Train Your Dog To Balance A Book On His Head

Balancing a Book on Your Dogs Head!

Now this is not for the beginner!

The process is as follows; get a appropriate size book, you might try experimenting with several sizes getting larger until you find the right size.

Get the dog to sit and stay, and then very gently place the book on the dogs withers or muzzle. Keep hold of the dog still whilst you are placing the book on the dog, and then slowly remove your hands keeping the book where it is.

Wait three or four seconds and then remove the book and let the dog relax, do this several times and then increase the time that the book is balanced. Once the dog has mastered this then get him to walk forward with the book, this may be an even tougher feat though.

Train Your Dog To Play Peek A Boo

PEEK A BOO

This is a fun trick to get your dog to hide its eyes on command.

The Steps: Get your dog to sit or lie down.
This is not so easy so a lot of practice may be necessary.
Hold a treat in your hand and blow gently on the dogs nose, this may get the dog to rub its nose or swipe at its face. Say the words “peek a boo” or “cover your eyes”. Immediately give a reward.

You can also lift his paw over his muzzle with your hand and reward.

Repeat the command and movement until the dog realizes what is needed to get the treat.

Train Your Dog To Turn The Light Off

TURN OF THE LIGHT SWITCH

This is a fun trick to teach your dog, even to show off when friends come round!

Firstly get a treat and hold it at the light switch that is the right height for your dog, one that he can reach on his back legs. Use a suitable command like “LIGHT OFF” and get him to touch the light switch as he jumps for the treat, reward him then with “GOOD LIGHT OFF”.

Gradually move away from the switch and alternately toss the treat at the switch and place it on the switch so that he has to knock it off, but a note of caution, the dog may hit the switch with its mouth rather than its paw and it may be better to hold the treat.

Dog Trick To Turn Around

Train Your Dog To Turn Around

Begin with your dog standing in front of you. Let him see that you have a treat in your hand. Stand still and say “Turn Around”. With the treat in your hand lead your dog’s nose round to the left (clockwise) keeping his attention the whole time, so that he walks round in a circle. Once he is back facing you praise him and give him the treat.

Once you have practiced this a few times and he starts to know what is expected of him, stand in front of him and say “Turn Around” but without leading his nose. If he turns round without being lead give him a treat and praise him lots. He does not carry on leading him round.

It is very important to be consistent with the command you give and praise, once he performs on command reduce to amount of treats he gets till he will perform without one.

Next Dog Trick - How To Bow.

Teach Your Dog to BOW!

This trick looks impressive but is quite an easy to learn.

If your dog is driven by food this is the method you should use.

Make sure you use a treat that has a tempting smell and your dog really likes, for example cheese, liver cake, sausages etc.

Get your dog to stand, while you kneel next to him. Then place a treat in between his front paws. Your dog’s attention should be on the treat so he should look done to between his paws to try and get the treat. If he tries to lay down instead of bowing then while he is standing place a hand on his tummy. This should stop him laying down.

Repeat this 3 times a day also using a command at the same time “Bow”, as he starts to bow on command reduce the amount of treats till he performs by command and hand action.

Train Your Dog To Do Fun Tricks

Tricks for Fun

There are some tricks that you can teach your dog that are purely to show off and for fun, here is list of some of the ones I have found on my research

Saying yes (nodding), and no (shaking their head), the trick here is to use cue words that act as the command rather than “say yes Fido” which is a little more obvious!

Say something, like "are you the best dog in the world, do you AGREE?” Agree being the cue word.

For the “no” command try something like “NOT”, as in “do you NOT like this Fido?”

Other tricks that we can look at in later blogs are getting your dog to push a ball around with his paws or his nose!

Train Your Dog Not To Pull On A Leash

Training Your Dog To Walk On A Leash.

One of the common faults of many dogs is pulling on a leash, which is more the owner's fault rather than the dog's.

Here are a few simple steps for making sure that it is you who decide where to walk with your dog, not the other way round!

1. The first purchase necessary is a check collar or gentle leader with a leash.

2. Get the dog to stand next to you on your left and get him to sit.

3. Walk slowly forward and as soon as the dog starts puling on the leash then stop and pull the leash back to you, avoid pulling the dog back.

4. When the dog stops praise him and continue walking.

5. Continue this process for a number of days, repeating the steps three or four times a day. In a few days the dog should be trained not to pull.

Trick Number 2 How to make Your Dog Dance

Teach Your Dog to Dance

Yes is possible! This is easiest to teach to dogs that have already a tendency to get up on their hind legs anyway, possibly a dog that jumps up at people, although the act of jumping up at people is not necessarily desirable all the time!

The good thing about teaching your dog this trick on command is that he does not put very much weight on the front legs and therefore doesn’t hurt anyone.

The start point is to catch your dog in the middle of jumping up at you, prefrably you, and gently take their paws and lift them so he stands. Praise him, give him a treat and release him.

Repeat this a number of times a day until the command is second nature.

Having learned the trick see if the dog can do it by himself!

Train Your Dog To Shake Hands

How to teach your dog to shake hands

Firstly with your dog sat in front of you take hold of its right paw with your right hand, and lift up the paw gently, your dog may think this is strange at first but persist and tell your dog the words “shake” as you are lifting the paw.

Lift the paw all the way until it is level with the dog's chest and then shake it in your hand.

Repeat this performance six times a day for a few days and then try just say ing the word "shake" as you reach out for the paw. Don’t take it but simply see if the dog offers the paw.

If it does then praise the dog heavily. By holding a treat tightly cupped in your hand, you can encourage this behavior.

Re-freshing Your Dog's Training

Retraining Your Older Dog

Most dogs no matter their intended purpose or eventual advanced training, live with people so they will need to be trained no matter thier age. Even the older dog will need to have his manners refreshed and whilst not as easy as a younger dog to train, patiennce and persistance will win.

Again like training a puppy it is the positive reward principle that is important to remember, reward positive behavior and correct or ignore negative behavior. It is really important for your dog to know it boundaries of what is acceptable behaviour and what is not, and this should be reinforced often.

There are five basic behviors that must be trained:
Sit
Stay
Come
Down and
Heel

6 Simple Steps To Potty Train Your Dog.

How to Potty Train Your Puppy!

Here are six simple steps to potty training your dog.

1. Feed your dog on a regular basis at set times of the day and remove any water bowls befrofe bed.

2. The three times when a puppy normally wants to releive itself are after sleeeping, feeding, playing and confinement and this is the best time to bring him to his designated area for potty training.

3.Confine the puppy to these areas untill it had finished doing its buisness.

4. Be vigilant and always on the lookout, sniffing and running around in circles is a sure sign!

5. Give a command when the puppy is doing its busines "go Potty" or similar.

6.While he is going and when he has finished, praise and reward him.

For more detailed information and a complete guide go to Potty Training Your Dog Click Here.

Teach Your Dog To Fetch a Toy

Training Your Dog To Fetch Is Fun

One method of teaching your dog to fetch is by using two toys. This involves two identical bouncy balls.

With one toy in your hand, play fully tempting him, then throw the toy so that the dog chases it. When he has fetched it then call him and show him that you have another toy.

Your dog then thinks you have another toy and he will race back to collect the other one. Throw the second one and then collect the first toy and start all over again.

Do this three times a day and make sure your dog is enjoying it! Remember to give lots of praise when he does what you are asking.

How To Train Your Dog To Lie Down

Training Your Dog to Lie Down in Five Steps

1. Firstly get the dog to sit in front of you.

2. Get down in front of the dog on your knee and hold a treat in your hand near his nose.

3. Then say “down“ at the same time bringing the treat slowly down keeping the dogs attention on the treat.

4. If he shows any movement towards the down position then lavish praise on him and give him the treat.

5. Repeat this three times and three times a day.

Dog Training, Teach Your Dog to Sit

One of the most basic training exercises is teaching your dog to sit. Some experts believe that not teaching this is a big mistake and when taught properly and executed is an excellent way of keeping your dog under control and avoid any problems in the future.

The procedure is as follows:
The ultimate aim of this exercise is to have a dog on its bottom looking at you when ever you say the word "sit". On the last blog we talked about teaching your dog its name and this follows on from this command.

A quiet room and a calm voice is essential to the exercise,

• Start by calling the dog's name with a treat in your hand (and many more in your pocket!).


• Whilst the dog is still standing show the dog the treat and bring it to above his head and move your hand to over his head.


• The dog will then do one of two things, move backwards or sit.


• If he sits then say “SIT” and immediately give him a treat and some praise.


• If he backs up then repeat the exercise in a corner.


• If he does anything else then don’t reward, just repeat till he does sit!


• Repeat this three times a day every day for two weeks.


• You will then have a dog that sits on command!


• Slowly decrease the treats or again you will have a fat dog!

Train Your Dog to Come

Training Your Puppy to Come When You Call

An unreliable dog that won’t come back when you call him, is one of the biggest hassles for any dog owner. The key is to start as young as possible, when they are puppies. Here are a few tips to help you regain control if you have lost it, and help your dog return to you with enthusiasm and zest.

• Firstly find out what your puppy really like to eat, what treat will he really enjoy (remember to avoid chocolate, it’s poisonous to dogs!).

• Start indoors with calling your puppy’s name.

• As soon as he responds and comes to you, then give him a treat, then praise him lavishly.

• Continue to so this 3 or 4 times, three times a day until he will come immediately.

• As soon as you are comfortable that he will do this then take him outside.

• When you are outside in a suitable location then start again, in exactly the same way.

• Call his name then give him a treat.

• Repeat.

• Once you are sure that he will come on command reduce the times you give him a treat.

• Only once every three times and then wean him off the treats (or you will probably have fat dog!).

Always reinforce your training by positive repetition.

Dog Eating Feces Part 6

Is your dog eating its own feces?

Reading some of the articles in some of the magazines this is quite a common problem. Some owners find it quite unacceptable but we are told by the experts that it is a perfectly normal behavior, dogs are scavengers, part of the natural “clean-up” system, disposing of accumulated outside human habitations.

It appears that sometimes that food passed through its body without being fully absorbed and may smell very similar to the dinner that it ate a little while ago! Apparently is more likely to happen if the food is full of additive such as coloring and flavorings. Taste deterrents may be the answer!

Dog Eating Feces Part 5

One of the methods suggested by many authors is to deter the dog from eating faeces on command. Walk by some faeces, and if the dog shows any interest tell him “NO OFF” and if he continues to show interest pull him off with a short tug of the leash and a firmer command.

When he is away from the faeces praise him. Keep walking to different piles of faeces time and time again until he gets the idea that you disapprove of his eating matter! Whenever he shows little or no interest in the subject matter then reward him again.

Supplementing a dog’s diet with a spoonful of canned pineapple or teaspoon of spinach can help the problem as well.

More on Dog Eating Feces

Are there health risks to stool eating?

In general it is not a good idea for dogs to eat stools, there are a number of dog specific parasites that can be transmitted from dog to dog if the dog eats the feces of other dogs repeatedly, parasites such as giardia , filaroides, coccidia, and if the faeces are around for 2-3 weeks or more, roundworms and whipworms .

These dogs should be treated with de-worming treatments appropriate to the type of worm found. On the other hand if the dog is eating the feces of herbivores then there is less risk since the parasites tend to be specific for the herbivore.

So in answer to the question, there are health risks associated with stool eating, which is another important reason for this habit to be stopped.