Step 1: Start Early

Begin obedience training as soon as you bring your Labrador Retriever puppy home. Early training helps establish good habits and prevents undesirable behaviors from developing.

Step 2: Use Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is key to obedience training. Reward your Labrador Retriever with treats, praise, or playtime when they obey commands correctly. This encourages them to repeat the desired behavior.

Step 3: Be Consistent

Consistency is crucial in obedience training. Use the same commands and hand signals every time, and ensure that all family members are on the same page with training techniques.

Step 4: Teach Basic Commands

Start with basic commands such as sit, stay, come, and heel. Break down each command into small, manageable steps, and be patient as your Labrador Retriever learns.

Step 5: Practice Regularly

Practice obedience training daily in short sessions to keep your Labrador Retriever engaged and focused. Incorporate training into daily activities such as walks, feeding time, and playtime.

Step 6: Use Positive Correction

When your Labrador Retriever makes a mistake, use positive correction rather than punishment. Redirect their attention to the correct behavior and reward them when they get it right.

Step 7: Socialize Your Labrador Retriever

Expose your Labrador Retriever to different people, animals, and environments to promote socialization and obedience in various situations.

Step 8: Address Behavior Problems Promptly

If your Labrador Retriever exhibits undesirable behaviors such as jumping or chewing, address them promptly with training techniques such as redirection and positive reinforcement.

Step 9: Enroll in Obedience Classes

Consider enrolling your Labrador Retriever in obedience classes led by a professional trainer. These classes provide structured training and socialization opportunities in a controlled environment.

Step 10: Be Patient and Persistent

Obedience training takes time and patience. Be patient with your Labrador Retriever and continue training consistently, even if progress is slow at times.

By following these steps and incorporating positive reinforcement techniques, you can effectively train your Labrador Retriever to be obedient and well-behaved. Remember to stay patient, consistent, and always prioritize your dog’s well-being throughout the training process.

The post Building a Bond: Effective Labrador Retriever Obedience Methods first appeared on PetXU.com.

Running is a fun way to practice with your dog and spend time with it. Plus, it is an excellent way for your dog to build her confidence and expend her energy. Here are some tips and tricks to train her.

Things to consider

Before you start the training, here are some things to consider.

Breed

Some dogs are bred for long-distance runs while others can handle only short sprints. Brachycephalic species such as Bulldogs and Pugs can do short sprint only because of their bodies ‘ limitations.

Meanwhile, some of the best breeds for running are the following:

• American Staffordshire Terriers – have the muscles, agility, and stamina for miles of jogging;
• Australian Cattle Dogs – these are traditionally used in farms to run after cows (or humans);
• Labrador Retrievers – can do sprints or long-distance running;
• Boxers – in the past, these puppies have been used as messengers and hunters, so their DNA is used to running;
• Brittany Spaniels – need a lot of exercises, so a simple walk is not enough for these energetic dogs;
• German Shorthaired Pointers – have a lot of stamina and their muscle legs and lean builds can run long distances;
• Siberian Huskies – there’s a good reason why Huskies are the best sled dogs, even during snowstorms they love to run;
• English Setters – can run up to four to six miles since they used to be farm dogs in the past;
• Belgian Shepherds – also have great endurance so they can go far with slow runs;
• Poodles – although these dogs are mostly pageant-dogs, they still have the athletic ability to run over several miles in a long but slow run;
• Jack Russell Terriers – have a ton of energy and can run for long periods, making them ideal for long-distance dog-style marathons;
• Airedale Terriers – can ideally run for 10 kilometers or less even in hot places;
• Vizslas – these are super athletic and sleek dogs bred for speed and endurance;
• Alaskan Malamutes – like the Siberian Huskies, these are long distances running even in cold climates;
• Dalmatians – can keep pace even with horses so it will not be hard for them to keep pace with you;
• German Shepherd Dogs – these are seasoned strong runners, so many of them work as police dogs;
• Australian Shepherds – by nature, these dogs are farm dogs and herd dogs so that if necessary, they can run for a whole day;
• Border Collies – they are very agile dogs, traditionally also herding dogs, so running can keep them busy with “work”;
• Weimaraners – are sprinters but can also do slow, long-distance runs;
• Rhodesian Ridgebacks – they were bred in Africa to hunt and kill lions so they can sprint, and they are best suited for long-distance “hunts.” 

Age

Very young puppies are still developing their bodies. Before she can use them for long runs, her bones and ligaments must be fully developed. She might be vulnerable to injury if she puts too much pressure on her bones and ligaments. She might have a muscle fracture or pull.

In general, wait until your dog is about 1 1/2 years old. Her bones will already be fully developed by this time.

Temperament

Each dog is unique. Some dogs like to run. Others, not so much.

Consider the temperament of your dog before training. Try not to force her to do something that she doesn’t like. It would be counterproductive to force her. She might be traumatized by her training rather than building her confidence.

Running path

Choose a path that is perfect for your dog’s paws. Choose paths that will not have pebbles or anything that might hurt her paws or injure her.

Train Your Dog To Run Beside You

1. Train your dog to walk on a leash while she’s growing up and not yet ready to run. Make sure she’s learning not to pull her leash and stay with you all the time.

Leash pulling during a walk is frustrating. But during a run, it can be dangerous. Remember, you’re moving at high speed with your dog. But during your outdoor trips, a lot of things will distract your dog. A cute squirrel. A disgusting cat. Your dog may run after another animal, leading you to oncoming traffic.

If she pulls at her leash and then suddenly stops, you and she might get into an accident. You might get tangled in the leash, bump against things, or even fall on your faces. If she weaves around, she might also clip the heels of other runners and trip them up.

Put a short leash on her at the beginning so she won’t stray away from you. When she walks with you calmly, reward her with a treat. If she’s trying to pull on the leash, don’t walk, so she knows it’s not good behavior. You can start walking again if she stays by your side.

Train your dog to stay on one side. Pick one side and train her to stay there. Do not change to the other side because you will confuse her.

Give her treats using the side you’ve chosen to train her to do this. For example, when she walks or sits on your left leg if you choose the left side, give her treats. Also, give the treat to your left side.

You can also train her to go to your chosen side by creating a cue. This could be by pointing to your left or by saying the word “left.”

2. Bring your dog to the vet for an exam. If your dog is ready for a serious run, your vet will be able to tell you. The diagnosis will take into account the breed, age, and fitness level of your dog.

3. Train your pet to follow speed signs or commands when she’s ready and your vet has given your dog a clean health bill. Slowly amplify the speed. Don’t get her to follow a full sprint command from the beginning. Remember that running on command is something new for her, even if your dog is hyper.

Finish by first teaching her to “jog.” Follow this with the usual “roll.” Say the command, then raise your walking speed. Let her take a few steps to catch up with you and you. Reduce speed by saying “whoa” or “walk” to another command.

Let her spend a couple of days getting used to this new speed. Let her remember her leash training even as you jog. If she pulls, quickly decrease your speed and stop. 

4. When you know she is comfortable with the jogging speed, you can add “run” as the command for a full sprint.

5. Keep the cues and speed consistent. You want your dog to respond to the right signal. Do not confuse her by giving inconsistent commands.

Reward your pet with a treat when she manages to keep to your side and match your pace.

6. Now that your dog knows the commands for various kinds of speed, begin to build her endurance and strength.

As always, do this slowly. Add brief jog bursts and go on your usual walk. Then increase the jogs and run as the walk parts are reduced. Before you can see some results, you’ll need several weeks.

7. Develop your dog’s running program. Set a weekly goal, it might be miles or minutes. Every week you can start with 10-minute runs and increase this as the strength and endurance build-up of your dog.

Run every other day when she is just starting so she has time to rest in between runs. Add the miles or minutes to see if you meet your weekly goals.

Safety Tips

Always remember these tips to keep your dog primed and conditioned for each run:

• Just like humans, your dog needs to warm up before a rigorous exercise. She also needs to cool down afterwards.

Walk your dog slowly for five minutes to warm up and cool down. You can also make her go through a sit-lay down-sit-stand routine for a couple of minutes. This may be the equivalent of a push-up for your dog. Use treats to make your dog do some stretches to warm up or cool down her muscles.

• Always consider the weather when you go outside.

Your dog cannot handle heat or humidity as well as you can. So, during your runs, carry water for your dog. Do this even when it’s fine weather. Do not run, especially if you go over asphalt, during really hot weather. The heat could blister from the ground or even burn her paws.

On the flip side, rain or snow could be too cold for her paws as well. She might love playing in the snow but running for minutes through it might be too much for her.

You can play fetch indoors during the times when you can’t run, so your dog will still have some exercise. Build an obstacle course for your dog if you have some space. It doesn’t have to be a beautiful course. You can use your furniture, cardboard boxes, or toys as obstacles for your dog.

If you have a home gym, you can train your dog to use the treadmill. There are treadmills designed for pets. But a normal treadmill will do so long as the ramp is big enough to carry your dog.

You can also look for dog training facilities that offer indoor agility classes. You don’t need to register your dog in regular classes. You can go there when it’s needed.

• Take frequent water and pee breaks to let your dog recharge. Allow her to nose around and enjoy the surroundings during these breaks.

• Always take note of your dog’s behavior and body language during your run. Check if she is panting excessively or if she is lagging behind you.

The main way your dog can cool off is by panting. She’s still normal if she’s panting quietly and her tongue is inside her mouth. But if she’s panting wide open with her mouth and hanging her tongue from her mouth, she’s tired.

Your dog will sometimes try to keep running even if she cannot run anymore. She wants to please you so she will try to keep going even if her body hurts.

As her owner, it is up to you to ensure that she does not over-exert or push herself beyond her limits. If you see her panting too much, don’t make her go faster.

If after a few minutes of break, her panting doesn’t return to normal, then it’s time to stop running and cool down.

• If you want your dog to run without a leash, make sure the dog is fully trained and follows your instructions properly. Make sure the area is safe for a free run as well. Some areas also always require dogs on a leash, so keep in mind the rules.

Conclusion

Your dog can be the best running companion for you. But during the run, both of you should have fun. Be patient. Don’t force her if your dog isn’t inclined to run for long distances. But if she loves running, slowly train her. Soon she’s going to keep up with you on your regular jogs.

The post How to Train a Dog To Run With You: Tips and Tricks first appeared on PetXU.com.

Let’s discuss the latter method. We’ll look at the importance of hand signals, preparation for training, sample hand signals, and tips for successful training.

Importance of dog hand signals

Training your dog to follow your commands is useful in a variety of ways:

• Hand signals are helpful when your dog is far away from you. You don’t have to shout your commands. You give the signal and your dog will obey.

• For some competitive dog shows of obedience, hand signals are essential. In a place where verbal cues might not be heard over the screaming crowd and barking dogs, hand signals are a great tool to give your dog the next command.

• Hand signals are the primary tools to train deaf dogs. But some dogs lose their hearing as they grow older. So, the hand signals will be valuable later on in their lives.

• Hand signals can add to the skill arsenal of your dog. She’ll gain an extra boost of confidence when she completes her training. A dog who knows what to do is also going to feel safer. A new form of training will also help her not to get bored.

• Hand signals are also useful if you have a disability as the owner that affects how you speak. If your words are unclear, your dog will be trained with hand signals.

• Hand signals are a subtle way to communicate with your dog. It’s like having a secret handshake with your dog.

Preparation

Before you start, here are some things you need to prepare.

1. Start training your dog early. Ideally, start before she turns six months old. This will stop her from learning or developing bad habits.

2. Prepare a training room with no distractions. Your dog will have to pay attention to you. A toy, other people, or other animals should not distract her. An empty, quiet room is the ideal place. If there is no traffic there, you can also go to your backyard.

Hand signals are visual commands. So getting your dog to look at you and your hands are the first and most crucial step. It will be distracted by a noisy place. Bring her to the training room when you begin any training session. Make sure you’re not interrupted by anyone.

3. Set aside regular training time on a daily basis. If you don’t use it every day, your dog may forget the hand signals. Even after learning the meaning of the hand signals, use it daily. Remember when she’s old, she might need the hand signals. So keep reminding her every day of the signals so she won’t forget them.

Also, setting a daily routine will make your dog expect regular a time when she has to “work.”

4. Try to practice verbal and hand signals training separately. It could be confusing for your dog to start both at the same time. Train her first in verbal commands. Then, if you know your dog is familiar with the verbal signals, do the hand signal training.

When you have shifted to the hand signal training, make the hand signal first. Then give the verbal command. You can wait for about 5-7 seconds between the hand signal and the verbal cue. This can reinforce what you want your dog to do.

5. There are two general ways to teach hand signals. One is to hold out a treat in one hand and use the other hand to do the signal. The other method is to use the hand holding the treat to do the signal.

Choose the one you want to use and stick to it. Don’t change your method halfway through the training. Your dog might become confused. Changing your method might become detrimental to the training.

Sample Hand Signals

Get your dog’s attention by saying her name, snapping your fingers, or using a clicker. When your dog looks at you, start the training.

There is no official set of hand signals for dog training. You can create your own signals. Consistency and simplicity are the main things to remember. You can also accept these universal hand signals recognized by many trainers.

Basic

1. Sit

Start by holding your palm out. Then bring the palm down until it is parallel to the floor. Keep your arm steady.

2. Down/Lie Down

Use a treat. Bring the hand from her nose to the floor with the treat. The hand signal to your dog will be your palm, which will move down from your shoulder to your leg area palm down.

Another variety is to point a finger to your chest then make a sweeping diagonal movement going down.

Still another variant is just to point a finger to the floor.

3. Stand

Moving the treat from her nose in a forward motion from the “sit” or “down” command. The signal of your hand at your hip will be relaxed and then your entire arm will go backward.

4. Stay/Stop

Stretch your palm out in front of your dog’s face. You might not want to use a treat with the hand here. She might interpret the signal as a “go” signal to get the treat. Give the treat if your dog stops moving for a few seconds.

Another way is to flash the palm out signal toward your dog. Then move back a few steps while maintaining a steady signal. If your pet is not moving, you can consider it a successful training. Try to increase your distance from your dog. Read this article for more tips on how to “stay” teach your dog.

5. Heel

Tap the treat to your left hip or make a small circle near the hip. The hand signal will be the tap or small circle.

6. Come

Move a few steps away from your dog. You can give the “stop” hand signal before this signal. Move the treat from your dog’s nose to above her head.

The movement begins with your hand relaxed at your side. Then bend your elbow and raise your hand to your chest or shoulder. Your dog will be attracted to the treat technically and will come to you.

To reinforce this signal, your dog needs to learn that the “come” command is just one single hand gesture.

Another variety is to start with your hand relaxed at your side. Then bring it to the shoulder opposite of the hand in a diagonal motion.

7. Free/Release

With the palms out as the signal, you can have both hands at shoulder level. This allows your dog to relax and do what it wants. This may be the signal to end the training as well.

Another variety is to clap your hands once.

Advanced

Once your dog has mastered the basic hand signals, you can move to the more advanced techniques. Many of these do not need treats to make your dog start the training.

1. Watch me

Point a finger with a treat to your eye. When your dog is looking at you for a couple of seconds, reward her. This is a very important signal because you will need your dog to pay attention to you. But since it is not used extensively during verbal training, it may at first be a bit hard for your dog. It’s a good way to transition to pure hand signals.

2. Spin

Make a circle above your dog’s head with the treat. This should be one circular motion. 

3. Drop it

Show a fist then open it.

4. Go (to…)

Point a finger to the place you want your dog to go to. Usually, the verbal cue is the place where you want your dog to go like “Kennel” or “Bed.” This hand signal is very effective during agility training where you need to direct your dog to the next place you want her to go.

Hand Signal Tips

Here are some reminders that you need to remember so that your training will be successful.

1. Be consistent with your hand signals. Make the same hand signal all the time. All the parts of your body should be in the same position too. A single difference might confuse your dog.

2. Take into account the attention span of your dog. In just a few minutes, puppies will become restless. For longer training sessions, older dogs may have more patience. Overall, however, it is better to train for at most 15 minutes.

3. Sometimes your dog will do the act even before you do the hand signal. Ignore her. Give her verbal praise but make her do the hand signal training properly.

4. Phase out verbal signals from hand signals gradually. You can say the verbal signals after each hand signal for the first few training sessions. Then practice the hand signals in the next training sessions, but only say the verbal signals in the first few attempts. Then you can have sessions where you can use only hand signals without verbal signals.

5. For the proofing of the training, slowly use the hand signals outside of the training room. You will know that her training is successful when she follows the signals even if other things or people distract her.

6. If your dog starts disobeying the hand signals, go back to step 1 and do the entire training again.

7. Do not give too many treats. You want your dog to focus on the training and not on eating.

Even though at the beginning of the training you will need the treat, you can slowly wean it out of the sessions. Give her the treat and verbal praise if your dog is successful. Repeat the signal of the hand without a treat. If after a few attempts, your dog doesn’t respond, try again with a treat. Keep trying to remove the treats from her. Even without food, she should follow your hand signals.

8. There’s a lot of positive reinforcement to give your dog. Verbal praise raises her confidence and encourages her to do well. When she is praised for her work, it will reinforce the positive behavior. She will feel that she is making you happy so she will be happy as well. The bond between the two of you will be strengthened.

She will “read” a lot from your tone of voice. If your tone is pleased, then she will know that she has done well. Try to avoid sounding worried, angry, or uncertain when you need to use verbal commands with hand signals.

Summary                        

Training your dog to follow visual (hand signals) and auditory (verbal) commands will be useful for you and your dog in various situations.

Remember that you can create a specialized training program and hand signals. You can tailor your training and signals to one that she can easily learn and recognize since you know your dog best.

Keep the gestures simple. Also, one gesture means one command. Don’t use one gesture for many commands. This will confuse your dog.

Be patient. It will take time for your dog to learn what you want her to do. Have fun with your dog. This training is a time for you to be together.

The post Dog Training Hand Signals: Importance, Sample and Tips to Teach Your Dog first appeared on PetXU.com.

Don’t despair. You will be able to train your dog to pee and poop in one spot. Follow these five tips:

How to Train Your Dog to Pee and Poop in One Area

1. Designate a spot

Your dog will choose a spot for herself most of the time. Evaluate if this place is all right with you as well.

If you’ve got a yard, choose a spot where kids or other people don’t go because you’re going to allow urine and poo in the area for a while. If it has grass, make sure that you don’t mind the urine if turning it brown.

However, the area doesn’t have to be the lawn. It can be any surface made of anything—concrete, gravel, soil.

If you don’t have a yard but use the park, find a spot where other animals do not pee or poop.

If you live in an apartment, choose a spot away from the kitchen. Otherwise, she might associate food with poop and might develop a habit of eating her poop.

The spot should be out of reach of foot traffic but still easily accessible to your dog. If you have one, you might consider somewhere near the bathroom or balcony. Instead of carpet, try to make a spot with hardwood, vinyl, or tile because the smell of pee and poop will not sink into these products as much as a carpet.

In general, make sure that the area is large enough to accommodate your dog’s breed. A German Shepherd would need a much ample space than a Chihuahua.

She may have peculiar peeing and pooping habits to consider, as well. She may want to pace the area, for instance, before she does her deed.

Try to make the spot big enough for a second potty break in case you don’t get to clean the first pee or poo right away.

2. Train your dog

For yard or park:

In the area you’ve selected, place a small scoop of her poop or drops of her pee. Make sure you washed the other neighboring places because she could go there instead.

Train your dog to pee or poop on command. Choose something simple like “potty” or “pee” or “poop” would be better. Be consistent in using these words.

Monitor her behavior after a meal or when she’s playing. She’s going to be restless when she wants to pee or poop. She might as well sniff the area she wants to go to or her ass.

When this happens, put a leash on her, take her to the designated spot, and give the command. Don’t let her move from the spot until she pees or poops.

Puppies normally poop 30 minutes after a meal, after a vigorous play, before bedtime, and after waking up. You might want to set up a routine where she goes to the designated toilet first thing in the morning and stays there until she successfully pees and poops.

For every month old puppies, they can hold their pee for an hour. So, for an hour or less, a month old puppy can hold her pee. As she gets older, she will be able to hold her pee longer.

Try to bring your puppy to the specified area at least every hour so that she can associate with peeing or pooping outside. If you can’t do that, have a family member or a friend do it for you until your dog is trained or older.

Try to set up a feeding hour or routine while she’s a puppy so you’ll get an idea of when she wants to pee or poop. Try to take her out when she’s older, and she drinks plenty of water or within an hour of eating her food.

Adult dogs can hold their poop and pee a little bit longer. Depending on their breed, they can hold their poop and pee for up to 8-12 hours. But letting them relieve themselves at least 3-5 times a day is better.

You can also build a temporary fence in the designated area. Keep her fenced-in until she finishes.

Reward her with verbal praise, treats, and allow her to play if she is successful.

If she fights the leash wanting to go in another area, firmly but gently keep her in the correct spot and say “no.”

You will need to keep her on the leash for about two weeks.

Try to let her out without her leash to check if the training works. If she goes to the appointed place, the training worked. If she goes to a different place, instantly clean the place and return her on a leash for another week or two. Continue testing until you see her going continuously to the specified place.

For inside the house/apartment:

You might not have a yard or immediate access to a park. You could be living in a high-rise apartment. The weather might not permit your dog from going outside.

If this so, then your dog will need to be trained to pee and poop inside your house or apartment.

For this situation, use the fence or crate methods.

Fence method

Put a fence or baby gate around the designated area. Line it with newspaper or pee pads. You can set up a dog litter box for the poop spot.

Place her inside the fenced area when your dog demonstrates signs of wishing to go. Use the same instructions that you use for outside training. Wait until she pees or poops before she leaves the region. Reward her when she succeeds.

Keep the fence until your dog is ready to enter the area whenever it wants to pee or poop. Try to open a door, she can quickly pass through whenever she wants to go, when you think she’s got the habit of going potty in one region.

You can dismantle the fence when you know your dog is fully trained.

Change the lining frequently. But you may want to leave a piece of newspaper with some urine or a very small quantity of poop from a prior session for the first two weeks of training so that your dog will associate with the area as her toilet.

Crate method

At night or when you leave your dog alone for a long time, keep your dog in her crate so that her access will be limited, and she will pee or poop inside.

Line the crate with newspapers or rags so it will be easier to clean the crate afterward.

Remember, though, that you should not leave your puppy alone for a very long time. Vets recommend that you leave your puppy alone for a maximum of four hours. Otherwise, she might get bored.

If she becomes tired or worried or feels the crate is too restrictive, she may develop the habit of eating her poop or become a submissive eliminator, every time she is pleased, anxious or stressed. A submissive eliminator pees every time she is happy, anxious, or stressed.

3. Don’t punish

If your dog has an accident on the way to the toilet, do not punish her. Yelling, spanking, rubbing her nose on her pee or poop will be counterproductive.

Instead of being trained, your dog might develop a stress disorder associated with peeing or pooping, which might lead to more accidents in the future.

Don’t reward her or allow her to play either. Doing so might confuse her about the proper behavior.

Keep your voice mild and your manner friendly. Then clean the place she’s got an accident thoroughly so she won’t smell her pee or poo in the area. Otherwise, she’s going back to where she smells her wastes.

4. Proof the training

You want your dog to pee or poop on command. She requires to understand she can do her business, but she wants to be in the right place at the right time. Therefore, it is essential to prove training.

There’s a danger that she won’t want to poop or pee if you don’t prove proof the training to her. Without proof, she might keep her pee or poop for days until her body forces her to leave, which could have adverse impacts on her health. Also, if you’re planning to travel with your dog to another place, you’re going to need evidence training so that she can go potty to weird locations.

If you use the yard, go to a park as a different training site. If your dog is successful, reward her. Remember to clean up after your dog.

Go to a friend’s house. Ask where your dog can pee or poop, go there with your dog, give the command, and wait. Do this several times in different houses.

Try to use distinct lining types for her potty area if you train inside an apartment so that she will understand she can pee or poop on newspaper, training pads, dog litter, rags, or any other material. She won’t associate potty with just one product in this manner.

5. Keep the designated area clean

Since it is your dog’s allocated toilet, keep the region tidy. Hose down the urine, excavate the poop. For the first two weeks of practice as a guide, you’ll need to keep a small pile of poop or some urine after that keep the region tidy because if it gets too dirty, your dog might look for another place.

Summary

To summarize, you can train your dog to pee and poop in one spot. Whether she is a puppy or an adult dog, she can be potty-trained. First, designate a spot. Then, train your dog until the proofing stage. Keep the designated spot clean. Keep the training positive and consistent.

Related tips:
1. 10 Tips to Potty Training For German Shepherd Puppies
2. Dog Pooping In House: Why? How To Stop & How Often Do Dogs Poop?
3. Dog Peeing On Bed And Couch: Why? How To Stop & How Long Can My Dogs Hold Their Pee?

The post Potty Training Puppy: How to Train Your Dog to Pee and Poop in One Area Outside first appeared on PetXU.com.

In this article, I will be sharing with you some of the easy ways on how to teach your dog to fetch and drop. Taking your dog out on weekends for some fun is something to look forward to. Sometimes it is not enough that the only thing you can do outdoor with your doggie companion is to walk or run. There is so much more such as fetching a ball or a frisbee and learning how to drop these objects.

Once your dog has mastered the two commands, then you are in for a lot of adventures with your dog companion.

What’s the joy about fetch and drop?

• It is an awesome way to bond with your pooch. You’d be investing a lot of your time before your dog can finally learn the fetch and drop command. Don’t expect your dog to get it in one training session. The two of you would be out there spending days and hours enjoying each other’s company.

• Not only is it fun, but teaching your dog to learn how to fetch and drop is a good form of exercise. In a way, it is like hitting two birds with one stone- both of you become healthy, and at the same time, it is fun, fun, and lots of it!

How to teach your dog how to fetch a ball and drop?

Nothing beats early training. As soon as your new fur baby gets home, let it understand that it must follow your commands, lest you’d be on the losing end when it comes to obedience training. Teaching your new dog how to fetch and drop is a little bit different compared with teaching your dog how to sit. This is because it involves two actions that come in a sequence. So remember that patience on your part goes a long, long way.

Here are the easy ways on how to teach your dog the sequence of how to fetch and drop:

• Step A. Begin by teaching your pooch how to fetch an object. It could be a tennis ball or a frisbee or any type of dog toy. To encourage your dog to place the toy in his mouth, move the toy around or you can opt to wiggle it. The idea is to make your dog get interested in the toy.

• Step B. Once your dog gets the object, give your dog lots of praises. Do not forget to utter the word ‘fetch’ when your dog picks up the dog toy.  You can give a tasty treat, or you can rub your dog’s belly.

• Step C. Repeat this process several times until your dog has learned to associate the word fetch with a tasty treat.

• Step D. Now, you can begin having more fun indoor. By this time, your pooch is already aware that it will get a reward from you if it fetches an object. Throw the dog toy farther away and then let your dog fetch it. If it follows your command ‘fetch’, then give your pooch the well-deserved treat. If it doesn’t, remain calm and patient and go on with the training until it learns to fetch at your command.

• Step E. Now is the time to level-up. You do not have to go outdoor yet, but this time, throw the dog toy much farther. The idea is for your dog to master that it should follow your command of ‘fetch’. Do this repeatedly and do not forget to reward your dog. By this time, your buddy already knows what the fetch game is all about.

• Step F. The next step is to teach your dog how to drop the dog toy. This command is all about teaching your dog how to let go of the dog toy when the verbal cue ‘drop’ is uttered by you. This command is very important because it can keep your dog safe when it has something poisonous in its mouth.

•  Step G. Once your dog picked up the toy upon your command, get a treat, and place it near your dog’s nose. Now swap the toy with the treat and say the word ‘drop’. Keep in mind that when you say the word ‘drop’ say so with authority. Do this many times during your training sessions, and soon, your dog will absorb that knowledge.

• Step H. When your dog buddy has mastered the drop command, you can now level-up by teaching your dog the sequence of fetch and drop commands.

• Step I. After dropping the dog toy, throw it farther again and say ‘fetch’. Now encourage your dog to go back to you and then say the word ‘drop’. Again, repetition is the key to your dog’s learning.

• Step J. Once your dog has mastered this sequence, you can now begin doing it outdoors. You can use other types of dog toys like a frisbee or a small rubber chew toy.

The clicker training – another way of teaching your dog to fetch and drop

In clicker training method, you teach your buddy how to associate a sound with positive reinforcement (a treat or a belly rub). Here are the steps to follow:

• Step A. Buy a good clicker and let your dog associate the sound with a treat. Be consistent about it- click and then give a reward. Repeat numerous times.

• Step B. When your pooch has already associated the sound with positive reinforcement, then it is time to teach how to fetch.

• Step C. Use the fave toy of your dog. Play the toy with your dog until the excitement builds up.

• Step D. Throw the toy a bit far away from you and when your dog moves to get the toy, click and then give it a treat.

• Step E. Repeat the above process until your dog gets the idea that when you throw an object, he/she must retrieve/fetch it to get a reward.

• Step F. Then you can start training your dog outside so your dog has a larger space to move around. Throw the toy much farther and then click and when your dog fetches the toy, give a reward.

• Step G. Then comes the next sequence, which is to drop the toy at the sound of a click. After your dog fetches the toy, click and then give the positive reinforcement. At this point, your dog has dropped the toy on the ground to eat his/her treat. Now while it is enjoying its treat, get the toy again and offer it once again to your dog. If it gets the toy, click, and then give a treat once again. The dog will drop the toy to have the treat. Repeat the process until it understands that it gets a treat if it fetches and then drops a toy.

• Step H. There will be occasions when your dog will get bored and lose interest in the toy. I suggest that you buy a new toy and maybe purchase also a more palatable dog treat.

• Step I. Continue doing the steps, and soon your dog will learn that it will get something nice when it fetches and drops an object at the sound of a click.

My dog does not bring back the dog toy when fetching- what should I do?

I know this can be frustrating, but it does not mean that you cannot do anything about it. Not all dog breeds are the same. Some dogs are bred to retrieve things or animals. Examples of dog breeds which are pretty easy to teach the fetch command are Golden Retrievers, Border Collie, Belgian Sheepdog, Belgian Malinois, just to name a few. If you find yourself in a difficult situation teaching your dog how to fetch, then try doing the following:

• Try buying a different kind of toy. If it does not want a ball, try using a toy that squeaks.
• Rather than use a ball, maybe use a stick dog toy or perhaps a stuffed toy.
• Choose a tastier dog treat. Change the flavor and see which variant your dog prefers.
• Like humans, some dogs are over-possessive. If your pooch manifests a guarding behavior, then watch out! If you show signs of interest in the dog toy, your dog will run away from you as a way of safekeeping the dog toy. For over-possessive dogs, the key is more patience and longer training sessions.

Some tips on how to be successful in training your dog

• Dogs have a short attention span. It is best that you limit your training sessions to three times a day for about 5 to 10 minutes.

• Avoid throwing a toy up high, which may be too hard for your dog to catch. In fact, throwing a toy too high may only cause accidents such as rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament of your pooch.

• If your dog does not get the command during the first few sessions, do not raise your voice nor hurt your dog.

• Patience and perseverance will go a long way in teaching your dog the sequence of fetch and drop commands.

Extra tips: how to choose dog treats for training

For your training sessions to be fruitful, you have to buy dog treats which your pooch loves, lest it won’t show any interest in learning. If you notice that your dog isn’t paying any attention to you, then I’ve got some tips for you:

• For easy commands like sit, you can buy small kibbles. But in this case, since it is a series of two commands- fetch and drop, you need to buy a higher value dog treat. Examples are diced hotdogs and bacon-flavored treats.

• Dogs get weary easily. It is a good idea to vary the dog treats for each training session.

• Keep it small and soft. On the average, you’d be giving 30 to 40 dog treats for a 10 minute session. That means so much dog treats to be consumed, which can lead to obesity. Plus, by giving small treats, your pooch consumes it at a much faster rate, which of course, translates to faster learning.

Best toys for fetch

Choosing which toy to use is your discretion. Nevertheless, I will itemize some of the best fetch toys which your buddy would love to play with. As a precaution, always go for non-toxic fetch toys.

• Treat balls
• Waterproof fetch balls
• Ropes
• Indoor launcher
• Ball launcher
• Kick fetch ball
• Squeak air balls

Conclusion

Keep in mind that teaching your dog the sequence of fetch and drop is not going to happen overnight. It requires repeated training sessions and as I have mentioned a while back, lots of patience.

Physical punishment is not part of the game but rather, be calm and understanding, and soon, you and your buddy will have great moments playing fetch and drop wherever it may be. To sum up the steps— throw the toy > dog fetches the toy > give a reward > throw the toy again > dog fetches the toy and then drops > gift the reward.

The post Learn The Easy Ways On How To Teach Your Dog To Fetch a Ball and Drop It first appeared on PetXU.com.

What does dog whispering mean?

At the heart of the method, dog whispering is taming dogs with compassion and kindness. The term is an offshoot of the “horse whisperer”, which means a person who can easily tame a horse in the wild.

Dog whisperers believe that all dogs are “good”, and “bad” behavior is a result of humans not being able to understand their dogs.

Since there are different facts, rumors, and information about dog whispering, here is a list of what dog whispering is and is not.

Dog whispering is…

• establishing mutual respect by establishing a solid bond between you and your pet.

• finding creative solutions to help dogs.

• going down to the learning level of your dog, so she understands you.

• learning more about dogs so you can teach them in a positive way.

• “reading” your dog’s body language through keen observation and using the observation as a basis to adjust the training.

• training without using any force, aversive methods, or physical punishment.

• turning your reaction to your dog’s behavior from negative to positive.

• understanding your dog’s personality and social behavior.

• using a natural method in training your dog.

• using different techniques such as massage and homeopathy instead of using medicines to calm down dogs.

• working with your dog’s natural behavior instead of fighting it.

Dog whispering is not…

• a method that uses chokes, prongs, or shock collars.

• a psychic power that will suddenly make you understand your dog’s thoughts and vice-versa or will allow you to manipulate animals’ thoughts through mystical or spiritual energy.

• hitting, electrocuting, or pinning dogs to the ground.

• taking your frustration out on your dog.

• shouting human words at your dog and believing that she will understand the command right away because shouting orders just makes dogs confused, afraid, or mistrust you.

History of the Dog Whisperers

Although using humane dog training has been used for a long time, the term dog whisperer became popular only in the 1990s.

In 1999, a book titled “The Dog Whisperer, Beginning and Intermediate Training for Puppies and Dogs” by Paul Owens became a bestseller. For over 40 years, Owens has been advocating a dog training method that is positive, reward-based, and does not use force in any way.

In 2004, the National Geographic premiered a show called “The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.” Using a reality TV, documentary format, the show chronicled dog behaviorist Cesar Millan as he helped families with their dog problems by rehabilitating dogs and humans alike. The show ran until 2012.

Dog whispering issue

Although he popularized dog whispering, Millan was accused of animal cruelty when a dog attacked a pig in one of his shows. According to some articles, he also uses tools like shock collars and force in rehabilitating dogs—a direct contradiction of dog whispering beliefs.

Also, some veterinarians have questioned Millan’s methods and theories since he does not have any educational background about dog psychology or behavior. Based on current scientific information on canine behavior, they also state that his theories like pack dominance are wrong.

Millan himself admitted that he learned what he knows by observing dogs on a farm in Mexico. Further, he did not face charges over the dog-pig incident. His followers have also pointed out that his methods have helped rehabilitate a lot of dogs.

Tips from the Dog Whisperers

Whether you believe in the controversies or not, here are some dog whispering techniques for you to check.

General tips

• Dogs do not understand human language the way we do. They just learn how to attach a behavior or action to a word. Dogs who yap or bark in human language are only found in Disney movies, not real life.

• Dogs are not humans with four legs or with human brains. They have their own way of thinking and behaving. Humans think that “bad” behavior seems to come out of nowhere. This is not true. Humans just fail to observe their dogs keenly. So, the “bad” behavior is a failing on the human’s side, not the dog’s side.

From Paul Owens

• When you conduct training, prepare everything you need ahead of time. Collect the treats, collar, leash, or clicker. Prepare the training area by putting up the kennels or exercise areas and taking away any distractions like toys.

• Training is not about stopping a behavior but making your dog do what you want her to do. For example, it is not about stopping her from chewing your shoes but about teaching her to chew her toys instead. Creating a list of the behavior you want will help you a lot in your preparation because you will have a concrete idea of the outcomes you are aiming for.

• Be consistent with training. If she exhibits a “bad” behavior, then don’t pat her on the head.

• Your dog is unique, so she will have things she can and can’t do. Know your dog’s limitations based on her age, physical ability, and emotional maturity. Adjust your training accordingly.

• Always maintain your positivity and project this optimistic outlook to your dog, so both of you enjoy the training.

• Train in small steps. If your dog does not achieve a step, calmly reset by going back to the beginning or to the step your dog successfully managed to accomplish.

Also, remember that your dog could be learning by context. For example, if your dog successfully stops peeing on the kitchen floor tiles, you will have to train her again to stop peeing on the living room floor tiles. This is because the two areas are two separate contexts for your dog.

• Try not to overwhelm your dog with training. A maximum of three minutes per session a few times throughout the day might be enough.

• Reward spontaneously. If your dog exhibits good behavior, then give her a treat or a verbal reward.

• Train your dog to do a task so that her “bad” behavior becomes a source of positive action. For example, turn her excessive chewing behavior by teaching her to chew her toys rather than the sofa cushions. You can also teach your dog to help you bring the grocery from the car to the house instead of jumping all over you when you return from shopping.

• If you are overwhelmed, then don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are professional dog whispering services. Consult your vet or friends.

Search the Internet to check if such services are available in your area. Try searching through the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com).

When you have found a company or organization you like, don’t enroll your dog right away.

Interview the trainers first. Ask what tools they use. Do they use shock collars? So they use force to pin dogs down to the ground? Do they yell at dogs?

Try to observe them while they train other dogs, so you know if their answers match their actions. They may say they don’t shout at dogs but do so during training sessions.

From Cesar Millan

• Establish yourself as the ultimate leader of the pack. Keep control of your dog by establishing your role as the alpha. In this way, your dog will always follow your commands.

Speaking of commands, give these confidently and clearly.

You must always be calm, confident, and project absolute leadership. Keep this mentality even when you have your daily walks with your dog. You should lead your dog. Do not allow your dog to exert her dominance over you. You must be the leader and your dog, the follower.

• Exercise is very important. If your dog does not exercise enough, she might not respond well to training. She might also become bored, lonely, or frustrated, and thus develop bad behaviors.

If she exercises, then she won’t have the energy to find destructive ways to entertain herself. If you don’t have access to exercise kennels, then try using treadmills or other home gym equipment to exercise your dog.

Exercise your dog mentally, too. Give her toys that challenge her mind.

• Develop a consistent routine so that your dog will have a pattern to follow every single day. This will lessen stress or anxiety for your dog. For example, if she knows what time she will eat or what time she will go for a walk, then she will not be anxious about missing meals or not having exercise.

• Learn more about your dog by reading articles or books, or watching videos so that you know how your training will be done. Learn what to do if things work out properly, but, more importantly, know what to do if the training does not go as planned.

Train yourself mentally as well. You need to stay cool even at the most aggravating time. Do not let your frustration or anxiety get the better of you. Training dogs is hard, but you should not let your dog pick up on your negative feelings.

• Set boundaries by being firm on what is and is not acceptable behavior.

• Don’t give mixed signals. Don’t let other people give mixed signals as well. If you consider jumping on strangers as bad behavior, don’t let your friends and family pet your dog when she does it.

• If your dog needs rehabilitation, there are techniques you can use. For example, body blocks (you physical block your dog so she will stay in the space you want her to be in). You can also try the no-mark method (using a verbal or non-verbal sound to indicate that your dog is behaving unacceptably).

These techniques, however, might be difficult to execute properly if you do not have the proper training. For the best results, it might be better to enroll your dog in a dog training facility.

Conclusion

You know your dog best. Whether dog whispering is the best method to train her depends on your evaluation of her personality, physical condition, social behavior, and emotional maturity. After all, you only want what’s best for your dog.

Related tip: 7 Best Dog Training Books Every Pooch Owner Should Buy

The post Dog Whispering: Understanding Dogs Better first appeared on PetXU.com.

Training your dog is important. Not only do you establish yourself as an alpha of your dog’s pack, but you also teach your furry pal discipline. Moreover, as a pet owner, it is your duty and responsibility to train your dog to be obedient and behave appropriately in any situation.

Of all the commands that make up a dog’s basic training, the most important is “Stay”, since it has implications on discipline and safety. This is simultaneously the most difficult command to teach.

Your dog can sit for a second. They probably love to fetch things and most of the time they will play with the stick or ball rather than give it back. They are willing to go down on their belly only if they can jump back up right away. But no dog likes to stay still.

Your dog would rather zoom around than sit still for a few minutes. This tendency to move around fast is one of the reasons why “Stay” is an essential command your dog should learn.

With patience and a bit of bribery and creativity, you can teach your dog to stay still with just one command.

Importance of Training Your Dog to Stay

When you say “Stay,” your dog should not move until you say the release word. This command can be used with “Down” or “Sit” in different situations. The reason why it is hard for dogs to learn this command is that it does not teach an action, but rather a lack of action. You are teaching your dog not to do anything until they are released from the “Stay” command.

As stated above, “Stay” is important not just for discipline, but for safety reasons as well.

Inside your home, the command will allow you to do activities like eat or clean the house without having your dog constantly begging for scraps or playing with the cleaning tools. It will stop your dog from dashing out the door every time you open it.

Outside your home, just imagine: you are out on a walk when your dog suddenly sees a squirrel. With a wriggle and a big burst of energy, your dog decides to chase after the little creature. You try to hold on to their leash, but they are too strong and too fast for you. Soon they are out of your sight.

Imagine again, you are in your yard and your dog if off the leash exploring the fenced-off garden when they suddenly see a stranger. They decide to jump over the fence and chase the stranger out on the streets full of speeding cars.

In both instances, “Stay” could be a very useful command. The command will train your dog to stop doing anything for however long you want them to stay still. It will be more effective than “Sit”, because once your dog is distracted, there is no making them sit for a long time unless the command is coupled with “Stay.”

So, ready to teach your dog to “Stay?” Let’s prepare what you need for successful training.

Tools You Will Need

Before doing any major activity with your dog, preparation is essential.

• The most important thing to prepare is the treats. Try not to make the treats too obvious or your dog might get distracted too easily, especially when you are just starting the training. You can keep these in a pouch clipped to your belt or fanny pack.
  
  If you can, buy different treats. You can categorize these into rewards for easy, medium, and hard tasks. This way, the impact of the rewards will vary.

• Prepare your dog’s collar and leash.

• Prepare an initial space where you and your dog will not be disturbed or distracted during your training time.

• Prepare a clicker if you want to train your dog with the other commands.

• For the final phase, prepare things that will distract your dog, like their favorite toys.

Begin Teaching Your Dog to Stay

The training can be done in four phases.

1^st phase

This initial phase can be divided into two parts. For the first part, you can do the following:

• 1. Put on your dog’s collar and leash. Go to your training area.

• 2. Say the “Sit” command.

• 3. Walk a step away.

• 4. Put a hand out with the palm facing forward and say “Stay”.

• 5. Wait a moment or mentally count to three. If your dog fidgets or moves toward you, reset by moving them back to the original position and repeating the “Sit-Stay” command. Keep your voice firm but kind.

• 6. When they stay still for a count of three, say “OK” or “Release” and “Come.” This is also the time to use the clicker if you have one at hand.
  
  You must establish the release word before allowing your dog to walk toward you. The release word will be the clue that the “Stay” command is over. It is just as important as the “Stay” command Itself, so it should be a unique complement.
  
  “Come” should never be the release word, because it can be used for other commands as well, which might confuse your dog.

• 7. Praise your dog and give them a treat.

• 8. Repeat the process several times.

For the second part of the phase, do the following:

• 1. Put on your dog’s collar and leash.

• 2. Say the “Down” command.

• 3. Walk a step away.

• 4. Put a hand out with the palm facing forward and say “Stay”.

• 5. Wait a moment or mentally count to three. If your dog fidgets or moves toward you, reset and repeat the “Down-Stay” command. Keep your voice firm but kind.

• 6. When they stay still for a count of three, say “Up” but don’t add the release word yet.

• 7. Say “Stay” and count to three before saying “OK” or “Release” and “Come.”

• 8. Praise your dog and give them a treat.

• 9. Repeat the process several times.

2^nd phase

Now that your dog recognizes the word “Stay,” move on to the next phase, in which you need to determine the duration of the command.

• 1. Start with the basic routine.

• 2. Once you have said the command, count to five before saying the release word.

• 3. Give your dog a treat.

• 4. When you repeat the routine, count to ten before saying the release word.

• 5. Keep repeating the routine while making your dog wait longer and longer every time.

• 6. If your dog breaks away from the command, reset. Talk to them, make them feel comfortable, play with them, but don’t give them treats. Then redo the routine from the beginning.

• 7. Keep doing this until your dog can stay in one position for a long time.

3^rd phase

When you have completed the second phase successfully, move on to the third phase, which involves distance. This phase will teach your dog that the command should be followed even if they are far away from you.

• 1. Start the routine by making your dog keep still for about a minute.

• 2. As your dog waits, take a few steps away from them. If they stand up and follow you, reset and redo the routine from the start.

• 3. Release your dog and give them a treat.

• 4. Repeat the new routine, but increase the distance between you and your dog step by step. A milestone is when you are no longer holding their leash and they still maintain their position.

• 5. The final task will be to step out of your dog’s eyesight without saying the release word. You can hide around a corner and monitor them with a piece of mirror to see if they are be successful or if you need to reset.

• 6. Give your dog a big reward if they can stay alone for a few minutes.

4^th phase

The last phase involves distraction. In this phase, you will train your dog to keep still even when they are distracted by something or someone. This phase is crucial especially if your dog usually gets involved in activities that may not be safe.

• 1. Start the routine from the basic position.

• 2. When you are sure your dog will not move, show them a toy they do not play with often and throw it a few steps away. If they run to the toy, reset from the beginning. Do not give them a treat.

• 3. Keep repeating the new routine until they can keep still without getting distracted by their toy.

• 4. Next, combine all the phases. Give the “Stay” command, hold out a toy, and walk a few steps away. Wriggle the toy enticingly. If your dog moves, reset calmly. If they do not move for a couple of minutes, reward them.

• 5. Make the new routine more difficult by giving them toys they like to play with. You can even use treats as distractions. Throw the treat a few steps away to tempt your dog to move.

• 6. The next part of this phase is having a person or another animal try to distract your dog. You can get another pet to do this, be it your own or a friend’s. You can ask another person to try to get your dog’s attention without giving commands.

• 7. Vary the location. Go indoors or outdoors, where different things will naturally distract your dog.

When your dog can sit or lie still despite the distance and the many distractions, then congratulations, you have trained your dog to “Stay”!

Some Dos and Don’ts

• Set your dog up for success. Go through the phases slowly. Make sure that your dog is ready before moving on to a more difficult task. Make them feel good for accomplishing each task.

• On the other hand, when your dog does not accomplish a task, do not shout or raise your voice at them. Keep your voice firm but kind. Keep calm and reset.

• Set aside a regular time frame every day so that your dog understands that a specific time during the day is devoted to training.

Summary 

Remember that there are three important points when training your dog to stay: length of time (duration), distance, and distractions. When your dog learns that “Stay” can bring fun rewards, you can use the command even in a park where tiny squirrels and many strangers walk about. Your dog will just ignore them and stay by your side. Now that is a good girl or boy!

The post Basic Training: How To Teach Your Dog To Stay Step By Step first appeared on PetXU.com.

Whether you’re a dog lover or not, I think we can all agree that dogs are amazing – they’re amazing pets, companions, helpers, and man’s best friends. Dogs are amazing to look at especially when they’re trained. I could watch a trained dog listen to his master and munch at his treats all day.

Training a dog takes a lot of patience, dedication, and hard work. You need to be able to find the perfect way to communicate with your dog effectively. You also can’t just train a dog, the dog needs to comfortable with you first. You need to be able to develop a relationship with that dog before you can teach it any basic commands or tricks.

That is the reason why most people choose to have trainers for their dogs. Yes, there are professionals who excel at developing a relationship with dogs and can train them within days or weeks.

However, it is important to note that you don’t always need a trainer to train your dog. You can do it yourself, too! With the right state of mind, treats, and a healthy relationship with your dog, you can teach your furry pal just about anything.

In this article, we are going to teach you how to train your dog the most basic and fundamental command that they can learn – recall.

How does a dog recall work?

The recall command is used to basically call your dog to you. You, as the master, are going to set a “come” command and will help your dog associate this word with the act of coming to you.

Recall or the “come”/”here” command is one of the easiest commands that you can teach your dog. A lot of dog lovers and even trainers argue that it’s important to teach this to your dog the moment you are able to train them. Most trainers call this a stepping stone command because it can serve you a lot of purposes. Once you’ve trained your dog to come to you every time you call them, it means that you:

• Have developed a healthy relationship with your dog;
• Have learned the right way of training your dog, and
• Have opened the possibilities for new commands to teach your dog.

If you prefer walking your dog without a leash, then you’ll really like teaching your dog to come when called. Wouldn’t it be a lot better if you could just call your dog to come if they start chasing a car or straying far away from you instead of running to get them yourself?

What you need

Much like for any other trick that you can teach your dog, you are going to need to attain a few prerequisites first:

• Develop a strong relationship. Trust is very important in training your dog. No dog is going to listen to you if they don’t trust you. It is also important for your dog to understand that you’re the master – the alpha. Dogs will instinctively either follow an alpha or become an alpha, so if you want to be able to train them, you need to be the alpha in your pack.
• Get the treats that your dog likes. Treats are going to be a reward for our good boys and girls. It might take you a few trial-and-error runs before you find something that your dog likes, so just be prepared for that. If you have a high-energy dog, you might want to have a few extra packs available just in case. High-energy dogs are sometimes quite stubborn and thus difficult to train, because they always think that you’re just playing and not training.
• Decide on which word you want to associate with “come”. A lot of people go for “come”, but that is highly discouraged. The word “come” is overly used on a daily basis, meaning, your dog can hear it from anyone, anywhere, and anytime. The word can easily be ‘poisoned’ for your dog, which is something you want to avoid. Using your dog’s name works, but it is also discouraged, as it can get confusing for at times. It might so happen that your dog won’t be able to tell if you’re simply trying to call their attention or actually asking them to come over.
• Protect your recall word. As much as possible, don’t associate anything negative with your recall word. Whenever you say the recall word that you have decided upon, it should be followed by something positive like a reward, maybe petting your dog or giving them a treat. Whatever you do, don’t spank or scold your dog after using your recall word. Once your dog has associated the recall word with something negative, it is going to be hard to change their mind about that.
• Know what is distracting for your dog. Make a list of everything that qualifies, and treat that list as your guide or plan. Rank it from least distracting to most distracting, because you’re going to want to start overcoming the least distracting once you start training your dog.
• The right attitude. Training your dog can be frustrating, time-consuming, and challenging. Are you sure you’re ready for the obstacles ahead?

How to teach your dog to come when called

Once you’ve got everything ready, you can now start training your dog to come when called!

You’ll want to train your dog in 3 areas: a closed area, an open area that’s new to your dog, and an open area where your dog is comfortable. Begin by training your dog with a leash on; once you are comfortable with your dog’s ability to come back to you, practice without a leash.

Step 1

Go to a closed area and have your dog on a leash. If you have a friend that can help, that’s even better – if not, that’s fine. Make sure that your dog doesn’t need to potty in a long while to decrease distractions. Once you find a good spot to train, have your friend hold the dog on a leash about 5 to 8 meters away from you.

Step 2

With a treat in your hand, call the dog as enthusiastically as you possibly can. Your high energy and excitement should get the dog’s attention. Once your dog comes to you, greet them with a lot of positivity. Give them a treat, pet them, and play with them.

Step 3

While your dog is with you, let your friend call the dog and do the very same thing. Again, your friend must welcome the dog with open arms and give them all the positivity so that they can associate their name with positive things and rewards. At this point, you should call your dog’s name and follow it with the “come” word that you’ve decided upon.

Step 4

Repeat the exercise until your dog comes quickly. If your dog is not interested in coming to you, try crouching down while calling them. Also, make sure that you give your dog all the praise and affection that you can.

Step 5

Once your dog is comfortable with this exercise, try playing small hide-and-seek games with them, following the same principles. Make it easy at first, hide behind a small chair or even just turn your back to the dog. Call your dog and give them a reward once they come to you. This will encourage your dog’s enjoyment and listening skills to improve.

Step 6

Repeat the hide-and-seek games, but now in an open area. Start by having your dog on a long leash, in a place with minimal distractions. Try to vary the location of the exercise to encourage a good response from your dog.

Step 7

Once your dog has mastered this, go to a place that is unfamiliar to your dog so that they’ll be discouraged from wandering around. Let go of the leash and do the exercise again. Once you call your dog and you see them coming to you, quickly change direction. This will teach your dog to keep an eye on where you are going.

Step 8

Practice the recall exercise every time you walk your dog. Keep in mind that you still need to reward your dog in this process. Alternately practice with the leash on and off.

Tips for an effective recall training your dog to come

Now that you know how to teach recall to your dog, let me share with you a few tips that might make it easier for your dog to learn:

• Get the RIGHT TREATS for your dog – buy tiny packs of different dog treats and see which ones your dog responds to.
• Vary the rewards you give your dog – keep your dog guessing and yearning for more. Cycle through a number of great rewards that you can give, like different treats, petting, belly rub, praises, toys, and hugs.
• Make yourself a fun person for your dog to be around – your dog is much more likely to come to you if they know that they are going to have a good time.
• Never punish your dog while training – even if your dog takes a long time to come to you, never punish your dog, as this act will only discourage further progress.
• Practice the exercise in different places – this will increase the dog’s reliance and dependence on you.
• Walk away if your dog is not responding – this works best in unfamiliar areas, as your dog will surely run to someone or something that they’re most familiar with – hopefully that’s you in this case.
• Be prepared to take a step back – if your dog hasn’t mastered the exercise yet, do not hesitate to go back to the previous step and master that one first. You may need to ask your friend to help you again, so be prepared for that as well.

Conclusion

Dogs need free time and a lot of outlets for exercise and enjoyment. When your dog is satisfied, he is less likely to be frustrated and ignore your commands.

Meet your dog’s needs and he will surely return the favor to you. Develop a relaxed social behavior for your dog by frequently going out on walks and runs with and without a leash.

The very aim of this exercise is for your dog to learn to stop whatever he’s doing when you called and immediately return to you. Always remember that this is not going to be an easy process. Keep a level head, encourage a positive learning environment and have your treats ready. If you do all of that, your dog should learn to come when called in no time.

The post How to Teach Your Dog to Come Every Time You Call first appeared on PetXU.com.

As a fur parent, you should learn how to calm a puppy down in various occasions such as meeting a new person.

Also, if a puppy sees a new toy or perhaps goes to a new place like a public park, it can get too enthusiastic. In these instances, you should be able to calm your puppy down to avoid any unwanted problems.

Puppy behaviors such as jumping, biting, and excessive playing are part of growing up.

Dogs have tons of energy, and if this energy is not diverted correctly, they can become destructive. Unfortunately, some puppy owners would yell at their puppies with the hope that it would behave. But puppies think that yelling is a way of inviting them to play rough.

Your weapon to calm down a dog is to remain calm yourself or simply ignore the puppy. But mostly, you have to teach your puppy what the word calm is all about. Some fur parents use a clicker to train a puppy how to behave while some may use words to calm a puppy down.

The different kinds of reactions of puppy in new situations:

• Calm Behavior- some puppies may show calmness when introduced to something novel, like a new toy or a new person.
• Active Behavior- puppies may be getting too excited when introduced to an unfamiliar place or person. It can be difficult for the puppy to calm down
• Defensively- A puppy who is defensive may bark continuously, it can run or stay still. Normally, a defensive pup is a nervous pup who can bite with even the slightest provocation.

As a fur parent, you have no problem at all if your puppy shows a calm demeanor. However, if it shows active or defensive behavior, then you must learn how to calm it down for good manners.

Teaching a dog to calm down in different situations:

1. How to calm down your dog during crate training:

Each fur parent has its reason for crate-training. Some do this so that the pup will not soil inside the house. Some do it so the pup will be comfier while inside an automobile. But whatever the reason is, crate training may cause the pup to whine during the first few days.

Here are some tips on how to calm a puppy during crate training:

• Locate the crate in a place where most of you spend a lot of time as a family, such as the living room or the dining area. You can place a blanket inside the crate for more comfort.
• Feed your puppy near the crate. This is done so the puppy will learn to associate the crate with something pleasant.
• Later on, you can begin placing the food inside the crate and let your puppy eat there. Close the crate door for a while and open it once the puppy is done with the food.
• As the puppy gets comfortable eating inside the crate, you can close the crate for a much longer time.
• There may be times when the puppy will get anxious and will begin to whine. Do not let the puppy out. Once it stops crying, then that is the time to let it go out from the crate.
• Eventually, encourage your puppy to go and stay inside the crate by giving some treats.

Once the puppy learns that the crate is not a bad place to stay, it will stay calm inside it and may even sleep there at night time.

2. How to calm a puppy down at night time:

It is not unusual for a puppy to cry at night time. I know this can be very distracting, but there are ways on how you can calm down a nervous puppy at night time:

• Allow your puppy to sleep in your bedroom but not on your bed! The idea is to let the puppy feel that it is part of a pack, and you are the pack leader. And being a member of a pack, it can sleep on a comfy dog bed or inside a crate but not on the pack leader’s sleeping bed.
• Feed your puppy an hour before bedtime. This is to avoid the need to pee or poo in the middle of the night. Once your puppy settles without a full bladder or stomach in its sleeping area,it will sleep well throughout.
• Massage the ears of your puppy to calm it down at night time. The dog’s ears have numerous nerve endings, and when massaged, it would give them a calm and relaxing feeling.
• Rub the chest of your puppy. By gently stroking its chest, it will eventually calm down.

3. How to calm your dog down from separation anxiety:

This happens when a puppy gets too attached to its owner. It will show signs of distress like whining, howling, destructive behaviors, scratching doors and windows, just to name a few. But you need to teach your puppy how to calm down when you need to leave the house without him/her.

Here are some tips on how you can calm down your puppy to stop separation anxiety:

• Buy a special treat which you will only give when you are about to leave home
• Avoid greeting your puppy with exuberance once you get home. Stay calm and don’t greet your puppy for a couple of minutes once you get home if you can.
• You can leave a few of your things with your pet, such as a handkerchief. The dog has strong sense of smell, and by leaving something, it can help calm down your puppy while you are away.
• You can also try to go out for a couple of minutes and then return. Then go out at a much longer time until your puppy gets used to the idea that you’re going to be gone but be back soon.

4. How to calm down your dog when meeting new people:

An anxious puppy can get too excited when you have visitors or every time you take it out for a walk. But bad behaviors should be corrected, and your duty as a fur parent is to teach your puppy how to calm down when meeting new people:

• When greeting visitors, do not put-off that leash yet. Let your puppy meet and greet new people while on-leash. An anxious puppy may get too rowdy and can be a nuisance for some. Once your pup gets used to it, slowly allow it to move around but still with the leash on. And if it misbehaves, slowly pull it back to you.
• If your puppy gets too excited by meeting new people, you can always calm it down by giving a treat. Teach your puppy basic commands such as sit and stay.
• You can give distractions such as chew toys. This can make your puppy re-focus its attention to the chew toy. Once you knew it, your puppy has called down and will be able to have a pleasant interaction with your visitors.

Those are just some of the situations from which you have to teach your puppy on how to calm down in stressful situations.

General tips on how to calm down a puppy:

Apart from the situations listed above, allow me to teach you how to make your puppy calm down in many instances. It is very normal for a puppy to display hyperactive behaviors, but you have to learn how to clam these down before its too late. Here are what you can do:

• Always ignore that behavior of excitement that your puppy displays. You reinforce every time you respond to its excited behavior. Give praise once it calms down.
• Place a beautiful doggie bed near you where your puppy can stay calm beside you.
• Allow your puppy to redirect its excitement. You can do this by setting a training session with you, like teaching your puppy how to sit and stay. By doing so, you are redirecting the behavior and will curb the hyper behavior of your puppy.
• Go out and exercise. In most occasions, the reason why your puppy does not calm down is that it can no longer hold on to that energy. We all know that pups are packed with so much energy. But if you let it out to run and play, it will get tired and calm down.
• Crate training is another way to teach your puppy to calm down. Teach it how to enjoy its crate. Eventually, the crate will be a place for your pup’s relaxation.
• Nothing beats early training. Strengthen excellent conduct. Always be consistent with your training and stay calm all the time.

Conclusion:

Bringing home a puppy is an exciting event for you. Though your puppy is a real bundle of joy, there will be occasions when your pup stresses you out. As a fur parent, you have to stay calm as your pup can sense you. Let it realize that you are the leader of the pack, and any form of misbehavior will not be allowed.

By teaching your dog how to calm down at a young age will ensure that it will grow-up as a confident, loving, and well-mannered dog.

The post Useful Tips on How to Calm Down a Dog from Anxiety and Other Situations first appeared on PetXU.com.

I have a dog named Alpha, who is so clingy and playful at all times. The worst thing about him is it has a bad habit of jumping on guests who enter our home. This act somewhat frightens the guests. He jumps maybe because of the excitement that he met new faces in our territory, but that’s embarrassing at some point of times. As his owner, I don’t mind when my dog jumps on me, but how about someone who isn’t a huge fan of dogs? That might piss them off.

Perhaps we have the same problem towards petting a dog?

There are ways to stop that kind of dog behavior to prevent further harms on someone. Fortunately, you’re on the right post as I’m going to share how I train my dog not to jump down on the visitors below.

The Story Behind the Jumping Behavior of Dogs

Did you know that the most complaint behavior of dogs is jumping up when greeting?

And so, why do dogs often jump when meeting people?

Some dog breeds are hooked on humans that they love to hop into them. Jumping is the pet’s natural gesture to say hello, especially to its owner. Another reason is, a dog wants to get attention as these pets are attention-seekers. Once they get your attention, they start to interact with you because dogs loved to be petted. 

The most common reason why dogs jump on visitors is because of excitement, as mentioned earlier. This may be a loving gesture of enthusiasm towards the owner of the animal, but to those who aren’t in love with dogs will hate it.

With these reasons, we need to imply pieces of training on dogs to stop them from jumping on visitors. Once the pet learns to stop itself from jumping, it’ll create a safer environment to be entered by the visitors.

7 Strategies for Training Dogs Not To Jump on Guests

Now, we’ll move on to the techniques and guides to stop that bad behavior of dogs. Here are:

1. Training and Management Technique

These two have distinct strategy, while the method of practice includes reward and consequences for dogs, and the management part is a self-rewarding behavior. Doing these techniques simultaneously will prevent the dog from jumping too often on visitors.

Approach and Withdraw Training: In a scenario of arriving at home, when your dog jumps on you, walk out from him for about 1-minute. Then, go back to the dog. When the same behavior happens, do the same cold treatment until it no longer jumps. Give him a reward when this tip takes effect. Do the same training with strangers.

The management technique here is to gently face down the dog’s back or step on its leash to stop it from jumping.

Counter-command Training: Teach your dog another type of behavior instead of jumping, like sitting, as a distraction. This must be done during the early growth stage to inculcate into its mind easily. Don’t forget giving him a praise statement afterward. This would encourage the dog to be more obedient on every command.

Exercise Training: Dogs have a lot of energies to offer, and sometimes it’s not a good thing. The more its strength, the more it can jump on you. As exercise is also good for the pet’s health, teach him to have 30-minutes of aerobic exercise a day. This will tire out the dog that causes less jumping behavior.

2. Give your dog a special toy

This is another way to distract the pet’s excitement in greeting someone as its attention will now be on that special toy. It can be a stuffed toy or you can buy West Paw Zogoflex Hurley Durable Dog Bone Chew Toy. Dog’s energy will be poured out on the toy instead of jumping next to the visitors.

Here are some list of dog toys you could look for:

• West Paw Zogoflex Zisc Durable Dog Frisbee

• Chuckit! Ultra Ball

• Benebone Real Flavor Wishbone Dog Chew Toy

• Pet Zone IQ Treat Ball

•  Skinny Peltz No Stuffing Squeaky Plush Dog Toy by ZippyPaws

3. Train the dog to sit while welcoming a guest

Get a partner to make this training operational. Let the other person start approaching from afar. When the person steps forward, signal the dog to sit down then give him a treat. Continue the feeding while the person is approaching. That continues until the person from afar can personally feed the dog with a treat. Doing the training time after time would teach the dog to sit when people are approaching automatically.

Note: choose the right person to come with you in training your dog. Or, better pick training assistants or a person whom the dog always jumps on during a visit.

4. Use a training mat

When dogs will suddenly go on the doorway when someone knocks. There must be a training mat on doorways to keep the dog from being the first one to face the guests. This kind of training doesn’t need person intervention but only a mat. It won’t surely harm your pet though it comes with electronic effects.

We recommend PetSafe ScatMat Indoor Pet Electronic Training Mat. This mat teaches the dog to stay out from doorways. Don’t worry as it has a harmless static pulse that’s only in effect up to 3-seconds. It has 3-levels correction to accommodate every dog ages. You can place it anywhere inside the house or in the most visited area of your home. It prevents the dog from jumping towards the guests.

5. Start it with owner-and-pet relationship

Maybe you and your dog practice over-familiarity relationship at home. Wherein, both of you gets excited in meeting together after a long day. We, pet owners, do get excited now and then in approaching our dog. We practice having a loud voice in talking to them, which rouses them most to start jumping up.

Practice having a calm aura when you come home the next day and observe as the dog also stays calm. Therefore, your vocal tone has a great effect on your dog’s behavior, so be aware of how you talk to them.

Additionally, you can start discouraging this bad behavior by ignoring your pet when he jumps at you. This won’t affect your relationship to the pet because you’ll give a treat or a pat on the head whenever it calms down. Be consistent with this practice and even avoid occasional attention upon a jumping dog.

6. Place the dog in a playpen for a while

Yes, for a while. This must be practiced whenever you expect visitors to come. Placing a dog in a playpen is the safest and most convenient training to avoid them from jumping on anyone. Make sure the playpen is properly secured with latches and durably built.

We suggest Pet Trex Playpen Hogh Panels for Dogs as one of the best sellers in the market of playpens for pets. The enclosure has enough space to let the dog play while waiting for the visitors to leave. It has a double latch for better security and high enough.

You can set the dog free right after the guests left the house. However, expect the pet to get wilder whenever freed out of the enclosure.

7. Use training tools

There are lots of training tools for dogs available online. These help to easily train the dog not to jump on visitors. It includes:

•  Petmate’s Shake & Break Training Tool

This training tool stops the unwanted behavior of pets, including jumping on people. Brandon McMillan highly recommends this tool for your pets. It works by shaking the bottle then produces noise to distract the unwanted behavior of the pet. Two distinct sounds are available.

• Dog Care Training Collar

The dog will be under your control up to 330-yards remote range. It has three training modes such as beep, vibration, and shock modes. Just wear the collar onto your dog’s neck and execute a proper training session. There’ll be no accidental shocks as the remote’s keypad is locked to prevent misoperation. This collar distracts the dog from jumping.

• LaZimnInc Dog Training Clicker with Wrist Strap 

This training clicker isn’t only suitable for dogs but also other pets. You can get a set of two training tools in one purchase. Just click the tool, and it produces a loud sound command to the dog. It is primarily used to teach a dog with obedience, a small trick, and to correct a dog’s bad behavior. You can bring this tool anywhere.

• Leashboss Training Leash

Well, a leash is a very effective tool to train a dog. Leashboss Nylon Training Leash is durable enough to handle a wild dog. You can easily prevent the dog from jumping on strangers along the street. The handle is so comfortable to grip. It is suitable for medium and large dogs.

• Petmate’s Lure Stick Training Tool

In training a dog, you’ll need a reward tool. Dogs get wild sometimes that even the owners hardly stop them from jumping. You can still give a treat to dogs through this lure stick tool.

What not to do

The must-avoided conduct towards them is part of training a dog not to jump on visitors. We tend to be harsh on our dogs sometimes to teach them one thing, but that will never solve the problem.

Check whether you’re doing the following bad habits of petting your dog:

• Rehearsing a dog to jump because the behavior will be reinforced for all situations.
• Giving too much reward for dogs for not jumping may also strengthen the bad behavior.
• Physically punishing the pet. For example, beating the dog for not being submissive to commands may trigger them to jump even more.

If you’re doing these pieces of stuff while training dogs, you must stop now. We are training our dogs to teach them and not to be harsh on them. These pets deserve proper nurturing.

Conclusion

It seems impossible to stop jumping dogs on visitors, but thanks to the tips above, it is possible. The owner can do the training sets without the help of an expert. We have shown the reasons why dogs jump on a guest to know the solutions. And, as a dog owner, I will testify on the effectiveness of the above strategies that tame a jumping dog. It only takes more time, effort, and patience to fully enjoy the training’s effectiveness upon your dog’s behavior.

Do we miss a point?

Don’t forget to leave a comment down below for us to answer. Pet owners, it’s time to raise your pet in the right way to build a good behavior.

The post How Do I Train My Dog Not To Jump On Visitors? first appeared on PetXU.com.