Sure enough, keeping dogs at home should provide your loved ones with enough security and not that they will cause harm on anyone. You will not also like it when your neighbors complain that your pet has ransacked their properties or worse, have bitten someone in the area. Therefore, the more that you should pay attention to having your dog trained properly.

Are you planning to train your dog by yourself? Here are the steps that you need to take note of in dog obedience training. But remember; don’t ever move to the next step when your pet has not yet mastered the previous one!

The difficulty of the commands start from the basics to the most advanced. For starters, teach your pet the easiest instructions first. These are “sit”, “stand”, “stop”, “come”, and the likes. Be sure that he is able to learn all of these before starting with a new set. Always use these commands so he will be able to remember them.

Keep in mind your dog’s genetic makeup. Some breeds have their specializations so you must concentrate on harnessing their skills and capabilities.

Take note of the duration of time when teaching a new command. Don’t bombard your dog with several commands all at the same time. Also make sure that you use the praise or reward and punishment method. Your voice should likewise sound positive when giving praises and be unyielding when there is a need to reprimand him.

Ensure that your dog is physically comfortable as the training exercises are performed. Dogs get tired easily so don’t strain him that much.

Execute the dog obedience training sessions in a distraction-free area. As the response turns positive, gradually add more distractions like bouncing balls, doing the jumping jack, running around, throwing treats to him, and many others. But don’t overdo the use of distractions as it may frighten your pet.

Practice giving commands in a variety of surfaces. Some of these include the cement sidewalks, on sand, on dirt, on the grass-covered lawns, on a chair or table, low wall, logs, and many others.

Give commands while you are walking down the street, while you are in the pet supply outlet, or wherever you may be with your dog.

There is actually no best time of the day to administer the dog obedience training sessions. What matters is that both you and your dog should be up to it, in the mood, and in good physical condition.

And these are what trainers of agility dogs and hunting dogs use to control the actions of these dogs while in the field. By using the right hand signals during dog training, they can make the dogs turn left or right, go fast, stop, or stay put. Now, you can also do these to your pet without using verbal commands. Learn these first three hand signals and teach them to your dog while doing dog obedience training.

1. For the “sit” command, here’s the hand signal: bend your arm upwards at the elbow and then raise your hand with fist closed up to your head’s side while you command your dog to sit simultaneously. Keep on doing these hand movements while commanding your dog to sit. Later on, your pet will soon learn how to associate the hand signal with your vocal command. Now, if you are not able to get your dog’s attention the first time you try the hand signal, don’t punish it. Instead, keep trying or better yet, make sure you have a leash in your left hand.

2. For the “down” command, the hand signal is just like when you are asking someone to sit down at the same time saying, “Have a seat.” To teach your dog the hand signal for down, you need to hold your arm out towards your pet and then lower your hand, on which your palm faces down towards the floor. While doing this, give the “down” command, and your dog will follow your hand signal into the down position. Just like in the sit hand signal, keep repeating this until your dog learns to associate the lowering of your hand towards the floor as part of the “down” command.

3. For the “stay” command, first, put your dog into the sit or down position. Afterwards, hold out your arm towards your pet, with your palm’s position similar to that of a policeman who’s using hand signal to stop traffic. And just like in the previous two commands, do this at the same time command your dog to “stay”, with your firm tone of voice. If at first, your dog does not follow, try it again until he recognizes that hand signal means “down”.

Using hand signals can really do a lot when training your dog. Although you may find it difficult to make your dog obey at first, don’t give up, but instead keep repeating the signals until it understands what you are trying to communicate. Take note that if you are consistent and thorough in showing your pet those hand signals, the faster it will respond.

Secrets to Dog Training – Stop your Dog’s Behavior Problems!

What Is It?

Secrets to Dog Training presents an unusually detailed and thorough look at how to both prevent and deal with the more common problem behaviors exhibited by dogs. As the owner of a moderately troublesome mutt myself, I’ve spent a fair amount of time searching the Net for reliable resources on this topic, and I have to say that the level of knowledge and detail contained within the pages of this compendium is unusually exacting for an online book.

Not only that, but – again, unusually for this medium – the information at hand is actually (gasp!) reliable. Yes, that’s right – this one’s a whole new kettle of fish. Written by a seasoned dog trainer, you can relax in the knowledge that all the tips and advice included are tried and true, and come from Stevens’ real-life experiences as a professional dog trainer. There is also a straight-talking, easy to follow 30-minute downloadable video which provides real-life examples of doggy bad behavior along with solutions and remedies to change them.

What’s Covered?

There’s a pretty impressive range of information packed into this guide. It’s not just the problem behaviors that are covered: the book starts off with new-owner advice (how to choose a puppy/dog, the best places to get one from, breed information, puppy/dog-proofing your home, the first vet visit, housetraining, etc) and then moves on to the more advanced stuff: behavioral problems (such as aggression, dominance, chewing, digging, excessive barking, separation anxiety, to name a few), intermediate-level obedience commands, health-related dog problems (allergies, cat/dog coexistence, fleas, heatstroke, and so on), and advanced commands and tricks.

The 30-minute downloadable video gives a great insight into a dog’s quest to be the alpha dog and how you can prevent this. Its quick steps to stop bad behaviors such as housebreaking right through to leash pulling are so simple you can start trying them out on your dog straight away.
Particularly Good Parts

In addition to the contents listed above, there’s also a pretty impressive section on dog whispering, which – in case you haven’t heard of it already – is a method of dog training based on a philosophy of clear communication and mutual respect. It’s been popularized in recent years by Cesar Millan (“The Dog Whisperer”), and is becoming increasingly well-known as an alternative and humane method for disciplining and training your dog. Secrets to Dog Training has dedicated an entire section to dog whispering: Daniel Stevens explains the background of the technique, how to utilize voice and body language to your best advantage, and how to use the technique to calmly, assertively, and effectively correct and train your dog. Step-by-set instructions are included for the common commands (sit, down, come, stay, quiet, etc).

It makes for some pretty interesting reading – and, after trying out the basics on my own recalcitrant pooch, I was amazed at how effective the techniques suggested are. Highly recommended!

I Love Freebies (Who Doesn’t?)

There’s just something about getting something for nothing. And, although my magpie-like acquisitiveness may have led me into less-than-productive purchases in the past, in this particular case I’m happy to report that Secrets to Dog Training hasn’t let me down: the freebies included with this book are not only numerous, they’re actually useful(wow!)

The book itself costs $39.95. For this price, you get a complete and detailed manual on training your dog, preventing and handling behavioral problems, and a whole bunch of general-knowledge tips and advice.

You also get a handful of practical freebies: four bonus books, dealing respectively with advanced housetraining how-to’s and troubleshooting (including both the crate- and paper-training methods); a detailed study on resolving canine aggression; how to effectively groom your dog (including information on coat care for specific breeds, dental care, and nail-clipping how-to’s); and finally, how to begin training your dog for security work.

As mentioned earlier, there is a bonus 30-minute downloadable video which takes a no-fuss approach to practical solutions for dog obedience issues.

Another particularly useful freebie: a personalized consultation with a member of the Kingdom of Pets team. If you’ve got an issue with your dog that you’d like some individual attention on, you can flick them a quick email and receive a personalized, thorough reply packed with expert advice and practical tips.

Secrets to Dog Training: A Thumbnail Sketch

Altogether, I’m pretty impressed with this package. I’ve owned dogs on and off my whole life, starting from when I was ten – I would have thought that I was better-prepared than most to handle the quirks and caprices of my canine friends.

But since reading this book, I think my pre-Secrets to Dog Training self was (embarrassingly) perhaps a trifle more complacent than knowledgeable – I’ve learned more since reading this manual than I’ve picked up in a near-lifetime’s worth of contact with dogs (do you know how to stop your dog from tugging on the leash, without using a check-chain? Well, I do – but until I got my hands on a copy of this book, I certainly didn’t!)

Several of the training techniques present a refreshingly common-sense, down-to-earth approach to dog training; others require a little more effort (take dog whispering as an example) but yield some pretty dramatic results. I liked the way that more than one training technique is detailed, to allow the reader to pick and choose the techniques that best suit themselves and their individual dogs.

I have no qualms in recommending this package to anyone who owns, or is thinking about owning, a dog. You don’t need to have a “problem pet” for the manual to be of assistance: there’s information included that’ll be useful to any and all dog owners.

In a nutshell: highly recommended.