A lot of new canine owners would probably agree that training a dog has its challenges and taking care of them is a not so easy duty. Imaginably the most consequential part of owning a dog is discipline. Being a pet owner, dog obedience becomes solely your responsibility.

Because dogs have a different type of disposition that not all dog owners understand, the job of disciplining one typically seems overwhelming, frustrating and sometimes even impossible. A lot of people consider to hire an adept dog trainer, believing they can’t do it themselves.

This may be quite a considerable investment. At any rate, it’ll certainly not go unrewarded if your pet discontinues her bad behavior problems and becomes the well-trained pet that you wished her to be. Dog obedience from an early age is integral for success.

But, not all canine owners can afford to hire a dog trainer. If possible, you should strive yourself to give your dog obedience training to instill auspicious behavior. You’ve got the fortuity to further bond with your pet and instruct him just the way you want him to be.

You wouldn’t want to compromise all that money layed out on dog training just to discover your dog picking up bad habits again. That’s why it’s essential to educate yourself also. Train to be the trainer – it’s easier than you imagine.

Spending your own time to dog train could be very rewarding for you and your pet. More so than just the fact you’re saving money, dogs love to interact with their owners. It’s their disposition to serve and to please their alpha (you – their leader), and so they’ll surely be receptive to the attention you’re giving to them.

Before you even start to train your pet, it’s crucial that you take into consideration that any behavior conditions he may seem to display are not really problems – but are dog instincts. What you’ll be instructing your pet is how to act favorably in your home and around others so that he doesn’t give you any trouble.

First you should learn more about your pet’s nature, including the attributes of a specific breed, so that you are aware of what to watch for and how to accommodate your obedience training depending on your dog’s tendencies.

Afterwards comes building communication between yourself and your pet with a simple but consistent language that she’ll learn to respond correctly to. Aside from consistency, resoluteness is another precondition for giving commands.

While dogs wish to please its owner, they also have the tendency to challenge you for the position of dominance if you haven’t yet established it. Once you can communicate efficiently with your pet, it will be easier to command her and fix her bad habits.

If you feel up to the challenge of training your own dog, you should look for a reliable and viable dog obedience guide that teaches you the basics as well as the further advanced techniques of correcting inappropriate dog behavior.

Sit-Stay-Fetch is a marvelous guidebook that is comprehensive – covering all relevant dog training matters such as; controlling unnecessary barking, curbing threatening behavior and teaching the simplest commands.

Alan Largo
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/is-your-dog-embarrassing-you-get-him-under-your-control-in-less-than-2-weeks-417459.html

Why would a female dog of 19 months, suddenly begin to consume her own feces? This is a serious question. Looking for serious responses. And ways to divert this behavior. Thank you in advance for your responses.

Actually eating poo is a condition called corpophagia and it's sorta common-gross I know!

One universal problem with dog behavior is that we don't always know why they do things. Here are some ideas as to why your pup would be starting this behavior…

*Imitation, mom dogs with new puppies will often clean up their poop to keep the area clean. This is an instinctive but temporary behavior. The theory goes, if a puppy sees mom eating the stuff, she figures that she can snack on it, too.

*Diet Issues, If you are overfeeding your dog, her under digested poop looks a lot like what she had for lunch. If you are underfeeding your dog, she is scavenging for food and is willing to lower her standards. If your dog has a vitamin or mineral deficiency, she may be looking to cure it.

*Boredom, She may be eating the poop for the same reason that she chews on your shoes or digs in the yard, she needs something to do.

*Medication, some dogs have been known to start eating their own poop when they are taking certain antibiotics.

*Habit. Whatever began the behavior, your dog will continue it just because it has become a habit. Dogs are as habit bound as we are, and once they have picked up a bad habit, it will take some patient persistence to break that habit.

It will not harm the dog, but worms can be ingested this way from a dog eating infected poo. It's just an extremely gross habit to start! If it starts to become a problem they make products out there called For-Bid and Deter that cause the poop to taste really bad! Yeah, I can't really imagine it ever tasting good to start with but lol none the less it works. Or even picking up the poop right away.

Best of Luck

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One of the biggest mistakes that dog owners make in training their dog or puppy is to get lazy with expectations and in working with the dog. Often it is easier to just let the behavior slide rather than addressing the problems as they occur. Ultimately this inconsistency will result in teaching the dog that they only need to do what you say when they feel like it, rather than every time you give a command.

Being consistent doesn’t mean that you have to punish your dog, nor does it mean that you have to use punishment methods that are harsh. Generally dogs that are well bonded to their owners only require a gentle correction or a simple “No” and the dog will cease the problematic behavior. Dogs that are punished either by spanking or by being yelled at are far less likely to be well-behaved dogs as they have less of a bond with their owner. Dogs that are treated with kindness, consistency, firmness and love are far more likely to be obedient and compliant pets.

If your training has started to slide or if you are noting that your dog is not consistently following commands try the following suggestions:

· Set reasonable goals for your dog, breaking all commands down into their basic steps and then progressing to more challenging commands. In order for the dog to be able to roll over, for example, he or she must first have mastered the commands of come, sit, down and stay.

· Watch for signs of boredom in your dog or puppy. Not all dogs and puppies enjoy repeating exercises over and over again whereas other dogs thrive on this type of training. Do some research on the breed to find out if it is a repetitive learner or if he or she does best when commands are given a minimum number of times. Generally if the puppy or dog does it correctly the first couple of times in the training but then becomes inattentive or non-compliant they are likely bored with the activity. Try changing the order of the commands, completing the training in a different environment or even teaching new commands.

· Make time for training every day, even with mature dogs. dogs that don’t have any behavior expectations become less likely to perform when needed, so working a few basic commands every day is important. Try including basic commands in everyday interactions with the dog. For example, when the come to greet you have them sit, shake a paw, or even lie down. Do the same when you are out walking.

· Set a training time. While this may seem a bit artificial if you don’t schedule training time it will often be forgotten. By setting aside five to ten minutes everyday to work specifically with your dog you will notice immediate improvements.

· Provide lots of verbal praise, pets and recognition for appropriate behavior. Give treats randomly and less frequently as the dog begins to respond to praise.

· Last but not least, never give into the dog. It is better to skip a training session than to let the dog get away with poor behavior during the session.

Most trainers agree that one person working with a puppy or dog at a time, at least until they have the commands mastered, avoids confusion for the dog. Once the puppy or dog has learned the commands the trainer can then work with others in the house to help them learn how to work with the dog.

Kelly Marshall
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/taking-charge-of-dog-training-be-the-master-118351.html

When training your dog it’s important to always remain patient and level headed. Remember your dog is a dog! He doesn’t understand things the same way that you do. He will not understand if you yell instructions at him. He will only become scared of you if you do this. This is not a good way for him to learn.

dogs are very habitual. Their lives revolve around ritual and their internal body clock and routine. They anticipate your return from work at a certain time. They expect their meals at a certain time.

You can use this information in your dog training. This sort of habitual behavior is part of why dog’s are easy animals to train (compared to other animals.) Of course the goal of dog obedience training is for the dog to respond with a particular reaction to a particular command.

Because of the habitual nature of dogs it’s important that you be extremely consistent in your training. Do not change things up on your dog! This will only confuse him. You should go through your routines with him the exact same way every time. When you tell your dog to sit you need to make sure that he does in fact sit before going on to the next command. This consistency will help your dog training efforts be more effective.

Perhaps the most important point with dog training is to keep a level head. You cannot allow yourself to let your temper flare or to yell at or hit your dog. Not only for the obvious moral reasons that you wouldn’t want to treat your dog in this way but also because this sort of behavior will make it much more difficult to train your dog.

Your dog doesn’t know how to learn from this sort of behavior. Your dog will only become afraid of you and it will make it harder to train him in the future.

Another important point of dog training is to make sure you reward your dog for a good behavior or for doing a trick in the correct way. This is important because it helps build your relationship with your dog and lets them know that you like their good behavior. Like with all aspects of dog training you need to be consistent with rewarding your dog.

Of course this does not mean to give your dog a food treat every time they do something right because that would not be good for them and would also become very expensive. You don’t need to give your dog the same treat every time just some sort of treat whether it’s letting them play with their favorite toy, giving them a friendly pat on the head with encouraging words in a friendly voice, or giving them a food treat.

For more indepth dog training information: http://www.DogTraining-AtoZ.com

Matthew Yoho
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-training-basics-98612.html

My dog ( she ) never had puppies. She's 8 years old. She was in heat in summer and now is acting like she's pregnant which drives me nuts because she's really acting out!! It happened before since she was never pregnant. How do you call this??

It's called "false pregnancy" syndrome.
She should have been fixed (spayed) long ago,… poor thing, her hormones are in disarray and she's a prime candidate for mammary tumours among other female health problems.

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No matter how old the dog you’re interested in adopting, you must do whatever you can to find out about him. You want to avoid an adult dog that has too many behavior problems, especially aggression. Here are few questions that you must consider asking:

What is the dog’s background?

Many kinds of dogs are available for adoption. You may go to a shelter, the original owner of the dog, the original breeder of the dog, or just a nice person who found the dog on the street. If you find out that the dog is well-bred and the parents have a certificate to back it up, then go for it! Or, if you think the dog is healthy and friendly, fits your size, coat, and activity criteria, you might want to think a little bit further, though he might be the one you bring home tonight.

Look for any aggression signs. However, if you can’t find out anything about the dog because he was found on the street, I suggest you a lot more homework than you would in previous conditions. You have to find out about the dog’s health, activity level, aggression level, etc.

Why is the dog available for adoption?

Dogs become available for many reasons. The most common ones are “divorce” and “death.” Usually the owner doesn’t want to blame the dog for being let go. Another reason like “bit our neighbor” is when the owner clearly blames the dog, though I doubt someone would say that to you when you are thinking about adopting.

Think about what is NOT said by the owner as well. If the owner says “we can’t give him enough exercise,” that could very well mean “nobody is able to keep up with him and he will chew furniture when he doesn’t get enough exercise.”

What behavior problems does this dog have? You might be surprised when I tell you many behavior problems are actually fixable. If the problems are like pulling on the leash, urinating the sofa, barking at night, jumping on people, won’t stay in the yard, digging the lawn; these are all fixable behavior problems. Assuming, of course, you will take the time to work with the dog.

If, however, the behavior problem deals with aggression, then it really takes hard work to fix it. Most average dog owners are not able to fix this and you shouldn’t take a chance on trying.

How is the dog with children, other dogs, cats?

Even if you don’t have kids, other dogs, or cats, you are going to run into them from time to time. You MUST find out the dog’s behavior towards kids, other dogs, and other animals. What’s better, he has to fit well with your family members.

Shelters ask previous owner to fill in a card and tell about problems with children and other animals. If you are adopting from other people, ask if they have children or other pets in their house. If you don’t have access to this information but the dog looks friendly, then he might be okay. However, if you have doubts, it’s better for you to wait for the dog that really fits your family’s life.

What if your relation doesn’t work out?

You need to know beforehand what options you have if you and your new adopted dog are not meant to be together. What are the time frame that you could bring him back? Is the adoption fees (if any) refundable? Can you choose another dog?

If possible, arrange a meeting with your family and the dog you are about to adopt. See if it works out well. Some dogs might do well with men, but not so well with women, and vice versa. If you don’t have a family, ask a friend’s favor. All of these information will help you find the perfect adoption dog for you and your family

Sydney King
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/things-you-should-know-when-adopting-an-adult-dog-127182.html

I have two cats and two rabbits and want to get a dog. It's not so much the cats I am worried about, but the rabbits. Does anyone have any suggestions or dog breeds that would be okay/be able to be trained?
Thanks a lot!
Oh and also no one is home during the weekdays from about 9-4. Any advice on this?

Your rabbits should be somewhere protected like in a cage or a hutch or some enclosed area if youplan on having a dog.

It really depends. I have a six year old labrador and it took years to train it but he totally ignores the rabbits and doesn't even try to get close to the cages. Maybe he is just old..

But, any kind of dog I think would probably react to rabbits sometime or another since for them it's like a prey…you should be careful since it could hurt your rabbits, or even your cats.

I got my dog after I had my cats and they would try to scratch at him and go wild when he was a puppy until they got used to him, so you also have to consider that your cats may not be accostumed to dogs and may attack it.

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Chewing is a very natural dog behavior that often starts in puppyhood when a dog starts to teethe. However, without the proper discipline and training, the behavior can become a problem when your dog gets older. Training your dog to stop chewing can save you a lot of time, money, and frustration as your dog grows up.

Whether you have a puppy or a grown dog, you can train your dog to stop chewing. It is usually easier to build new habits when a dog is young and impressionable, but it is not impossible to train the adult dog to stop the habit of chewing on inappropriate items.

Still, it is important for you to understand that chewing is natural. Yes, it was said before, but it bears repetition, because you will be embracing the normal behavior and just changing the object of desire. So, if you think any chewing is inappropriate, then you probably want to reconsider having a dog. Dogs chew out of frustration, loneliness, boredom, and anxiety, so addressing those issues and changing your dog’s focus will help stop the destruction of your household items.

The idea of redirection is important, because it also involves no punishment. Punishing your dog will not stop the behavior, it will just stop the dog from chewing when you are around. Punishment interferes with your relationship, and it only creates a dog that is afraid of you. It is more important to address the underlying issues for the chewing behavior so that your dog starts behaving appropriately. Your praise and appreciation for good behavior will go a long way with your dog.

Redirection is the best way to train your dog to stop chewing. When you see your dog knawing on something that he or she should not be touching, that is the time to turn his or her attention away from that item and toward an appropriate chew toy. There are great tools out there like Kongs you can fill with tasty treats, bones, Greenies, rawhide, and more that dogs really like. When your dog is chewing on the right toy, make sure you give him or her a lot of praise.

If your dog is chewing on things when you are not around, it can be frustrating to come home to the destruction. You can begin to train your dog to stop chewing by keeping a lot of “chewable” items around. Having several of these toys will often keep your dog busy enough that he or she will forget the inappropriate items. Also, use active toys like puzzle games that require them to move the toy around to get food. Stimulating toys will keep your dog from getting bored.

However, if your dog is still chewing, you can then try another form of redirection. As your dog greets you at the door, hold off on your greeting until your dog finds the appropriate toy. At first you can help him or her to find the toy, but after a while, do not give your dog a greeting until that toy is there in his or her mouth. If you are consistent, your dog will learn to search out the toy to greet you at the door and the chewing will stop.

It will take time and effort to train your dog to stop chewing, but if you are patient and consistent, you will find that your things will not be chewed up – making both you and your dog happier.

Jay Schaefer
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-train-your-dog-to-stop-chewing-94759.html

If you have a dog, you have probably been concerned with his or her behavior at some point. This is important if you frequently have company, or if your dog is your constant companion out in public. Even if this isn’t the case, it is still important to be sure your dog is well-behaved and will obey you. This also helps you develop a good relationship with your dog.

The first step to having a well behaved dog is to fully understand the dog’s behavior. Only then will you be able to learn to communicate effectively with your pet, thereby, building a successful partnership. This is important, especially if you are the sole owner of the dog.

If you are the sole dog owner, you will probably spend a lot of time with your dog. Another step toward having a great relationship with your animal is to make sure he or she receives proper care. This means that you should regularly walk your dog, take a vested interest in his or her health needs, and always make sure you provide love and affection.

If you are having difficulty with your dog’s behavior, there are steps you can take to work out a solution that will work for both dog and owner. This can mean consulting your vet for ideas, or enrolling your pet in obedience school. Obedience will teach your dog how to behave in certain situations as well as how to respond to given commands. A trainer can also help break bad habits your dog may have that is affecting his or hers behavior.

You will also be provided with step-by-step obedience exercises that you can practice with your dog at home. This will help to enforce the behaviors learned in class. Not doing so will most likely result in your dog resorting back to past behavior because the new behaviors are not being re-enforced.

It is also important to talk to and listen to your dog. Pay attention to how your dog acts and responds to those behaviors. If they are negative, try to find out what you can do to stop and prevent them. If your dog is doing well, be sure to give him or her, the proper praise that is well-deserved. Praise is just as important for dogs as it is for people and will help to promote continuing good behavior.

Amy Nutt
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/the-importance-of-a-well-behaved-dog-122199.html

with another male dog –to put it lightly..and hes 3 years old..if he is neutered will he stop this behavior? or do they have to be neutered by a certain age so that that behavior isnt ingrained?

dogs "mate" or "hump" each other (and us!) for various reasons. however, if the male is doing it to another male, it's nothing sexual. it's either an outward expression of anxiety – like if the dog gets too hyper and doesn't know what to do with himself. usually giving him a toy to distract him or stuffed animal to hump will do the trick. sometimes, neutering can calm male dogs down, so it's possible that neutering your mom's dog might stop this behavior. this behavior may also be just a show of dominance – the dominant dog humps the subordinate dog, just to make sure the other dog knows where he stands. usually, this leads to harmony between the two dogs so they won't fight, so there's not much you can or should do to try to stop this behavior if you want the dogs to get along.

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