Dog Training Tips and Tricks Recall Training Your Dog

This article gives you tips, tricks and sound advice on recalling training your dog.

Do you have to keep an eagle eye on Buddy when you’re bringing in the groceries or answer a knock on your door? Is he just itching to make a mad dash for the great outdoors whenever the door is opened? If he makes his escape, does he fail to come back when called? If so, don’t despair, Buddy needs recall training.

Having a dog that comes the first time you call him is a rare thing. More often, it is the product of a grueling training schedule; repetition, rewards; repetition rewards. You probably know the scenario by now. If not, you have a lot to learn.

Before you throw your hands up in defeat and make Buddy wear his leash both indoors and out, or risk losing him to the dangers of the street, consider recall training.

Recall training has two basic concepts. The first is to treat your dog well each time he comes to you. Be it a kind word, a pat on the head, or a scratch behind the ears, Buddy will relish the affection you show him.

The second concept takes much more effort. Purchase a line that measures ten to twenty feet. Clip it onto Buddy’s collar and take him to the park or into the yard. Then, start training.

The line allows Buddy to put some distance between you. When Buddy has ventured almost to the end of his line, call him. A simple, “Buddy come,” will suffice. Be sure to have lots of treats in your pocket just in case he shocks you and comes immediately. If he does come, give him a treat. The worst scenario is that you will have to reel in the line to make him come. With this method, Buddy is responsible for his own behavior, but you still have control over the situation if he doesn’t obey.

If Buddy sits perfectly still when you give the “come” command, or watches birds and squirrels playing in a nearby tree, he hasn’t obeyed. Either reel him in, or go and get him and bring him to the spot where you gave the command. If this is the case, Buddy gets no reward, but no punishment either. Down play the incident and try again later.

The next time you try recall training, follow the same agenda. Never repeat the “come” command. Buddy should come the first time he’s called. If not, reel him in or go and get him and take him to where you gave the command. Down play the incident and try again later. Do this again and again and… well, you get the picture. Repetition is the name of the game. The process is long. It may take a week, a month, a year or more of constant recall training before Buddy gets it right and comes on your first command every time. But…diligence pays off and in time when you say, “come,” Buddy will obey.

In the meantime recall training will have its ups and downs. There will be times when Buddy will come. When this happens, give him a treat, rub his head, and scratch his ears and say, “good boy,” or some thing similar. Whatever else you do, reward his obedience immediately. He’ll soon get the message that obedience reaps rewards and affection.

Above all, never scream, yell, or hit Buddy if he doesn’t obey. If you do, it will set your training efforts back to day one. Buddy will fear you and instead of coming on command, he will put more distance between the two of you. When he doesn’t obey simply go to him, grasp his collar and gently take him to where you gave the command. This lets him know you are ready to enforce your commands and that he has no choice but to obey.

If you run into problems and Buddy just won’t obey, seek the services of a professional dog trainer. It may cost a bit, but a professional will be able to point out where you’re going wrong. It’s well worth the expense to know that Buddy will respond to your commands. This ensures that he will always be safe, so you can enjoy each others company for many years to come.

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7 dog tricks to teach your Dalmatian

Let’s face it: Not all dog breeds are as smart as Dalmatians. Because of this well-known fact, if you own a Dalmatian then you should take advantage of his or her cleverness and teach your dog a few tricks when you have some spare time.

If you’ve been hoping to teach your Dalmatian a few fun tricks, here are the top seven fun and unique tricks your Dalmatian can learn easily:

1. Roll over

Have your Dalmatian lie down on his stomach, and then stand over your dog and hold a treat by his nose, then move the treat around behind your dog so that he eventually lies on his side and rolls over.
 

2. Twirl

Grab your dog’s favourite treat and then have him stand on his hind legs and ask him to “twirl” by leading his nose around to the right with the treat so that he walks in a circle. When the treat comes back full circle promptly praise him and give him his treat.
 

3. Take a bow

Take a treat and hold it down towards the floor under your dog’s nose. As soon as he reaches down to get the treat put your hand under his belly to hold his rear end upwards, and then hold him in that position and say “take a bow.” Try to hold him there for a second before giving him the treat.
 

4. Sing

Make eye contact with your Dalmatian and say “sing,” then start howling in a high-pitched voice and keep doing it until your dog howls along with you.

5. Turn off the light

Hold a treat to the light switch and command him to “turn off light” (or even “light” if that’s easier), and then when your Dalmatian jumps up to get the treat make sure his paws hit the switch. As soon as the lights are turned off reward and praise him, and do this repeatedly until he gets it.
 

6. Play dead

Have your dog sit or stand, and then point your finger and him and pull your hand up while yelling “BANG!” Try to get your dog to lie down on his side with his head down and then praise him accordingly.
 

7. Hide your eyes

Make your dog sit down and then with a treat in your hand tell your dog to “hide your eyes.” First try physically lifting his paw over his muzzle and then reward him once he figures it out. 

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Guest Author: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blogger for First in Education where she’s recently written about onlinemathprograms along with a piece on electrical engineering degree programs. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, traveling, and working with origami.

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Dog Breeding

You may feel awkward or uneasy when breeding your dog and I know it is a serious decision one dog owner has to make. But here are some good tips that will make the process easier for you and your dog.

You should choose the right partner for your dog – this is one of the most significant things to do. Bear in mind that the puppies carry with them the genes of their parents, so you should choose a partner that is healthy, attractive, and other positive qualities you like your dog to possess.

The female dog should be very healthy so that giving birth and pregnancy is very easy. Before the breeding process, she should be well fed with supplements and the right amount of nutrition to have all the energy and boosts her body for the pregnancy.

Knowing important records about the male and female dog can give a success to the breeding process, but you should focus more on the female’s records. You should know medical issues and background of the female, time of the year where she is in heat, and any important changes in her behavior.

You should also establish a firm foundation to your veterinarian. Having a good relationship with your vet is very essential since he/she is there all throughout the breeding process. You might want to ensure that the vet is doing his/her best for the process to become successful.

We cannot avoid the fact that dogs also possess reproductive problems. Usually, female dogs have more reproductive problems than the male dogs. But problems for the males are more difficult to solve. Low sperm count, anatomical defects, and reproductive organ infection are very common problems. Male dogs may also less or no interest whenever they have Brucellosis, arthritis of the spine, and hypothyroidism.

For the female, the right timing is needed in order to have a successful breeding. That right timing is when the female dog is in heat. But, that heat period is usually hard to tell with the proper hormone tests. Fortunately, veterinarians have all the ways to know when the best time to breed is. Heat period for females occur every 6 months and it starts when they reach 1 year. It is also advisable that the female dog is fully grown, as to avoid any complications during the pregnancy.

Once a female dog is in heat, it will show signs like changes in temperament, the way she acts, etc. There are many different signs but they blood discharge is the most common. You will also know that the female is willing to breed once she is in heat. Blood discharges are usually from dark red to a tan color. You will then have to let the male and female spend time together, like a couple of days and let them do their process.

Be sure to watch and study the changes in your female for once the heat period is over, you’ll have to wait for the next 6 months. The vet will then be able to tell if your dog is pregnant 22 days after the breeding time.

Breeding occurs naturally without help from humans, but if you want to accelerate the process, a little help won’t hurt the dogs. Hope these tips will bring you joy and success in dog breeding.

Check Dog Breeding for more of the exciting thoughts! 

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Dog Tricks

Teaching your dog tricks is not only cute and fun, but actually quite beneficial to both you and the dog. Tricks are not just to be cute, nor are they only for small or cute dogs. Tricks are for all dogs and can help tremendously in curbing behavior problems. Dog tricks are especially great for very hyperactive dogs. All dogs can learn tricks, its just a matter of finding what makes them tick.

Training your dog tricks, helps stimulate their mind and help to where them out. Physical exercise is not the only way to tire your dog. Making your dog think is actually quite exhausting for them too! Of course there are some breeds that are known for doing great tricks such as the Border Collie, and their are other breeds that are said to be slower like the Rottweiler or the mastiff. I have to disagree, I think all breeds are excellent in learning tricks, again you just have to find what they want to work for. What do they find rewarding?

Once you find what they find rewarding, such as a favorite treat or toy, you can teach your dog anything you want. They Sky is the limit! When teaching your dog tricks, you want to start out with something easy such as shake. I recommend using the Clicker to train tricks, you cant beat the clicker!

What exactly is a clicker? It is simply a tool that makes a click sound to mark the exact second your dog does what you want. Each click equals they get a reward. Dogs catch on fast to what that click means and will try anything to make you click!

I recommend teaching your dog at least five easy type tricks, so both of you can get the hang of teaching and learning, along with how to manage clicker, rewards, and dogs. One great tool to have when teaching tricks is a Treat Bag. These are very useful in helping you have more hands. They keep your rewards right on you and are easy to get to. This treat bag is especially handy because it is made to stay wide open for easy grabbing of the treats, or closed so the treats dont fall out.

Once your dog is doing those five easy tricks, move on to something harder. Gradually build up to more challenging tricks. Soon youll be having a dog doing service dog based tricks such as helping with laundry by putting laundry in the basket or even pulling the laundry basket to your washer for you. How about turning on and off lights? Thats always a fun one and a crowd pleaser. Need a drink from the fridge? Send your dog! There are lots you can do with tricks!

Dog tricks dont only wear out your dog, they help give them a job to do. Dogs love having jobs to do and if you dont give them one, they will find themselves one such as chewing up your favorite shoes or designing the yard with nice big holes. Training your dog tricks, is also an excellent bonding experience for you both. Your dog will love you for teaching him tricks!

If your interested in teaching your dog tricks, there are many books out to get you started. Heres a list of some just to name a few:

• 101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog
• Dog Tricks: Fun and Games for Your Clever Canine
• The Dog Tricks and Training Workbook: A Step-by-Step Interactive Curriculum to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog
• 101 Ways to Do More with Your Dog: Make Your Dog a Superdog with Sports, Games, Exercises, Tricks, Mental Challenges, Crafts, and Bonding

If youd rather learn how to teach your dog tricks by watching videos, heres some I recommend:

• Best of 101 Dog Tricks
• Dog Tricks Volume 1 - Dog & Puppy Training DVD
• Old Dog, New Tricks V.1

If your new to clicker training, I highly recommend starting with Clicking With Your Dog. This book is extremely useful and is actually the book that started me in clicker training. It also has a lot of useful tricks to teach your dog.

Trick of the week: Shake

This weeks trick is to Shake. Where your dog will put his paw in your hand.

First, with your dog sitting, kneel down to face him. Hold a treat firmly in your hand so that your dog is able to smell it but not get it. Position your hand near his nose but to one side of his body so that he turns his head slightly. This will take the wight off the leg he is facing away from. Encourage him to try to get the treat. Most dogs will try to open your hand with a paw. As soon as his paw touches your hand, click, open your hand, and reward. Repeat this several times with both front paws. Then add in a verbal command just before you click, such as "Shake". If you want your dog to shake with both paws, one at a time, on cue, feel free to put a different cue on each paw. You can use Shake for the right paw and left or touch for the left paw. Use what ever cue you want.

If your dog is having trouble with this, you can break it down for them. If they lift their paw just the tiniest bit off the floor, click and treat them! Build on that getting them to bring their paw up higher and higher, rewarding each effort. Praise big time when the paw actually gets in your hand!

Have fun with this! This is usually a great trick to start off with and is usually pretty easy. I wish I could post pictures but my camera is on its last leg! The quality is horrible and Im the only one to take the pictures. Makes it kind of hard to get a picture of the tricks when your also the one teaching the tricks. So for now, well have to do with out.

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