Rachel’s Dog Training

It is important that your dog can walk on a leash. Even if you never take your dog walking. But before you start training him on the leash he needs to learn the Basic Dog Training. He needs to know how to walk on a leash incase you take him to the vet or a friends house and you need to be able to control him.

1. Hook the leash onto your dog’s collar, and with your dog standing on the left side of your body, start walking.
2. Your dog will most likely want to walk ahead of you. To stop him from doing this, is not to tug on the leash every time he does so, becasue if you do this he won’t learn that pulling ahead is bad, he will just not like going on walks. But the answer is to just stop walking until he comes back to. If you do this and he does come back to where you are standing, reward him and continue walking. Or you could just randomly change direction if he starts pulling. If you change direction alot your dog will naturally walk next to you wondering where you are going to go next.
3. Either way your dog will learn to walk next to you on the leash. When he does, reward him.

Walking your dog on the leash can be fun for both you and your dog. You and him can go for day trips to the beach, and to parks if your dog can walk on the leash properly, and happily.

Good Luck with your training,

Rachel and the Dogs

P.S. To get my free training course, visit The Dog Training Academy

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These are the some of the hardest tricks either to teach, or for your dog to learn. Most of these tricks are progressed on from Secondary Dog Training so it is important that your dog can perform these tricks before learning the advanced. Advanced tricks include wave, play dead, weave walking, beg and more. Before you teach your dog these tricks, it is important that he can perform the secondary and basic tricks on command.

Wave

Wave can take alot of time to teach. If your dog understands the non-verbal command for shake (simply putting your hand out to take his paw) it makes teaching this trick a little less confusing for your dog.

1. Either command ‘Shake’ or put your hand out to your dog, but don’t grab it. Let your dog’s paw reach out and go back to the ground. This is the ‘Wave’ motion. Reward after he has done so.
2. Repeat doing this twice in a row before reward the next time, and then three times in a row a few times after that. Try to get your dog to wave at least four times in a row on a single command.
3. After you have done this four or five times, start adding in the command ‘Wave’ as you finish the motion. Always reward after you have given the command.

This trick may take a while to teach, but eventually your dog will be able to wave goodbye to guests on command.

Beg

Once you have taught your dog to beg, he can say please for his food. You will need to get your dog in a sitting position for this trick.

1. Hold some tricks in your finger tips, so your dog can see them, and put them above his head making him look up. Jiggle your hand in an encouraging way to try to make him take his front paws off the ground. If he does so, reward.
2. If he is reluctant to take his paws off the ground, you will have to help him, by asking for his paw, and if he can shake both paws ask  for both, otherwise pick up his other paw and put him in a beg position. After holding him there for a few seconds, command ‘Beg’ and reward before letting him go.
3. Keep doing this until your dog needs less incouragment to go up on his hind legs, and gradully stop doing the hand signals. This trick may take longer to teach but continue on with the exercise, and your dog will get it eventually.

Play Dead

This trick is just an extension from rollover. Warm up with a few ‘rollovers’ before doing this trick.

1. With either treats or a favourite toy, hold it above them and slowly make your dog rollover, but stop him by putting your hand on his belly and commanding ‘Wait’, once he is laying on his back.
2. Keep him in this position for a few seconds, then command ‘Dead Dog’ or ‘Play Dead’ and reward.
3. Continue with this until you can do it from a standing positon, and make your dog stay in this position for about 5 seconds after he is completely still. This is a very entertaining party trick, that can be part of a small act with other tricks.

Weave Walking

This trick is a progression from ‘Through the Legs’. Your dog will walk through the gap between your legs as you walk, several times. Before you begin, hold some treats in your hand and practice the ‘Through the Legs’ trick.

1. Put one foot infront of the other with a wide enough gap that your dog can walk through.
2. Command ‘Through’ or ‘Under’ and lead your dog through your legs. This may be a little confusing for your dog because he will be used to going through your legs from the front or back, or he might get it straight away. You may need to encourage him.
3. Once he has done so, reward. Now with him standing on the other side of your body, put your other leg foreword and using the same process lead him through the gap. Reward.
4. For this trick, you can either use the same command as you use for ‘Through the Legs’ or you could use the command ‘Weave’. Although if you have taught, or are teaching your dog ‘Wave’ then they may get the commands confused. You could also use the opposite command to what you use for ‘Through the Legs’, for example if you use ‘Through’, use ‘Under’ for ‘Weave Walking’ instead.

Whichever command you use, begin to use it after you have done the first exercise about four times. The trick ‘Weave Walking’ would usually consist of four ‘Weaves’ however it doesn’t matter how many you do. Gradually stop doing the hand signal and only work using the verbal command.

Half Turn

This can be a progression from ‘Spin’ although it is only a half revolution.

1. First, stand with your dog infront of you and hold some treats to his snout. Then slowly move them behind him encouraging him to follow. When he has done the half revolution, reward.
2. Repeat this a few times so that he vaguely knows what you want him to do. Now add in the command ‘Turn’ or ‘Half’ after your dog has completed the half turn. Reward.

Progress this trick and slowly take the hand movement away. Try to only do this trick using a verbal command. It may take a while for your dog to work out that you don’t want him to do a full revolution.

Back Through the Legs

This trick is a progression from ‘Walking Backwards’. With your dog standing infront of you facing the same way you are, he walks bacwards between your open legs. However this trick is harder to teach because it is unnatural for your dog to be facing away from you, and it is important that he does.

1. Start by holding some treats to your dogs snout with him standing in front of you facing the same way you are.
2. Then spread your legs apart and gently push into his snout forcing him to walk backwards. Make him walk backs until his is completely on the other side of your body. Reward.
3. Continue this process several times and then add in the command ‘Back’. Using the same command for this as ‘Walking Backwards’ won’t confuse your dog as much as changing it will. It is still walking backwards exept in a different direction.
4. Gradually take away the hand movement and only use the verbal command. Eventually your dog will get used to the motion. This can be a fun trick to perform with your dog and is entertaining to watch. Something that will amaze anyone.

Fun Idea - You can put ‘Walking Backwords’, ‘Half Turn’ and ‘Back Through the Legs’ together and make an entertaining performance with heel work to music. You can include tricks such as ‘Spin’, ‘Weave Walking’ and ‘Rollover’ as well. Use your imagination!

Figure Eight

This trick is also a progression form ‘Through the Legs’. Your dog weaves around and through your legs in a figure-8 motion.

1. With your dog standing at your side, lead him through your legs from the front to the back.
2. Then lead him to the other side of your body.
3. Next, lead him through your open legs from to front to the back.
4. Now repeat this step several times before adding in the commands ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ for the leg that he is going around. Gradually stop using the hand movement and only work using the verbal command.

This is also a great trick to do in a heelwork performance.

Good luck with your training!

Rachel and the Dogs

P.S. To get my free training course, visit The Dog Training Academy

Technorati Tags: advanced dog training, dog training beg, dog training wave, dog training weave

It is important that your dog is happy. If you have a happy dog you can be happy too. But to have a happy dog he needs to be taken care of well. Though taking care of him won’t be easy all of the time it is worth it in the end.

All dogs need to be brushed, bathed, taken for walks or have a ball thrown for them, fed, have water supplied for them, and the list goes on. So I have compiled a list of tips to help you and your dog have more fun while you do them.

1. Try to get your dog into a routine. Feed him at a particular time, play or go for a walk at another time and so on.
2. Never try to brush your dog around play or walk time. This will confuse your dog who will be expecting to go for a walk or play, and it will make it harder for your to try to control him. This can put stess on you and your dog. Try to make brushing times fun for your dog aswell. Speak in a happy tone to your dog whilst you brush him, and tell him he’s a ‘Good Boy’ if he cooperates with you. You could even give him a small treat when your finished.
3. Give your dog a place to sleep where he feels comfortable. There is no use putting his bed somewhere he won’t sleep. Either a bed or a dog house, he will love it if he loves the spot it’s in. Most dogs just like having a place to go and rest, that they know is theirs.
4. If you live in a cold region in winter, provide your dog with a coat so that he can be warm if he’s living outside. Or give him a blanket for his bed that he can sleep under at night. He will feel more comfortable and at home just by doing this for him.
5. You need to make time everyday to give your dog exercise. Whether you take him for a walk or throw a ball for him, you must do it everyday. Or in summer if it’s hot enough you could take him to go swimming in a dam, or the beach, or a creek near your house. He can feel refreshed afterwards, and swimming gives dogs more exercise than running or walking.
6. It is very important to teach your dog the Basic Training. If your dog doesn’t know how to sit or lay down, he may become a nuisance and bad behaved. Or if he doesn’t know how to wait or come, he may get injured by going where he shouldn’t when outdoors. If he knows the commands ‘Wait’ and ‘Come’ you will be able to keep him under your control by using these commands.
7. Don’t wait too long between bathing your dog. Depending on the size of your dog and how dirty he gets depends on how long you wait to bath him. All dogs should be brushed at least once a month, even if they live oinside for most of their lives, then they will be clean when inside your home. Also if he lives inside he needs to be brushed very often (2-6 times a week) preferably outside so that he doesn’t lose hair all over the carpet.
8. Remember to worm him regularly.
9. Correct bad behaviour especially in puppies fast, by a simple ‘No’ in a stern voice and take the object away that he may be chewing, or take him away from the hole you don’t want him to be digging, and so on. Then you may need to distract him with a toy or play with him yourself so that he doesn’t go back to what he was doing. Never use physical punishment.
10. Watch your dog’s weight and if you think he is getting over or under weight, either feed him more or less until he is in a good weight range.
11. Your dog needs plenty toys to keep him occupied if he is on his own for long periods of time. If you have another dog for him to play with this is good, but he still needs toys for him and his companion to play with. When you are at home it is important to give him at least half an hour a day with you for attention. If you have more than one dog, they all need to be given equal attention, because otherwise one dog may get jealous and become nasty to another, or resort to bad behavoiour. Remember, your dog is ment to be your best friend, and you his. He will want to be with you more than anyone else, and you need to give him the attention he deserves.
12. For more fun with your dog, consider training him some entertaining Party Tricks. These simple tricks can entertain guests, or just give your dog some extra things to stimulate his brain.

This may seem like a lot, but your dog will love you for doing these things for and with him. These tips will help you and your dog have a happier and more stress free life together.

All the best,

Rachel and the Dogs

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