neighborhoods be well trained. This is especially true for many breeds thought to have aggression and behavior problems - dog breeds like pit bulls and rottweilers for instance.
And of course, training your dog well will also make him or her a much better family companion, especially in households where there are young children. Many studies have shown that proper dog training makes a big impact when it comes to cutting down the number of dog bits and other behavior problems encountered by dog owning households.
When considering training your own dog, or having someone else help you train it, there are certain basic commands that must be mastered in order for a dog to be considered truly trained. Ellen Langton, author of the best selling HOW I TRAINED MY DOG IN ONE EVENING, describes the Basic Dog Training Commands:
*Heel - it is important that any dog learn to walk beside its owner on a loose lead, neither pulling ahead nor lagging behind
*Respond to the word No - the word no is one word that all dogs must learn. Training your dog to respond to this important word can save you a ton of trouble.
*Sit - Training your dog to sit on command is a vital part of any dog training program.
*Stay - A well trained dog should remain where his or her owner commands, so stay is a very important command in dog training.
*Down - Lying down on command is more than just a cute trick; it is a key component of any successful dog training program.
Dog training does much more than just create an obedient, willing companion. Training your dog properly actually strengthens the bond that already exists between dog and handler. Dogs are pack animals, and they look to their pack leader to tell them what to do. The key to successful dog training is to set yourself up as that pack leader.
Establishing yourself as pack leader is a very important concept for any potential dog trainer to understand. There is only one leader in every pack of dogs, and the owner must establish him or herself as the dominant animal. Failure to do so leads to all manner of behavior problems. A properly trained dog will respond properly to all the owner's commands, and will not display anxiety, displeasure or confusion.
A good dog training program will focus on allowing the dog to learn just what is expected of it, and will use positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviors. In addition to making the dog a good member of the community, obedience training is a great way to fulfill some of the dog's own needs, including the need for exercise, the security that comes with knowing what is expected of it, a feeling of accomplishment and a good working relationship with its handler. Dog training gives the dog an important job to do, and an important goal to reach.
Giving the dog a job is more important than you may think. Dogs were originally bred by humans to do important work, such as herding sheep, guarding property and protecting people. Many dogs today have no important job to do, and this can often lead to boredom and neurotic behavior. Basic obedience training, and ongoing training sessions, provide the dog with an important job to do. This is especially important for high energy breeds like German shepherds and border collies.
Training sessions are a great way for these high energy dogs to use up their extra energy and simply to enjoy themselves. Incorporating playtime into your dog training sessions is a great way to prevent both yourself and your dog from becoming bored. Playing with your dog helps to strengthen the all important bond between you - the pack leader - and your dog. Visit here for immediate access to even more dog training tips: HOW I TRAINED MY DOG IN ONE EVENING
To see more articles by Brian Alan Burhoe, go to NORTH-WEST MOUNTED POLICE Canadian Mounties in Literature & History.
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