By: Gerry Ronson,

There are several aspects of training when it comes to owning a dog or a puppy. You of the most important training steps you should undertake is socialization. There are two parts to socialization training: first you have to socialize the dog to be around other pets, second you have to make sure they are friendly around strangers. If you forgo socialization training for your dog you are setting yourself up for a difficult road. Dogs that have not been socialized properly may be aggressive towards strangers and other pets. In most cases around strangers they will be shy and hide in your home. So what does socialization training include?

Socialization is allowing your dog to be around other humans and pets. We will first look at the human side of things. To socialize your dog properly for human interaction you should teach the dog commands for how to sit, stay, and to recognize your voice. The best training is often just talking to your dog. This allows them to realize your voice. They will be able to distinguish your nuances for those of others. They will also be able to learn your smell, which can help them feel more comfortable in a social situation. You also want to train them on how to let a human approach. Many individuals just walk up and want to pet your dog, and do so without asking. This can be dangerous if the dog hasn’t been socialized. It is best to teach the dog to sit and stay while allowing a human to pet them. The more contact they have with different humans the more they will be attuned to allowing friends to get close. As a guard dog you may not want to overly work the socialization with humans. It will of course depend on the reason you have the pet. It is best if they are always wary of strangers, but understand that aggression is not warranted.

For socialization with other pets you have two choices in training. First you can go to a training school where there will be other dogs. In these instances the dog gets to be in an environment with dogs working as they are. They can also feel a little more secure with the handlers being right there, and knowing they are there for work. Socialization with other pets is often letting the dogs meet one another and analyze the situation. For most dog breeds it is easier to socialize them with other dogs rather than other pets. You can also go to a dog park and allow other dogs to play while you sit around and watch them. You can of course interact if you feel the need.

When socializing with non canine pals it is best to bring the dog home as a puppy. If they are just six weeks or a little older they tend to do better around the other animals rather than introducing another type of animal later on. You will find that if you bring home the dog and cat at the same time socialization training may go well, than if you introduce a cat later on. Some dog breeds do not do well even after socialization training with other non canine pets. The instincts of these dogs is to hunt small animals, which means the dogs tend to play rough or just hunt. It is always best to check with a dog breeder if you have questions regarding the non canine species.

Gerry Ronson has been writing about dogs for almost five years but has been working with them for almost twenty years. He writes about dogs for the website Dog Treats. Which stocks a huge range of soft dog beds as well as many other dog products.

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Puppies Love To Bite…

They do it naturally but it is something that they must be taught not to do.This needs to be addressed while they are young because dog bites can lead to all sorts of problems including legal action.

It may seem fun and funny to have a puppy biting but a full-grown dog can do a lot of damage, particularly to children if they are in the habit of biting.

Dogs have immense strength in their jaws and even a playful nip can do permanent damage to a child.

Generally, puppies are taught to control their biting from their mothers but in most cases we get puppies as pets that have been taken from their mothers at a very young age and it is up to us to teach them as puppies not to bite.

By letting your dog socialize with other dogs from a young age they will quickly learn from their elders, provided they have been taught well, that the desire to bite needs to be curbed to avoid retaliation and an ensuing fight.

The sooner the puppy is taught not to bite by the owner or by interaction with other dogs, the less aggressive they will become as they grow older and the more pleasant they will be to live with.

Taking a puppy to a dog training school will allow it to interact with other dogs where it will quickly be corrected for any misbehavior.

Puppies should generally learn to interact with other dogs within the first three months of their life.

The longer this is left the more difficult it becomes for your dog to socialize correctly and they can become dangerous later in life.

As with children, the sooner your puppy can learn correct behavior patterns the better they will be in the long term.

It is also wise to get the puppy to behave correctly in the presence of other animals including cats and any other pets that they might come in contact with over their life.

There are many items that are available from the pet stores and vets that can give your puppy suitable satisfaction to chew and bite upon.

This will allow your puppy to learn what is right and what is not right to bite.

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by Jim Waltman

You love your dog. But at one time I bet he/she was a bit too much too handle. Training your dog takes time and a whole lot of patience. Any dog owner who’s been through basic dog obedience training can tell just how tough it can be. But, the fact of the matter is, if you don’t start training your dog to be obedient early on, you’re going to end up with a problematic pooch.

Many dog owners will suggest taking your dog to a dog obedience training class. These classes will help you tame your dog and even learn to socialize with other dogs if the training is in a group setting. However, there are ways you can begin to train your dog at home.

Basic Dog Obedience Training Home Tips

Use Your Pet’s Name

To build control and relation with your dog, you need to use his/her name frequently when training and giving commands. This will help build name recognition and strengthen the relationship with you, his/her owner. Even for the most basic commands or activities, use your dog’s name when involved in all activities, even feeding time.

Use a Leash

Leash training involves collaring and leashing your dog. Through the use of a leash, you can teach your dog commands and actions. At first, you want to show your dog the command by positioning your dog accordingly (e.g. placing him/her in the “sit” position). You also want to verbalize the command while positioning. After positioning your dog a few times, say the command and then use the leash to exert force, but not too much. A slight tug on the leash should do. Each time you state the command, use the leash. Work with your dog until he/she demonstrates understanding of the command. When you dog obeys the command correctly, reward him/her with a “good PET NAME” and pet him/her on the head. Leash training doesn’t involve rewarding your pet with treats, as it works against leash training and gives your dog a reason to obey other than just obeying the command..

Use Reward Training

Reward training works similar to leash training except that instead of using a leash to assert the command, you use a reward (e.g. a treat) to coax your dog into obeying. This method of training does show results, however some experts say that this method doesn’t exert the force necessary to teach your dog to obey and also establish the owner/pet relationship.

Be Firm

When training your dog, you need to stand your ground and be firm. It’s easy to give into your cute and cuddly pet, especially if it’s still a puppy, but if you want to train them right, you need to be firm. There’s no need to punish your dog, you just need to be patient and work with your dog as much as possible until he/she understands the command. Work with your dog until the command is followed and obeyed precisely as desired. This means even after your dog has learned the command, you still need to assert a firm command to ensure that your dog won’t forget the command or get into bad habits.

If you want an obedient dog, you need to involve Fido in basic dog obedience training. The best bet is to enroll them into a class, but you can also start training them at home. The earlier you start and the better your obedience training, the better behaved your dog will be.

About the Author

For more basic dog obedience training help, visit Pet Supplies and Meds.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

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Amy Dunphy

Puppy Training

Puppy training can be a trying time. The key to this time is to
really remember that all puppy behavior is normal. They like to
mouth, jump, bark, dig and piddle wherever they are. They aren’t
doing it to annoy you, they are just doing what they have learned
so far. It is our job to train them not to do these things.

Think of it as teaching your child to read. You wouldn’t punish
your child for not knowing the alphabet if they have never seen
it before right? So we don’t need to punish our puppies for
things we haven’t taught them. Here, we will talk about normal
puppy behavior and ways to encourage them to try something new.
Remember - Behavior that is followed by something the dog likes
will increase! puppy training should be a lot of fun!

Puppy behavior

Jumping: There are two ways to solve this - first, stand on their
leash. Second, teach them to sit. By teaching sit we are removing
the desire to jump.

Mouthing: See this full article on puppy mouthing.

Pulling: This one is easy. Just stop walking! If you never go
anywhere when the dog pulls, he will quickly learn. Offer a small
treat when he is by your side and talk in a happy voice to
encourage him.

The key to training any behavior is to be 100% consistent in your
efforts. Often times it will get worse before it gets better but
it will go away if you are consistent.

Puppy dog training

Try enrolling in a puppy kindergarten near you. This will really
help with socialization and early puppy dog training. Find a dog
trainer near you.

Housebreaking puppies

Puppies need to go to the bathroom after they play, chew, drink,
eat or sleep. Start by putting them on a leash and tethering them
to you. That way you can be aware of them when they start
sniffing the ground (usually a cue the puppy needs to go potty).
Pick them up and carry them outside. When they go potty, tell
them “good potty” and give a cookie as a reward. Do not let your
puppy off leash until they have finished going so they get into
the habit of going potty, then playing. Many puppies will want to
go outside just to play if you let them off leash first.

What if my puppy has an accident?

He will. Do not punish your puppy though. If you catch your puppy
in the act then clap your hands or pick them up - this will make
your puppy stop going. Get him outside FAST and let him finish up
out there. Reward him for going outside. Clean up the mess with
natures miracle which will remove the odor completely.

Do NOT rub their nose in it, swat them with a newspaper, or
isolate your puppy. It will only teach them to not go in front of
you.

If your puppy is going frequently in the house you are probably
not supervising them enough. Watch and learn their cues. If you
feel you are watching and your puppy isn’t getting it you can
always have them checked for a Urinary tract infection.

If your puppy piddles when you greet them, this could be
submissive urination. This would be a problem that is usually
cured by ignoring the behavior and letting your puppy calm down
before touching them when you first see them.

This article not only applies to puppies, but it is how you
should train a dog of any age. If you can’t supervise your dog,
please put them in a crate to help curb accidents. Remember, dogs
go where they go most!

This can be a trying time, so have patience and you will get
through it.

Amy Dunphy CPDT
Owner of the Dog Trainer Search
http://www.dogtrainersearch.com

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