Working with your dog? These five tips will help you get the most out of your dog training session:

1. Stay Calm: Getting anxious or upset will only frustrate you and your dog.  Staying calm will help you to connect with your dog and prove to you and your dog that you have confidence to be a reliable leader.  This will help you to build trust with your dog and to speed up training.

2. Be Consistent: Consistency is possibly the most important thing to remember.  Dogs are creatures of habit. Having a consistent daily routine as well as consistent training and direction will help your dog to feel more comfortable with its surroundings.  This in turn will aid you in the work you do with your dog.  Try to keep things such as feeding time, play time, training time, quiet time, and bed time consistent. Also be consistent with your expectations.  Don’t say a command one day and then change it the next (i.e. don’t say “down” when you mean “off”; don’t say “wait” when you mean “stay” and vice versa.)  This should apply to praise and direction as well.  Don’t be over the top gushy on one day and then barely acknowledge an achievement the next day.

3. Be Kind – Not Easy: Dogs are very astute at picking out a ‘soft touch’ as well as learning each of our weaknesses. Be fair to your dog.  Make sure they understand the result you are trying to reach and the trigger word.  However, once they know the commands, don’t allow them to get away without following them.  Don’t make excuses for your dog not following through on a command. And don’t let things that you once trained slide or old habits that have been broken creep back in.

4. Always Think Ahead: Don’t allow your dog or yourself to be put in a compromised situation.  Always scout areas for training or exercise before you take your dog there.  Remember to take any supplies or training equipment you might need.  Consider making a bag to take with you or using a check list.  Also, keep your eyes and ears open for any distractions that may come up.

5. Know When to Say When: When training, don’t push things too far.  If you’ve had a great 45 minute training session with your dog and they are starting to tire, then call it quits.  You should always end on a good note.  If your training session is not going well, then work on easier skills you have already achieved for 5-10 minutes and then end the session.  If you’ve had a really bad day and you’re unable to focus on training, then focus on management.  Work on sharpening old commands, try doing a series of commands before you throw a ball.  Think of ways to fulfill your dog’s needs without allowing their training to regress.  Trying to train when you are unable to focus on your dog will do neither of you any good.

This article was written by Dog Trainer  John Adams from  Dogheart in Ann Arbor, MI.

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Seven guide dogs need homes temporarily while their owners are away. Volunteers will be trained so that they can look after the dogs.

According to the local Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, it would be better if the boarder will be able to look after the dogs all of the time. The candidates would be those who are retired, working from home, or those who are able to take the dog to their workplace.

Homes must be big enough to house a large dog and the garden must be safe and secure. It is preferred that there are no other pets.

The guide dog will have to walk at least twice a day and must follow a set of rules on exercise, grooming and diet.

If there is any variation in the routine of the dog, it can affect its ability to guide and if the rules are broken, the dog may have to be retrained which costs quite a lot.

At the moment when their owners are unable to look after them they’re flown to a guide dog training centre in Exeter, which is time consuming and expensive.

Ken Syvret is chairman of the Jersey branch of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. He said that,”It’s not a difficult job we’re asking people to do but it is one that is important as far as the dogs health and care is concerned.

“There are three things we need to look at, the feeding of the dog, the grooming of the dog and more importantly the walking of the dog,” said Ken.

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Training Bo Obama was Dawn’s job. There was a lot of buzz when the new first dog came to the White House in April . But there have been lots of work before Bo Obama made his first appearance.

“I knew just from having him with me that he was going to be a perfect dog for the perfect family,” said Dawn Sylvia Stasiewicz. She is the founder of Merit Puppy Training, who trained Bo for several months before a top-secret meeting at the White House.

“We all sat on the floor and I introduced Bo and he took right to them and they to him,” Dawn said.

“It was just a regular weekend with the kids and I happened to be there for them to meet the dog,” Dawn recalled.

The success of Dawn started when she trained Cappy, the dog of the late Senator Ted Kennedy. This led to relationship with the Kennedys that lasted 10 years.

“Going to their house was like going to a friend’s house,”Dawn said.

Dawn said that she will continue to train all dogs like top dogs.

(photo credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bo_official_portrait.jpg)

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You may have what it takes to be a dog whisperer. Listen to John Spieser’s insight on this topic.

John Spieser of dogheart, speaking from the Ambassadors for Dogs Training Seminar #1.  This is a training series that trains people to advocate and then train dogs.  ”It’s like people training for dogs.”  John gives his criteria for what it takes to be a dog whisperer.  About a 42 second gem from the series!

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Dog Training – Why You Should Never Shout 0r Yell At Your Dog

If you have a new puppy in the house and are unclear about whether or not you should use yelling as a way to get him to stop doing something wrong or barking too much, then this article should clear up your confusion.  If anything, you should learn the simple fact that yelling at your dog it does nothing to fix a problem, stop what he’s doing, or induce any type of positive reinforcement.

Yes your dog may stop doing a certain activity temporarily after yelling at him, but he will only return to whatever behavior he was displaying which made you angry in the first place. Why? Because when you shout at your dog it does nothing to fix the issue, yelling only works as a temporary solution.

Most puppies think of their owners as other dogs. And when you start yelling at your pet, it only increases how excited he is about the situation. You also cause your dog to create a negative association between yelling and how he feels around you.  He will soon start to connect yelling with the idea that he is disliked or unwanted, and will not have the ability to know that he is actually breaking a rule that you are trying to establish.

Not All Loud Voice Commands Are Bad

Even though yelling at your dog is considered to be of poor communication skills, there are definitely times when you need to firm up the tone of your voice and change the way you come across to him.  There are three general forms of communication in terms of the way you speak to your dog that you can apply:

1. The soothing tone of voice. A soothing and delightful tone of voice should be used whenever you want to give praise to your dog. When you communicate this way, you should be able to relax and soothe him as opposed to creating excitability. Speaking to your puppy in a soothing tone of voice makes him feel secure and proud knowing that you are happy with him.

2. The second tone of voice used when communicating with your dog is more of a direct tone as if you are talking to a colleague. A direct tone would be the same way you give commands to your puppy when you want to get his attention. It should be short, firm, and authoritative.

3. The third general tone of voice you can use with your dog is more of a disciplinary tone. However, you must learn to draw a fine line between a disciplinary tone and a yelling tone.  Remember, you do not want to yell your dog but there are certainly times when you need to get across to him to back away from something quickly or to stop doing something immediately, all without actually scaring him off with shouting. Personally, I like to use two syllables such as “No Bark” or “Sadie Off”.

Stay in charge and calm when using this tone of voice. Don’t get emotional.

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Patch

There are probably as many dog training methods as there are dog trainers out in the world of dogs. Each dog trainer has a particular spin on dog training. Every dog trainer needs to motivate a dog in a way so that the dog behaves in a desired way.

So dog training methods are based in motivation of the dog. What motivates you the most? Is it when someone yells at you? Maybe you really appreciate this if it happens infrequently and right before your about to hit by a bus!

If someone yells at you all the time, chances are you’re going to tune it out or normalize it in your head. It just won’t matter, but it will still be pretty annoying. That’s how I’ve seen it with dogs.

I have friends who (try to) motivate their dogs by yelling at them. No they SCREAM! at them. The dogs don’t care any more. They’ve learned to tune it out.

I’m a proponent of sane living so I like it when I see a dog trainer talking peacefully to a dog. Seeing a dog responding to this kind of dog training method gives me hope for a saner world.

You can talk to you dog in a normal voice and expect response. Sometimes you’ll need to increase your energy, but you know your dog will listen to you because that is something out of the ordinary and your dog is going to be surprised, if not curious.

Getting your dog’s attention is a key part of the dog trainer’s dog training method. How you choose to communicate with your dog speaks volumes about your relationship with your dog.

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