Have Blast With Your Dog By Enrolling Into Dog Agility Training

If you are looking for an activity that your dog will enjoy, while learning something constructive at the same time, then consider enrolling your family dog into agility training classes. Dog agility training is also very satisfying for the owners themselves, as we get to watch our lovable canines run through obstacles, balance their way around agility props, and participate in team events.

What To Expect From Dog Agility Training

Dog agility training will not only have your pet becoming physically healthier, but also sharpening his mental skills by learning to negotiate many obstacles that include tunnel walks, A-frames, teeters, tires, the classic table and closed chute, measured jumps, weave poles, and standard dog walks.

Once your dog has learned these obstacles to a suitable level (as per the instructor's requirements), the handler will then move the learning process up to team-negotiating. This is where your dog will have a chance to enjoy agility trials, in which a judge will present several courses for your dog to take part in. The handlers will take a personal tour through the course ahead of time, while strategically planning how they will manage their dogs through the trial successfully.

What Are The Requirements To Enroll Your Dog Into Dog Agility Training?

Dog agility training is an amazing way for your pet to become an avid sports dog, no matter what size and shape he may be. Entering agility competitions is not necessary, nor is it a requirement, but many families just enjoy watching their dogs receive these advanced training sessions.

Standard requirements for dog agility training may vary slightly from school to school, however, it is very common that the enrollment only accepts dogs from the age of approximately 8 months and older. If your dog is smaller in size, or a miniature breed, then be sure to ask the dog agility training school if they offer separate classes for small dogs only. Most reputable agility training centers will offer both small dog classes in addition to an all-size class.

Agility Training Class Levels

Dog agility training schools will typically have several skill levels. Newcomers to agility work will start at the basic, introduction class. During this period your dog will be introduced to the agility equipment, as mentioned previously, which will include tunnels, weave poles, jumps, chutes, and tires.

The next level up from the  beginner dog training agility class will generally be the intermediate class. Only dogs that have successfully been acquainted with the equipment from the beginner lessons will be allowed to enroll here. The animals will learn how to work the courses, practice sequencing the various obstacles, and become accustomed to the handlers, all before entering dog agility training competitions (should you have the desire to see your dog compete).

Adam Katz is a professional dog trainer, although some of his views on dog training are occasionally viewed as a little controversial.

In the following article, Adam provides advice on methods of defending yourself against an aggressive dog that may be about to attack you.  Some of these methods seem to contradict common understanding on how to deal with aggressive dogs.  Many dog experts are of the view that you should never look directly at a dog, and that to do so may well cause the dog to attack you.

One of Adam Katz's suggestions is the reverse of this, although he's probably referring to specific types of circumstances, and he may also be directing this advice to an audience who understand dog training methods and dog psychology, which he does refer to in his article.

Take his comments on board, but don't ignore any advice you may have heard about never looking at an aggressive dog.

Here's the article:

How to Defend Yourself Against a Dog Attack

My name is Adam Katz. For [approximately] seven years, I owned a company called South Bay K-9 Academy. I currently own the web site: Dogproblems.com. And I am the author of the widely acclaimed book, "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!"

Here are the facts about defending yourself against a dog attack.

If the dog is a trained personal protection or police dog and it is a good specimen: You have no chance. All of this nonsense about kicking the dog at the right time is baloney. Your best chance of surviving is to stand absolutely still. If you are unarmed, and you try to fight the dog, you will lose. The dog is fast enough to bite you two or three times before you even realize where you've been bit. And by then… it's over.

Anyone who does not believe me can contact me, and we will outfit you with a padded suit and you can give it your best shot. You cannot outrun a dog. Even a big, heavy slow dog like as a Rottweiler.

If the dog is not a professionally trained dog, you may be able to intimidate the dog with forward-leaning body language and moving directly in towards the dog, making direct eye contact. However, make sure that the dog has an easy way to turn and escape. If he feels cornered, you're in big trouble. (This technique relies on using the dog's psychology.) [Although this technique will work very often, there is still a good chance that you may get bit. Better to stay still and call for help, or back away slowly until you can get to an object that will help separate you from the dog.]  It is a myth that a well trained dog is taught to bite and hold on to one arm. A good dog that is taught to bite the arm will also be taught to release the first arm and bite the other arm when it comes close to his face.

If you are in possession of a weapon, there are other strategies which should be employed. But I'll save that for a later discussion.

Disclaimer:  No guarantee is stated or implied in this article and if you follow any of the advice in it, you do so at your own risk. If you ever feel that you, your dog, or others are at risk because of your dog, please seek the services of a professional dog trainer.

Norm Lanier wrote the following article with that very provocative title.

But don't be alarmed, the article is for people with disabilities and explains how they can AVOID being scammed. The long and the short of the message is if you're disabled and you have a service dog, you do NOT need to hand over ANY cash to a so-called registration company for service dogs. Service dogs do NOT need to be registered.

Here's Norm's informative article containing your protections under the Americans With Disabilities Act:

I'm often asked how you register or certify your service dog, the answer is "You Don't". Companies that claim to register or certify your animal without training are simply taking advantage of the handicapped to make a dollar. In 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect which gives handicapped persons with service animals legal protection to be accompanied by the animal in public places.

Understanding the ADA

So lets first define what a service animal is, According to the ADA, an animal is considered a service animal" if it has been "individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability." As you see, the word certify or registered doesn't appear in the law. As a matter fact the US government does not register, certify, license or approve any animal.

The ADA Catch 22

Because the definition of a disability is so broad it would be impossible for the government to create any sort of testing criteria other then the vague definition above. Also, since many disabled people live on fixed incomes requiring professional animal training would be an added financial burden that many disabled people could not afford. Unlike a person with a handicap license plate or ID, there is no official identification and service dogs without some form of ID are often assumed to be pets. The ADA also states that a handicapped person is not required to show proof of their disability. So that's what the law says, but the reality is that having your service animal identified with an ID, vest, cape or bandanna helps identify the dog as a working partner and not a pet.

The Registration Scam

It wasn't long after the ADA went into effect that companies started popping up offering to register or certify your animal. Now please understand that we are not talking about trainers that teach dogs to perform tasks for the disabled. What we are talking about are companies that use official sounding names that in exchange for your money will certify or register your service dog. In exchange they often provide you with a registration number, certificate, patch and maybe a cheap laminated tag. Some shameless companies charge as much as $250 for "registration".

So What's a Service Dog Owner to do?

First, make sure you meet the definition of a disabled person and that your dog is specially trained to perform tasks related to your disability. Trying to pass off your pet as a service animal is a federal offense and comes with severe penalties. Outside of the two requirements spelled out in the ADA you don't have to do anything. If you feel identifying your service dog will make your life easier then purchase a quality photo service dog tag, vest with patches or a cape.

Training Your Dogs to Behave at Dinnertime

Here are some useful free dog training tips that will make their dinnertime a little easier for you to deal with. Do your dogs jump all over you at feeding time? Do they sometimes knock the food dish out of your hands and slurp up the resulting mess?

We used to have something like that happen to us, then we spoke to a fellow who spoke fluent dog. He set us straight and gave us some free dog training tips that really make the dinner thing a lot easier to deal with.

As you know, dogs are pack animals. In the wild when the pack takes down an animal the alpha dogs (or wolves) eat first, then the rest get their turn. Besides getting the choice bits, this also allows the alpha dog to get his (or her) saliva all over the meat.

The other dogs or wolves then get their share, but with the alpha dog’s taste already there. This helps establish the alpha dog’s position.

Free dog training tip #1 then, is to spit into you dog’s food before you give it to him. This helps to establish you as the alpha dog and makes the rest of your training a bit easier. We got quite the look from our dog the first time we did that. It helped to control that #115 pound Rottweiler.

Free dog training tip #2 is to have your dogs do a “down, stay” while you prepare their food and put it down. Have them maintain the stay for several seconds before giving them the release word. Again, this helps establish you as the boss dog.

Free dog training tip #3, which may not work for certain dogs, or puppies, is to feed them once per day. If they haven’t eaten it within a few minutes you remove the dishes, clean up, and they can wait until the next day. This helps to establish a routine, as well as your dominance, and helps to ensure that the dogs will actually eat their dinner.

Keep in mind that dogs in the wild might go several days without eating. Then, when they do get to eat, the food has the top dog’s saliva all over it. The dogs learn their place that way.

You can find a lot of free dog training tips all over the web, but these have worked well for us and the guy who gave them to us teaches the same tips to all of his clients. Dog feeding tips like these may seem a bit odd, but they work well and they work within the dog’s natural behavior.

Give them a try for at least a week and you might just find your dogs to be a little easier to control.

Dogs? In World of Warcraft? Sortof. Hunters can tame wolves and use them for various purposes. To help train their wolves they use the Hunter Canine Pet Treats that you can find in the World of Warcraft Cookbook.

For further dog training tips (not free, but at a great price), click here.

With a few handy tips, you'll be crate training a puppy in no time at all. Crate training a puppy is considered by most experts to be in the best interest of your new puppy, being the most effective manner of training your puppy. Puppy crate training can be a cinch if you use the following techniques.Although it's possible your puppy may at first try to convince you that crate training is not for him or her, consistency will eventually teach your puppy that the crate is in fact something beneficial to him or her.  Crate training your puppy can become a game between your puppy and you.

Puppy crate training in these few easy to follow steps will soon become a habit that both you and your puppy will enjoy on a daily basis.

When starting out with puppy crate training it is a good idea to place their favorite toy inside the crate.

Next, walk away for a few seconds, and listen carefully if he or she is quiet. Return initially after about 10 seconds, and praise your puppy for doing so well. Have a dog treat available for the extra praise.  Lengthen the period each time you do this, to a few minutes, and eventually for a few hours at a time. Your puppy will soon realize you are going to return. Of course, he or she will expect some praise and maybe a treat if you start puppy crate training your puppy with a treat reward.

When you crate training a puppy in this way your puppy will soon figure out there is a reward for staying in the crate quietly.

After your puppy has gotten used to the routine, you will be able to cut back on, and then cut out, the treats.

Puppy crate training is not difficult, as long as you are consistent. Consistency while crate training a puppy you will reach your puppy much faster than if you put your puppy in the crate only some of the time but leave him/her out of the crate at other times.  Once your puppy realizes you will return every time he/she goes in the crate, he/she will soon go into the crate without you even having to give the command to do so.

Naturally, you should always make sure your puppy has access to water and food while being in his or her crate for the day, or even an hour or two while your puppy is young.

In addition, when you have been away for a couple of hours, or for the day when your puppy gets older, do expect that your puppy will have to use the bathroom immediately after you arrive home.
For more tips on crate training your puppy, you can't go past the excellent dog training resource Sit, Stay, Fetch - it covers every aspect of dog training you'll ever need.

Puppy Training Tips

By: Jolanda Leuschner

Are you looking for puppy training tips? If this is the case you arrived at the right place. In this article I will give you several puppy training tips in a very simplistic, and easy to understand way. Puppy training tips are easy to research before you start training your puppy.

Okay, so you just got a new puppy and now it is in need of training. Of course the best thing to do is to start out with puppy potty training. Make this a bonding experience between your puppy and you. First you should know that puppies have the uncontrollable urge for frequent urination. Keeping this in mind it would be recommended to take your puppy for frequent walks around the block. While potty training your puppy, and your puppy urinates, you tell him how great he or she is for what was just done. Reward him or her with a soft voice, and a gentle petting over their back. You could even take a few dog training treats with you and reward with a favorite treat, as well as the soft voice and gentle petting over the back of your puppy.

Puppy training tips are also found in many books. You could find books in your local library on puppy training, at your local bookstore, or on Amazon. There are many different puppy training tips also available online ready for you to read. Adjust some of the tips to fit the needs of your puppy and you.
Another thing to do is to ensure you will have a vet for your puppy. Your puppies health is important after all you are going to want for him or her to become a healthy adult dog. Puppies need regular health check ups, just like we do. Your vet will keep records of when your puppy had his or her last vaccinations and will notify you when it is time to come in for a next health check up.  Always make sure to check with your vet before following anybody's puppy training tips. Your vet will be able to assist you with any questions about your new puppy.
Some pet stores now allow you to take your puppy inside. This would be a great opportunity to purchase some puppy accessories. Puppies love toys and the pet store will have plenty of different choices. Colorful pulling ropes, balls, and beds for comfort the pet store offers everything you will need to accommodate your new puppy.

Obedience training starts early. If you stay actively involved with the changes your puppy is going to undergo while growing up he or she will from the start be obedient. Calm and controlled voices with consistent commands will always keep your puppies attention.

Good luck with your new puppy, and hope these puppy training tips are helpful to you.

Jolanda Leuschner is a proud mother of 3 lovely sons and is the owner and founder of Best Daily Articles She invites writers,webmasters, readers and publishers to come and visit her site any time.

For more puppy training tips, including puppy potty training, puppy obedience training, and much more, click here.

Your puppy will benefit, and so will you!

Puppy Potty Training

By: Jolanda Leuschner

Is puppy potty training a daunting task? Well rest assure many people feel this way, but it is not all that hard. Puppy potty training can be done in a pleasant way and rewarding to both you and your four legged friend. Here are a few ways to handle your puppy potty training.

When your puppy just ate he, or she, will soon have the urge of needing to "use the bathroom". This is the best time to go for a walk around the block. When your puppy uses the bathroom praise him or her very highly. This can be done simply by using a gentle tone in your voice.

Another way to praise your puppy for becoming potty trained is to take a few small treats in your pocket and give them after your puppy did what he or she was suppose to do. Soon your puppy will be fully understanding that if he or she goes outside to do their business a reward will be given.

Be consistent with puppy potty training your puppy. This will make a huge difference in the future potty habits. Puppy potty training when done in a relaxed way will feel great to your puppy, but is also rewarding towards you as the owner.

Of course if your puppy made a mistake and used your Persian rug instead of going outside he or she will not be rewarded. In this case you would use a firm voice with words. Do make sure to walk him or her even after the mistake was made explaining that this is where you need for him or her to go the next time.

Puppies are very good to be potty trained and if you pay close attention you will notice when your puppy becomes more aware of his or her own bladder habits they will warn you. In general they can hold their needs up for a long time but are just like humans when they got to go, they got to go.

Good luck with puppy potty training your puppy and stay consistent.

Jolanda Leuschner is a proud mother of 3 lovely sons and is the owner and founder of Best Daily Articles She invites writers, webmasters, readers and publishers to come and visit her site any time.

For more on how to potty train your puppy, click here.

And train your puppy the right way!

Law enforcement departments around the world are depending on police dogs more and more to aide in daily activities. In many ways, a police dog is just as effective, or even more, than a human officer. Why? Dogs have an excellent sense of smell and can detect things that a human cannot. Most people think that a police dog is used for finding drugs and bombs, but they have taken on additional roles as the years move forward. Dogs are used to detect accelerants in possible arson cases, track suspects, search and rescue and even crowd control.

Most police dogs are not trained to be aggressive. In fact, if a dog is too aggressive, it will either be rejected or possibly turned into a prison K9. In prisons, the dogs are expected to be aggressive with anyone other than its handlers. A public police dog is bred and trained for its personality and skills.

Purchasing, training and caring for a police dog can cost thousands of dollars per dog. When a police department decides to purchase a police dog, they are getting a dog who has already had excellent training and is ready to start working. Most often, the designated handlers will spend a few weeks with the dogs prior to bringing it on board for the department. A police dog will then live with the handler and his or her family. Once you take into account the cost of upkeep and ongoing training of a police dog, a dog may cost as much as $10,000. But the benefits of having a specially trained police dog on duty for a department makes the purchase more than worthwhile.

Not only are police dogs almost an essential in many daily functions, but it is an excellent way to get more involved with the community. Public demonstrations and activities gets the public interested not only in the police dog but also the department. It gives the officers and the citizens a chance to interact on a more comfortable basis. When citizens feel more comfortable with law enforcement, they are more likely to cooperate and bring forth information should it be necessary.

Police dogs not only chase criminals, they sniff out criminals who have gone into hiding in bushland and the like.  Many are trained to detect the smell of drugs much like the dogs you see in airports, and these police dogs are used in crowds and on the streets.  But police dogs are not only used for catching criminals.

For example, after 9/11, police dogs were taken to New York from all over the country. For days, those police dogs worked endlessly trying to locate anyone who might need rescued, as well as bodies of those who had not survived. Those dogs worked in the same hazardous conditions that volunteers were working in, but because of their size, they were able to get into some areas in which humans were not. Just as there were many heroes among humans during that emotional time, there were many police dogs that turned out to be heroes as well.

Dogs that are trained to assist disabled people, called assistance dogs, are not pets; rather, they are trained specifically to help people who are blind, deaf, or physically disabled. They spend their lifetime up until retirement providing independence and security to disabled people. The choice of the perfect assistance dog is based on temperament and size, not breed. Most assistance dogs are mixed breeds acquired from animal shelters, or puppies raised and trained by volunteers of the many organizations formed to help the disabled.

In order to acquire a service dog from a formal program, one must fill out an application and be evaluated. Most are placed on a waiting list while a suitable dog is found and/or trained. Some service dogs are available free of charge, while some are quite expensive. Financial assistance may be available depending on the organization, which provides the dog, the person's medical condition and their medical insurance coverage.

Once a dog is found and placed, it will take as much as a few weeks to several months to teach the recipient how to use specific commands. The dog will need additional training geared to the specific needs of the disabled partner, as well as yearly refresher training.

There are three basic types of assistance dogs: service dogs, hearing dogs, and guide dogs. Approximately 20,000 people in the U.S. use assistance dogs and more than 60 nonprofit programs train and place assistance dogs in America. Signed into law in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees people with disabilities the right to be accompanied by a service animal in any area, which is open to the general public. Service animals are trained to behave appropriately in public areas.

Service dogs help people who are physically disabled, as well as those who have seizure disorders and other medical conditions. They can pull wheelchairs, open and close doors, retrieve items that are dropped or out of reach, alert a person of an upcoming seizure, turn light switches off and on, bark for alert, find another person, assist by providing balance and stability and many other individual tasks, depending on the needs of the disabled person. Golden Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers make good service dogs. Either a backpack or a harness can identify Service Dogs.

Hearing dogs alert a deaf or hearing-impaired person to sounds such as telephones, alarm clocks, oven buzzers, name call, smoke alarms, doorbells, smoke alarms and a crying baby. The dogs can make communicating easier for deaf or hearing-impaired people by alerting when hearing the name of its owner. Small to medium sized dogs make good hearing dogs. The training is more involved nowadays due to the increase in traffic and quieter car engines. Hearing Dogs are identified by an orange collar and leash and/or vest.

Guide dogs help blind or visually impaired people navigate safely along busy streets, on public transportation, and through stores and other places of business in their community by helping them avoid obstacles and stop at curbs and steps. To foster communication between the dog and its blind partner a harness and U-shaped handle is used. The blind or visually impaired person’s job is to give directional commands, which the dog may or may not obey, depending on the situation. If an unsafe command is given, the dog may choose to disobey the command in order to insure the safety of the person.

There are many organizations involved in training and providing assistance dogs, as well as schools, which teach how to train them. These special groups allow the disabled to live a secure and independent lifestyle.

Article provided by Pet Super Store - A great site to find dog beds and elevated dog feeders.

Although I write a few basic dog training articles, it's not my real forte, so whenever I find dog training articles by other authors, I like to publish them if they contain what seems to be like sensible information.

Following is an article that focuses on the issue of getting your dog to let go of an item in his/her mouth. It's a great command to have your dog learn and obey.

The article is fairly basic, but contains a few good tips.

Basics Dog Training - Commands.

Training Your Dog to "give" trains your dog to release whatever he has in his mouth on your command and helps to stop him becoming an aggressive and possessive dog.

Nature dictates that whatever he finds is his.This is just normal dog behavior. This is where you use obedience dog training. Whether it be his favourite toy or a juicy bone he has to be taught to drop it when told, without growling or baring his teeth.

To do this is quite simple using your basics dog training method. First you need to put his lead on so he can't run off. Then using a new toy play with him. When he has the toy in his mouth, in a stern voice say "give" or "drop it" whilst also offering him his favourite treat. He should drop the toy and take the treat. When he does, praise him again and again.

If during the training he growls when you try to take the toy from him, just jerk the lead and repeat the command "give" or "drop it". He will then realise that a growl means a jerk and dropping it gives him a treat and plenty of praise.

Carry on playing with the toy and repeat the process a number of times over the next few days. After a few sessions the dog will start to drop it without hesitation knowing that he will receive his treat. Each time you practise this dog training method, replace the toy with something more desirable to your dog. Always using loads and loads of praise when he drops it.

Eventually you will be able to give him a really juicy bone and he will drop it on your command similar to the professional dog training you see on the television.

You need to practice dog care at all times. When you give him a bone make sure it is a knuckle bone as this will not splinter as he tries to gnaw it. Dogs love to chew, encourage this by giving them premium dog food chews.

Using easy basics dog training one step at a time, your dog will soon become your fully trained faithful best friend.

Remember your dog wants you to be his leader. You can achieve this by giving him clear instructions a different command word for each situation and heaps and heaps of praise when he does right.

(c) John Mailer, who specialises in articles to help dog lovers train their dogs. http://www.basicsdogtraining.com

And if you're interested in learning much more in depth dog training try the Obedience Training ebook I personally recommend!