How To Teach Your Dog To Fetch

The time has come to have a bit of fun with your pet. You step out the door, unhook the leash and throw a tennis ball to the other end of the yard… And your dog looks up at you like you just lost your mind. What went wrong? Looks like its time to head […]

Common knowledge and witticism tells a person that old dogs are incapable of learning new behaviors as is often bespoken in the adage, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Despite the numbers of people who would proclaim this decree to be solid truth, we are here to tell you that it nowhere near the being an accurate description of the truth.

Many dog owners find that their efforts toward training their pet are greatly aided by the use of a training collar. There are many types of collars available and each employs a different mechanism meant to guide your pet, restrain him or discourage bad or disobedient behavior.

Although many dog owners successfully train their pets without outside assistance, some benefit greatly by using a professional dog trainer. A quality dog trainer can help instruct the dog while also providing the owner with invaluable guidance and assistance.

In the dog trainers’ arsenal of tools and tactics, there are many great items that will assist in the task and make things much easier for you. Items such as clickers, leashes of different varieties, halters, electronic collars, electronic and chemical training aids, muzzles and treat carriers all have their place in the trainers world and can prove very useful in your efforts to train your dog. Let’s take a few minutes to explore some of the various tools of the trade.

One of the easiest training lessons you will ever encounter is halter training. Why is this? It is because your dog already knows the basics of how to function on a collar and leash system and walking is within their natural range of movement. Thus, you are not asking the dog to do anything outside of its normal field of activity. All you are doing is putting an extension on the collar and leash, which allows for more control of the animal.

Without agility, the most muscular person in the world couldn’t win a fight against a fifth-grader. But did you know that for a dog agility is possibly even more important? With so many of a dog’s happiest moments spent running, jumping, catching, and stretching, dog agility training can really help dogs age gracefully and happily.

Teaching basic obedience skills to a dog can be exciting as well as challenging. Having problems on where to begin? Start by doing your homework. A student can only be as good as his trainer, right?

Companion animals are generally kept indoors except for walks and traveling. Thus their training usually includes some form of housebreaking and a set of manners.

I am certain we all remember a popular song a few years ago with the line “different strokes for different folks.” Well, the same applies to the canine world. Pure breeds have been refined over the years for specialized purposes and if these purposes are considered in the training, you are assured of a much better animal that is well suited to its training.