How To Train A Puppy The Easy Way

How to train a puppy the easy way implies 3 components - simple, cheap, and of high quality.

Taking a pup to an obedience class may be high quality and simple, but it ain't cheap.

Doing it yourself (DIY) without expert guidance may be simple and cheap but not very effective.

The solutions -
DIY with Expert Guidance

House Training a puppy

Puppy Obedience Training

Preventing Dog And Puppy Aggression

Also see Stop Puppy Biting

So what's your choice? You need all three types of training. Train easy or train hard - it's up to you - the dog trainer!

The Ultimate SECRET To Puppy Obedience Training - It's Up To You, The Trainer

What's the ultimate SECRET to Puppy Obedience Training?

Without a doubt, it's the

Trainer's ability to GET and MAINTAIN the puppy's attention.

If you do NOT have the dog's attention, he will not learn and you will not teach anything . . . ever.

If you really want a well-trained, obedient dog, learn Puppy Obedience Training commands from an expert Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Beth Ostrowski-Parks. She has a puppy obedience training DVD called It's PAWSIBLE! Dog and Puppy Training DVD.

Here's the review of this DVD that can help you train your dog step by step in a few weeks: http://www.squidoo.com/Dog-Training-DVD-Review

The following video demonstrates how It's PAWSIBLE! works:

Molding Your Pup's Behavior By Finding The Solutions To Puppy Training Problems

New puppy owners get so enthralled with canine cuteness they forget about the house messing, mouthing and biting, and the confusion caused by lack of discipline.

When reality and lack of sleep hits them a few days later, many new owners cry for HELP!

OOPS!!

How do I stop puppy biting and mouthing?

Do I need to watch this puppy every second?

Does crate training work?

What's the best way to teach leash training?

Why won't this dog come when I call him?

Solving puppy training problems - puppy housetraining, puppy obedience training, and puppy anti-aggression training - all need to be addressed.

Here's the site to visit to tackle these issues:
http://squidoo.com/solving-puppy-training-problems.

Puppy Training Problems - Obedience And House Training Your Puppy

Anyone with a new puppy knows the common puppy training problems:

Your cute puppy:

• Messes in the house
• Will not come when called
• Pulls on his leash
• Bites everyone and everything
• Wakes up every three hours at night - whining pitifully
  

Need solutions?

Check out a new ebook designed to address these problems plus many more puppy training problems.

It's called
As Long As You Have A Dog, Puppy Training Never Ends!

Obedience Training For Puppies - The Leave It Command

Alvin Demonstrates Leave It - The Cookie Is Left!

One of the most valuable commands in puppy obedience training is Leave It. If you add these words to your pup's vocabulary, you can prevent destruction of items of value and ensure your pup's safety.

As explained in the It's Pawsible! Dog Training and Puppy Training DVD, teaching the command is done in phases. (If you are unfamiliar with this instructional tool, it emphasizes basic obedience training for puppies and dogs.)

In Phase 1 of the Leave It command, your pup is on a leash so he can't get the treat you want him to wait for. You (hopefully) can forget the leash in Phase 2. And in Phase 3, not only is he off leash, but he has to do something else before he can get the treat. See Puppy Training Tip - The Leave It Command for details.

Alvin's trained to Leave It. He demos the command in the VID here.

Simon's too much of a chowhound - he's still on leash, but I see the encouraging signs of less strain on the leash and more restraint on his part.

My experience is that although the Leave It command takes a while to perfect, it's worth the effort. Say the command at the right moment, and your obedient pup will literally Leave It (alone). If it's something dangerous, like scissors or a knife, you've saved the pup from injury. If's it's a dangerous substance, like a prescription pill, you've saved a trip to the vet.

COME Command Not Working? Solution: The Recall Game!

Does your dog look the other way when you say Come?
(This is Alvin's modus operandi)

RECALL This! I Ain't Moving.

Or does he run happily to you EVERY time you use the Come command?
(This is Simon's modus operandi)

So what happened so that one dog ignores the command and the other enthusiastically bounds to you every time you issue the command?

DRUM ROLL please!

Training of course! And taking advantage of puppy shadowing. And playing The Recall Game!

How can you find out about The Recall Game? On a dog forum! Many dog forum threads are fluff, or drippy, or spam. But on occasion, a thread will communicate a workable idea.

The Recall Game is such a post. It's a step-by-step explanation of how to get your dog to come every time, no exceptions. Best of all - your dog will love playing this game!

valmillsy

P.S. Always remember (and never forget) to check out the "Bible" of Dog Training, the best-selling Kingdom of Pets Secrets To Dog Training:

More Obedience Tips From the Certified Dog Trainer

Simon Sez: "But I AM Down"

Yesterday was the third puppy social Simon and I attended. We both gain from these events. He socializes and I learn from the trainer-in-charge who held an informal mini-class for the owners.

Here's the tips I picked up from the social:

Instant Down Command
You want your pup to lie down without a hand signal. Say the word Down BEFORE you lure the dog into a down. Saying Down as you lure doesn't work. The action requires a lot of repetition.

Training Food
I'm using hotdogs as training treats. Problem is - Alvin and Simon are refusing their normal meals of kibbles - they expect hotdogs at meal time.

The trainer's comment was a simple "They won't starve themselves. They'll learn that meal time doesn't include hotdogs." In other words, don't worry about it!

Train Stay and Come As Separate Commands
I got into the habit as requesting a Stay followed by a Come. I noticed the dogs' anticipation of Come after a Stay. They both start moving to the expected reward.

These two commands should NOT be coupled to avoid the reaction I noticed.

These training tweaks are incorporated into the do-it-yourself DVD and Dog Training Guide I've been referencing (see Time To Check With The Experts), but I've been ignoring my own advice! Duh!

valmillsy

Five Reasons Why Dog Owners Flunk Dog Obedience Training

Simon Sez: Sure, whatever you say,
I'm always obedient!

Thousands of dogs end up in shelters every year. The main reason for this is owner lack of commitment. Puppy owners will try dog obedience classes and not follow through with reinforcement training at home. The puppy grows quickly into an unmanageable dog.

If you have a puppy or recently got a dog, understand that consistent, continuous obedience training is necessary to co-exist peacefully with your dog. Without it, life with your dog may be chaotic.

Consider dog obedience training a course you need to be enrolled in all the time. At first, you’ll be going to classes all the time. The better you get at obedience training your dog, the fewer classes you need to attend. But you can never drop out of the dog obedience training course. And failure means you may need to find your dog a new home. Can you put up with a dog like Marley from the movie “Marley & Me?”

Here are the reasons why YOU might fail dog obedience training:

Thinking You Can Train Your Dog Without Help
With the exception of professional dog trainers and expert dog owners, most people need help with obedience training. Questions arise all the time – how often do I need to train? How do I get the dog to stop pulling on the leash? How do I get my dog to come when called?

Find a few knowledgeable resources – the vet office staff, a friend with a dog, dog forums, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a dog training DVD, a dog training book, Internet web sites for dog training tips – and get the answers to your questions.

Not Getting the Dog’s Attention Before Issuing a Command
If your dog’s attention is focused on the squirrel crossing the street as you say “Sit,” don’t expect it to happen. YOU have to get the dog’s attention first. This is an issue with a puppy with an attention span of a microsecond, but think about it – puppies can focus – how long did he focus on the squirrel? You need to make yourself the center of his attention.

Lack of Patience
This is THE biggie, especially when you have a puppy. They whine, wiggle, jump, chew, bite, pull on the leash, and are generally puppylike. But even a young pup can learn to sit fairly easily. And you can move on from there, step by step. Dog and puppy obedience training REQUIRES patience.

Inconsistent Application of Commands
Training happens every day and is connected with everyday activities – it does not always need to be formal. Suppose you have been getting your dog to sit while you put on his leash or before you put down his food dish. Then you forget for a few days. Now the dog’s confused – do I need to sit or not? This happens when different family members attend to the dog’s needs.

No “Connection” with Your Dog
So you come home from work, let the dog outside, feed him, and then forget he exists. Or you go to the super pet store to buy dog food and don’t bring the dog. And you have no idea where the nearest dog park is located.

In other words, your dog’s not a family member, just a part of the home landscape. Maybe that’s the way you treat your other family members?

Parting Words
You can learn to train your dog. And you can both live together in peace. Think about the reverse of each of the reasons for failure described above. You do love your dog, don’t you?

valmillsy