Skating the Infosphere

November 4, 2008

Hunting Dog Training Should Begin At Home

Filed under: Pet + Animal Products @ 7:25 pm

Dogs can serve a lot of different purposes for us. For the most part, they are faithful companions that will stay by our side through thick and thin. There may also be times, however, whenever you want to give your dog some specific training. Certain dog breeds are meant for life in the field and although they do make wonderful house pets, many of them are happier if they are able to get out and do what they were bred for. A good example of this are dogs that are bred to hunt. Hunting dog training is a particular type of training all to itself but there are some things that you need to keep in mind before you begin.

Before you undergo any intensive hunting dog training with your pet, it first needs to understand the basics of obedience. Having a dog that is going to listen to you, whether it is in the training class or in the field can make the entire experience very pleasurable. Although your dog is probably going to have a little bit of room to run whenever it is out on the hunt, the last thing that you want to have happen is for it to disobey you whenever you do give it a command. This can put both you and the dog in harm’s way so make sure that they understand the basics of obedience before beginning any hunting dog training.

Hunting dog training should begin at home. Although it is possible to take your dog out in the field immediately and begin training it there, it is often better if they begin this training in an environment which they are used to. My particular favorite type of hunting dog is a bird dog and I enjoy training them regularly. I first start by tying a pigeon wing to the end of a fishing line and casting it out into the yard. This helps to teach the dog to stay on point and even to trail the bird because I will slowly retrieve it with the fishing rod.

Eventually, you will be able to take the hunting dog training out into the field. This is where it really becomes enjoyable and you are even able to hunt during the time that your dog is undergoing the training process. Remember, this type of training is an ongoing thing so the course is never complete. By allowing your dog to do what it has bred for, both you and your pet will enjoy this time together.

Visit justforthedogs.com and get great, helpful information just for dogs and download the free report “The Secrets to Raising a Happier Dog” or grab the latest dog training tips.

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August 29, 2008

Barking While Driving: 3 Simple Solutions To Keep Your Dog Quiet

Filed under: Pet + Animal Products @ 7:04 am

If you own a dog that loves nothing more than to bark incessantly while riding with you in the car, then you probably understand just how frustrating and annoying this habit can be.

Dogs become very territorial when they are inside of a moving vehicle and all of the thousands of moving objects outside of the window can pose a threat to your dog’s mind. As soon as he spots somebody walking on the street, he barks! Then his head turns, and he sees a bunch of tree branches moving from the wind, he barks! As soon as those objects are passed, every car he spots, he barks at them all. This goes on and on, and… you guessed it, on forever!

The first reaction dog owners typically have at their barking dog is to yell at the animal to stop barking. In order to quiet your dog down, the only thing you can think of shouting is “SPARKY, STOP THAT BARKING!!!”

Unfortunately, yelling at your dog will only add to his excitement and anxiety of whatever it is he is barking at. By yelling with a loud voice, your dog will interpret that as you reinforcing his behavior. The louder you shout at him to stop yapping, the louder his barking gets.

The Proper Way Of Handling The Situation
The good news is that you can almost eradicate your dogs barking behavior completely with a little time and training. Here are some tips to get you going:

1. The first thing you should do is be the role model of the behavior you wish your dog to have. In other words, if you would like your pet to chill out and stop barking so much inside of the car, keep calm yourself and maintain a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. This is especially important when your dog starts to get excited and begins barking. Trust me, you’ll be surprised at just how well this works.

2. To better enforce the rules of barking, do not be afraid of using the old trusty water squirt gun. Most animals cannot stand the feeling of being spritzed in the face with water. In fact, this is a great training tool for many situations. When your dog starts barking like crazy, a few shots of water right in between the eyes is enough to make even the largest of dogs to completely stop whatever it is they are doing and eventually associate that behavior with the unwanted feeling of being sprayed in the face.

3.A third solution that works well is to place your dog inside of a crate within the car whenever you need to drive somewhere. A crate will allow your dog to sit comfortably inside of your vehicle, yet it sets limitations of what he can see and smell from the outside. This may be difficult for larger dogs, but for small and medium-sized dogs, a crate can do wonders when it comes to barking incessantly while driving.

Get more information about dog health problems or about stop dog barking.

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May 31, 2008

House Training For Dogs

Filed under: Pet + Animal Products @ 4:14 pm

House training for dogs is a challenging task faced by most dog lovers. To train a dog in the correct way is a time-consuming process, which requires a commitment from the owner. The house training process needs a huge amount of patience and regular attention during the initial period.

House training for dogs helps to keep owners happy with their dogs behavior. It is always best to start house training dogs at a younger age, around 8 to 12 weeks old. Training makes the pets understand good manners and common house rules.

Puppies go potty about every 3 hours. Therefore, regular potty timing is essential to keep the dog neat and tidy, by taking the puppy to the designated area frequently and less than every 3 hours.

Watch the puppy carefully for signs, such as sniffing and circling around an area. If you catch the puppy in the act, grab him/her by the scruff and say ‘no’ sternly. Take the puppy to the designated spot and let the puppy finish the job. Once the puppy is done in the right place, pat the puppy on the head and say “good ‘puppy’” (replace ‘puppy’ with their name).

A consistent and systematic schedule is necessary for the puppy to follow. Dogs give high response to a systematic schedule in the training process. The fundamental steps induced in house training dogs are regular drinking, feeding and potty schedule.

Read more about Dog House Training

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May 27, 2008

Dog Training Aids | Some Simple and Basic Dog Training Aids

Filed under: Pet + Animal Products @ 4:35 pm

Training a dog is no easy task; any pet owner can tell you that. While many dogs are very eager to please their owners, the bottom line is that they really don’t always understand what you’re saying and have very, very short attention spans. These factors can make it difficult for even the most patient of owner, but before you throw in the towel, consider some simple and basic dog training aids you can use to help you along the way.

One of the best dog training aids you can employ is to emphasize rewarding your dog for what she does right rather than simply punishing a dog when she does something wrong. Dogs crave attention and approval from their owners and will do just about anything to get it. If you want your dog to learn potty training, reward her when she goes in the right spot in the yard just as much as you scold her for going anywhere else. Many people neglect to include this positive reinforcement as part of their dog training aids arsenal, but that approval and affection can go a long way toward getting your dog to do what you want her to do!

There are some actual items you can purchase that can be used as dog training aids and some are more effective than others. Choke collars and chains are being discarded by dog training experts as not only abusive but downright ineffective. However, a good leash and a sturdy collar can be counted as dog training aids because dogs will respond to their owner when he gives them a slight tug.

Read more about Dog Training Aids or Dog Health Problems

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May 26, 2008

Crate Training | Some Tips on Dog Crate Training

Filed under: Pet + Animal Products @ 3:05 pm

Virtually every pet owner will need to have their dog stay in a crate at one time or another. This might be for transportation purposes or for small periods of time when no one will be home to look after her. Dog crate training can be difficult at times but can be made worse by the owner that doesn’t take the right approach to it either. On the other hand, if done right, dog crate training can be very manageable for even the most stubborn of dogs. Here are some quick tips on how to do this right.

First of all, make sure your crate is the right size for your dog. Most dogs like crates because they want to sleep in something small; this makes them feel secure, the way most humans like a blanket or sheet over them when they sleep. But a crate that’s too small is dangerous and painful. The dog should be able to walk all the way around the crate with ease and should not need to dip her head while in the crate.

All the effort put into dog crate training will be wasted if the crate itself is so small that the dog hates being there. And of course they won’t feel secure in a crate that’s too big, so don’t go overboard in the other direction either. Most pet stores these days allow you to bring your dog inside and this can be helpful when choosing a crate; the salesperson can typically assist in recommending a size for your dog.

Learn more about Dog Crate Training or Dog Health Care

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May 24, 2008

5 Important Considerations Before You Buy A New Puppy

Filed under: Pet + Animal Products @ 5:00 pm

Bringing a new puppy into the home as a new member of the family is an experience that everyone should have. Kids absolutely adore puppies, all of your neighbors have puppies, and now it’s time for you to take part of this joy and fill your house with puppy love!

But before you bring home your first dog, there are five key items that you must consider before making this large commitment to raising another life in the house, even if it is just a dog:

Puppies Need Plenty Of Your Time Invested
Puppies are like raising toddlers - they need constant supervision and require plenty of time to be devoted to training and housebreaking. And even when your puppy becomes familiar with basic training principles, he will still need additional supervision well into his adult years.

Entertainment is another factor to consider. Keep in mind that if you and your family are gone most of the day, at work or for any other reason, buying two dogs may help keep the animals entertained by each other.

If You Have Children, They Too Will Need To Be Trained To Handle The New Puppy
As mentioned above, puppies need an abundance of your time for training and care. If you have children in the house then you must factor in their need to be taught how to handle the puppy, what not to do in terms of improper guidance, and safety tips when playing with the dog.

Puppy classes are an ideal choice to make for both you and your children. There is nothing better than hiring a professional dog trainer to help guide you and your children with proper puppy care.

Puppies Are Expensive
Perhaps the term “expensive” is a bit over the top, but for many families that are on a budget, raising a new puppy can take quite a bit from the old bank account. You will need to buy toys, treats, bones, registrations, training aids, food, and of course, veterinarian visits which consists of checkups and shots.

Puppies Do Not Stay Small Forever
Although this tip is obvious, you would be amazed at how many people gave up their dog because it grew too big, too fast. For some reason, we like to bring home a new puppy and forget completely that it may grow into a very large pet, depending upon the breed. Make sure that you do your due diligence and find out how big your new dog will grow when he becomes an adult.

Most Dogs Are Not For Lazy People
With the exception of a variety of toy breeds and miniatures, the vast majority of dogs will need plenty of daily exercise. These little guys need plenty of room to run around and play. They also need people to play with and toys to keep them entertained. This means you! If by any chance you prefer to live a sedentary lifestyle and cannot offer your time and energy to daily exercise, consider purchasing a breed that does not need much activity.

Get more information about Dog Training or Dog Health Care

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May 23, 2008

Dog Agility - What Is A Dog Agility Training Course

Filed under: Pet + Animal Products @ 4:43 pm

People all over the word knows about dog shows; but dog shows are a judgment of a dog’s physical appearance and not necessarily of its abilities and performance. So in comes the spot of dog agility.

For you military people out there, remember your training; those utterly annoying and difficult obstacle course to master? Well in dog agility sport, a dog goes through a dog agility course guided by his or her handler. Dog agility is a race for time and accuracy in completing the course set by the agility judge.

The dog must rely purely on his ability to complete the course, following only his handler’s hand signals, movement, and other body signals. The handler cannot even touch the dog or any obstacle in the dog agility training course.

The simplest dog agility training course is made up of a complete set of course whose order of completion and setting is done by the agility judge. Simple it maybe to the human eye but it also has to be complicated enough for the dog to complete. It is however the handlers job to asses the course and decide which training techniques to use. The handler must also be able to fully compensate for the differences between man and beast.

Read more about Dog Agility Courses or learn more about Dog Health Care

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May 22, 2008

Dog Leash Training

Filed under: Pet + Animal Products @ 3:05 pm

The “Stay” Command Using The “B” Line

While executing the “Stay” command while the “B” line (five-foot long nylon line with the thickness similar to a kite string) is in use, you will have the advantage of stepping out more than just a leash length away.

Because the “B” line is five feet long and your leash is six feet long, this exercise using the “B” line will allow your dog to have a feeling of freedom he did not feel when just using the leash.

You are farther away now and the temptation to bolt or stroll away out of the training area might occur. Be prepared for such an occasion by making sure that you hold onto the leash. You will want to make a proper and timely correction should that occur.

Let the snap end of the leash lie fully on the ground while your dog is holding that “sit-stay”. The total length of your leash now is eleven feet and the snap in the middle puts all the weight at that spot. Keeping the snap up off the ground will have a tendency to pull your dog toward you.

Read more about Dog Leash Training

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May 20, 2008

Enjoy Dog Training

Filed under: Pet + Animal Products @ 2:50 pm

Learn How To Enjoy Dog Training Instead Of Dreading It

Dog training does not have to be miserable for you or for your dog, believe it or not it can actually be a great deal of fun for you both. Learning how to enjoy dog training instead of dreading it can be done by doing the right amount of research and really putting in all of your best effort to work hard and to make this work. Learning how to play and have fun with your dog is very important and can take a little bit of practice also, especially if they are a little bit stubborn.

The best way to accomplish this is to practice all that you can but make sure that you or your dog do not completely wear yourselves out working on all of these dog training skills. Having fun is definitely the most important part of any kind of dog training, there is no doubt about that. Too many people spend their time getting upset or frustrated during the dog training process, which totally bums the dog out, along with really making the trainer feel negative about the entire thing. It is very important to keep a positive attitude and always, no matter what, remain patient throughout all of the training courses.

Learn more about Dog Training and Dog Health Care

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May 19, 2008

Easy Dog Tricks

Filed under: Pet + Animal Products @ 4:25 pm

Teach Your Dog To Retrieve

Teaching your dog to run and retrieve is a very basic and easy training command for him to understand. It is one of the easiest of tasks to train your dog to do, such as pick up a newspaper or a piece of mail, and it’s fun too!

You can begin the exercise by first showing your puppy or dog how to focus on the area in which you want him to retreat from. You do this by simply pointing to the location with your finger. Your goal here is to get your dog to scope out the exact area while looking for something to bring back to you.

The best way to take care of this first step of retrieve training is to use little bits and pieces of dog food or dog snacks. Take out the food and just sprinkle two or three treats on the ground. Do not let your dog run to eat the food too fast. In fact, you should first train him to sit and stay until released, then you point to the ground and say “pickup”, “pickup”.

Each time your dog grabs a piece of food, drop another piece behind you and then point while giving the “pickup” command. As you can probably guess, your dog is going to associate the command you are giving him of “pickup” with the notion to look for something to put in his mouth. This part of training does not take long at all, especially if you are using tasty treats and by also training your dog when he is hungry, as this helps to increase his motivation.

Read more about Easy Dog Tricks or Dog Health Care

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