Hurling over jumps, running through tunnels, dodging weave poles, negotiating see-saws - do these sound like things your dog might enjoy? Then your pet might love dog agility training.

Inspired by equestrian events, agility training for dogs started in the late 1970’s in Great Britain. It’s a great sport for both dogs and their owners as the team up to negotiate a course of obstacles and is a true test of your dogs training as he will have to listen to commands in order to run the course.

If you want to start your dog in agility training he must be at least 9 months old to be assured that his growth plates have closed and in order to prevent injury. Your pet with start with dog agility training and must be able to clear the jump heights of his assigned division before he can compete.

He’ll first be put in the starter’ division; which is the division for dogs that do not hold agility titles. When he makes it through a round here he earns his starter’ title and is now qualified to compete at the advanced agility level. The next title your dog can earn is the “Advanced Title” which he can take when he clears three rounds as judged by 2 different judges.

Once he gets his Advanced Title, he can compete in the masters classes. Earning a “Masters Title” is a bit more difficult and consists of a 6 part qualification process along with three successfully completed games courses.

Although a fun sport for both you and your dog, dog agility training is also a serious competition that is well organized and has many guidelines and regulations. Dogs are placed in divisions based on their size. The mini division consists of dogs between sixteen and twenty-one inches from the shoulder. These dogs have jump heights that are 12, 18 and 24 inches. The larger dogs that measure over twenty one inches at the shoulders are sorted into the open division where they will jump heights of 26, 28 and 30 inches.

Dog agility training competition is a serious and well organized sport with many guidelines and regulations. The two divisions in the competition are based on the dog’s size. A dog between sixteen and twenty-one inches from the shoulder is put in the mini division.

Not every dog can win the coveted “Master” title, but I don’t think they really care because to them the fun is in the sport. Dog agility training is a great way for both man and beast to enjoy a little fun competition as well as each others company.

Lee Dobbins writes for Train The Dog where you can get great dog training tips for every breed.

A sure sign of a well-behaved dog is when you enter someone’s home and their pet does not jump on you in greeting. Not only is jumping on guests annoying, it can be dangerous. Large dogs can knock people down and are capable of seriously injuring small children or the elderly. Not to mention all the mud he gets on your clothes on rainy days!

Jumping on people is also a sure signal that your dog thinks he’s the leader of the pack. Watch dogs together and you’ll see them exhibiting the same behavior. Allowing your dog to jump on people undermines all your training.

These dogs have learned if they jump on people they get attention and often petted. Your job is to help them unlearn that with positive reinforcement. Here are some tips to help you do just that:

1. Ignore your dog when you arrive and leave the house. Ditch the long goodbye and the long-lost dog owner greeting. Don’t greet your pet for five minutes once you get home. This will help break the habit.

2. Do you want to dance? If a week or so of not greeting your dog doesn’t break the behavior, try this on your medium or large dog. When he jumps on you, firmly grip his paws while he’s still on his hind legs. Hold them without squeezing until he starts to squirm, then firmly command, “Off!” Some trainers recommend stepping on your pet’s back paws at the same time, but this could cause injury to your pet’s delicate feet. Holding his front paws, sometimes for several minutes, will do the trick and won’t be painful.

3. Use the leash. If guests are coming over, keep your dog on a leash. When he jumps on the visitors, pop the leash to engage his training collar, command, “Off!” and lead him to the other side of the room. Praise him after you lead him away.
Marilyn Burnham

Author: ‘Dog Owners Boot Camp’
The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!
For More Information On Dog Training

Marilyn Burnham was the owner operator of 4 successful dog grooming stores in British Columbia, Canada for more than a decade. To spend more time with her children Marilyn made the decision to sell her business in the mid 90’s. Get a copy of her book: Dog Owners Boot Camp’ The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!

All puppies chew. They need to chew on something to relieve the discomfort of teething. Well-behaved adult dogs will only chew on toys or bones, but some adult dogs will revert back to this puppy behavior when they are bored or stressed. Here are three things to do to break your dog from chewing your belongings:

1. Remove the temptation. Keep your shoes, clothes or anything else that you don’t want your dog to chew off the floor. Anything on the ground is fair game as far as your puppy is concerned.

Be sure to tape all electrical, telephone and cable wiring to the wall to

keep your puppy from chewing it. You can also use pet repellent on the

wires to keep your dog away. This is a potentially deadly situation, and it

must be done to keep your pet safe.

2. Make it taste bad. One pet product, Bitter Apple, works, and so does hot pepper sauce - it just may be a little messy on your fine furniture. Any non-toxic substance that tastes bad to your dog is fair game.

3. The water treatment. Anytime you catch your puppy or dog chewing a cabinet door or your favorite pillow, say “No!” and spray him with a spray gun with a tablespoon or two of vinegar mixed in with the water. Give him a toy to chew.

4. Leave toys for your dog to play with. When you buy your pet a new toy, be sure to play with it with him the first time. Tease him with the toy, roll it on the floor, spin it around - whatever gets his attention. Don’t have tons of toys for your dog - it confuses him if he has too much to keep track of and he may inadvertently play with something not his in the confusion - like your boots. Get him used to chewing on three toys, and then you can add more.

5. The tether technique. When you are home, clip your puppy’s leash through your belt so he has to be in your sight. Every time he looks like he’s going for something inappropriate to chew, give him a toy instead.

6. Confinement. If you are away during the day, confine your dog to either his crate or a room with his toys. Never let a dog with a chewing habit roam loose in your house all day.

7. Give frozen treats. Puppies in particular like frozen treats because the cold helps to relieve their teething discomfort. You can buy some particularly formulated for pets, or just freeze some peanut butter or some soup stock in ice cube trays.

Marilyn Burnham

Author: ‘Dog Owners Boot Camp’
The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!
For More Information On Dog Training

Marilyn Burnham was the owner operator of 4 successful dog grooming stores in British Columbia, Canada for more than a decade. To spend more time with her children Marilyn made the decision to sell her business in the mid 90’s. Get a copy of her book: Dog Owners Boot Camp’ The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!

In addition to all the commands your dog has now mastered, you may want to teach him a few that will make him the entertainment In the neighborhood. He will be much easier to train for these commands now that he has mastered so many tricks.

1. Dance. This trick may actually be helpful when your dog has a hard time with the “Off” command when he’s jumping on people. Sometimes dogs respond well to replacement behavior, and teaching him how to dance is a great way to put all that energy to work.

Each time your pet gets excited and is jumping around you, command “Dance” while you gently take and hold his front legs, forcing him to stand on his hind legs. Sway him from right to left a little. Praise him, give him a treat, and gently put him back on the floor.

2. Pray. The object is to have your dog put his head down between his paws on the command “Pray,” or “Say your prayers,” and all of your friends and family to say, “Awwww! How cute!”
Begin by sitting in a chair with your dog in the “Sit/Stay” position in front of you. Put a treat on the chair between your legs. Command your dog to “Pray,” then encourage him or place both of his paws on the chair while he remains in the “Sit” position.

Use the “Leave it” or “Don’t touch” command so he doesn’t eat the treat, and then give him the “Pray” command. Your dog should stick his nose down to the treat between his paws. Command the release, “Amen,” then give your dog the treat and praise him. For smaller dogs, or if your larger dog doesn’t get the chair route, you may want to use a low table. You can stand behind him to guide his paws to the table

3. Sneeze. You can train your dog to sneeze on command. You’ll do it with a hand signal, which is cupping your hands around your nose and mouth and commanding, “Sneeze!”

Sit in a chair, and put your dog in the “Sit/Stay” position. Cup your hands around his muzzle, say sneeze and gently blow into his nostrils. Keeping blowing until he sniffles or sneezes, then give him praise and a treat. Some dogs take quickly to this trick, while others may take some time.

4. Turn out the light. Amaze your family and friends with your energy-conscious dog! To prepare for the trick, be sure your dog can reach the light switch on his back legs. If not, you can train your dog to jump on a table under the light switch to perform this feat.
Hold a treat at the light switch, and command “Turn out the light!” When your dog jumps up to get the treat, make sure his paws touch the top of the switch so that when he comes down he turns off the light. Reward with the treat and verbal praise.

Once he gets that down, stand away from the light switch and issue the command. Toss the treat nearby when he jumps up and paws at switch. Be sure to give him lots of verbal praise. Eventually you won’t need to give him a treat to perform the trick.

5. Bow. This is a good trick to teach your dog when you’re working on the “Down” command. Put your dog in the “Stay” position, and put a treat in your hand. Kneeling in front of your dog, move both your hands toward his front paws while giving the “Bow” command. Your dog will extend his head down to get the treat, putting him in the “bow” position. Work on his bow until you can command him to bow from across the room.

6. Counting: Your dog, with time and patience, can learn to count. Because this is a complicated maneuver, there is a prerequisite - your dog must know the “Speak” trick and be commanded to stop with the release word, “OK.” All you do at that point is plug in a number to the command, “What is six, Laska?” When your dog counts to six, you command him to stop with “OK.”
There is a catch, however - timing is involved. If you don’t combine the “What is” command with a subtle signal, your dog will start to bark before you say the number. When you start training him, make a noticeable signal, like a deep nod of your head, when you give the “Speak” command. Nod your head deeply when you give the “OK,” release command, too.

You’ll need to practice the trick for some time until your dog is trained to respond to the nods alone. Once he has it down, slowly make your nodding more subtle. Once your dog performs the trick with just the most subtle of nods, you’re ready for Broadway.

Marilyn Burnham

Author: ‘Dog Owners Boot Camp’
The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!
For More Information On Dog Training

Marilyn Burnham was the owner operator of 4 successful dog grooming stores in British Columbia, Canada for more than a decade. To spend more time with her children Marilyn made the decision to sell her business in the mid 90’s. Get a copy of her book: Dog Owners Boot Camp’ The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!

After you’ve housebroken your dog, he needs to learn four behaviors to be a well-mannered pet. You can’t teach them to him all at once, however. Focus on one behavior for a week or so. If your dog is mastering one behavior, add another.

If you have the time, work with your dog twice a day for about 15 minutes. “All work and no play,” applies to him as well. Use your dog’s leash and training collar during each training session.

1. Sit. This is usually the easiest behavior for your dog to learn, and most trainers start with it. There are two ways to teach it, but both involve you taking the slack of the leash with your right hand. Don’t pop the leash.

In method one, use your right hand to offer a treat slightly over and behind your pet’s head. Give the command, “Sit.” This will cause your dog to sit because he’s off balance. Praise him and give him the treat. If you are training a puppy, use this method but without the training collar and leash.

In method two, you press your dog’s rump, exerting gentle pressure down. The first few times he may not sit down completely, but praise him and give him a treat anyway.

Only say the command one time. Give your pet up to 30 seconds before trying again. He may want to think about it. If he doesn’t sit, tell him, “No,” and try again.

Develop a word to let you dog know that he doesn’t have to sit anymore.
Called a “release” word, it’s similar to the military term “at ease.” Most
trainers just say, “OK.”

2. Stay. “Stay” is a command used in conjunction with another, like sit. You are asking your dog to hold the position you put him in. After your dog learns “Stay” in relation to another particular command, it’s easy for him to understand what to do when he’s in a different position.

To teach your dog to “Stay,” start by commanding your dog to sit at your side. Hold the slack leash in a straight up from his head. Hold an open palm in front of his nose and say “Stay.” Step in front of your pet so you can block his forward motion. If he moves, give him the stop signal with your hand again, and repeat “Stay.” If he stays, move back alongside him, wait a second, then praise him.

Once you get your dog to stay, build up time and distances slowly. When
you can get him to stay at the end of a six-foot lease, tug a little. If he
moves, correct him by telling him, “No.”. Repeat and try again. Continue
to work on this with a 20-foot retractable leash if you want.

3. Come. This is probably the most important command you’ll teach your dog, because a loose dog can easily be injured or killed. Knowing this command could literally save your pet’s life. Many dog owners think this is the hardest thing to teach your dog, but actually it’s the easiest! All you have to do is ask your dog to sit while he’s on the leash, call his name, say “Come,” and praise him when he comes to you. Use longer and longer leashes over time, and your dog will come when called.

So why is it that so many dogs bolt out open front doors and take off for the hills? Some dogs are bored. If your pet isn’t stimulated enough, he’ll head for the places that he smells may have more entertainment - like your neighbor’s yard with its inviting trash cans. Keeping your dog stimulated helps.

Mostly, bolting dogs that won’t come back to their owners are the result of poor dog owner training. Your pet, having been mightily scolded for tearing off down the street, narrowly escaping speeding cars, chasing the neighbor’s cat and knocking over trash cans, knows he’ll be in big trouble. The key is, once you’ve cornered the escapee, DO NOT scold him or yell at him. As hard as it is, try not to show him your anger or fear. Squat down, open your arms, and every time he moves toward you, praise him more. It is important to never, ever correct or punish a dog that comes to you, even if it’s too late for the trash cans. Try positive methods instead like commanding him to sit - most dogs do this well. Some errant dogs respond to their owners running away from them.

Other dogs don’t know the “Come” command. That’s because you probably just call your dog’s name to have him come to you. It’s important to use the “Come” command daily around the house.

If you really are a remedial dog owner trainee, your dog won’t come because you haven’t been training him or showing him that you are the leader of the pack. Your dog has to respect you and know what you expect of him to listen to your commands.

Be sure to train your dog to “Come” under all kinds of circumstances, including when other animals are present, when there are a lot of distractions, and in different settings. If you don’t teach your dog anything else, teach him to come to you for his own safety.

4. Off. This command teaches your pet not to jump on people or furniture. Your pet will try to do jump on people to elevate his order in the pack - it’s normal dog behavior. It’s up to you to remind him that you are the leader. Keep your dog’s leash on him when he’s in the house. When he jumps up on you or other people, snap the leash to engage the slip collar, and say, “Off.” Praise your dog when he stops jumping.

This is the same command you use when you want your dog off a piece of furniture. Simply take him by the collar, say, “Off,” lead him off the sofa and praise him. Remember, if you let your dog on your bed or furniture, it’s important to remind him that he has to be invited. If he jumps up next to you uninvited, be consistent with the “Off” command.

You’ll notice a difference almost immediately. Don’t stop the daily training sessions. He needs reminders, just like humans do!

Marilyn Burnham

Author: Dog Owners Boot Camp’
The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!
For More Information On Dog Training

Marilyn Burnham was the owner operator of 4 successful dog grooming stores in British Columbia, Canada for more than a decade. To spend more time with her children Marilyn made the decision to sell her business in the mid 90’s. Get a copy of her book: Dog Owners Boot Camp’ The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!

With the right crate, constant supervision and patience, you can housebreak your puppy in a week. It’s important to make sure someone is at home with him during this week. Puppies are creatures of habit, and keeping to a schedule is important. Enlist the entire family if possible.

Young puppies cannot physically control their bodily functions as well as a grown dog. It’s important to remember that even after your housebreaking appears to be a success. Not many four-month-old puppies can go eight to 10 hours a day without having an accident. Allowing your puppy to not get a “potty break” for more than a few hours is nothing but poor dog owner training.

To effectively housetrain your dog you must have a crate, if you didn’t purchase one when you brought your puppy home. The reason crate-training works is that a dog will avoid urinating and defecating in his den. If his crate is too big, then your puppy won’t associate it with his nest. That’s why it’s important to partition part of a larger crate if you bought one to accommodate your puppy’s full adult size. Your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to teach your puppy that your entire home is his den.

Here are some housebreaking tips.

1. Feed your puppy in the morning and in the evening - do not leave food out for him all day. Dogs will normally need to relieve themselves within minutes of eating. After he eats, take the dog outside. When he relieves himself, praise him. Then put him in his crate with some chew toys.

2. The first and second day, take him out to do his business after every meal and every hour. The third day, increase the time to 90 minutes; the fourth day to two hours, the fifth day to two-and-a-half hours, the sixth day to three hours, and the seventh day to four hours. Praise him when he goes outside. Keep him outside for at least 10 minutes during each “potty break.” Distract him if he wants to go in before the 10 minutes are up. If he doesn’t relieve himself during the “potty break,” put him back into his crate until the next break.

3. If you catch your dog in the act of urinating or defecating, say “No!” and take him outside. Keep your puppy, or grown dog, tethered to you while you are housebreaking him if possible. This allows you to see what he’s up to and helps you bond.

4. If you find an “accident,” don’t correct your dog - only correct him if you catch him in the act. Clean it up with a pet deodorizer. It is important to use this product rather than household cleaners because your dog will smell his waste despite the household cleaner, and smelling his waste stimulates him to urinate and defecate - right where he isn’t supposed to.

5. If you have to miss a scheduled “potty break,” put your dog in a bathroom or small room that can be closed off from him until his housebreaking is complete. Put down newspaper or puppy pads so you can easily remove any waste and minimize the odor that your dog will be able to smell later.

6. Take puppies that are under 16 weeks old out when they wake up at night. A young puppy can’t go all night without relieving himself. Keep both puppies and dogs being housebroken in their crates overnight.

Marilyn Burnham

Author: ‘Dog Owners Boot Camp’

The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!

For More Information On Dog House Training.

Marilyn Burnham was the owner operator of 4 successful dog grooming stores in British Columbia, Canada for more than a decade. To spend more time with her children Marilyn made the decision to sell her business in the mid 90’s. Get a copy of her book: Dog Owners Boot Camp’ The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!

Now that your dog has mastered all of the necessary commands to be well behaved, it’s time to have some real fun! It’s easier to teach your dog tricks once he’s learned how to respect you and you’ve earned his trust. Those necessary commands help him to do that.

Try these tricks to entertain both of you!

1. Fetch. It’s no fun to play ball with a person or an animal that won’t give the ball back. Teaching your dog how to fetch will make you both wish playtime would never end.

If your dog is a retriever, you’re ahead of the game. Your dog is hard-wired to want to fetch. But other breeds catch on quickly, too. You just have to be more patient and consistent. Train with your dog just a few minutes a day to be the most effective.

To teach your dog to fetch, you need a retrieving training tool called a dumbbell. You can buy it at the pet store. It will be a wooden or plastic tube with flanges on both ends to keep it from falling out of your dog’s mouth. Be sure to buy one that your dog can pick up easily and one that will allow him to close his mouth around the middle, not the flared edges.

You start training a dog to fetch by teaching him to open his mouth. Say “Take it” and offer him a food treat. Once he starts opening his mouth in expectation when he hears you say, “Take it,” slip the dumbbell inside his mouth. Leave the dumbbell there for a second, then praise him and give him a treat. Try this about four times, and then stop. Do this part of the training for a few days until your dog gets used to having the dumbbell in his mouth.

Now, start putting the dumbbell in your dog’s mouth and command, “Hold it.” Gently hold his mouth around the dumbbell for a few seconds. Then say, “Give,” and let him spit the dumbbell out. Be sure to praise him and give him a treat. Do this exercise for a few days until your pet will hold the dumbbell in his mouth.

Next, hold the dumbbell in front of your dog’s mouth and command, “Take it.” Pull his head toward the dumbbell if you have to. Be sure to praise and give him a treat, even if he just moves his head toward the dumbbell. Practice this until he’s used to taking the dumbbell in his mouth. All you have to do now is increase the distance slowly. Continue working on “Hold it,” and “Give.” It might be a good refresher course for “Come,” too. Before too long, your dog will put it all together!

2. Speak. This is usually a simple trick for your dog to learn if he’s vocal already. The trick is to entice him to do it on command and from distances.

First, choose a hand signal - some trainers make a twisting motion with a closed fist; others open and shut their hand using their fingers and thumb. Using your hand signal, command your dog to “speak.” When he barks, reward him and praise him. If your dog doesn’t bark automatically, continue to give the command until he gets frustrated and barks, then quickly reward him. Keep practicing and he’ll soon understand.

3. Shake hands or “Gimme five.” This is perhaps the easiest trick to teach your dog. Give your dog the “Sit” command. While you gently hold his paw with one hand, say “Gimme five” and hand him a treat with your other hand. You shouldn’t have to do this more than a few times for your dog to get the hang of it.

4. Give me a kiss. This is another easy one. Most dogs will kiss you whether you want them to or not! All you have to do is get them to do it on your terms. Command your dog, “Give me a kiss,” and then put your cheek in front of his mouth. When he licks your cheek, praise him and give him a treat.

5. Roll over. Start by giving your dog the “Down” command. Kneel beside him and gently roll him over on his side and command, “Roll over.” Keep rolling him until he’s upright again, and then give him praise and a treat.

A couple of caveats about this trick:

- Don’t keep trying it if it’s obvious your pet doesn’t like being on his back. Some dogs have stronger backs than others, and if you are successful in teaching your dog to roll over, it’s probably a trick you want to retire when he’s middle aged. Most elderly dogs have back and hip pain, and there’s no point in making your pet suffer.

- Be sure to only perform this trick on grass or carpet. Asking your dog to roll over continuously on a hard surface could hurt him.

6. Play dead. This trick produces gales from laughter from school-age boys, so if you have one of those, you might want to get him involved with training the dog on this one. A good time to practice this trick is you’re your dog has just exercised and is ready to rest. There’s a prerequisite, too - your dog must know the “Down” command.

Give your dog the “Down” command and notice what side he’s leaning on. Gently push him on over as you command, “Bang.” As he rolls over, praise him and rub his tummy. Repeat until you don’t have to use pressure to force him to roll to his side. Use the “Stay” command to stay “dead.” Add the hand signal, a pointing forefinger, as you command the “Bang.”

Most Important Is that you have fun with your dog. A happy dog will always be the dog that responds to your every command. Have a fun day with your dog!

Marilyn Burnham

Author: ‘Dog Owners Boot Camp’
The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!
For More Information On Dog Training

Marilyn Burnham was the owner operator of 4 successful dog grooming stores in British Columbia, Canada for more than a decade. To spend more time with her children Marilyn made the decision to sell her business in the mid 90’s. Get a copy of her book: Dog Owners Boot Camp’ The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!

Dog trainers, especially those who are not professionals in the field, usually confuse dog training with control. In any dog-man pair, the human always have the need to gain control. This is not really bad except that sometimes, the man abuses the privileged of control.

Dog training collars provide that control. While the intention is normally good- to remove unwanted (but instinctual) behaviors of the dogs for example- the process of training is sometimes incorrect and abusive of the dog’s weaknesses and the tools used for training are not well-adapted to the needs of the dog.

We, humans, often forget that dogs are individuals too. Some dogs are very aggressive and hard to control, some are funny and gives us much comfort and joy, others are just laid back and refuse to undergo training and some are naturally fast learners while others are slow learners.

Training collars were invented to gain enough control over the canines, however some people fail to adhere to the basic principles of these tools. Choke or chain collars, for example, are one of the very first tools invented to help lessen the tension between man and dog.

But there are people who overuse and misuse the choke collars. Some handlers are so harsh that many dogs experience neck damages and some even choke to death. In short the use of this type of collars is very dangerous, if not counter-productive.

Some handlers, on the other hand, lack sufficient knowledge on the specific collars that would work well with their dogs. For example, the popular choice of collar these days are the electronic dog collar due to its remote access to dogs which provide continuous “training” for even when the owner is not around. While this may be a popular alternative to old fashioned dog training collars, many people just don’t completely understand its disadvantages.

There are some very mundane reasons as to why collars could be, at times, counterproductive. For one, there are people who just don’t take the extra time to check if the collar is fit or not. With improper fitting, the collar could pinch the skin (especially the Martingale collar) and scratch it causing burning spots.

These are very uncomfortable to dogs as much as having skin lesions would make someone feel irritated. The rule of thumb for getting the right fit of collar for your dog is to allow two to three inches gap between the attached collar and the neck.

Another reason why dog collars could be potentially counterproductive is that they work on the principle of pain and fear and not really on discipline. Electronic training collars work by sending electronic shocks to the dog wearing it or unpleasant sound that will discourage the dog from barking.

Even when it proves to be efficient in delivering its purpose- to distract the dog from barking- the results are not as good. Why? Because the dog starts to lose its confidence.

Quick fixes for behavior control are more often than not tempting to use and leads to overdependence to control devices. While doing it the long way usually proves to be more valuable.

Therefore, before one chooses a dog training collar, it is recommended to do your research first so your dog’s comfort would not be compromised.

Sometimes when people are sick their need for love, support and attention just don’t go within what most understand as normal. They need a lot more. Unfortunately, not all people have the time or the patience to deal with people who are sick, ill or disordered. However, dogs when well-oriented to dog therapy training could augment the emotional and physical support that most people could not provide.

Therapy dog training require specializations that are rooted on fundamental dog training. As such, training for this work entails the need to form behaviors in the dog that are of great help to people who are undergoing therapy. Therefore, basic dog training will not suffice if the dog needs to demonstrate other obligations like performing various roles and interacting well with the patient.

Therapy dogs are used in hospitals were mostly the patients are the children and the elderly. The handler and the dog will provide the patients with sufficient attention and activities that will let them drift away from the present problems in their lives.

However, therapy dogs are not only valuable in hospitals, the comfort they give are also necessary components in other therapy centers like nursing homes, schools, mental institutions and retirement homes.

The type of training that therapy dogs undergo are especially created and modified from various other trainings to fit the needs called for in situations that usually occur during hospital visitations. Their training will equip them with the appropriate skills to allow strangers to enjoy their company. To provide enjoyable experiences, most therapy dogs are trained to do tricks and performances that the audience will enjoy.

Most dog breeds could undergo therapy training. However popular choices for training include breeds that have high temperance since they have to work with people that they are not familiar with.

Training of therapy dogs vary from state to state however, it is general rule that a therapy dg should have certification of good citizenship before it can enter into the formal training and service. Certification as well as training could be obtained from local therapy dog training classes or animal shelters. After obtaining this certification, therapy training for the dog will begin.

This kind of training will condition the dog to ignore things like hospital equipments, people who are not the subject of therapy and noise. They are also trained to help with basic tasks like simple activities. However, they must not be confused with service dogs.

These are the dogs, which are under the law, help people who have disabilities. More often than not, they work on a continuous basis. Therapy dogs are more like visitors to patients and not really dogs that will accompany and help people with disabilities with their daily tasks.

A visiting dog will also help in changing the routine from time to time. Therapy could be quite boring for many people thus the need for change of pace will always contribute something positive to the therapy. Animals could also make the patient feel less depressed or lonely since they create distractions from the unproductive thoughts of the patients.

Dogs could also encourage the patient to become less passive and more responsive and active during and after visitations. Therapy training will also help the dog entertain the patient; they may either provide fun or diversion from the pain and suffering currently experienced.

Therapy dog training is relatively unpopular but the services of the dog for this purpose have been used for so many years.

There are three types of assistance dogs- the hearing dog, the guiding dog and the service dog. All have the same purposes, to help people with disabilities with their life’s daily tasks. Service dogs go beyond helping people with hearing or sight impairment.

They could also be trained as seizure response dogs or mobility assistance dogs depending on the special training the owner needs. However, dogs could only accomplish such services if they have received proper service dog training.

TRAINING

There are two forms of training service dogs: self-training and program training.

Self-training, like most kinds of dog training, is facilitated by the owner themselves. While it could be harder than hiring a professional dog trainer, self training could enhance the relationship and interdependence of the owners and the dogs.

A number of dogs could be trained for service works. Some people choose to train their old pets as suitable partners especially f the dog has shown some tendencies to become good in medical condition assistance. However, some people obtain their dogs from dog breeders with training the dog for service in their minds.

Handlers of dogs could research on several techniques and procedures for training a dog for this particular purpose. There are a number of online resources and written literature on how to train a dog for service works. However, some people choose to hire professional organizations specializing in this field to do the work for them.

The main disadvantage is that the dog would learn on a faster pace due to highly developed techniques that these organizations have. However, training stops when the dogs were sent to their owners unless the dog owners are knowledgeable in this type of training. For owner-trained dogs however, training never stops.

Nevertheless, if the owner buys a dog from a breeder with the intention of making a service dog out of it, the breeder would first give prior training on basic commands such as sit, come, stay and no. Then, the owner would fill in the newer commands that he needs such as opening the door or turning off the lights.

On the other hand, program-trained dogs are especially bred and trained for service works. Normally, these dogs are trained for more than a year to get acclimatized on special situations and people to whom they are trained to respond.

Training could be administered in a number of ways. In United States, training could be administered by select prison inmates. This process has been proven to be of great value since inmates could facilitate proper training while improving their socialization skills in the process.

To avail of a service dog, the applicant must undergo an application and evaluation process. After this, the future owner will have to be listed on the waiting list while a dog fit for the specific services is being trained. Such dogs could be given without charge while some organizations will require the handler to pay some fees with or without financial assistance offered.

Once the owner obtains his dog, he has to work with the dog for sometime to get him used to the way the new handler deals with training. This could take a few weeks up to months. The dog needs to be sent back to the training organization to update training.

Service dog training does not only produce dogs that could be of good assistance to those people with disabilities. They are also good emotional supports and companions.