One method widely used and found effective by most experts is crate training method. Perhaps some might wonder how could some people find crate training effective when the process involves confining a dog. But contrary to what other people think, crate is in fact one of the best things an owner can offer his dog provided it is properly used. By nature, dogs are den-dwelling animals – they consider their den as a safe place they can call their own and can find shelter during cold and warm season alike.

A crate is used as a den substitute. It is one of the effective methods to help train dogs to act appropriately – eliminate at the right place at a certain time or chew only his toys not your precious shoes and other household items. Dogs will try not to soil their den as much as possible, thus motivating a dog to wait until taken outside. Just determine your dog’s regular potty time so that you can be able to take him outside at the right time.

A crate also provides safety during travel. Placing a dog inside the crate when transporting by car keeps him in place thus ensure safe driving, prevents him from becoming lost, prevents him from running freely where he is not allowed and prevents him from being hit if in case accident occurs.

Just bear in mind that the crate should not be used to punish your dog. Never lock up the dog and forget him for extended periods of time, especially without water and food. You may also want to add toys and soft bedding material in the crate to make it more comfortable for your furry friend.

Crate is indeed an ideal training tool – a must have for every dog owners.

Most behavioral problems are correctable with proper instruction and patient, consistent training by the dog owner. Nearly all behavior problems are perfectly normal canine activities that occur at the wrong time or place or are directed at the wrong thing. Obedience training doesn’t solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any dog behavior related problem. The key to preventing or treating behavior problems is learning to teach the dog to redirect his natural behavior to outlets that are acceptable in the domestic setting.

Training your dog involves a routine of rules that the dog is expected to follow. Obedience training with your dog can be a lot of fun. Training opens up a line of communication between you and your dog. Training dogs should be fun, enriching and bond-building for both of you, if it isn’t, then you need to learn more about reward-based dog training for the benefit of both of you. Dogs are social animals and without proper training, they will behave like animals.

The key to preventing or treating behavior problems through obedience training is learning to teach the dog to redirect his natural behavior to outlets that are acceptable in the domestic setting. A good trainer will never use food as the ONLY inducement for making a dog obedient, but if your slow performer peps up when you give food, use it to overcome problems. A dog trained for obedience is a content, balanced and happy dog. Obedience training can be critical in nurturing the human-animal bond; its basic elements sit, down, stay, come and heel help shape a good canine citizen, and trained dogs have an easier life than.

Dogs are pack animals and are genetically programmed to enjoy following a benevolent leader. It is NOT necessary to establish yourself as top dog or leader of the pack by using extreme measures such as the so-called alpha roll-over. Whatever the age of your dog, the right time to begin training is right now. More than just a pet, your dog is part of the family.

Obedience training is the key to having a dog that is an enjoyable pet. Obedience training is not to teach dogs to do tricks or competition exercises, it’s to train dogs to be obedient, to do what they’re told to do. In fact, obedience training is critical in nurturing the most positive aspects of human-animal relationship. Dog obedience training is the basis for you and your best friend to have a long and happy life together. Basic Obedience training is a must to ensure a well balanced and happy life with your dog.

First of all, I think the only important breeding is when you are breeding working dogs; dogs that are used for assistance, therapy, rescue, herding, etc. It is time to stop breeding dogs as a way to make money or just something to do. Dogs will love you with all their heart regardless of the fact that they are purebreds or mutts. I have had both types of dogs in my life and to be honest, the mutts were easier to train. Not to mention the fact that rescuing those sweethearts from a shelter was not only rewarding but heart warming and it made me feel like I was making a difference.

I strongly disagree with the ridiculous pricing of purebred dogs as well as the standards of living these dogs are kept in when not being bred by a loving and well trained dog breeder. Many pet store use the services of puppy mills where they DO NOT care about the health, comfort, or outcome of any of the dogs they bring into this world. Some of these dogs are never shown a loving touch or a soft, warm place to sleep at night. Many people bite off more than they can chew when they get a pet, sometimes dogs are purchased for the wrong reasons and they are left behind, discarded in shelters or even the streets.

Have you ever been to an animal shelter and seen first hand the way these poor creatures look up at you with hope in their eyes? They are so smart and they know they are somewhere that death might be waiting around the corner if they aren’t lucky enough to be adopted into a caring family. Dog breeding increases the number of dogs left unloved and filling up shelters that are doing the best they can for these lovely canine friends. But there is only so much they can do. With pet stores in many malls and unqualified breeders bombarding the internet with their discount purebreds, many people are lured away from the experience of rescuing a possible best friend.

Next time you are considering whether dog breeding is for you, browse the internet for all the shelters in your area and maybe, just maybe this will stop you from bringing dogs into the world when there are more than enough pups needing homes and have never done anything wrong but want so desperately to have your love and affection. Trust me, there is a dog out there that wants to and CAN change your life!

Believe it or not, you can train your dog to do (or not do) all of those things, but if you don’t have the time, or if you feel you don’t have the patience or the talent, you may want to consult a dog trainer.

Credentials vs Experience

There are numerous courses for dog trainers from 90% correspondence to 90% hands-on “classroom” work. Having looked in to many of these options for myself, and having worked in a kennel with an experienced trainer, I would vote for hands-on and experience every time. A sound theoretical background is great, but nothing beats working with a wide variety of dogs, especially if they are dogs similar to yours in breed and temperament.

Having said that, there are also a number of seminars on a wide variety of subjects, and having these types of certificates shows that a trainer is never too old to learn new tricks.

Which Credentials

When you find a trainer that you think may fit the bill for you and your dog, and they do have credentials as well as experience, checkout the curriculum for the program(s) they attended. Does the program offer work with an experience trainer? What types of programs does the establishment offer? Do is look like they spend more money on advertising or on training?

(Having inquired about several training programs, it soon became apparent that some institutions spent A LOT of money on advertising and recruitment.)

Training the Dog vs Training the Owner

You can take your dog to a training kennel, leave them for two or three weeks and have perfectly trained dog. But what happens when you get them home, pull out the leash and say “let’s go for a walk” and your dog just sits and looks at you – or worse yet, sits SHIVERING, and looking at you with fear?

If you have a particularly difficult problem and are very confident in a particular trainer, leaving your dog for a week or two may be the best option.

However, if the problem is how you and your dog are interacting, you need to be trained as much, if not more, than your dog. So you should be a part of every training session – you need to learn how to get your dog to do what needs to be done and your dog needs to learn that YOU are in charge, not a trainer.

Which Training Method(s)

There are as many methods of training as there are trainers – and most have

Submissive Urination is one of the top ten behavior problems reported by dog owners and is often the reason dogs are surrendered to shelters and rescue groups. It is reported so often as a housetraining problem that it’s a good idea to first determine if it is actually the Wee Wee of Joy. It is not a lack of housetraining. That little squirt of urine is actually an offer of appeasement. The dog is trying to communicate that, “Hey, it’s your world, please don’t hurt me during the greeting.”

While some dogs never let loose at all, Submissive Urination is almost a given in some breeds, such as Old English Sheepdogs. Certain people have a stronger stimulus package to a dog and hence, find their shoes soaked more frequently. The Wee Wee of Joy happens most often on greeting, but can happen in any encounter. It usually decreases on it’s own by age two, but if not, help can still be sought and a good outcome is possible.

What to do about the Wee Wee of Joy? First, NEVER punish it. Remember, the dog is programmed by nature to communicate like a dog, not a human. He has no control over this behavior and even shrieking, “Eeeewww, that’s so gross!” just makes it worse.

Often, owners are so frustrated by this behavior that by the time they report it to a behaviorist, great damage has already been done to the human animal bond. The owner has reacted in anger and the dog has lost confidence that the owner can be appeased and is now quite anxious on greetings. All members of the family must understand that punishment of any kind is counterproductive.

Managing the Wee Wee of Joy during retraining is crucial to outcome. Sometimes working around the problem is all that is needed. Provide owners a reasonable alternative by quietly bringing the dog outside before greeting. A handy leash kept near the door or in a purse can be used for this purpose. Ignore the dog, keep body language neutral and quietly snap on the lead and take the little squirter out. A few inexpensive, washable throw rugs can be placed near the door. Wait until the bladder is flatter to do the Mommy’s Home! routine. Quietly go about cleaning up the spills without complaints that the dog will only interpret as more reason to appease the alpha with more and bigger puddles.

Obedience and/or agility training are great to increase confidence in the dog as well as teach the owner to more effectively communicate with the dog. Well-trained dogs are usually more confident in social situations and see less need for appeasement. Remember, aversive techniques will only increase the anxiety and paper towel bill.

Exposing the dog to many new situations and people will also increase confidence. Make sure that these are positive encounters by asking the people to give your dog a small treat. Have the volunteers hold a neutral body posture, don’t make eye contact and speak quietly.

Good luck and may you need no more paper towels for The Wee Wee of Joy. Thanks, Dave.

Flexibility, Consistency, Fairness or Positive attitude are all key to successful dog training.

To train any type of dog, you need a solid foundation. Apply these basics with any dog training method you use.

Remember to trust yourself and your dog while you train. The most important part of successful training is your partnership.

Flexibility – Don’t just repeat what has worked in the past with another dog. Each dog is unique. Be prepared to handle each unique training situation.

Consistency – Dogs learn through repetition. If you send mixed signals or do not correct unwanted behavior every time, your dog will not learn.

Positive attitude – Like people, dogs learn best from positive experiences. Focus on rewarding desired behaviors. Avoid working with your dog when you are frustrated or upset.

Fairness – Never correct your dog out of anger. The correction will not help your dog learn. It will only damage your relationship.

Confidence – Trust yourself!! Believe in your ability to train your dog well, and you will be successful in what ever dog training techniques you use.

Know your dog – Giving dog training commands is not enough. You must also read your dog’s body language and respond accordingly.

React quickly – When you give immediate praise or correction, your dog can make the connection between the behavior and the consequence. That’s how dog training works. But you must be alert so you can respond quickly.

Training notes – Keep track of your progress. Note what works and what doesn’t. List the dog training commands he still needs to practice. Having this information handy will be valuable as you continue learning how to train a dog better.

Enjoy training – When you and your dog have fun, training is easier and more effective. Use games and activities to practice commands and skills with your dog. Be creative and try new things so training never gets boring for either of you.

Tools – Your energy and attitude are important in dog training. But your dog training techniques must also include the right tools: leashes, collars, treats, etc. The wrong tools can make good training impossible.

Start slowly – Do not expect your dog to learn “Stay” if he does not know “Sit.” Do not expect your hunting dogs to follow commands if they do not know basic obedience. Training is a gradual process. Each step builds on the previous step.

Socialization – Dog training commands are only part of obedience. You also need to socialize your dog. That means he needs positive encounters with new people, animals, and environments regularly starting as a puppy.

Environment – Start with a distraction-free environment. You want the dogs to focus on you. As your dogs improve, train in new environments and with more distractions.

Health – Your dog must be in good health during training. Make sure to feed him a high-quality diet, low in artificial products and fillers.

Breaks – Don’t push yourself or your dog too hard during training. Take time for a rest. Sit down together for a drink of water. Play a game of fetch. Go for a swim. Remember to enjoy your dog not just train your dog.