Dog Training

Though sometimes would like to believe otherwise, food is a dog’s first priority, so the first step to successful training is to establish yourself as the leader, this can be acheived by showing him that he can only have his food at your discretion and command. Give him his dinner, allow him to eat for a few seconds, then take his bowl away from him. Use an appropriate sound each time you do so, such as “leave” or “stop”, and keep the bowl for a few seconds.Provided he didn’t show any aggression as you removed the bowl, tell him how ‘good boy’,give it back and allow him to continue eating. Repeat this two or three times during each meal for a few days, then once or twice a week for a few weeks.

Some dogs are never possessive with their food, but you may find if your dog came from a large litter, the only way he could obtain his share of the food was to threaten his brothers and sisters. Finding this action acheived the desired result (getting more food),he may well try it with you.If you don’t sort this out very early on, this possessiveness will transfer to other things, such as bones, toys, furniture and so on, perhaps even to other members of the family.

To stop him being aggressive with his food, don’t give him possession of it! By this I mean feed him by hand for a couple of weeks. Prepare his food in the bowl as usual, but don’t put the bowl on the floor for him. Simply feed him a handful at a time. The bowl of food on the floor almost instinctively makes him want to guard it, so if he is not put in this position of needing to guard, he will not bite!

Feeding by hand also helps if your dog is dominant in other areas. It makes him completely reliant on you for the most important thing in his life,his food,and this will reinforce your position of pack leader, as he is only receiving the food from you and not from the bowl. You can also use this period of hand feeding to your benefit by making him perform some minor order from you for some of the food. Get him to sit first before one handful, or to lie down for the next, and so on. Don’t make him run around for the food as this could cause digestive upsets.

You will find that after a couple weeks of this regime, his general attitude over possessions will change. You can then try giving him his food in a bowl again, and, provided there is no sign of aggression, continue to feed him normally.

For dogs that are food possessive, do not give them bones or toys, as they will attempt to guard these in the same way. Once the food possession has been sorted out, you can try introducing a toy, but make sure the dog understands that it is your toy, and he is only allowed to play with it with you, and when you decide the game is to end, you must end up with the toy.

Janie is a long term dog rescuer and trainer read more articles about dogs training

Do you love dogs? Do you find yourself automatically trying to train each dog you come across? Would you like a fun, satisfying career that revolves around working with dogs? Then starting a dog training career could be the best career option for you. As a dog trainer you will be able to work one-on-one with loveable dogs and help them to learn the proper behaviors.

Having a successful dog training career is dependent upon the time and effort you place into the venture. The odds of having a productive dog training career are low if you decide to just read a book or two on the subject and set up shop. This type of surface level preparation for your dog training career may leave you ill equipped to deal with the business aspects and typical obstacles.

If you do garner any clients they may not be satisfied with your services and your reputation goes down the tubes. Remember if you embark on a dog training career that you need to establish a good, respectable reputation from the beginning. This is especially true if you wish to expand your dog training career from the average household to dog shows. The competitive dog world can be a small, close knit group that watches the performance of dog trainers closely.

As you can see, starting a dog training career is a serious choice that needs to be investigated thoroughly before you begin. Let’s say that you have decided you will put in the time and effort necessary for a successful dog training career because you love dogs, want to work with them everyday, and out committed to being a knowledgeable, skillful dog trainer. The next big question is how to do you start your dog training career?

A dog training career can begin in a number of ways. You can take home correspondence courses that range in complexity and time commitment. You can contact local breeders and dog trainers in your area and become a mentor or take lessons from them directly. You can also begin a dog training career by finding any dog training companies or stores such as PETCO to get you started.

The method you should use to begin your dog training career depends on the type of dog trainer you wish to be and your time commitment level. Can you work only part time and want to lead basic dog training classes at your recreation center? Do you want your dog training career to become a full time job where you train dogs for dog competitions such as Westminster? You need to determine your interest level to begin.

Maybe you are not sure yet how much time you want to spend on your dog training career. If this is the case, hop on over to places such as PETCO and inquire about their programs to become a dog trainer. They can answer your individual questions and help you to decide if a dog training career is right for you. You can also consult many book, e-books, magazines, and websites on the subject. You will often find that others have the very same questions and concerns.

You can also speak with dog trainers and dog groomers in your area that have experience in this field. They can help you determine the level of commitment you want to bring to your dog training career. They can point out the pros and cons of a dog training career that might not be highlighted in dog training career books.

What do you typically learn during your dog training career? There are a whole slew of items you need to understand including: establishing effective communication with your dog and basic to advanced tricks and commands. You will learn the best way to teach your dog these tricks. You also need to understand the mind of your dog and learn about dog temperament and the unique needs of each dog.

As with any career you will need to understand the background and history of not only your dog, but every dog as well. You will definitely come across more than one dog breed to train during your dog training career so it is imperative that you comprehend the intricacies of each breed. For example, you need to be aware of the historical strengths of each breed such as the Bichon Frise breed can jump extremely high and used to be circus dogs.

In addition to dog history and the dynamics of each dog breed, it is vital that you have a good grip on proper dog nutrition. During your dog training career you want to produce dogs that are healthy, happy, and well behaved. Understanding their nutrition and exercise needs will help you to accomplish this. Dog hygiene and grooming are areas of study as well so you can present a pooch that has a shiny coat and sparkling teeth.

While working with dogs comprises the majority of your dog training career, you will also need to focus on the business aspect. Your dog training career will become a business. Therefore, it is a necessity to understand how to operate your business regarding fees, overhead, and other financial and time considerations.

Having a thriving, rewarding dog training career might be just what you need in your life. If you love dogs and want to work with them on a daily basis then consider starting a dog training career.

Visit the dog resource website to research dog breeds & get free tips on dog training, dog books, dog products & how to find dog sitters & dog walkers.

We’ve always had dogs around ever since I was a kid, and even when our family was “between dogs” I adopted next door’s Boxer dog as my own. Despite this, as a family we didn’t have a clue how to correctly train a dog - as long as it didn’t mess on the floor, chew up our slippers and finally came on the fifth yell of its name we thought things were just fine.

Like many dog owners I didn’t know the first thing about training a dog. Well, we think we do because the dog sits or offers us a paw when we have a treat in our hands but those are just party tricks.

Then I bought my very own dog when I got a place of my own. As she grew she changed from loveable pup into a liability. She wandered off, never came when called and turned into the Tasmanian Devil whenever anybody called around. The final straw came when she tore into the room and scrambled up to sit on the shoulders of a visitor who had come to assess me for a voluntary position. He was not a dog lover and I can still remember the look on his face now…

Trouble was, I had always treated dogs as furry friends, always giving in to those sad-looking eyes and never realizing that the dogs saw me in a totally different way. Dogs are pack animals and as such they are acutely aware of their position in the pack - and you and your family are its pack, even if there’s just the two of you.

Grasp that little fact of dog psychology and you are well on your way to a happier dog. From now on you are going to make it plain to your dog that you are the Alpha male or leader of the pack and what you say goes. See that furniture? That’s mine. You lie on the floor or in your dog basket. Don’t feed the dog tidbits from the dinner table - in fact the dog should be in his basket while you eat, and he only gets fed after everybody else has finished.

But isn’t that just being mean and taking all the fun out of owning a dog?

The leader of the dog pack eats first. He sleeps in the best spot. The Alpha male takes no notice of subordinate dogs fussing around him when he returns from the hunt. When you consistently act as leader you are communicating to
your dog in a language he understands.

When you come home, ignore your dog’s frantic attempts at attention seeking until he calms down - then you praise him. It won’t be long before your dog realizes he’s gone down a few notches in the pack hierarchy and acts accordingly. You’ll soon find that your dog greets you quietly and quickly settles down as he’s worked out that is when he receives praise from you.

Still not convinced that training your dog makes him a happier dog? Look at it from the dog’s point of view. He’s living in a human world full of confusing things and behavior he can’t understand. By not teaching your dog his place in your pack he will feel it’s his place to take charge. But this leaves him feeling stressed, resulting in an unruly and confused dog
constantly trying to make sense of an overwhelming world he cannot understand.

But when you assume command as leader of the pack, you take that responsibility off his shoulders. Just like a well-trained soldier, he will be happy knowing his place, his role in the pack and what’s expected of him - and happy to defer to your leadership knowing you’ll take care of the “big stuff”.

About the author

Mark Davies is a life-long owner of dogs and is currently Alpha male to his three children and Merlin, his seven year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Actually, his wife is the real leader of the pack.

Mark invites you to visit his site: http://www.top-dog-trainer.com

One of the biggest problems my clients complain about is the fact that their dogs don’t come when called. This is not only annoying but can be costly and dangerous. A dog that won’t come when called can potentially run into traffic, run away from you and get in a dog fight, or ruin someone’s picnic in the park as he runs up happily all the while ignoring your calls to return. The best way to teach the ultimate recall is by using a dog training device called the electric dog training collar.

Before I explain how to train this exercise I need to first give a little bit of background on the tool that you will be using. An electric dog training collar is perhaps the least understood dog training product on the market. Many consider this dog training product to mean, cruel, and violent. The truth is the opposite. Used properly, an electric dog training collar is actually one of the most humane ways to train your dog. It allows you the greatest freedom while delivering the least violent correction (Try one on yourself. They really aren’t painful unless you use the highest levels. For the recall exercise you will be using low levels, though.) Think about it, when giving a dog a correction which is more humane? A jerk on a leash or a small ‘bee sting’ on the neck administered from an electric dog training collar?

An electric dog training collar allows you to give an off-leash correction at great distances. You will harness this ability to show your dog that he must return when called no matter how far away. The first step is to teach your dog to come to you on leash.

Read this article on how to train your dog on leash first.


It is important that your dog first has a knowledge of what ‘come here’ means before you start using the electric collar. Once he knows what ‘come here’ means you can start using the electric collar.

Start out by conditioning your dog to the collar. Have him wear it at odd times for several days before you even start using it. You want the dog to have a neutral association toward the collar. Too many times dog owners will put the collar on, train the dog, and take the collar off. They repeat this over and over and soon the dog learns that he only has to obey when the collar is on. For that reason you must make him believe that training has nothing to do with the collar. If you do this properly you will be able to phase out the use of the collar and soon he will obey the same regardless of whether or not he is wearing the electric dog training collar.

Once your dog is properly conditioned to the collar you can begin. I am going to teach you the mechanics of the exercise first and then teach you the canine psychology of why this exercise works.

1. Find your dogs tolerance for the electric dog training collar. This is the unpleasant part of training with electricity but it must be done. Tie your dog out in a neutral area wearing the electric collar. Wait until he is in a neutral state of mind, not thinking of anything or distracted by anything. Go to the lowest level of stimulation and hit the button. Check his face to see if there is a reaction. If not, go up a level. Continue in this way until you see a small reaction. Once you find this level that is your benchmark. To train this exercise you will use your benchmark level minus one.

2. Have your dog wearing the dog training electric collar, a regular collar beneath that, and a long line attached to the regular collar.

3. Allow your dog to separate himself from you at a distance of 10 feet or more.

4. Set the remote to your pre-determined level. The next part is going to require a lot of coordination and practice so pay attention. There are several things that must be done simultaneously and in sequence.

5. Hold down the button on the remote for 2 seconds without saying a word.

6. As you continue to hold the button down tell your dog ‘come-here’, as you pull the long line toward you, and as you jog backwards. Read it twice. There are several things that need to be done at once.

7. The very instant your dog starts moving in your direction release the button and praise your dog like crazy. When he gets to you, praise him physically and verbally.

8. Continue this course of action. Repetition is very important. With this exercise there is a 2 second window where you are giving a small correction before you even give the command. After plenty of repetition you will notice that as you start to hold down the button he will start coming to you before you have had a chance to say ‘come-here’. When you reach this point you can move to the next step.

9. In the next step you will remove the long line. Repeat the training exactly as before except you will cut out the step where you pull on the long line. Repeat this step often and for several days. When your dog is perfect at this you can move on to the next step.

10. In the next step you are now going to remove the first part. Have your dog off leash and separated from you. Call to your dog ‘come-here’. If he comes, great! Give him tons of praise. If he doesn’t come, hold down the correction button until he begins to come, at which point you will instantly release the button and praise him. Repeat this step often. Repeat it at close distances and far distances. At this point your dog understands that coming when called is fun because of the praise involved, but also that he must come every time.

Sounds easy enough, right? Ok, let’s examine the canine psychology that goes into making this exercise successful. At its root, this training exercise is successful because you are slowly teaching your dog how to turn off the stimulation from the collar. In the very beginning stages you turn the stimulation on for 2 seconds with no hint as to why. Your dog feels it, it isn’t painful because it is a low level, but it does cause confusion because he doesn’t know why he is feeling it. As you continue with the exercise he begins running in your direction and the stimulation immediately turns off. With enough repetition your dog forms the association and realizes that it is the act of returning to you that turns off the stimulation. Following that, you proof the exercise. You allow him the chance to make a mistake by giving the command without the stimulation. If he does mess up the stimulation turns on and only turns off when he begins to return to your side.

Be very careful with this exercise. Study it out in your mind first and visualize yourself completing all the steps perfectly. Then try it out using a friend at the end of the leash instead of your dog. You must be very precise with the steps. Miscalculation of even a little bit could spell disaster for the whole exercise. For example, if your dog begins running toward you and you wait a second or two before turning off the stimulation, instead of turning it off immediately, your dog will not be able to make the association of returning to you equals stimulation turns off.

Practice makes perfect. Using the electric dog training collar can not only be fun but can be an excellent way to train your dog.

Author Tyler Brown is a renowned dog trainer whose training adventures and clients have taken him to 18 states and 5 countries to teach others how to properly train their dogs. Go to dogbehavioronline.com for more dog training articles, advice, tips, and answers from a professional dog trainer.

I was recently in a social setting where I was asked about my dog, Rocco. Rocco is my Rottweiler who has undergone extensive protection dog training. We were engrossed in a discussion about his training and capabilities when we were overheard by another person.

“Oh, you shouldn’t train your dog to do that stuff. That makes them vicious,” was her statement injected into our conversation. I was initially a bit taken-aback and annoyed; not only was her comment unsolicited but it was based on a lack of knowledge. As I thought about it more, however, I came to realize that this is a common style of thinking. There are many misconceptions about protection dogs and protection dog training. Let me dispel some of the myths of protection dogs and talk about protection dog training at its root to combat some of the more prevalent misinformation.

First, let me do a bit of defining. There are many terms thrown around that are often interchanged incorrectly.

Attack Dog- A poorly trained, typically anti-social, and fearful creature. Ineffective except for looking tough.

Guard Dog- A dog that is trained to guard an area. Guard dogs are often used on estates, warehouses, or open areas that need guarding. Guard dogs may or may not be good with people and may or may not have obedience training.

Police Patrol Dog- A dog that is trained to work chasing down criminals. They are trained to be used on the offensive.

Protection Dog- A dog that is trained to be used first and foremost as a defensive deterrent. A protection dog is trained to show aggression on command and turn off on command. A protection dog is trained to attack on command or if the aggressor is not deterred by the show of aggression. A protection dog has high levels of obedience training.

So now let me return to the original statement. Does training a protection dog make him vicious? I understand why many people would assume this. After all, you are training a dog to show aggression, bite a person, and do what is necessary to combat a human. Protection dog training does not, however, make a dog vicious.

There are several styles and methods for protection dog training. At its root, however, there are two instincts, or drives, that protection dog trainers harness time and time again to achieve results. Let’s examine them.

Prey Drive

Prey drive is a drive that most dogs possess, not just protection dogs. A Labrador retriever chases a tennis ball because of prey drive. The local mongrel chases a car because of prey drive. Essentially, prey drive is a dog’s desire to chase and capture a fast moving object. Nothing vicious about it. A good protection dog trainer will harness this drive to teach a puppy to chase a rag. As the puppy grows older he graduates from a rag to a tug. From a tug the trainer teaches the dog to bite a sleeve or a dog training bite suit. All the while the training is approached as a game. As a fun way to use energy and satisfy drive. Basically, the decoy, or guy wearing the bite suit or sleeve, is not viewed as a ‘bad guy’ but as a partner in a fun game. As training progresses, a good trainer will train the dog to discount the presence of equipment and view the person as the prey object. All of this training is done on command only. As training progresses the dog is taught to only respond when he hears the dog training command from his owner. This ensures for safety and control.

Defense Drive

All creatures have some sort of defense mechanism. Dogs have three ways of dealing with an aggressor: fight, flight, or avoidance. In protection dog training a good trainer will utilize a dog’s defense drive to build on what he has learned with prey drive. The trainer will show the dog that in certain situations a person is a threat and can be dealt with using the skills taught in prey drive. In this way, prey drive and defense drive work together. In essence, a dog is taught that when given a command that the aggressor is a real threat and he should use his skills to fight the threat. As with prey drive these skills are taught only under command and with high levels of control and safety.

There are not many dogs capable of this level of training. A dog that can accomplish this is a strong and very confident dog. This level of confidence is what often makes protection dogs safe and good with people. They are so confident that they don’t view people as threats unless told to under command by their owner. Protection dog training often bolsters this confidence as these dogs learn the power that they have and their innate abilities.

So are these dogs vicious? Absolutely not. Their natural drives have merely been harnessed to teach them new skills. I like to compare a well trained protection dog with a well trained soldier. Is a soldier more of a danger because of his training? Many would argue that he or she isn’t. The advanced levels of training turn a soldier into a person who is extremely confident. A soldier is capable of being a loving and caring family member in one setting and tool of battle in another. Just because a soldier is capable of using weapons under one setting does not make that person ‘vicious’.

Confidence is the opposite of fear. Fear is what causes many problems both in dog and human alike. When you combine the confidence and high levels of control in a well trained protection dog, I contend that you have a dog that is safe to be around and definitely not vicious.

Author Ty Brown is a renowned dog trainer whose training adventures and clients have taken him to 18 states and 5 countries to teach others how to properly train their dogs. Go to dogbehavioronline.com for more dog training articles, advice, tips, and answers from a professional dog trainer.