4 Things To Look For In A Dog Training School

Enrolling in a dog obedience class can be a rewarding experience for both you and your dog, but choosing the wrong class can make the experience unpleasant for both of you. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where you have a selection, shop around. Observe the class prior to taking your dog.



Below are 4 things to look for in a dog obedience class:

Individual Attention: Is the size of the class such that the instructor is able to give individual attention when needed?

Pleasant Atmosphere: Is there a relaxed friendly atmosphere in the class? Tension and disorder will affect both your ability to learn as well as your dog's.

Training Concept: Is the approach to training used in the class consistent with your own
feelings about dog training? Does the instructor wants you to do something to your dog that you are unwilling or reluctant to do?

Instructor Expertise and Ability to Teach: Does the instructor seem knowledgeable about dog training? And beyond that, is the instructor able to communicate his or her knowledge effectively?

Words That Your Dog Should Know (Part 3)

Enough (Whatever you are doing was Ok, but I've just changed my mind and now I want you to stop it, as opposed to “No,” which means whatever you are doing is unacceptable and should never be done). The command “Enough” is taught mainly, believe it or not, by tone of voice. It is usually learned rapidly and can stop excessive barking, a game of roughhousing that has gotten out of hand, or any activity that is usually ok but cannot, for whatever reason, continue at this point. It can calm a dog instantly. It can give you the full attention of a dog who was, up until a moment ago, acting up or acting out.

Out. This word can mean as in “Do you want to go out?” It is also used for getting the dog to give up what he has retrieved. In addition, “Go Out” by itself means leave this room and go to any other place in the house.

Biscuit or Cookie (Dog biscuit). The two words offer the fun of anticipating a treat. Therefore, when you say “Do you want a cookie?” he gets more than a dog biscuit. He gets to salivate a little imagining a dog biscuit.

Speak (Bark). This word should be taught verbally and then as a hand signal.

Take It (Take this in your mouth). As long as you are going to play with your dog, to toss a ball for him to bring back or to encourage him to carry small packages or help pick up his toys, you might as well add the phrase for that skill to his vocabulary. “Take It” is commonly used as a fetch or pick up command. Young puppies love to chase a toy or a ball and sometimes bring it back. If you keep retrieving fun for the dog, and if you name this activity, you have a nice game plus the option of tightening play retrieving into reliable retrieving on command later on.

Wait. Some dog owners do not like to use the command “Stay” except in the formal sense, the freeze on command. When letting the dog know he is not going on an excursion or not getting out of the car just then, they say “Wait” instead of “Stay.” This can also communicate something important to the dog who is off-leash trained. It would make more sense to say “Wait” as your dog bounds toward the corner or toward the exit of the park than to say “Stay” which would be asking him to freeze in mid-leap. “Wait” tells him not to cross the street, leave the park, rush out the door, until you tell him to. But it allows him to be at ease while waiting. It's worth teaching.

Words That Your Dog Should Know (Part 2)

The following is a list of words that are crucial to training your dog:

Stay (Freeze). Actually, the “Sit, Stay” is the way to teach vocabulary to a dog. It is through this initial discipline, which can be done very gently and without a choke collar on a very young puppy, that the dog learns how to listen and then how to learn.

What you request in the “Sit, Stay” is clear and comprehensible to the dog. Therefore, in the initial teaching of the command, he can absorb the concepts of both words. He will, for example, try to move from the spot. When you return him to it, he gets the “Stay” part. Now he'll lie down, figuring if he's going to be stuck in the spot, he might as well get comfortable. When he is returned to the “Sit” position by you (gently and with patience), he learns the exact definition of the word “Sit.”

Your dog therefore learns two vocabulary words that stand for two separate concepts. In addition, he learns how to learn. You will readily see the difference in the intelligent look on his face. Furthermore, the “Stay” command, once added to your dog's vocabulary, not only covers a multitude of situations, but it is the beginning of teaching your dog long sentences and important concepts. It is a great aid in keeping the dog from harm.

Heel (Walk at my side). “Heel” is a great command for a dog to know for two reasons. First, sometime he must leave home to see the vet, go visiting, or go to the boarding kennel. Second, he needs to be out. He should see the world beyond your yard, for his pleasure and to keep him from getting scared of new things, of strangers, of other dogs. He needs variety in order to be well socialized.

Many dogs who are raised in an ideal country setting, who are fed well, who are groomed and loved and cared for, get weird when they are outside their house. A well-balanced dog must be able to leave his own turf and be able to feel comfortable wherever he goes. Therefore, he should learn to “Heel” so that you can take him places neatly, easily, and frequently.

Down (Lie down). This command, if enforced rapidly, can be a life saver. It can calm a dog. It can cover hours of waiting anywhere with your dog. It can also give you peace and quiet while you read a book, make dinner, or talking on the phone.

Stand (Stand). Whether it's in the tub, in conformation or obedience competition, under the grooming brush, or to negate the automatic sit on a rainy day, “Stand” is a neat word to have in your dog's vocabulary.

Go (Move away or move away in the direction in which I am pointing or accompany me somewhere). The command “Go” is a good word to teach dogs. Often, you can point and look forbidding and say “Go” and your dog will have learned it, just like that.