Labrador Dog Training- Dog Training Tools

If you wish to have a nicely trained Labrador Retriever, you have to train him of course. Dogs don’t become nicely trained on their own. That is why as a dog owner, your dog’s training is your responsibility. Some dog owners think that training a dog can be a frustrating task. Fortunately, there are lots of effective approach as well as helpful tools to make the training process easy and increase the chances of successful result.

Leash
The leash is widely used by most trainers and dog owners in teaching dog commands like sit, down, come and heel. A leash must be strong enough to withstand your dog pulling on it. Types of leash vary depending on its materials, lengths and styles. In choosing the type of leash for your dog, keep in mind his size, personality and strength.

Clicker
Clicker training has recently become popular in dog training. Clicker is a tiny plastic box with a metal button, which when pressed makes a click sound. The click sound is used to catch the attention of your dog and indicate that what he did is correct.

Collars
Usually used with leash, a collar is a piece of material placed around the neck of the dog. It could be made of nylon, metal, cotton or leather often used for control, identification and other purposes. It is important to place your dog’s collar perfectly, not too loose nor too tight. A collar is perfectly placed when you could place your four fingers between the dog’s neck and his collar. Collars come in various types- choke, pronged and electronic collars to name a few. Choose which type of collar is needed by your dog.

Treat
Giving of treat is an example of positive reinforcement. A treat is a reward you give to your dog after performing the command correctly.

Muzzle
Muzzle is important when your dog has biting problem or if you like to teach your dog to bark only when needed. A muzzle is a device placed over your dog’s snout to prevent unwanted biting or unwanted barking. It should be made of strong material to ensure that it does not come off easily.

Harness
Choose a no-pull harness for it stops the pulling. A no-pull harness restricts the movement of the dog’s body when the dog pulls on the leash.

There are many other tools that could help make dog training easy for you and your dog. It helps a lot to consult your vet or dog trainer for suggestions.

The best dog breeds for lazy people

There is only one logical choice as a pet dog for the lazy individual, and that is the English Bulldog. I know this simple truth for I am lazy, and I have had the experience of life with this creature. One could go into an in depth discussion of the variable breeds that would compliment a lazy lifestyle. However, since I am indeed lazy, I would rather draw from my past experiences and present the reasons why I believe the English Bulldog is the only commonsensical choice:

1. Just look at the dog, what about that animal does not say “I am quite surely a lazy dog?” The belly and tank-like shape of its body resemble the physique of a robust individual who would rather enjoy a nice steak versus a walk around the block. One should not judge by appearances alone, but if the owner wishes to exude his lifestyle of laziness then the English Bulldog will exemplify that persona to all outside observers.

2. Breathing is obviously a bit difficult for this dog. The guttural grunts made audible during respiration make this fact self evident when you are in the presence of the beast. The culprit is said to be the elongated palate caused by the anatomy of its muzzle and lower jaw. If an English Bulldog cannot breathe then it surely will not be able to exercise strenuously or for long periods of time, which is right up my alley.

3. During a hot, humid day, the lazy individual only desires to lounge on a couch in an air conditioned enclosure with a cold drink in hand. These very conditions are a medical necessity for an English Bulldog on such a day. This breed is more prone to heat stroke therefore it is the lazy man’s duty as a dog owner to limit activity on especially hot and humid days.

4. Along with the need to limit activity with hot weather, it is advised that the English Bulldog should be limited more than most dogs with exposure to extremely cold weather. That sounds like a perfectly good reason not to make your dog, or yourself for that matter, get out of bed on a cold, winter morning.

5. Another justification for reducing physical activity could be made in reference to the number of joint and structural ailments to which English Bulldogs are prone. The scientific reasoning for this can be easier assessed by my earlier comments about “the belly and tank-like shape of its body.”

6. There are varying reports concerning the true intelligence of the English Bulldog, and out of kindness to the breed and to fellow owners, I do not want to make the statement that English Bulldogs are dumb. But I would not say that in all instances they are the sharpest knife in the drawer. In terms of laziness, this quality can be of an advantage to the owner simply by placing a random object in front of the dog to keep him busy. In case you are wondering, keeping him busy does involve and is most likely limited to either eating the object or chewing on it until he falls asleep.

As one lazy human being to another lazy human being, my experiences have showed me that the English Bulldog values the same existence that we hold so dearly; to simply eat, drink, nap, and recline, all while doing so in an appropriately air conditioned environment.

Training Dogs Not To Bite

According to the statistics, dogs bite more than 4.7 million people per year. This unwanted, and often avoidable, behaviour, results in law suits, medical bills and sometimes dog euthanasia.

As with any dog training issue, how easy or difficult it is to train a dog to not bite will vary according to the breed, age and individual temperament of the dog. But there are some common techniques that will usually help suppress the biting behaviour.

Wherever possible, start young. Puppies have a natural inclination to mouth and nip. Though it’s often encouraged by owners who understandably see the behaviour as cute, human restraint is a prerequisite to dog restraint. Good, and bad, habits start young, and need to be controlled at this early stage.

Beyond about the age of four weeks, puppies can begin to learn simple commands. When the puppy moves his mouth to bite, a gentle, but firm ‘No!’ followed by a slight squeeze of the muzzle can help.

Be careful not to cause the puppy to bite its tongue, though. Be especially careful not to squeeze hard or too high up on the muzzle. Dogs have sensitive and delicate odour receptors high up inside the nose. You never want to damage a dog’s ability to smell.

The squeeze isn’t to punish, but to inform. The goal is to help the young dog associate the verbal command with something it can understand at that age, namely discomfort. Most dogs naturally dislike having their muzzles squeezed at any age.

Along with verbal discouragement and gentle physical restraint or reminders, socializing your dog – as young and often as possible – can help develop calm and confident dogs. Fearful dogs, not used to strangers (whether human or animal), are much more prone to biting behaviour.

Expose the dog to other (non-aggressive) dogs. Differences in smell and looks are triggers that can cause dogs to become wary. Introducing them to a variety at a young age can help discourage this territorial response.

Most dogs will naturally inhibit biting when playing with litter mates. They nip, but learn early not to press hard. Take advantage of this by ‘widening’ the pack to include family members, other pets and frequent visitors.

Restrain your pet at first when introducing animals from other households. Restrain the other animal as well. Let them approach slowly and sniff or carry out other natural behaviour.

Look for body tension, snarling, erect ears and other indicators of oncoming aggression. Make the dog sit, stroke its back and put out your hand to the other animal then convey the smell to your pet. Then allow them to interact.

Dogs normally learn bite inhibition by four and a half months, but don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen that quickly. Breeds vary and so do individuals. Older dogs, especially ones not trained early to suppress biting, or not socialized, will naturally be harder to train.

Some dogs will never be fully trained not to want to bite. Part of training involves training people, too. Make sure any such dog is unable to reach other people or animals. And, make sure that people are informed not to try to interact with the dog.

If you have an older dog that has a tendency to bite then have a small garden spray with water in it. And spray it in the dogs face at the appropriate moment. He will soon learn that it is unacceptable behaviour.

Gradual, persistent, patient training will usually pay off in a calmer, more playful pet. Which, despite the effort involved, is better than paying off lawsuits.