Dog Training

A Kong is a rubber, hollow, dog toy designed to hold food and entertain your dog's brain and belly. Kongs and similar food dispensing toys require that a dog lick and chew on the toy in order to access the food. Licking and chewing are soothing activities for dogs, so Kongs can be helpful when teaching your dog how to be calm, quiet and relaxed.

Remember that you and your new dog need some time to learn each other’s signals and routines. Even if he was housetrained in his previous home, if you don’t recognize his “bathroom” signal, which may be nothing more than sniffing or staring at you, you might miss his request to go out, causing him to eliminate indoors. Additionally, scents and odors from other pets in the new home may stimulate some initial urine marking.

Unwanted dog behaviors can range from those that are merely nuisances to behaviors that are downright destructive and harmful. Maybe you have a pup who loves to jump on your guests and greet them with big, sloppy kisses that they might not appreciate. Or maybe he spends his days barking.

Positive reinforcement is the most effective and humane way to train animals. The basic principle is to reward a desired behavior with something pleasant. As with so many things, correct timing is essential. To get the animal to associate the reward with the correct behavior, the treat or praise must be delivered immediately. Consistency is also essential. Always reward the desired behavior and don't ever reward undesired behavior.

A well trained and healthy dog is one of life's great pleasures. If you're an ordinary person who loves dogs and has one or would like to have one, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of information on dog ownership, training and nutrition available to you online and elsewhere.

In the teaching stage, you offer positive reinforcement whenever you ask for and get the desired behavior. No corrections are given. Once we move to the correction stage, we correct undesirable behavior. Every time you correct a dog for unwanted behavior (negative reinforcer), you must praise him (positive reinforcer) when he fixes the behavior.

One of the first things to do while leash training your dog is to put aside all prejudgements regarding dog behavior. The misconception is that dogs who pull while walking on a leash try to be in 'control' or 'alpha' over their owner. That thought process can harm the training process and create barriers during training.

Proper training is essential for a long, happy, and safe relationship with your dog, setting the foundation to ensure your dog stays physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged, and emotionally happy. Remember, training a dog takes time, understanding, patience, and consistency.

What do you do when you need to leave home and your dog can't come with you? Choosing the right boarding facility or pet sitter for your dog is key for a stress-free trip! Whether your dog will be staying at home with a sitter or going to a boarding facility, try to pick an option that will mimic your pet's daily life.

All dogs benefit from learning how to behave appropriately when sharing space and time with their human family members and their other animal friends. Dogs aren't born knowing how to interact politely with people, so you'll need to teach your dog the basics using positive reinforcement training techniques.