Category: <span>Dog Training</span>

Category: Dog Training

Dog Training, Tips

Great Ways for Dog Trainers To Relax

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The lifestyle of a dog trainer can be quite demanding. If you talk to your friends who’ve never trained dogs before, the odd this is that they might be surprised to hear it. People think that just because it’s not a desk job or something that requires strict hours that dog training is just another walk in the park, so to speak.

This may be true if you’re a part-time dog trainer just trying to make a few extra bucks as your schedule allows. However, seasoned dog trainers know that it takes an awful lot of skill, dedication, and determination to get the pups trained for top performance. Sure there’s basic home training, which all of us may participate into some extent. But where the real fun and competition comes in is training for dog shows. The stakes are high and there is a lot of money involved. Not only do you have to prepare your trainees to compete with the best of the best, but you also have high-paying dog owners to please and to answer to.

A hard workweek in the pit can leave you feeling exhausted not only physically and mentally, but also emotionally. Looking for some good ways to recoup and get ready for more challenges ahead after a demanding work week? Here are some suggestions for taking it easy:

Socialize With Your Friends and Colleagues

The tried and true way to set your mind at ease after a hard week of work is to go out and spend some time with your friends, and preferably your colleagues. Friends are always important, but it’s even more effective if you are friendly with the people you work with. Try getting a group together Friday after work to quickly grab some snacks, have a drink or two, and simply unwind. The great thing about spending time with colleagues, in particular, is that you all work on the same or similar types of projects, so you all understand the jargon of your industry. You can really get into the nitty-gritty of what’s been driving you nuts at work and relate to one another about their problems and difficulties as well.

Take A Trip To The Spa

If you’ve had a particularly hard week or even a run of them, it doesn’t hurt to give yourself some pampering every once in a while at the spa. There are so many things you can do there. Try just going for a dip in the hot tub to get your feet wet. It’s relatively inexpensive and it can be incredibly relaxing. Follow that up with a session in the sauna, which will really make your body tingle from within and leave you feeling great. Many people say that there are some valuable health benefits from spending time in the sauna. If you can afford it, you may even want to splurge and go for a massage. They’re definitely on the pricier side, but you won’t regret it if you can make the time and the money for it.

Get Plenty Of Food, Rest, and Exercise

Of course, you can always make the case for going back to basics. Making sure you’re taking care of yourself is probably the best way to make sure you’re well recuperated and in a good position to perform your best as you get back to it on Monday. Making sure you get plenty of sleep is first and foremost. Surprisingly, exercise is incredibly helpful for your body. Hopefully, you get to exercise all throughout the week, and if you don’t you should. Your exercise on the weekends should be relatively light so that you can recover, but you want to keep your body moving. Finally, make sure to feed your body the fuel it needs to recover and rebuild. I’m not going to pretend to be a nutritionist so consult a professional, but I tend to stick with whole foods that make me feel great.

So next time you’re feeling like the wind has been knocked from your sails after a long and strenuous week give one of these tricks a try. You may just be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Dog Training, Puppies

How to Choose a Dog Crate for Your Pup

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We all love our canine friends and want them to be comfortable both in and out of our homes. Giving them special homes of their own is one of the keys to this comfort. When we buy a dog crate, we want to be sure we are giving our pets the best, and before we can do this, we need to know a few things.

What Size Is Your Dog?

You can’t start looking for a crate until you know what size you need. Your first steps are to take the height, length, and weight of your dog. To find the height, measure from the shoulder to the floor, and for length, find out the distance from nose to tail.

One thing to note is that if your dog is not full grown, you could be letting yourself in for multiple purchases. If you would rather buy one crate, instead of measuring do some research to find out the average size of the adults in your puppy’s breed. Purchase based on this calculation.

Another point to consider is that your cage must accommodate not only your dog but also whatever you choose to put with it. Toys, dishes, and especially cushions might require you to increase your measurements in order to keep your dog comfortable.

What Are Your Dog’s Needs?

Crates are generally metal, plastic, soft-sided, or wooden. The kind of crate you buy will depend first on the strength of your dog. Of course, you don’t want to buy a crate that he or she will destroy in a matter of minutes or hours, so you need to consider the different materials available and their advantages and disadvantages. Metal crates, for example, are unbelievably strong if made well, but they are pathetically weak if not.

You also need to look at your puppy’s individual personality and issues. If your puppy suffers from separation anxiety, for example, you will want to go with a plastic crate which keeps it from seeing too much. Should you plan for your puppy to stay outside, you will need a wooden crate to protect it from the elements. Then, too, if you want to crate train your dog, you will be happier with a metal option as they are easier to clean.

However, it is possible that no one particular kind will seem to suit your pet, in which case you might need to get creative. If you want the strength of the metal but the emotional security of the plastic, for example, you can try covering a metal crate with blankets.

What About Very Small and Very Large Dogs?

For the miniatures of the dog world, you will need to be extra careful. Although these dogs will not have the strength of bigger dogs, there are peculiarities to which you must pay attention. For instance, small mouths can get into small gaps and chew, so make sure the doors of your crate are particularly secure. Likewise, if you are crate training, it is especially tricky to get a crate the right size for a small dog. You want to choose one big enough for it to be comfortable but small enough to prevent its sectioning it off for doing its business and resting.

Similarly, for large dogs, you want a crate that will keep them comfortable but will not give them room to run around. A crate is a resting place, not a play yard. Wooden crates are often suitable for exceptionally large dogs outside, while metal ones may work best inside.

There are a number of factors in choosing a suitable dog crate for your pet, but the best judgments will come from knowing your animal well. There is no crate perfect for all dogs, but there is one just right for yours.

Dog Training, Puppies

Dog Training Basics

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A puppy can be a great addition to the family. Puppies are fun and they are great companions, however, owning a puppy is a lot of work. When the puppy first comes home, it is important that you start training him immediately. Not only will this save you a lot of stress and aggravation, it will also save your furniture and floors. Training a puppy isn’t as difficult as you may think. As long as you are patient and you know what you are doing, your puppy should learn quickly.

#1 Teach Your Dog His Name

The first thing that you should do right when your puppy gets home is to teach him his name. He is going to need to know his name when you are calling him or scolding him. When you are speaking to your puppy, use his name often. You may be tempted to use cute nicknames for your puppy, however, this is a bad idea. Calling your puppy by more than one name will only confuse him. To start teaching him his name, call him from the other side of the room. If he comes to you, reward him with a treat. You should do this several times a day. Within a few days, he will know his name.

#2 Decide the House Rules

When your puppy comes home, you are going to need to think about the rules. Is he going to be allowed to jump up on the furniture? If he going to be allowed in the bedrooms? These are rules that need to be decided early on and you need to stick to them. If you let the puppy on the couch one day and then yell at him for jumping on the couch the next, he will become confused and he will never learn the rules.

#3 Potty Training

Potty training takes a lot of time and even more patience. Your puppy is going to need to go out to the bathroom several times each day. If you are home with your puppy all day, you should take him outside every hour. When he does his business outside, you should praise him and reward him with a treat. If your puppy messes in the house, you should use a strong, stern voice to let him know that what he did was wrong. You should never, under any circumstances, hit your puppy for going to the bathroom in the house. This won’t help him learn, it will only make him afraid of you. If you are not going to be home all day, you might want to put your puppy in a crate while you are gone. This will keep him from doing his business in the house. If you focus on your puppy’s training, he should start going outside every time within a few weeks to a month. You need to remember to be patient with him.

#4 Avoid Biting or Nipping

It is important that you stop your puppy from nipping and biting as soon as the behavior starts. If he is biting or nipping at you, use a stern voice and tell him no. If you have bonded with your puppy, you should pretend that he is hurting you when he bites. This may scare him enough to never bite you again. If all else fails, give your puppy a chew toy to take his focus off of biting you. When you are in a situation with your puppy where he will normally bite or nip and he doesn’t, praise him and give him a treat as a reward.

#5 Keep Your Puppy From Jumping

When guests come to your home, they aren’t going to want your puppy jumping all over them. It is important to break your puppy out of this habit early on. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to stop the behavior. Start by having someone walk in your home. When the puppy jumps on them, tell the puppy in a stern, strong voice to get down. You can also point at the floor to let your puppy know what you want him to do. If he listens, praise him and give him a reward. Next, wait about 10 minutes and have someone come through the door again and repeat the same steps. He might not get it in one training session, however, after a few days of training, he will learn that he cannot jump on your guests when they come through the door.

Important Tips To Remember

• It is important that you understand how your puppy thinks. If you find that you dog messed on the carpet but you don’t know when it happened, you should not reprimand him. Puppies and older dogs live in the moment. This means that a few minutes after they break a rule, they will forget. If your puppy messed on the carpet an hour before, he won’t know why you are reprimanding him later.

• Praise and reward are the best training tools that you have. While using a strong, stern voice is a good idea if your puppy breaks a rule, you should never, ever use corporal punishment. If you hit your puppy, he will grow up nervous and afraid of you.

• When training your puppy, you cannot take a day off. In order for your training sessions to be effective, you need to be consistent. This is the only way to turn your free-spirited puppy into a well-behaved member of the family. The only way to make him learn is to be patient and consistent with the training.

Training your puppy properly is very important starting the day you bring him home. The sooner he learns the rules of the house and he starts following them, the sooner you will be able to enjoy your new best friend.