Guide Dog Training For The Disabled

A guide dog proves the fact that a dog is man's best friend. A dog undergoes rigorous training and assessment sessions to become a guide dog so that it can help physically impaired people (especially blind people) lead better lives. Training of a guide dog starts when it is 12 months old. It is at this age that they are brought to the guide dog training centers. At this time they go through vigorous assessment for their health, temperament and physical strength and endurance.

The instructors keep a note of the dog's reactions to various common-place situations. They assess if the dogs are distracted by cats, food, noise, other dogs or any other circumstances likely to produce anxious reactions in general pet dogs. Based upon these reactions only a selected few dogs are chosen for guide dog training. Then they have to undergo rigorous training sessions that last 4-6 months.

One dog is assigned to each of the visually impaired person and a separate trainer is assigned to train both of them. This is because as a dog needs to be trained to work according to instructions and situations, similarly, the disabled person also needs to be trained to how to keep the dog under control, always. Every person gets a guide dog that suits his/her personal requirements. This is usually found out by a questionnaire filled in by the person in need of a guide dog. The training program is also based on the same questionnaire.

During the training session a dog is taught many things like straight line walking, obeying commands (stop, left, right, forward, slow), ignoring distractions (cats, food, other dogs). Also the dogs are trained to stay in suburbs, rural areas or city centers. A dog is also trained to do certain work independently like walking past obstacles, maneuvering its way in crowd, notice obstacles that are hanging in it handlers way (like tree branches). Lot of encouragement and praise makes them work harder and attain perfection.

During the final stages of the training program a dog is taken for trips to public places like suburban railway stations and other places for access to public transport, banks, post office, shops, etc. A guide is also checked for traffic safety before being declared as one. A dog is even taught to refuse to obey a command of its handler for safety reasons. Thus a dog is trained to take sensible decisions to the extent possible.

At the end of the training the instructor walk in light proof glasses so that he can't see and the dog is meant to act like a guide dog for a person who is visually impaired. After a dog passes this final test it is passed over to the handler. This is the most crucial part of the training as after this period the dog and the handler have to be each other's mutual support without any intervention or support from the trainer.

At the end of the program the dog and the handler have to go through a test together to prove that they can work together as a team. Post that, the handler receives a veterinary certificate, a passport (for the dog) and special dog equipment.

Crating Your Puppy

A crate is an important tool in housebreaking a new dog. It is nothing but a movable bed in the form of a flat basket. Most have soft bedding inside them to make the puppy comfortable. Crating will help your puppy know his own space inside the house. Dogs generally do not like to soil the place they sleep in. Hence they will avoid "accidents" near the crate. Thus crates are a great tool in potty training new puppies. Most dogs prefer to sleep in den-like spaces. This explains why your puppy crawls under the bed or the table. Positioning the crate in such a space will coax the puppy to use it. If your puppy is in his safe place, he will naturally not have destructive tendencies as seen in puppies who feel insecure in their environment. Puppies get anxious when left alone. They have just been separated from their mother and look at you for security and love. When you are not there, a properly crated puppy turns to his crate for comfort. When introducing your puppy to the crate for the first time, praise him and gently coax him into it. Place the crate next to your bed at night to give the puppy a sense of security.For him to do this, you have to first let him 'know' his crate. Make the puppy stay in his crate for small periods and then longer periods extending up to a few hours when you are home with him. Do not force him to get inside the crate. You may even have to "bribe" him by putting in some treat. You could even feed your puppy in the crate. Let him know that this is his safe place to rest. Make sure that your puppy has done his job before you put him in the crate. Just like you would with a child, ensure that he empties his bladder before putting him to bed. Smaller puppies have less bladder control and need to urinate frequently. It is advised not to crate puppies below 4 months for over 3 hours at a stretch. At night, older animals can be crated for up to 5 hours.While buying a crate for your puppy, it is important to buy one that is appropriate for his size. Remember to buy one according to his breed too, so that the crate is neither too big nor too small for him later. If you have bought a bigger crate for your puppy considering his future growth, block one section of the crate so that the puppy does not feel insecure. Always remove the dog's collar before crating so that he can be comfortable. Dogs that have been properly crated will be secure and happy. You can use the crate while traveling or if you need to leave your dog with friends, if you go out of station.

Clicker Training For Your Dog

Clicker training is a newly introduced method of training dogs. It is different from the standard dog training programs where food is used as an incentive and reward. This means that the dog was previously deprived of food during the period of training!

Clicker training sessions are brief and avoid punishment or negative reinforcement as far as possible. Each practice session lasts less than five minutes. Clicker training is programmed with the idea that a dog learns better in short sessions than in long tiresome ones.

Clicker is the name given to this training, since a clicker is used as a behavior marker when training. The click sound goes off when a command is obeyed and the dog is rewarded. The reward could be food, a ball, petting or anything else which you know your dog loves. You need to ensure that the canine's meal does not precede a clicker training session as it will overrule the food reward.

The crucial thing to remember about clicker training is that the click should be at the moment of and not after the desired act. The timing of the reward can take a back stage, but not the click. The power of the click is stronger in training than a spoken word, as it registers an association with a desired action and the reward to follow. The click also allows a dog to register the action it performed. Words have little significance to a dog because it gets related to the emotion expressed, but the sound of a click carries weight.

How do you train your dog with a click? If you want to train your dog to run to you when called, click the moment he makes a move in your direction rather than wait till he is actually running towards you. The reward should follow even if it has taken a few steps towards you. The click training method can also be used when you wish to cure your dog of a wrong habit like wetting the carpet, instead of reprimanding it. The click and reward would reinforce the correction in habit.

Once you or the trainer has trained the dog with the click and reward method, start the dog with a cue. This should be a signal of the hand or a word to imply the desired act. Again the click and reward should be used to reinforce the behavior. Suppose the behavior unfolds without the cue, the click should not be used and the reward not given. If the dog does not respond with the desired act then the place of training should be changed along with the reward. The cue may also have to be relearned in such a situation.

Never reprimand or berate your dog verbally or physically while clicker training him. This will only result in the loss of confidence of your dog in you and the clicker training process.

Dog Treats Can Be An Effective Training Tool

A dog is a man's best friend because he can be trained to obey commands. While all breeds of dogs are easily domesticated, we prefer that the dogs living with us follow some rules and project the right behavior. Thus, we train them. Everything you do with the pet dog should be fun and training should also be the same. However, any dog owner would say that training is a difficult process. Your dog has to respond to the training positively. To help us achieve this, many trainers use treats as a form of positive motivation.
Some dogs are content with a pat on the head while others need some other incentives. Treating your dog reinforces the good behavior in him. Do this by giving him his favorite things as treats. The treats can be some food or his favorite toy. This method must be used together with a lot of praising for something the dog has learned and done well. Treats make the dog look forward to the training and open to learning new things. They become highly responsive when they are having a good time.The key thing to remember while training the animal is to be consistent. Reward the dog for a good deed immediately. If you reward for something later, he will not remember what it is for. He may think that it is for something he has just done that my have not been a good deed at all! It is better to have only one master training the dog rather than all the members of the family. All members should be made to follow the same set of commands so as to not confuse the dog. Ask them to reward him for good behavior. Most dogs prefer the food treats. It can be something small like a biscuit or something soft than he can just gulp down. There are a wide range of doggy treats available in the market that you can easily carry in your pocket. Some dogs however prefer toy treats. Give your dog their favorite toy every time he has done well in the training process. Using dog training treats is one of the most positive and encouraging ways to train your dog. This is a better alternative than violence and physical punishment. These can make your dog subborn, introvert or aggressive. The dog will start associating training with pain and humiliation and make him unwilling to learn anything new. Too much of a good thing can also be bad, so practice restraint while treating your dog. The dog may develop some unwanted traits like always expecting treats before doing something desirable or even begging. Be firm while training, reprimand him if necessary. Make sure the dog always knows that you are the boss. Dog training treats are probably the most effective training tools. This method strengthens the bond between the owner and the dog and promotes trust. The feeling is priceless.

Curbing the Barking Habit

A dog is inclined to bark when it sees other animals, strangers or even visitors to your home. Many think that it is the natural instinct of a dog to bark to protect its keeper or the home where it belongs. The dog will stop barking only when the cause is out of range of his sight.

The habit of barking can be quite annoying not only to you but to your neighbors around, specially if the barking is more frequent at night. You need to do some dog training and curb the barking habit of your dog.

You can obedience train your dog with some simple phrases like "it's okay", "no", "stop barking", "quiet" and then reward it. This will certainly not be an easy task happening overnight. You need to pursue the training for some time until it gets accustomed to certain sights and not react with a bark. If you happen to have a cottage with a yard then it's a good idea to fence it so your dog cannot see outside and react to sights that bring on the barking. The only thing that will now call on the barking will be the people who visit you.

You can teach your dog to curb its barking when you have visitors as well, with the same training as in the case of strangers or animals. Once your dog is used to seeing your visitors more regularly it will naturally stop barking. Your hired domestic help will be an occasional caller. If your dog takes time to get used to the hired help's visit and continues to bark then one way would be to lock your dog into a room where your hired help does not need to enter.

In the case of a friend visiting, you need your dog to get used to the person by allowing the two to become friends. With frequent visits from your friend your dog will become accustomed to seeing your friend around and gradually stop barking.

When you have relatives visiting and staying over, you will need to train your dog to understand that it is safe with the people around. It will not be possible for you to lock your dog up in any of the rooms. On such occasions you will need to have your dog hang around with you and get used to your houseguests. The dog is barking out of fear for itself or for you as well. Once it realizes that the people around are harmless, it will naturally relax. However, remember to reward your dog during these times as well.

Train your dog to curb its barking habit only when the visitor is known to you or if the hour of barking can be annoying to others around. The dog's bark is an alert warning signal when someone is approaching your door and should preferably be rewarded

Getting Your Pup Out Of The Chewing Habit

Once you are the proud owner of a puppy as sweet as sugar, responsibility and caring for your pup also become a part of bringing up your pup. As your pup settles down and begins to familiarize himself with the new surroundings, chewing and gnawing on anything he can lay his paws on may become an exciting game for him. Training and teaching your pup good behavior in time is most essential in controlling the chewing habit.
The pup may not realize that everything cannot be chewed, so stopping him well in time before he gets into an incurable habit is recommended. There are many reasons responsible for the chewing tendency in the pup. It is therefore advisable to first find out the causes for chewing everything. Puppies go through teething process and they chew everything in sight to combat the pain in their gums. This chewing tendency remains until the pup is about eight to ten months old. It is recommended to examine the dog behavior if the chewing habit persists beyond one year. Once the teething phase is crossed and if chewing still continues than your dog may be suffering from boredom, depression, anxiety or frustration. Hence, identifying the reason may go a long way in curing the habit. Whatever the reason may be, never allow your pup to chew anything and everything! There are certain tips that can be followed to prevent the pup from chewing profusely.
It is advisable to keep the pup in a confined space while you are sleeping or not around. Restrict his freedom of roaming the entire house until he is trained. It may be a good idea to give the pup enough dog chew toys to chew on while he is confined, offer him positive reinforcement when he chews on his toys. Firmly refute him when caught chewing and present him with a chew toy immediately. Praise him as soon as he chews on the toy that way your pup will learn the difference between what to chew and what not to chew. There are different types of chew toys, like bones, rawhide, squeaky dog toys, etc. Alternate the toys on a weekly basis; this would give your pup a variety of toys to play with.
If the pup is lonely, frustrated or bored, ensure that you give your pup enough attention and provide him with lots of physical exercise and mental exercise like some puzzle game that stimulates his brain. Along with giving your puppy training for obedience and good behavior, play with your growing pup makes him learn simple fetching the stick tricks. Give him special treats to reinforce his learning. These activities may help in combating the frustration and boredom problems and also enable you to have a healthy and well behaved pup.
Keeping dangerous things like sharp items, electric cables, chemicals etc. out of the reach of your puppy can prevent both, chewing and accidents. There are deterrents available in the market like cayenne pepper or bitter spray that can be used on carpets, furniture and table legs this can greatly reduce the urge of chewing in your pup. Consistently and patiently training your pup with love and applying some of the methods mentioned above will definitely help.

Getting To Understand Your Dog's Behavior

In this article we look at how important it is for a canine owner to understand the behavior of his canine friend.
For an owner of a dog, the only thing that really puffs him up with pride is when his canine friend is well behaved and also knows a bunch of tricks. Any owner would love to show off a smart dog, obedient and full of tricks. Gone are the days of wagging his tail or licking your face in delight. No doubt they still do that. But besides that, they have so much more ability to perform and you will be surprised at all that dogs can do. If you have ever been to the circus, then it is not difficult to understand that. They are able to do much more than guard your house or take care of you.
If you really want them to bond with you then you need to understand certain aspects of their behavior. You really need to take out that extra time and understand them well. Just like a pack in the wild, they feel that this family is the 'pack', so if you do not learn to control them then they will take control. You need to make them know that you are boss, and what you say is going to be followed. Once they have understood that, it is easier for them to submit to you.
Sometimes you have to be firm, and it may seem a little rude but this is the best way. As after all he is an animal, and needs to know that he cannot bully you into submission. You should do little things like feed him, after you have eaten or allow him to sit near your feet (especially when he's feeling warm and nice). It is okay to love him and show tenderness from time to time, but disallowing certain things will show him that he cannot expect special treatment.
I have actually seen some dogs holding their owners to ransom by making that very sad face, when they are asked to leave the room. Most owners feel bad and give in. But do realize that this is a trick the dog is using to get you to feel bad. And you fell for that sad look! In certain ways like this, they do replicate human nature a lot. They also have moods, so stay in tune so you can feel upto a certain extent and have an explanation for certain behavior. And for this you need to bond with the animal and build a relationship. Then it becomes much easier to understand all types of signals and work accordingly to sustain your wavelength of understanding your canine. Make every effort to understand him.

Dog Obedience Commands

A dog is an animal and will not behave just the way we humans want him to on his own. He has to be taught things that will allow him to adjust in a household full of people. Some very basic and important obedience commands need to be taught to any dog in order to housebreak him. Dogs by nature are pack dwellers. They want to adjust in the group they live in. thus they try to please the human "pack" members. This trait helps us train them. It is also very important to let the canine know who the "alpha" (the dog owner) is and that he has to obey his commands. Here are some pointers to get you started. Sit. This is the probably the first command most trainers and owners start with. Make your dog stand in front of you. Apply gentle pressure on his hind saying sit. Do this a couple of time to get him familiar to the word sit. Treat him every time he does it properly. He will learn this command in no time. Stay. In a firm voice ask your dog to stay in the position he is. At first you will have to show this to him by physically holding him down. Once he knows the command, you can train him to "stay" even in a lot of distraction. Do remember to reinforce this command by treating him. Come. Here again use a firm voice. You can even whistle or make a sound that he will be able to associate with the command. Normally gesturing works best to teach a dog to come. Do not use the "come" command when you are angry at your dog. This will make him think of the word with your disapproval. Go. Gesturing again can make the dog learn this command. You can also put him on a leash and make him go from one place to another while repeating the command. Use of treats is effective here.
No. it is imperative that your dog learn the word no as early as possible. Say "no" in your most firm voice whenever he does something he is not supposed to. Reprimand him with it every time he poops or pees in the house. He has to associate this command with unacceptable things. Yelling at the dog will not teach him anything. It will only confuse him. He may get scared and start dreading training sessions with you. Use positive methods of praising and treating. Remember, obedience cannot be taught in hourly trainings or so. Use the commands as frequently as possible with the dog to familiarize him with them. If he is unable to grasp a certain command, maybe you should try a different approach. Make training sessions fun with him. Dogs are bundles of joy. You will soon see that it is very hard to be angry with a dog who is desperately trying to please you.

Agility Training for Your Dog

Dogs are used for shows, sports and activities where the proud owner can show off its performance in certain feats. Horses were one of the first animals to go on stage with their feats but today other animals too are learning to be front stage. This can be seen mainly in circuses or shows where the animal is judged as the best depending on its appearance, its agility and ability to perform certain feats.





Dogs are being trained to perform feats whereby their agility is judged. Agility training covers areas of sports such as jumping, obstacle climbing and interweaving through poles. The training was framed on the lines of the horse jumping shows. For feats such as these the size of the dog matters. Small to medium sized dogs are best for agility training even though all dogs are fairly agile.





Before a dog is started on an agility training it should be examined by a veterinarian. One of the criterion for such training is that the dog is able to obey basic commands like “sit”, “stand”, “lie down”, “bring”, “come” and such other commands. If a dog responds correctly to such commands then it will be possible for it to learn the commands of the sport when agility training is given. The trainer should endeavor to make the training fun rather than difficult and tiresome for the dog. Moreover the trainer should avoid being too critical or harsh when training.





The training starts with simple feats as jumping over a horizontal bar or going under a horizontal bar. Gradually as the dog picks up and masters one feat, the next is introduced. One after another obstacles like ramps and tunnels are incorporated. The agility skill will determine a dog's ability to compete and learn higher and more difficult feats. Such training takes days for the dog to relate what is expected of it in agility training. The trainer needs to understand the dog's behavioral pattern before putting it through the training.





The dog needs to be rewarded the same as in any dog training. The reward may be by way of goodies or loving words and praise, or even a pat. Any training or good behavior should always be rewarded for the dog to know that it has done the correct and expected feat according to the command. No training or teaching should go un-rewarded if you want your dog to learn a sport or feat or activity. Reward is the language they understand.





At the competition or the show the direction of the particular obstacle to be tackled is predetermined. The handler uses a leash to keep the dog in control and direct it towards the obstacle.





On completion of the agility feat or performance the owner of the dog receives the prize title, while the dog is rewarded with praise and goodies or toys.

Dog Training - The Basics

In this article we will try to explain the basics of dog training and how important it is.

A dog plays a special role in a home. He is almost like a part of the family and just like we train and teach our kids, so should we do with the dog too. It is a proud feeling to have a dog that is well mannered and obedient, especially if he is trained properly and taught to be obedient. It does not come naturally for them to obey. Hence, they need to be shown, of course through firmness and kindness, but never through physical pain. Never ever hit or smack a dog as it will only make them more nervous or aggressive. Instead you need to have a lot of patience and perseverance too.

Perseverance, why? Because when you decide to train your dog yourself with the guidance of someone or a handibook, please remember the most important thing - Any type of act or trick has to be done again and again! It is only when it is repeated that he will get the hang of it. Since we also are forgetful, dogs are too. They need to be reminded and instructions need to be repeated again and again. But once he is trained, he will hardly need any instruction as he will be well behaved and with a good temperament also. An asset to the home and even in public! Everyone loves a dog that follows its master's commands and is well behaved. They do not mind him coming into their store, as they are convinced that he will not create a ruckus or dirty the place.

Also when you train him, make him understand who is boss. He should know who is boss. Because dogs have tendency to take over and be the boss, if they realize that the owner is not taking the initiative. Training together also brings you both together and strengthens your relationship. There are many good schools in case you want to send him elsewhere to be trained. It is this training that will save his or your life a tragic situation. It is when a trained dog knows what to do, that he will salvage a situation. All the training comes handy as they know what to do and mostly listen to your commands. This is very crucial. It is also every important to understand his speed and ability of learning as all dogs are different. And if you want him to train, then understanding his feelings and taking them into consideration is a big part of this package. Go ahead and don't waste any time in basic training like to heel or fetch.