easy to teach dog tricks

“Dog Toys For The Brain, Teeth And Feet”

Thinking of the best toys that suit your dog? Browse through the dog toys below and see what fits your pet and your budget.

For dogs who love to chew:

1. Kong Jump’n Jack

Prices:
$5.60 (small)
$7.50 (medium)
$8.80 (large)

Kong Jump’n Jack is a dog toy and a teeth cleaner and gum exerciser at the same time. It has a very unpredictable bounce that makes it a lot more fun for the dog to play with. It has a lot more surfaces that clean dog’s teeth. Kong Jump’n Jack also has slits that are useful for the gums to be exercised.

2. Squirrel Dude (Busy Buddy)

Prices:
$5.99 (small)
$8.99 (medium)
$11.99 (large)

This is a unique and innovative rubber toy. It has four rubber prongs that cover the hole a bit which challenges the dog to give more effort to taste the food treats inside. The Squirrel Dude is durable and very chewable.

3. Biscuit Block (Animal Planet)

$4.50 (small)
$9.90 (medium)

This chew toy has four grabbing chambers distributed throughout the toy. Varieties of dog treats can be inserted inside to keep pets happy and busy. It has a crazy bounce brought about by its square shape with cut corners.

4. Ball Stomp’r (Launch and Throw Ball Toys)

Price:
$10.99 (regular, red)
$8.99 (mini, green)

This dog toy enables both young and old to have a great time playing with their dogs. The Ball Stomp’r is the first ball launcher of its kind. The ball needs to be loaded, then stomped on and it will eject to a height reaching 100 feet with the regular ball. The mini Ball Stom’r can reach up to a height of 60 feet. This toy has its own ball but tennis balls are a good substitute. This toy is tough, water proof and very dog friendly. This is not chew-proof though so it should be kept after using. The dimension of a regular-sized Ball Stomp’r is 12 inches in length that uses a tennis ball sized ball. The smaller type is 9 inches long and uses a ball with the size of 2 inches.

4. Dinosaur Egg Baby (Plush Puppies) – Intelligence Building Toy ($6.90)

The Dinosaur Egg Baby has three eggs inside that give out a squeaking sound. It has a secret opening underneath to test dog’s instinct in getting hidden rewards. It is 6 inches in height, 5 inches wide and 12 inches long.

Toys that exercise dogs, cleanse their teeth, rejuvenate their jumping ability and test their intelligence. A complete set of these toys would definitely make owners be much more loved by their pets.

“Basic Principles In A Dog Lovers Club”

There are lots of dog lovers clubs in the US that offer a lot more for both the dog lovers and their dogs. Here are some of them.

The American Kennel Club has a dog lovers sections called “For the Love of the Purebred Dog”. This article is more than a canine purebred section. It is dedicated to living at home with dogs. This dog club gives informative and educational materials pertaining to pet care, training, nutrition and a lot more. It also includes funny stories, art, pet history and the more popular Companion Animal Recovery method. There are also more popular sites like the dog breeds and events page.

The American Mixed Breed Obedience Registration or (AMBOR) on the other hand was created in 1983 with the objective of taking into accounts the perseverance and accolades in obedience contests of mix breed dogs and handlers. This dog lovers club also gives support and inspiration to dog handlers.

Important Information for Members:

1. Mixed-breeds

Unlimited full membership is open to handlers and owners of mixed-breed dogs as long as the pet is spayed and nails are cut. There should be front and side photo shots of the dog that will be included in the application. This is the ticket to all the obedience and agility programs, automatic tabulation in the agility and obedience nationwide ranking system. This also includes a given eligibility for the annual awards.

This achievement will be given honor in AMBOR highlights (AMBOR’S newsletter) and on the website. The member will be eligible to any agility and obedience national competition in the future. Dogs with assigned numbers are marked as purebred and should be enlisted as a purebred. Also, dogs that are listed as mixed-breeds that are given a number based on the owner’s application causes its membership to be changed to a status of a purebred.

2. Purebreds

Purebred dogs can be listed with AMBOR with a rule that entry is limited to the AMBOR-supported agility program. All dogs that are purebred, listed with AMBOR and exhibits AMBOR-supported programs on agility will have competition points monitored and there will be an automatic issuance of certificates.

Dogs that are purebred and listed with AMBOR are not qualified to be a part of the agility and obedience scoring systems. They will also not be included in the website on highlights and not qualified for any mixed-breeds national competition in the future.

Handlers that register to the AMBOR-supported trials on agility should put their AMBOR number on the form at the club’s entrance so that competition points will be monitored.

3 easy to teach dog tricks

To teach your dog tricks even easy ones you need to have some small reward treats, be in a quiet suitable place and keep the training sessions to 10 - 15 minutes or your dog will start to get board, remember when he gets something right lots of praise and a reward treat, just be careful not to get him over excited or he will loose concentration.

Getting your dog to give you his paw, first get your dog to sit, then as you say the word 'paw' take your dogs paw in your hand, give the dog a treat, repeat this, after a few times do not take his paw so quickly, say the word, count to one then take it, you should notice he is bringing his paw up as you say the word if he does not go back to saying it at the same time, do it a few more times then slow your response again. After 2 or 3 sessions most dogs pick this one up quite happily.

The high five, like a lot of tricks the high five is a progression of an earlier trick, in this cast the paw trick. Hold a treat in your fingers and raise your hand slightly higher than you would for the paw trick. You dog will think you want to do the paw trick and will reach for the treat with his paw as we taught him earlier, as he reaches up you say “high five” and give him the treat. Once your dog has mastered the paw trick this one should be very easy to learn and with just a few sessions he will be doing it on hand signal rather than voice control.

Getting your dog to jump through a hoop, before you start this one I would just like to ask you to be a little sensible and not hold the hoop too high as you do not want your dog to heart himself while doing the trick. Sit your dog on one side of a hoola hoop, get the dogs attention on your hand on the other side of the hoop take a treat in your hand and give the dog the command to release him from the sit, at first he may attempt to go around or under the hoop, if this happens start again, your dog wants the treat and will soon learn that going around or under does not get it so he will soon start going through it, when he does say hoopla and give him the treat. He will soon be jumping through the hoop on the command of hoopla. When I started doing this trick I had a medium sized dog (a Labrador) so I started with the hoop 6 inches from the ground and slowly raised it to waist height, if you have a smaller dog you might want to start with the hoop touching the ground so the dog just goes through the hoop and then slowly raise it as he gets used to the trick.

6 easy ways to find a good dog training professional

Finding a good dog training professional
With so many people advertising in the field of professional dog training today, trying to determine who's truly qualified to look after your dog can be overwhelming. What to look for when choosing a professional to help you with dog training :

1) A good reputation, ask around and get recommendations from your vet, other dog owners, or local kennel clubs.
2) Experience. - Inquire about their background, i.e. number of years experience.
3)A genuine love of and devotion to dogs.
4) Extensive and up to date knowledge. Dedicated trainers keep themselves updated by attending dog training and animal behaviour courses, conferences, seminars and workshops.
5) Their training methodology and handling skills. A good trainers first concern should be the dogs well being.
6) Memberships with reputable associations, organizations and training clubs.

General dog obedience tips

Training should be a positive and enjoyable experience for both you and your dog. If you are not in the right mood for training, don’t even begin. Always reward your dog for obeying your commands promptly! A reward is anything that your dog wants and is willing to work for. Treats are an obvious reward but other rewards could be verbal praise and toys. Several shorter sessions are usually better than one long one. Training should not involve any negative components or punishment . There should be no shouting, no hitting or smacking, no chain jerking on choke chains or collars, and absolutely no electric shocking! Each training session should be enjoyable and positive with rewards for jobs well done.

Training with head collars
Pulling on the lead is one of the few unpleasant experiences of bringing up a new puppy or dog. Using a head collar for dog training has become very popular over the last few years. Training with a head collar does have some advantages over the traditional training collar. Although very simple to use, it is important that head collars are fitted correctly and your dog properly introduced to the collar. Head collars are generally more intuitive to use than a traditional training collar. Head collars are very effective when controlling dogs in difficult situations.

4 to 8 Dog Agility Jumps Makes Ideal Training

We are often asked, "How many jumps should I start with?" You can never have too many single jumps to practice agility. A good starting place is four jumps. This is the absolute minimum number of jumps that we recommend.

You can teach a variety of skills, drills, and exercises with four jumps. Four jumps will allow you to work on a short jump chute or jump grid. You can setup a "box" with your jumps and practice handling, collection, and 270 degree jumps. You can teach your dog jumping left and right. You can be outside the box and send your dog or you can handle from the inside of the box. Your jumps can be setup in a horizontal line, so that you can practice serpentines and threadles.

Go the next step and get eight jumps. Now you can setup two boxes with one introductory jump. You've now multiplied your drills that you can practice with your dog. Your jump grids can be of recommended size and quantity of jumps. You can also setup your jumps in a circle with the jump bars perpendicular to the circle or on the circumference of the circle. This pattern also enables you to train a variety of skills.

Your next consideration is a double jump and a triple jump. You could set two or three single jumps together to make your expanded jump, but having double and triple jump in your course work is really valuable to practice. We've seen many dogs run a clean course and the last obstacle is a triple and the dog is not prepared for it, and bang, down comes the bar.

You can really be ahead of the pack and have two sets of eight jumps. This is the ultimate in training because you can keep a jump grip up at all times that is separate from your course work, and have eight single jumps to have for course work. And when you include your double and triple, you can really practice all the jumping skills and drills necessary to get you those "Qs".

'On Trust' & 'Paid For': One of the Oldest Dog Tricks that Never Fail to Entertain

“On Trust” & “Paid For” for are one of the oldest dog tricks that afford as much entertainment as anything a dog can do since the early 1900s. It is not the easiest trick to be taught but can be elaborated on and presented in several different forms to impress most people.

To teach this trick call your dog to you, allowing him to stand up or sit down, as he desires, and hold his head steady with on hand, while you balance a piece of treat on his nose.

Say to him, “On trust, on trust,” steadying and restraining his head from moving with one hand and holding up a threatening finger with the other and repeating the words, “On trust, on trust”.

After which, release his head, saying “paid for,” and give him a little chuck under the chin, that will cause him to toss the treat up and catch it. Of course, in his earlier attempts he will not be able to catch the treat, but he should be allowed to eat the treat after it land on the floor.

Continuous repetition of this training will produce efficiency. Over time you should stop restraining his head with your hand and allow him to balance the treat on his nose until you give him the words “Paid for.”

He can also be taught also to hold the treat between his teeth and not to swallow it until told to do so. This trick can be made more impressive by holding a conversation with your dog. For instance, you might say: “Buddy, old man, here is a very yummy piece of treat, but it is ‘on trust.’”

Slightly emphasize the word “trust” and then go on and say: “I am glad you dislike to eat things on trust, but this I have just learned has been ‘paid for,’” emphasizing the words “paid for.”

Your dog can also be taught to toss the treat on hearing a certain number. To teach this, balance it on his nose and hold his head while you count plainly and deliberately, one, two, three, and then chuck him under the chin. Until he has had a great deal of practice he will toss it up as promptly at one, two, four, as he will at one, two, three, but he must be drilled until he will not toss it until he hears “three,” and it will make it easier for him if you slightly emphasize the “THREE” word.

In time you can use many combinations of figures and he will wait until he hears the emphasized “three.” In working him do not make him wait too long before you say “three,” and allow him to eat the treat.

“Trust” and “Paid For” dog tricks are considerably difficult to master and requires plenty of patience from you. Remember, do not punish your dog if he can’t master the trick, and rather blame yourself for being a lousy teacher. :-) In any case, enjoy training and have lots of fun along the way.

6 Great Tips For Getting Your Dog Toilet Trained

One of the toughest jobs that a family faces when a new puppy comes home is getting the dog housebroken. This means that the dog will eliminate outdoors and not use your home and furnishings as a toilet. Lots of people think that getting doggy toilet trained is a tough task, but it doesn’t need to be. If you arm yourself with plenty of information for the best ways to get your dog house trained, you are on the right path to having a dog that goes to the bathroom where you want him to go.

When to House Train

A dog can be toilet trained at any age, but the best age to begin is between eight and twelve weeks old. If you set up a housebreaking routine as soon as you bring your puppy home, before long he will get the right idea of where to do his business. A crate is a great tool for toilet training a puppy. It keeps him confined when there is no supervision and most dogs learn quickly that if they make in their crate they will have to sit in it. Most dogs are fairly hygienic and won’t enjoy having to sit in dog doody or urine.


The Advantages of Using a Crate

Be sure there is enough room in the crate for your pup to turn around, but don't leave so much room that he will be able to eliminate and lie down far away from it. Many dog owners view a crate as a jail cell or to use as punishment, but your dog will love having his own space where he can escape from the hustle and bustle of the household for some quiet time. Make your dogs crate a happy place and don’t use it for punishment. You can feed your dog in the crate, or while he is in there, offer him some treats. Place a favorite chewy or toy in there with him, add blankets and he will have a cozy den to escape to whenever he feels the need. Utilizing a crate for your dog can keep him out of trouble and not only in housebreaking.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled

Keeping a close eye on your puppy is a key factor in getting him properly housetrained. Whenever you see that he is sniffing, circling or beginning to squat, immediately take him outside to the place where you want him to go and see if he eliminates. If he does, praise him lavishly. A good idea is to have a cue, such as “hurry up” so that your puppy knows what you want him to do. When he is going to the bathroom repeat the cue and then give your dog lots of praise for a job well done. It is better to take the dog out and nothing happens then take a chance of an accident happening.

Have a Schedule

Feeding, watering and walking your dog on a regular schedule will make housebreaking that much easier. Puppies are like children and they thrive on a routine. Try and take the dog out around the same time everyday so they will be able to adjust their bodily functions. The first thing you should do in the morning is take the puppy from the crate and don’t let his feet touch the ground. Bring him to the place where you want him to go, give the cue, and praise upon a successful completion. Take your puppy out at least every two hours, after eating or drinking and especially after play. Before you know it, your puppy will be letting you know it is time to go out and do his business.

Don't Let the Puppy Roam

Letting your puppy roam around the house is a sure fire way to have accidents. If you have decided you don't want to use a crate, and even if you do use one, confining the dog to certain areas of the house can make housetraining easier for everyone. It is difficult to keep track of a puppy when he has the run of the house, but if you gate him in the kitchen, he will still be able to be part of the action and can be better supervised in case of an accident.

Don’t Get Discouraged

There will be times when you first begin housetraining that you feel your pup is just not getting it. He may have accidents in the house as well on occasion. There is no need to be discouraged. If you stick to your routine, keep a good eye on the dog and make frequent outings to his outdoor bathroom, in no time your puppy will be housebroken. Another good idea is to use the same door all the time when you are taking him out so that when he has to go, he will scratch on the door to be let out. Once this happens, you can say hurray and know that your puppy truly is beginning to understand that going to the bathroom in the house is a no-no.

'Sit Up' Buddy: Training Your Dog To Sit Like You

The trick of “sitting up” is easily taught to small dogs, but should try not be included in a big dog’s education, as it is difficult for them to preserve their balance.

The training of sitting up is one of the first tricks to teach and forms the groundwork for many other dog tricks. To train a dog to sit up, prepare some treats as a reward, and set your dog on his haunches in a corner, so that he cannot fall either backward or sideways and has very little or no space to lose balance.

Keep him from pitching forward by holding one hand under his chin and with the other hand hold the treat above his nose and keep repeating distinctly and deliberately say, “sit up.” Do not make him sit up too long at any one time, but repeat the lesson frequently and reward him often with plentiful of praise and treats.

During his first lesson he will require considerable assistance from your hand to prevent him from pitching forward, but as he gets control of the balancing muscles and understands what you want, he will depend less and less upon your hand to keep him in position and you can gradually render him less assistance until you will only have to keep one hand in position two or three inches from his neck or chin, so as to be ready to prevent him pitching forward; later on you can withdraw this hand entirely and simply hold the treat just above the level of his head.

By constant practice he will sit up well after you set him up; then he should be set up against the wall, so as to afford him a support for his back only, and after he has been well schooled at this and can keep his position easily, practice him against chair legs, cushions or other objects that afford him less and less assistance, until finally he learns to preserve his balance and sits up without anything to lean against.

During all these lessons the words “sit up” have been impressed upon his mind by frequent repetition, and now comes the final lesson to teach him to sit up as soon as he hears the words, and the chances are, if he has been diligently drilled, it will be necessary only to call him out in the room, show him a treat, hold it up a suitable distance from the floor, say “sit up” and he will do so, when he should be given the treat while still in position.

The only necessity to perfection is to practice him several times a day until he will sit up at the word and without being shown a reward; that can be given him after he has obeyed.

You have now a foundation for many other tricks. He can be taught to beg by moving your hand up and down just in front of his paws, which he will move in unison with yours. He can also be taught to salute by bringing one paw up to the side of his head, or to hold a wooden pipe in his mouth, or to wear a cap on his head or other articles of wearing apparel.

In teaching a dog to submit to being dressed up, do not attempt to get him to wear too many things at once; try him at first with a cap and after he becomes accustomed to that you can put on a coat and gradually accustom him to the other clothing articles.

Enjoy teaching your dog the “sit up” trick and most importantly have fun along the way!

5 Tips For Training Dogs Successfully

Training dogs is not a hard. You just need patience, dedication and some simple tactics and you will teach them successfully.

Here are five top tips on how to train your dogs successfully:

1. To avoid your dog getting confused and so that they can learn to recognize commands easily only one person should be responsible for training the dog initially. If too many people are trying to train the dog at the same time this can stop progress in its tracks.

2. You should use positive reinforcements. If the dog does something good, you should reward this behavior so that he will know that what he did was right. If the dog cannot understand or follow your commands, never push him. Dogs are not as intelligent as humans, they make mistakes. What you should understand is that they won’t easily understand your commands in just one teaching, it takes repetition to train a dog successfully. Do not scold your dog as he might develop fear which will hinder his learning and willingness to be trained. You can use treats in order to encourage your dogs, although don’t overdue it.

3. Teach commands one at a time. Try to teach him one command after the other. If he cannot absorb it, try to stay on that command only because adding additional commands will just confuse the dog. Start with the basics.

4. In executing commands, you should keep your voice cheerful so that the dog will happily follow your commands. Dogs will respond to a low and coaxing voice. If you shout out loud, he may become startled and unresponsive.

5. Train your dog in various places. If you keep your dogs in a certain place like your home, he will not be able to adjust with the environment new people. Take him to the park or through the neighborhood. This will help your dog associate with other dogs and people.

Training your dog can sometime be tough, but it will be worth it. In the end, you will be the one to benefit when your dog is trained. You don’t know he might even save your life one day and pay back everything you taught him.

Dog, Foe or Friend

Of all the animals of the world the dog has proved itself the most adept at learning. Dog obedience is a very desirable aspect of dog and man relationship, but unfortunately most dogs even though domesticated, lack dog obedience.

This singular characteristic of dogs, however, has not discouraged man from keeping dogs as his best friend. Rather a lot of effort has been made to teach dogs obedience and responsibility. To this end lots of dog trainers, dog schools and books are now available for dog owners who are desirous of transforming their dogs into humanlike companions having the capabilities to think fast enough to react to different commands and thereby answer to the others needs.

Dogs have been trained for use by the Police, the army, the physically challenged and these dogs have equated themselves quite creditably. There are stories of Dogs who have saved their master’s lives and property. Trained dogs engage in sporting competitions and have worn laurels for their owners. Other trained dogs have been of immense value during search and rescue operations after natural, accidental or terrorist disasters.

But none of this praise worthy dog actions is possible without good dog training. Untrained dogs are very dangerous and become nuisance to the family and society at large. Untrained dogs are known to have the habit of chewing up things in the house especially shoes and furniture; putting their mouths in food items and generally disrupting the normal family set up. Dogs aggressions have caused both health problems and even deaths to family members , strangers and neighbours.

This situation has led to many dog owners killing or sending into the streets their former pet dogs. Most of which can be found in shelters all over the country. Now let me say that a dog is not responsible for its level of intelligence, rather its owner is responsible for a dogs behaviour. The truth is that a dog is capable of learning, so it behoves dog owners to ensure that their dogs get real training in order to get the best out of them.

That the relationship between man and dog is inalienable is so obvious. What is not quite clear is whether all dog owners are well informed as to how to go about ensuring that their dogs get the training that makes them responsible members of society.

Dog Accessories

Dog ownership carries with it the burden of a number of other purchases. In order to properly care for a dog and to comply with certain local laws, the owner must have a number of dog accessories in his or her arsenal. Some of these items are necessary, others are merely conveniences. It is important to know exactly what you’ll need to properly care for your dog.

The Essentials

Most of the truly necessary items for dog care are fairly obvious. If you’ve got a dog you’ll need bowls for the dog’s food and water. Mid size to large dogs have a habit of moving their food bowls around the room as they eat. This can make a lot of noise and have the frustrating result of requiring the owner to hunt around for the bowl at feeding time. The problem can be solved by using a heavy ceramic bowl that is difficult for the dog to move around. A sturdy plastic bowl with a rubber lining on the bottom can be useful as well. The rubber on the bottom prevents the bowl from sliding around as Rover enjoys his meal.

For taking the dog on walks you’ll need a leash and a collar. These can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like, but of course you’ll want to take the size and strength of your dog into account when selecting them. The collar can (and should) be adorned with a license tag or at least an ID tag that provides your name and contact information in case your dog is lost.

If you live in a big city like New York (Manhattan), Chicago, or other urban area, you’ll need to purchase that miracle of modern doggie convenience the “pooper scooper.” Most cities have laws against owners simply allowing their dogs to “foul the footpath” or leave little Poodle Bombs all over the city park. In some cities there is a hefty fine for such crappy behavior.

Optional Accessories

There are literally thousands of optional items available for people to purchase for use with their dogs. Some of these items, like the gravity refillable water dishes and food bowls, serve a very useful purpose, others – the dog bandana comes to mind – serve no real purpose and are merely decorative or just plain silly.

One item that some owners do find very useful, especially those that live in a hot climate, are “dog booties.” While they may seem like a simply precocious and relatively useless item, they do a good job of protecting the sensitive pads of a dog’s feet from rough terrain, rocky areas, and hot pavement. Those in cooler climates may not understand, but in some places, particularly the desert environments of cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Albuquerque, the summer pavement can literally become hot enough to fry an egg. You wouldn’t walk barefoot on such a surface and neither should your dog.