What Is Crate Training?

Crate training is the process of teaching your dog to go to its crate on command and stay there comfortably until released by command. Crate training is typical to American dog owners. The aim of crate training is to make the dog recognize the crate as its den and feel thoroughly safe and at home there. It is useful to you when your dog is new to the house and is not familiar with the house rules. Crate training also comes in handy when you want to travel with your dog, especially to a place where letting it loose is not an option.

Crate training a dog takes a lot of time and effort. There are two things that you should remember while crate training a dog, the crate should be a pleasant object to it, always, and that the training should be done in small parts, slowly.

Dog Training Tips: Establishing Dominance

Dogs are not furry little four-legged humans. They are dogs. Pack animals. In order to connect with them on their level, we need to understand the mechanics of dominance in the pack. Failing to establish this clear hierarchy, or allowing your dog to become the leader while you take a submissive role, is often the root cause of behavioral problems.

There are many subtle ways to establish dominance that do not require "alpha rolls" and other physically aggressive displays. Simple obedience training is the first step towards becoming the pack leader, as is walking your dog daily. The NILIF method is great exerting control over every aspect of your dog's life, and thereby establishing dominance.

Phases Of Dog Training

1 - Learning

This is where your pup begins. He's happy, he's curious, and he's eager to please you.

2 - Correction

Your dog has learned the command, he responds consistently 95% of the time, and has an obvious understanding of what you want. Yet, every so often, he just seems to ignore you. Your dog must learn that he does not have a choice to disobey. He cannot ignore. He must obey immediately, every time.

3 - Distraction

Your dog has successfully grasped the concept that disobedience is unacceptable. He is consistent with obeying the commands, and listens rather well.

4 - Continuing education

The fourth phase of dog training is lifelong. It consists of taking a little bit of time every day to reinforce the training.

Dog Training: Practice

Sure, training your new puppy is fun......at first. Since patience and consistency are the hallmarks of a good training program, dog training quickly can become tedious and boring.

But it doesn't need to be. Fact is, once you get beyond the initial Learning phase, you can maintain your dog's training while doing everyday things. I like to use the NILIF method, or Nothing In Life Is Free. This is a simple training method that entails making your dog earn everything. EVERYTHING.

He wants to eat? He must sit, down, whatever before you place his dish down. He wants to go out? Same thing. He wants to come in? You guessed it! Same thing. He wants affection? Are you catching on yet?

Positive Reinforcement Method

It’s widely accepted among the vast majority of dog training experts that the most effective and humane way to train your dog is through a process called positive reinforcement training.

This is a fancy phrase for what’s essentially a very simple theory: using positive reinforcement entails rewarding the behavior that you wish to see repeated, and ignoring the behavior that you don’t.

This method is in direct contrast to some of the now-outdated but once-popular techniques for dog training, some of which were frankly abhorrent: physical pain and intimidation (such as hanging an aggressive dog up by her collar), or inhumane methods of aversion therapy (such as shock collars for barking).

Positive reinforcement works with your dog. Her natural instinct is to please you – the theory of positive reinforcement recognizes that lessons are more meaningful for dogs, and tend to "stick" more, when a dog is able to figure out what you're asking under her own steam (as opposed to, say, learning "down" by being forced repeatedly into a prone position, while the word "down" is repeated at intervals). When you use positive reinforcement training, you're allowing her the time and the opportunity to use her own brain.

Some ways for you to facilitate the training process:
- Use meaningful rewards. Dogs get bored pretty quickly with a routine pat on the head and a “good girl” (and, in fact, most dogs don’t even like being patted on the head – watch their expressions and notice how most will balk or shy away when a hand descends towards their head). To keep the quality of your dog’s learning at a high standard, use tempting incentives for good behavior. Food treats and physical affection are what dog trainers refer to as “primary incentives” – in other words, they’re both significant rewards that most dogs respond powerfully and reliably to.
- Use the right timing. When your dog obeys a command, you must mark the behavior that you're going to reward so that, when she gets that treat in her mouth, she understands exactly what behavior it was that earned her the reward. Some people use a clicker for this: a small metal sound-making device, which emits a distinct “click” when pressed. The clicker is clicked at the exact moment that a dog performs the desired behavior (so, if asking a dog to sit, you’d click the clicker just as the dog’s bottom hits the ground). You can also use your voice to mark desired behavior: just saying “Yes!” in a happy, excited tone of voice will work perfectly. Make sure that you give her the treat after the marker – and remember to use the marker consistently. If you only say “Yes!” or use the clicker sometimes, it won’t have any significance to your dog when you do do it; she needs the opportunity to learn what that marker means (i.e., that she’s done something right whenever she hears the marker, and a treat will be forthcoming very shortly). So be consistent with your marker.
- Be consistent with your training commands, too. When you’re teaching a dog a command, you must decide ahead of time on the verbal cue you’re going to be giving her, and then stick to it. So, when training your dog to not jump up on you, you wouldn’t ask her to “get off”, “get down”, and “stop jumping”, because that would just confuse her; you’d pick one phrase, such as “No jump”, and stick with it. Even the smartest dogs don’t understand English – they need to learn, through consistent repetition, the actions associated with a particular phrase. Her rate of obedience will be much better if you choose one particular phrase and use it every time you wish her to enact a certain behavior for you.

How to reward your dog meaningfully
All dogs have their favorite treats and preferred demonstrations of physical affection. Some dogs will do backflips for a dried liver snippet; other dogs just aren’t ‘chow hounds’ (big eaters) and prefer to be rewarded through a game with a cherished toy, or through some physical affection from you.

You’ll probably already have a fair idea of how much she enjoys being touched and played with – each dog has a distinct level of energy and demonstrativeness, just like humans do.

The best ways to stroke your dog: most dogs really like having the base of the tail (the lowest part of their back, just before the tail starts) scratched gently; having their chests rubbed or scratched (right between the forelegs) is usually a winner, too. You can also target the ears: gently rub the ear flap between your thumb and finger, or scratch gently at the base.

As far as food is concerned, it’s not hard to figure out what your dog likes: just experiment with different food treats until you find one that she really goes nuts for. When it comes to food, trainers have noted an interesting thing: dogs actually respond most reliably to training commands when they receive treats sporadically, instead of predictably. Intermittent treating seems to keep dogs on their toes, and more interested in what might be on offer - it prevents them from growing tired of the food rewards, and from making a conscious decision to forego a treat.

How to correct your dog meaningfully
The great thing about positive reinforcement training is that it doesn't require you to do anything that might go against the grain. You won't be called upon to put any complex, weighty correctional theories into practice, or be required to undertake any harsh punitive measures.

When it comes to positive reinforcement training, all you have to do is ignore the behavior that you don't wish to see repeated. Not getting any attention (because you're deliberately ignoring her) is enough to make just about any dog pretty miserable, and thus is a powerful correctional tool.

Contemporary belief in dog training states that we should simply ignore incorrect responses to a training command - that, with no reinforcement from us (yes, even negative attention - like verbal corrections - counts as reinforcement: to some dogs, negative attention is better than no attention at all), the dog will stop the behavior of her own accord.

The bigger the fuss you make over her when she does get it right, the clearer the connection will be between a particular behavior(s) eliciting no response at all, but other behaviors (the right response) eliciting massive amounts of positive attention from you.

Recommended Reading
Hopefully this newsletter's given you a good basic insight into the more helpful attitudes and techniques to use when training your dog. However, the subject remains pretty complex, and it's a good idea to learn as much about effective training techniques as possible.

One excellent resource for dog training is SitStayFetch: the ultimate training and knowledge database for dog owners. With a focus on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors, as well as obedience work and 'tricks', SitStayFetch covers a vast variety of topics in minute detail - all round, an invaluable manual for dog owners everywhere.

You can check out SitStayFetch by clicking on the link below:
*http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/

Food-Guarding Issues With Dogs

If you've never seen a dog with serious food-guarding issues, it's difficult to appreciate the potential severity of the problem. Food-guarding issues are not necessarily a reflection on the personality or training level of the dog: it's an instinctive thing, and although dogs with a general aggression problem are naturally more prone to demonstrating the condition, it's also exhibited by otherwise-sweet, well-behaved, well-adjusted family dogs. Like an evil djinn, the problem can rear its ugly head only when food (or the food bowl) is present: a real case of Jekyll and Hyde.

A dog with serious food-guarding issues can be a real danger to anyone who should approach her during a meal: it's not a scenario in which you can expect to train your dog to "play nice". Instinct is what's compelling her to act in this undesirable, and even dangerous, way - you need to take steps to turn the behavior around before your relationship with your dog suffers or somebody gets hurt.

There are different degrees of food guarding. In the mildest case, a dog will merely tense up a little or freeze if somebody approaches her while she's trying to eat. She may even continue eating, but her posture will be rigid and stiff: she'll clearly be uncomfortable. Signs that the problem is more severe would include a marked increase in eating speed, a direct, hard stare right at you (often accompanied by a still, tense, "watching" posture), a lifted lip, a snarl, a snap, and finally a real bite. NOTE: A dog exhibiting any of these last three symptoms has a pretty severe case of food-guarding aggression, and may be prepared to inflict actual harm. If this is the case with your dog, hiring a hands-on trainer may be the best answer for you: it'll ensure your safety, and they'll be able to examine your overall relationship with your dog and see if there are other areas contributing to the problem.

A food-guarding dog is a pretty confused one. In her mind, she's got your role mixed up. She fails to recognize that you are the dispenser of food (which should accord you automatic alpha-dog status, ensuring your immunity from any kind of aggression or dominance), and instead is viewing you as a threat: a blackguard who might be going to take away her precious food. Hence, the possessiveness.

The degree of aggression that a food-guarding dog is capable of might be hard to understand, until you consider the fact that food is one of the greatest pleasures of your dog's life. Dogs are scavengers by nature: they're programmed to eat just about anything they can get their jaws around. As well as the instinctiveness of this gluttony, most dogs also simply enjoy the tactile and gustatory sensations that come with a good meal (or an indifferent one .. and sometimes even a bad one). They just … like to eat. And it's this overwhelming importance that's placed on food that gets some dogs a bit mixed up: their grasp of the situation gets a bit thrown off, and they begin to wonder, miser-like, who might happen upon them and take away their cherished food. The obvious conclusion: you. Or anyone else who comes along at meal-time.

To cure her of this frustrating and antisocial habit, you need to remind her that you're actually the purveyor of that which she holds so dear: to make it clear to her that you're the one in charge of the kitchen, and of all the delightful morsels contained therein.

Dogs can develop food-guarding instincts at any point in their lives: some will have had the problem since puppyhood, but for others the tendency lies dormant until it's awakened by an item of particular juiciness. For most dogs, the deciding factor is meat, in some shape or form - whether it's a marrowbone, a mutton hock, or cast-off scraps from the dinner table. Meat to dogs is like money to humans: it can change them, make them do things they otherwise wouldn't do. So it's not entirely surprising that the intrinsic value of meat-related foodstuffs can give our dogs a new, unpleasantly skewed perspective on the sanctity of the food-bowl.

Because of the possibility of food-guarding becoming an issue in your dog's behavior at any point in her life, prevention is obviously the ideal path to take: whether you get your dog from puppyhood or adopt her as an adult from a shelter, you should make a point of approaching her during mealtime.

Have you ever heard a friend with dogs ask you to "leave her alone when she's eating"? This is a short-term solution at most: it'll prevent anything untoward from happening, provided that all the humans play by the rules and ensure that they don't disturb the dog - but the dog is still the one calling all the shots. And what will happen if the unexpected occurs? What if a toddler charges full-tilt towards the dog and makes a playful grab for her bowl?

In a wolf-pack, the alpha dog is never disturbed when he or she is eating. Not only does she get to eat first, and eat the lion's share of everything; but he or she also eats undisturbed. This is why a dog that's permitted to eat in solitary splendor can actually become more food-aggressive, not less; without anyone to take her down a notch, she begins to assume more authority than she actually has.

To prevent your dog from getting an overinflated sense of her own importance, make sure you disturb her plenty while she's eating. Don't make a point of tiptoeing around whenever the food bowl's out; it'll just accustom her to solitude and silence when she eats (which are things that only the alpha wolf or dog is entitled to).

At the other end of the spectrum, don't make these disturbances a negative experience for her either, or else you may actually create a problem where none previously existed. All you have to do is approach her from time to time while she eats - starting from the very day you bring her into your home - and add something tasty (and small!) to her dish while she's eating, to make the connection in her head that 'humans approaching food bowl = good news'. A spoonful of scrambled egg, a piece of liver treat, a few chunks of cheese - anything that she'll enjoy, and that has a greater "food value" than the kibble she's eating, will work perfectly.

Of course, if it's too late for preventatives and your dog already has a problem, you'll need to adopt a very different approach.

Here's what to do:
- The dog bowl is going to be put away for the next seven to ten days. Over this time, you're going to be feeding your dog by hand - one small handful at a time. Yes, I know this is going to be time-consuming, but the alternative is even worse: a dangerous dog that can't be trusted around food. So feed her by hand for the next week or so. Be sure not to encourage any greedy snapping or grabbing for the food: only allow her to take the food from your hand when she does so gently. Remind her that bite inhibition is necessary to get what she wants!
- Once at least a week has passed and she's eating politely from your hand, you can reintroduce the food bowl, with one slight modification: it has to be empty. And it stays empty until you pass by and drop a small handful of kibble into it for her to eat. When that's been polished off, wait at least a full minute before adding another, small, handful of kibble. Keep doing this until the entire meal's been consumed - this is a very effective way of teaching your dog to actively long for your presence near her food bowl!
- When she's graduated to the next stage, you can start setting down a half-empty food bowl for her. Don't let her lunge at the bowl and start gobbling: holding the bowl out of reach (or placing it on a handy counter), make her sit and wait before you allow her to eat. Don't put the bowl down until she complies. Sit or crouch beside the bowl and continue to add small handfuls of kibble, just as you did in step two, until a full meal's been eaten.
- The fourth, and final, step is to allow her access to a full food bowl. Again, it's very important that you do not allow her to call the shots: she must sit and wait until you release her with an "OK!" before she's permitted to eat. To keep the message clear in your head that you are in charge of the food in this house, practice calling her away from her food a few times a week and rewarding her with a super-tasty treat for her exemplary obedience while she's trying to eat.

If at any time your dog's behavior gets shaky on any of these four steps, backslide until you've reached the stage at which she is 100% reliable. Wait at this stage for at least two or three more days before attempting to progress once more. As with any training, it's essential that a solid foundation is built before moving on to the next level - she must be completely comfortable with each step before trying a new one.

Further Reading
For detailed, in-depth information on canine behavioral problems (both preventing and dealing with them) take a look at SitStayFetch. It's the complete handbook for responsible dog owners, and is packed with valuable advice and step-by-step how-to's for dog training.

You can visit SitStayFetch by clicking on the link below:
http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/

Disobedience In Dogs

There’s a difference between disobedience and incomprehension. If your dog isn’t obeying a command because he doesn’t understand what it is you want him to do, that’s not a behavioral problem at all; it simply means that you need to spend some more time together in training.

True disobedience occurs when your dog deliberately does not obey a request or command, although he has full knowledge of what it is that you’re asking him to do (and you know this because he’s performed it reliably on several occasions beforehand).

Although this may seem like a relatively minor inconvenience, it’s actually a pretty serious thing – not only can it be dangerous for your dog (for example, if he’s heading towards a busy road and ignores your ‘come’ command), but it’s also detrimental to your relationship with your dog.

Disobedience is rooted in disrespect. When your dog deliberately does not obey you, he’s saying, “I don’t respect your authority enough to do what you want me to do”.

If you allow him to get away with this, you are allowing him to form the habit of passive-aggression. This is not something that can just be left to “fix itself” – the problem will worsen, not get better, if you leave it.

It’s very important that your dog recognizes that you outrank him in the social hierarchy of the household. The concept of alpha status is one that you need to be familiar with in order to maintain a healthy, functional relationship with your dog.

It may sound cruel from a human perspective, but your dog is happier when he knows that someone else is in charge of making all the decisions – including his day-to-day behavior and obedience levels.

It is not possible to have a good owner/dog relationship if he does not understand that you are the clear-cut authority figure: he must know that he’s beneath you in the chain of command.

Your first step in dealing with generalized disobedience is to reestablish your dominance. Here are some tips on doing so: - When leaving the house and the car, you must always leave before your dog. This is unmistakable alpha behavior: to a dog, only the alpha leaves first. If you allow him to exit the house or the car ahead of you, you are saying to him, “You’re stronger than me; you should go first because you’re the decision-maker”. Inside doors aren’t so important, but every time you leave the house or the car to go outside, you must make him wait for you to go first, until you release him from the ‘wait’ with a release-word.
- Make him wait for his food. Your family and you must always eat before him – if it means he has to wait an extra half hour or so for his meal, it won’t hurt him any. When you put his food down for him, make him sit and wait until you release him to eat. Keep his feeding schedule varied, so he’s always aware that you’re in charge of his food – don’t allow him to form expectations of when he should be fed.
- Don’t allow him free, uninhibited access to the whole house. The house is your den: you’re allowing him to be inside. Remind him that you’re allowing him into your den – it’s a privilege for him to be there, not a right - by sometimes allowing him inside, and sometimes sending him outside for half an hour or so. Keep certain areas of the house strictly for your own, as well (such as your bed, certain pieces of furniture, or some rooms).
- Never allow your dog to initiate play. If he’s nudging you for attention or to start a game, you may think that it’s cute and affectionate; but what he’s really saying is, “I’m the boss and I’m telling you to play with me right now.” If he starts bothering you for attention, ignore him for a few moments: get up and do something else. Wait until he’s given up before initiating the play yourself. Playtime is a fantastic way to bond with your dog, but it should be done on your terms, not his.
- When you arrive home, don’t rush straight over to him and shower him in affection. That is not alpha behavior at all – an alpha dog, upon arriving home, doesn’t go over to the other dogs and throw himself at them, saying, “Here I am! I missed you guys! Let’s have a cuddle!” – he ignores everyone else, relaxes for a short while, maybe has something to eat, and only interacts with them when he’s good and ready. Even though you’re probably good and ready to interact with your dog as soon as you get home, it will make more sense to him – and underscore your authority – if you ignore him for just three to five minutes upon arriving home.

Another fantastic way of counteracting disobedience is to start – and maintain – a basic obedience training plan. You don’t have to do anything fancy or super-demanding; just ten minutes a day of learning and enforcing commands. This can drop to five minutes a day once your dog is completely reliable with the commands.

Here are some tips for a good training program:
- Never give a command that you cannot reinforce immediately if he chooses to disobey you. Every time your dog takes the opportunity to ignore your command, he’s learning that it’s both easier and a lot more fun to ignore you. For example, if you call across the park for him to ‘come’ as he’s playing with some other dogs, the choices are clear-cut to him: he could cut his play-time short and come to you, or he could ignore you – which is easy, since you’re so far away – and continue to have fun. Until your dog is completely reliable with commands, he should be on a long line or retractable lead so that you can enforce them if necessary.
- Remember to use your voice to the best effect. Praise should be in a light, cheery, happy tone of voice; if possible, smile at the same time. It makes a difference to your tone of voice, and most dogs will study your face to make sense of your expressions, too. Corrections should be uttered in a stern, brook-no-nonsense tone: you don’t need to shout, but your voice should be low and authoritative.
- When you’re verbally interrupting your dog, it’s more effective to shout, “OI!” or “Ah-ah-ah!” rather than saying, “No”. The sounds are more clear-cut, and you’ll get a better response.
- Do not repeat a command. Remember, you should be training on a leash or a long line: if he ignores you, he gets a short, sharp tug (some call it a ‘flick’) on the lead to remind him that you’re present, and you’re in charge. Repeating yourself teaches him to wait for the command to be repeated at least once before he obeys you.
- Five to fifteen minutes per day is an adequate amount of time for training. Any more than this in one sitting, and your dog’s concentration will likely lapse: fifteen minutes of intense training, where your dog is concentrating hard on what you want, is enough to send even the most energetic dogs to their beds for a snooze afterwards.
- You can move on to more advanced training and ‘tricks’ if you feel like it, once your dog’s got the basics completely sussed; but it’s not something that you should feel like you have to do.
- Another great option is formal obedience training classes. They’re a great way of socializing your dog (he gets to interact with other dogs, and those dogs’ owners), and also teaches him to concentrate on what you want despite the manifold distractions taking place around him. It’s also very helpful to have face-to-face contact with a trained professional: they can pick up on any mistakes you might be making, and give you advice for tightening up your training techniques.

For more information
For further information on typical doggie behavior, including a fantastic resource for training how-to's and loads of detailed information on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors, check out SitStayFetch.
Written by a professional dog-trainer, it's an absorbing guide that deals with all the subjects a responsible dog-owner could ever want to know about - well worth a look.

To visit the SitStayFetch website, just click on the link below:
http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/