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How To TrainYour Dog Like A
PROF S IONAFor more FREE dog training stuff sign up for the Letter at:
http://www.DogLoversLetter.Com
DogLoversLetter.Com Presents:
PART 1
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Want To Make Things Cry tal-C earFor Y u and Your D g?
http://DogLoversLetter.Com/Video-Lessons
Click the link above to learn about video trainingfrom a professional dog behaviorist that will
show you exactly what to do to train your dog, onscreen.
Enjoy!
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Any unauthorized copy or use of this materialis subject to prosecu on under applicable laws.
Legal No ces & DisclaimerDogLoversLe er.com or its owners are not responsible for howyou choose to use the contents of this book. It is intended foreduca onal purposes only. You should consult a professional dogtrainer or veterinarian in your area before using any of the advice inthis document.
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Chapter1Intro uction
A well mannered dog is a pleasure to own. You can take him
anywhere and know he will behave nicely. You can relax
when he is around other people and dogs, and he can go
on vaca on with you and not destroy the holiday home. He
will be more involved with your family, and you will develop
a closer bond with him.
You can have more fun and create be er memories
together!
Untrained dogs have very few freedoms. You will have to
lock him away when you have visitors to protect them from
his over-exuberant welcome. While you are ea ng, he is leoutside because he is a nuisance at the table. He may even
steal food. You cant take him to the o -leash park because
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when it is me to go, he wont come back when he is called.
Even going for a walk along the sidewalk is hard work, as he
drags you along behind him.
Your dog will live on average 12 years. Do you really want to
have to tolerate this bad behavior for that long?
If you simply invest a li le me in teaching him good
manners now, you will be able to enjoy a be er rela onship
with him for the remainder of his life.
Lets Get S arte
When you are ge ng ready to start a new project, you do
not just jump in feet rst with no prepara on or planning.
This is exactly what you would be doing if you decided tostart training your dog without the right knowledge and
equipment.
Your dog training program is that new project you need
to plan what you want to achieve and work out what you
need to do it. From there, you must work out how you are
going to complete the project successfully.
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You will make mistakes. That is inevitable. You will also
feel frustrated at mes, as your dog doesnt seem to be
progressing. This is normal, because all dogs learn at
di erent rates and respond be er to di erent training
methods.
Its important that you understand your dog and his natural
ins ncts. Also, learn about his breed and what he was bred
to do. Your Beagle has a well-developed nose. Dont be
surprised if you are in the middle of a training session and
he is distracted by an unusual scent. If you take these breed
characteris cs into account, youll be less frustrated by the
behavior.
Prog am Over i w
Some of the helpful things youll learn from this guideinclude:
What equipment you need to start training yourdog
How to interpret your dogs body language andposture
How dogs think and learn
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How to recognize your dogs personality How to understand dogs pack behavior. Simple and e ec ve ways to teach your dog to sit,
drop, stay and come. How to tell if your dog is stressed Fun ways you can play with your dog How to improve your rela onship with your dog How to teach your dog not to bite The advantages of crate training your dog
There are two parts to dog training:
1. Firstly, you need to teach your dog to do somethingthat you want him to do. Lets use the sit behavioras an example. You need him to sit when you tell
him to, so you have to train him to sit on command.
2. Secondly, you need to teach him to stop doing abehavior you dont like. For example, if your doglikes to run away and play, you need to train him to
come back to you when you call him.
The best way to train your dog is to use posi ve reinforcement
to reward him for doing what you want. This makes it more
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likely hell do it again. However, there may be mes where
you need to stop him doing something. This doesnt mean
you must punish him. O en a squirt with a spray of water is
all it takes to stop him in his tracks.
The whole point of training your dog is to have him obey
you when tell him what to do. This guide will help you
achieve that.
Teamwork
Your dog may already have had several months or years ofdoing what he wants, and he may be very good at it. Also,
he may have trained you to let him.
Yes, your dog is very capable of training you.
What do you do when he bumps your elbow for a cuddle
while you are typing? Do you pat him? He has trained you
to give him a ec on when he nudges you.
Thats not a problem, it is just one way in which he can
communicate with you, but there may be mes when you
just shouldnt do as he asks you.
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If your dog is on the couch and you try to move him to make
space for you, does he growl? Do you back o ? In this case,
he has taught you that he is in charge, and he wont do as
you want.
This is a reasonably common scenario, and if your dog is
growling at you, you need professional help. However, it is
a good example of how your dog can get you to do what he
wants.
Train g Metho s
Most dog trainers describe three general methods of
training dogs.
The compulsion method: Your dog is corrected or
punished for doing the wrong thing. One exampleis electric training collars that are used to train dogs
remotely.
If a dog is corrected for doing something wrong, and
doesnt get any informa on on what you do want
him to do, he will become stressed. Depending on
his temperament, he may just give up trying. This
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None of these methods are a quick- x way of training your
dog. It will take me and e ort on your part to teach him
good behavior.
Rules for D g Train g
Building Trust
Imagine your dog running down the sidewalk chasing a cat.
Hes having a great me, but you are terri ed he will get
hurt. When he eventually gets home, you are so relieved
but angry, and you yell at him for taking o like that. Thatsan understandable reac on, right?
Now look at it from your dogs perspec ve. He had a great
me trying to catch up with the speeding cat. When it
disappeared out of sight, he decided to come home fordinner. When he arrived, his beloved owner yelled at him,
which scared him and made him cower.
One of the most di cult parts of dog training is seeing
everything from your dogs point of view, especially when
you are cross or frustrated.
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If you are teaching your dog not to do something, one way
of doing it is to teach him he can only do it on command.
Lets take the jumping up as an example. Teach your dog
that he is not allowed to jump up at all, unless you tell him
to jump. Hes quite capable of learning that. Then you can
have him jump up for a cuddle on weekends, and keep his
muddy paws o your expensive work clothes.
Persistence
Can you s ck with something even though its challenging?
Dogs are intelligent and learn quickly but there will be mes
where he takes a li le longer to master a skill. Be pa ent,
try not to get frustrated, and keep prac cing. Dogs learn
best with repe on, and it will take me.
Use a Do Command
Instead of just saying no to your dog, give him a command
that he does understand, and he can do. Instead of telling
him no when he jumps up on you, ask him to sit and
praise him for doing it.
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This means you actually have to think about what you are
teaching your dog. Its not easy when your rst ins nct is to
yell no, but if you can do this, he will learn quicker and be
happier while you train him.
Whenever possible, use this method to stop your dog doing
the wrong thing. This gives you the opportunity to reward
him instead of punishing or reprimanding him.
If you want to learn how to train any dog on-screen, from
video lessons, I suggest you click here to get professional
video dog training lessons .
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Chapter2Dog Learni g a dCom unicat onYour D gs Thoug t Pro es
There are mes that it seems that your dog can actually
read your mind. For example, he goes to the door within
moments of you even thinking about taking him for a walk.
In fact, he cant read your mind, but he is very good at
iden fying pa erns of behavior.
If you walk towards the box where you keep his leashevery me you go for a walk, hell learn to recognize what
you are doing, and get excited at the thought of an ou ng
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with you. Again, dogs learn best by repe on and posi ve
reinforcement.
Similarly, if you consistently pop your dog in his crate when
you give him his dinner, he is likely to start to go in there of
his own accord when he sees you pick up his food bowl.
He has watched your behavior for long enough and because
of that, he can an cipate what you are going to do next.
This means that you too can learn to iden fy what your
dog is likely to do next by watching him closely. If you own
a male dog, he probably enjoys peeing on things to mark
them as his.
Watch him and youll no ce he will sni the item, and sidle
up to it, then swing his bu towards it and start to li his
leg. If he is going to pee on something you really dont want
soiled, you can interrupt this behavior pa ern with a clap
or a whistle, and direct him to where you do want him to
pee.
Dogs live in the moment. Theres no point in punishing him
a er he has done the wrong thing. He is unlikely to associate
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the punishment with the deed, and instead will become
afraid of you. If you catch your dog doing something wrong,
you can correct him right at that moment with a no,or an
ah ah.
There is a word: anthropomorphism. This means a ribu ng
human characteris cs and the ability to reason to an animal.
Dogs dont reason like we do, and they dont feel guilt. That
may be hard to believe when you come home and nd your
shoes chewed, and your dog slinks away nervously. Hes
not feeling guilty, hes reac ng to your angry posture and
facial expression.
If you dont believe this, throw a towel on the oor then
call your dog into the room. Point to it and say to him in
an angry tone of voice, Naughty dog!!. Hell look nervous
and yes, guilty, even though he has no idea what youre
talking about.
Reasoning
Reasoning is de ned by the Webster dic onary as
comprehending, inferring, or thinking especially in orderly
ratonal ways . When you read that, you can see that dogs
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are indeed capable of reasoning.
Wild canids have to hunt prey to survive. They have to decide
which individual in a herd is small enough for them to take
down. They then need to work out how fast it is going, and
whether or not they are able to catch it. Our domes c dogs
are not too di erent from their wild ancestors. However,
the ability to reason can vary between breeds, because of
breeders selec on for characteris cs including personality
and temperament.
Dogs cannot reason in the same sense that we can. However,
they do have their ways of problem solving. You can see
this in ac on when they are trying to get into the cupboard
where the dog treats are stashed!
There are many dog games that require your dog to use
reasoning to get a treat, and its fun to watch them work
things out.
How D gs Learn
Dogs do something for one reason and one reason only
theres something in it for them. Whether its to gain a
reward or to avoid a punishment or correc on, their primary
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mo va on is self-interest. This means that its not fair to
expect your dog to do something just because he loves you.
A er all, do you go to work every day just because you love
your boss? No, you do it for the paycheck.
You can take advantage of this when you are training your
dog.
If a par cular behavior results in something nice, hes very
likely to repeat that behavior. If he gets a piece of diced
barbecue chicken when he sits, you can bet hell be very
keen to sit again.
Food is rewarding to most dogs, and it is e ec ve even
in very young puppies. Diced chicken, slices of hot dog
or pieces of dried liver are favorites of most dogs, and
are small enough to allow you to train for 15-20 minutes
without your dog ge ng full or losing interest.
If your dog isnt thrilled by these treats, he is certainly in the
minority, but you can s ll reward him. What does he like
to do most? Instead of a treat, you can throw his favorite
ball each me he does what you ask him to. Many agility
trainers reward their dog with a vigorous game of tug with
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a rope toy. You should be able to nd something that will
have your dog dancing with excitement, and that should be
his reward.
Repetton
Repe on is cri cal to your dogs learning. It is how he
associates the reward with the behavior that triggered
the reward. Ideally, spend ten minutes a day teaching a
behavior, then repeat the next day.
Ten minutes a day is much more e ec ve than a longer
session once a week because your dogs a en on may
wander towards the end, and your training is less e ec ve.
Always end your training session on a posi ve note. Finish
before your dog has lost interest, and make sure his last
a empt at a behavior is successful, and he earns a reward.
Resist the tempta on to try for just one more, because it
doesnt always work.
Punishment
Punishment shouldnt be a part of dog training. A er all,
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Your dog will have learned how to use and interpret body
language when he was just a puppy. He would have been
able to iden fy what his mom and li er mates were trying
to tell him, and he too could speak to them with his eyes,
ears and tail, as well as his stance.
This is why a dog that is removed from his li er mates too
early can have di culty rela ng to other dogs. He just
hasnt learned the language, and cant understand what
other dogs are trying to communicate to him.
He may interpret a friendly approach from another dog as a
threat, and react defensively. He also doesnt know how to
interact with other dogs, and can get into trouble because
he has no social manners at the dog park.
Its important that pups stay with their mom and li er mates
un l they are 8 weeks old, to give them the best chance of
learning how to communicate.
Lets have a closer look at how dogs communicate, with
both you and each other.
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Bo y Langu e
The Mouth
Its easy to tell when your dog is relaxed. His mouth will be
open and his tongue will loll. His lips will be drawn back and
hell look like he is smiling.
An alert dog will have tense lips, with the corners held
forward. He will o en have his mouth closed. Hes watching
whats going on around him. Although this isnt necessarily
an indica on that hell bite, its worth keeping an eye on
him. Hes aroused, and its important that you be aware
of how you approach him. No sudden moves, and dont
startle him with a touch.
Its easy to understand what a dog means when his teeth
are bared and his lips curl back. Hes feeling aggressive, and
if you push the point, you could be hurt.
Your dog can also tell you when hes feeling nervous or
stressed. Youll no ce him licking his lips, and yawning.Yes, yawning doesnt always mean hes red, he may be
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anxious. Its important that you can recognize that so you
can do something to relieve his anxiety.
The Eyes
It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul, and this
is certainly the case with your dog.
A con dent dog will look you right in the eyes, but wont
press the point. A dominant dog wont look away, and will
try to stare you down. If you con nue to stare at him, hell
perceive that as a challenge. He may react to that challenge
and become aggressive, so be careful. Dont ever eyeball a
very dominant dog, as you could end up ge ng bi en.
Subordinate dogs, or those that arent feeling very
con dent, will usually glance away when you look at them.
The Ears
Your dogs ears are also useful for giving you an idea of how
he is feeling. Depending on breed, ears can be oppy or
erect but this is not important. Watch the base of his ears,
and look at where he is holding them on his head.
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An alert dog will hold the base of his ears forward, to show
he is interested in whats happening. They may even move
from front to back, or from side to side as he listens to
whats going on around him.
Ears held at, and towards the back of his head usually mean
that your dog is feeling nervous or anxious. It can also be an
indicator that he is submissive. However, it can also mean
that your dog is feeling threatened and defensive, and may
in fact bite. Be careful.
Body Posture
The way your dog holds his body gives you a lot of
informa on, if you know what to look for.
Its easy to tell if your dog is submissive hell shrink down
and cower, making his body as small as possible. If hes
extremely submissive, he will lie on his back and expose
his throat to a more dominant animal. He may also urinate.
You may have seen your dog react to you in that way when
you were angry.
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A con dent dog is exactly the opposite. He will stand tall
with straight legs. If hes feeling aggressive, he will o en
lean forward, and hold his body s y. The hair on his back
also may stand erect.
The Tail
Were all familiar with the wagging tail of a happy dog.
However, the tail can tell us more about our dogs mood
and feelings.
A tail tucked ghtly between the hind legs is a sign of
submission and fear. Similarly, a tail held high is indica ve
of a con dent, asser ve animal. Even if your dogs tail is
docked, you can s ll get worthwhile informa on from the
way he holds the base of his tail. However, it may not be as
easy for other dogs to recognize his intent from a distance.
The Play Bow
Have you ever no ced your dog lie down on his elbows
with his rump in the air and his tail wagging? He may also
have what looks like a smile on his face. This is known as
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the play bow and is your dogs way of invi ng you to start
a game with him.
Verbal Communica on
Your dog can use sound to communicate with each other,
and with you. He has a range of noises that indicate many
di erent things.
If he is distressed or frightened, he may bark with a high
pitched tone, and bark over and over again. As he becomes
more upset, the sound will become higher and sharper.
Weve all been told to take care around a growling dog,
and there is good reason for this. It can indicate that he is
aggressive. However, it may be the only way your dog can
tell you that he really doesnt like whats being done to him.
Pay a en on to whats happening when your dog growls
and youll be able to tell if hes threatening, or just annoyed
and saying, Stop.
There is nothing more irrita ng than a whining dog. Your
dog will whine when he wants something, for example food
or a en on. He may whine to get outside to go to the toilet,
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which isnt a bad thing at all! If you give in to whining, your
dog wont stop, and he may even get worse!
Whimpering and yelping usually mean your dog is hur ng.
That may be a physical pain, but it may also be emo onal
pain such as loneliness.
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Chapter3Build aRelationsh p
With Your D g Professional dog trainers o en tell their clients, You get the
dog you deserve. This means that your dog is ul mately
a re ec on of you, and the me and e ort you put intoraising him.
If you want to be successful at training your dog, you need
to have a good rela onship with him. You need to be the
leader, and he needs to respect you in that posi on. Hewill know his place in his pack, and this will make him feel
secure.
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Its vital that your dog never learns to be afraid of you.
This will interfere with his training, and it will be di cult
to overcome. This is why so many training methods these
days are reward based instead of relying on punishment to
teach a dog to behave.
Here are some sugges ons on how you can have the best
possible rapport with your dog.
1. Feed him. Remember that in the dog pack, thealpha dog is responsible for controlling access toresources, including food. If you are the source of
your dogs daily dinner, hell look up to you and
respect you.
2. Train him. Use food rewards to teach him what you
want him to do, and how you want him to behave.
This too will cement your place as his pack leader. It
will also make him more pleasant to be around and
to take places. Youll spend more me together,
which will increase your connec on with him.
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3. Speak to him calmly. Imagine how your face lookswhen you are angry. Your knit your brows, curl yourlips and roar. This expression isnt all that di erent
to that of an aggressive dog, and your dog will
be scared. Apart from being afraid of you, he will
also feel insecure. Leaders arent supposed to lose
control, and if he cant rely on you to be in charge,hell be nervous. This isnt good for any rela onship,
and it will damage your rela onship with your dog.
4. Groom him regularly. Although bath me may not
be popular, most dogs enjoy being brushed. If youcan learn how to massage him, hell love it even
more. There is a lot you can communicate through
touch.
5. Play games with him. Theres nothing your dog willenjoy more than a good game of ball or tug withyou. When you have fun together, it builds a strong
bond that will make training easier.
6. Never ever strike your dog with your hand, foot oranything else. That sort of treatment will terrifyhim and hell be very reluctant to get close to you.
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He may shrink away when you approach him, and
roll submissively on his back. You can appreciate
how this would really damage your rela onship,
and make it much harder to train him.
Think for a moment about your best friend. How do you
treat them? You dont yell or scream at them, or hit them.
You enjoy sharing fun ac vi es with them, and o en go
out for co ee together. You can use the same rela onship
building techniques with your dog.
A very important part of having a great rela onship with
your dog is being a rm but fair leader. This means you
need to understand about the structure of a dog pack, and
where you need to t in.
Und rstandi g Do Pack Behaviour
Dogs are pack animals. Their social structure consists of
one pack leader, or alpha dog, and the remaining are below
him in status. Each member of the pack has his own place
in the hierarchy, just like steps on a stepladder.
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The pack leader controls how and when the other dogs
have access to all the good things in life.
They are the one who can:
1. Have his meal rst, before any of the other packmembers.
2. Choose where he wants to sit or lie down3. Walk in front of the other pack members4. Partner with the most desirable member of the
opposite gender
In your home, this translates to you being in charge of food,
play me and where your dog sleeps. You dont need to be
harsh or strict with your dog, you just need to be the boss.
If you have more than one dog, youll probably be able
to recognize which dog is the pack leader amongst them.
However, you need to make sure that ul mately you are
the alpha dog in the pack, and even the most dominant
amongst the dogs has to respect that. Dogs are actually
happier when they have a rm and fair pack leader they
can look up to for guidance.
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Becoming Pack Leader
You need to constantly reinforce your posi on as alpha dog
so your dog doesnt get any ideas about becoming the boss.
Here is what you can do to keep your alpha posi on:
1. Train your dog to sit or drop on command, and
prac ce it regularly. Being lower in stature than
another is a submissive posi on, and with you
standing above him, it reinforces your posi on at
the top of the hierarchy.
2. Ask your dog to sit and wait when you put hisdinner bowl down, and dont let him eat un l yougive him the command to do so. The pack leader
controls access to food, and by doing this you are
reminding your dog that you are in charge of what
he gets to eat.
3. If your dog is lying in your way, for example in thehallway or on the couch, dont maneuver aroundhim. He needs to move to make way for you. Theres
no need to be rough, but just ask him to get up and
get out of your way.
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Chapter4Train g Treatsand Equipment
Its safe to say that you do need some equipment to trainyour dog, but the good thing is that you may already have
enough to start with. As me goes on, you can spend a few
dollars on gear that will make life easier for you, but for
now, start with what you have.
The basics you will need to start training are:
1. A collar2. A leash3. Somewhere to keep your treats handy.
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Lets look at dog training equipment in more detail.
Col ars
There are a variety of styles of collars available for dog
training. There are pros and cons to all.
Che k Chains
Also known as choke chains, these are used to correct
your dog when he does the wrong thing, par cularly when
learning to walk nicely beside you. A quick jerk on the chain
gets his a en on pre y quickly!
Many people use these and do have success. If your dog
gets a correc on when he is wandering too far away, hell
soon learn to avoid the correc on by staying close to you.
While this does work, it can take a while for your dog to gure
it out. There is also poten al for causing him injury with
these collars. You will get quicker results for rewarding your
dog when he is walking near you, because youre teaching
him what you do want him to do, rather than correc ng
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him when he gets it wrong. Reward based training is also
much more pleasant for your four legged friend.
Prong c l ar
These collars are also made of chain, but also have a ring of
prongs that point inwards. When you jerk on the leash, theprongs pinch the skin on your dogs neck. People who use
prong collars believe that they are less painful than a check
chain and it takes less physical e ort on your part to correct
your dog. However, they have the same disadvantages
as the check chain: they dont give your dog any directindica on of what you want him to do, and they may cause
injury. These collars are illegal in many parts of the world.
Remot Train g Col arAlso known as an electronic training collar, these collars
give your dog a short, sharp electric shock when he needs
correc on. They have the advantage of being able to correct
your dog from a distance, so you dont need to be right
beside him, or have him on a leash.
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These too have the poten al to cause harm, as dogs can
receive burns to the skin if the collar is used incorrectly.
They too dont give your dog any indica on as to what you
do want.
Fixe Col ars
These are your standard so collars, with either a clip or a
buckle fastening. They dont ghten on your dogs neck so
they give no correc on. They can s ll be pulled or jerked
though. These are all you need if you are using a posi ve
reward based training method with your dog.
To nd the right size for your dog, measure the circumference
of your dogs neck directly behind his ears with a tape
measure. When it is worn, you should be able to t two
ngers between the collar and your dogs neck.
There is one type of xed collar that does ghten a li le,
and its called a mar ngale. Its a gentle alterna ve to a
chain collar if youd prefer to have the op on to correct
your dog while you train him.
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Leash
You have a number of op ons when it comes to choosing a
leash for your dog. Di erent materials and di erent lengths
all serve di erent purposes.
Canvas and nylon leashes are available in pet stores and
through websites or catalogs. They come in an wide range
of colors, so youre sure to nd one to match your dogs
collar.
Leather leashes are also popular, but they cost a bit more
than a canvas or nylon leash. This means theyre not a good
op on if your dog likes to chew their leash.
Chain leashes are uncomfortable to hold. Imagine how
your hands would feel if youre holding a chain leash and
your dog runs o . Ouch! Theyre not recommended at all
for training dogs.
The most common leash length for basic obedience training
is 4 foot long. This length keeps your dog nearby, and isnttoo awkward or unwieldy to move from hand to hand.
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When you graduate to more distant work such as the sit-
stay and drop-stay, a longer leash is useful. Try a 6 foot
leash when your dog is learning these exercises.
Retractable leashes are not at all suitable for dog training,
as the handle is too cumbersome to work with.
Treat S orage
If youre going to reward your dog with treats as you train
him, youll need to keep them nearby.
The least expensive way of doing this is storing your treats
in a small plas c takeaway container, and keeping it nearby
as you train.
This works ne if you are at home, but its not convenientif you want to con nue your training as you walk along the
sidewalk, or if you go to a dog club.
Pet stores and online retailers sell dedicated treat bags,
which clip onto your belt. These are another op on to
consider if youre looking to purchase something to keep
your rewards in.
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Whatever you choose to use, make sure it is easy to clean
so you dont have traces of spoiled food le behind a er a
training session.
Head Col ars
Head collars such as Gentle Leaders and Hal s are a good
alterna ve to a training collar, especially if your dog is big
and boisterous.
These collars allow you to gently maneuver your dogs headso he goes in the direc on you want him to. Its the same as
youd do if you were leading a horse on a head halter.
They are gentle on your dog, but it will take a li le while for
your dog to get used to wearing one. They s ll have somepoten al for injury if your jerk on your dogs head while he
is wearing one.
HarnesHarnesses are handy for walking your dog, especially if he
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has a sore neck, or for keeping him safe in the car. Because
your dog can pull with his shoulders while wearing a harness,
he may pull even harder. Theyre not recommended for dog
training because they dont allow you to direct your dogs
head, and keep his a en on on you.
Training Toys
If your dog doesnt like treats, or is on a diet, you may want
to play with him. Tug toys are par cularly good as a training
reward. Many people believe playing tug o with a dog
encourages aggression and dominance in dogs. This isnt
the case if it is done properly. There is more informa on on
how to play with your dog later in this program.
Train g Treats?
Treats are basically a form of currency for your dog. Just asyou go to work and are paid for it, you can pay your dog
for doing the right thing with a tasty reward.
Weve already discussed how your dog is more likely to
repeat a behavior if he is rewarded for it, and a delicious
piece of diced chicken or sliced hot dog is the perfect salary
for him.
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Cho sing Do Treats
Its very important that you choose the right treat for your
dog, otherwise it wont work. A treat has to be special, so
dont even think about using your dogs regular kibble. He
wont be interested in that at all.
Every dog has a di erent favorite food, so experiment with
your training partner and see what he likes best. Try some
diced cooked chicken, sliced hot dog, dried liver and even
some small cubes of cheese to see what he prefers.
You may nd he likes all of them; thats great, it means you
can add variety to your training.
Keep your treats small, so your dog can gobble them quickly.
This allows you to repeat the behavior several mes during
a training session, to reinforce it be er.
He wont spend several minutes chewing and swallowing
before you can try again.
Keep in mind that your dog will be ge ng a lot of treats
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in the early stages of his training, so if possible, use treats
with nutri onal value.
How T Use Tr atsThere are two ways you can use treats.
1. To reward a behavior that you like. Under thesecircumstances, your dog shouldnt see the treat,otherwise its a lure. Give him a command, and
when he obeys, then he gets the tasty snack.
Make sure you reward him at the exact me heis doing what you ask; that way he will recognize
what the reward is for, and is more likely to do it
again.
If you are teaching him to drop, and youre slowto get his treat to him, you may nd he thinks hes
ge ng the treat for ge ng up!
2. As men oned, the treat can be used to lure your
dog to do a par cular behavior. When he has got it
right, he then gets to eat the snack.
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End Part 1!
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