The best thing you can do for your dog—starting as young as possible—is to socialize her to a wide variety of experiences. The goal is to teach your dog to be comfortable in all the potentially stressful situations she might encounter.
Tag Archives | training
Stop Bad Behavior
There’s one good way to stop your dog from doing things you don’t want him to do: Give him something better to do instead, and reward him for doing it, as explained in our page on Teach Yes, Not No.
Training Your Dog, Kindergarten to College
No matter what you’re trying to train your dog to do (or not do), the key to success is to start slowly and work gradually. It’s like grades in school.
Use Consistent Commands
Actually, Dog Momma prefers to say “cues” instead of “commands.” A command is harsh, an imposition of your will on the dog. A cue is assertive without being aggressive; it tells the dog what behavior is going to work for both of you in the current situation.
Appropriate Barking
The first step to controlling your dog’s barking is to understand what the dog is trying to communicate.
Read (and Use) Your Dog’s Signals
Imagine how you’d feel if you moved to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and they don’t speak yours. How would you communicate?
Clicker = Training Magic
The clicker is a wonderful training tool! It gives you a clear way to tell your dog “yes” in the moment she is doing something good. You “mark” the desired behavior by clicking at the exact moment the dog does what you want her to do—or, in the early stages, comes close to doing it. Dogs are very good at remembering what action brought the click—and therefore the treat.
Give Good Rewards
In order to do any training at all, you have to find a reward that is meaningful to your dog.
Teach Yes, Not No
Always look for the “yes” in every situation. In other words, what IS acceptable right now? Don’t get into the routine of saying “no” all the time; this will be no fun for you or your dog. Positive reinforcement is a phrase we’ve all heard; this article breaks the concept down into a few good examples.
Premier Pet Treat Pouch
Are you training your dog? GOOD! You will love this treat pouch. Or you could buy it as a gift for your favorite dog-training friend or relative. They will love that you took the care to get them something really useful.
Control Yourself, Control Your Dog
Often times when dogs feel uneasy, there is an uneasy human around. Focus on good energy for yourself, and the dogs will follow.
Be the Pack Leader
When it comes to dogs, you’ve probably heard “be the boss” or “the alpha” or even the “pack leader”. Read here to understand more about what it all means. It’s part “power” but also a lot of listening, communicating and teaching.
Training Treats
Join the fun! Treats are great for teaching your dog new skills, and just for fun too. This article describes the characteristics of good, healthy training treats that your dog will never tire of.
Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test
For anyone wondering about testing for the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification, this series walks you through training for, finding, and passing the test. There are many benefits of pursuing CGC certification with your dog.
Home Alone, Part 3: Training the Human
How you feel and act when you leave the house and when you come back will affect how your dog behaves. Dogs are highly sensitive to our feelings. So this post is about training yourself to help your dog be comfortable while home alone.
Home Alone, Part 2: Walks Make It Work
No one likes to be cooped up all day. Giving your dog plenty of exercise will help her stay happy and calm when she’s home alone. Once you and your dog have learned to walk nicely together, get in the habit of going for a walk before you leave for work and again when you get home.
Home Alone, Part 1: The Basics of Leaving Your Dog
Dogs absolutely can learn to be home without humans—and without doing the kinds of things humans don’t like, such as chewing sofa cushions. You just have to take it slowly, as with anything you try to teach.
Dog Tricks: Spin, Crawl and Roll Over
This training video shows you how to train three fun dog tricks: Spin, Crawl and Roll Over. Grab your treats and your clicker; the training’s a cinch!
Training to be a Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
This article includes reasons you might want to pursue Canine Good Citizenship, and outlines the requirements for achieving it. This is the first in a series. We will take you through a training program and ultimately the test itself.
Leadership
The word “leadership” has become a popular sound bite, which is kind of good. However, some people misinterpret the meaning, which is bad. This article summarizes the meaning of leadership related in the context of dogs.
