Dog Training

Actions such as "alpha rolls" and "scruff shakes" have no basis when studying wolf or dog behavior. They only lead to creating unnecessary fear on our dog's part toward us, fear that ultimately can lead to aggression because the frightened dog knows of no other way to protect itself other than using its teeth.

What does your dog expect from you? Most dogs need and want a leader. Dogs are social animals and like being part of a group, but every group must have a leader to prevent chaos. For your dog to feel relaxed, he needs to know that someone is in charge. If you don't take on the role of leader, your dog may feel that he has to fill the position.

If you have a dog and a new one will be entering or visiting your home, there are things you can do to ensure that the meeting goes off without a hitch. A new dog can mean you are bringing home a foster or a new family member, someone who has a dog is moving into your house, or someone is visiting with a dog.

Positive dog training means using rewards/positive reinforcement rather than punishment and corrections to train. With positive methods, the dog is guided/lured into doing the behavior and rewarded (usually with a food treat) when he complies. Because harsh methods are not used, training can begin very early, and most puppies quickly learn the basics without ever having their collars jerked or seeing a rolled-up newspaper!

No two dogs, or two human handlers, are alike. You should treat every dog and every handler as an individual. Here is a list of commonly used training tools. These tools help each dog, and each handler has a positive, successful training experience promoting the human-canine bond.

Learning how to crate train your dog will require patience. You will need first get your pet comfortable with the crate, then comfortable sitting inside the crate. Only after that will you be able to proceed in building up the duration of time spent inside. It is important to take your time. Rushing here will only make your dog uncomfortable.

Many people refuse to crate or kennel-train their dogs because they feel the confinement is cruel. However, a crate or kennel can give dogs a sense of security. Crate training done correctly is also a highly effective management system that can be a lifesaver for dog owners. Like any training method, crating can be abused, but using a crate for appropriate periods is helpful with various essential goals, including house training, preventing destructive behavior, and teaching a dog to settle and relax.

If you're thinking about getting a dog and you've never had one, please do some research first. Learn about what's involved in having a dog — basic dog care, medical needs, training and behavior. In particular, ask yourself the following

Dog training has undergone tremendous changes since the 60s. Researchers such as Scott and Fuller, and Pfaffenberger changed the way people perceived their canine companions and caused many of the old training methods to be questioned.

Dogs need guidance and consistent training from their people if they are going to live in harmony with humans. All dogs must be taught acceptable behavior, and one way to do that is to train your dog or pay a trainer to do it. Dogs are happiest when they know who's in charge and what's expected of them.