You may wonder what the difference in Dog Training and Dog Behavior Training is. The basics of dog training involve getting your dog to come to you when you call him and getting him to sit and so on.
Dog behavior training is used to get rid of nasty habits your dog may have. Maybe he chases the mailman, or bites anyone who tries to touch him. It could be that he keeps the neighborhood awake all night with his constant barking. All these traits are dog behavior problems and with the right techniques can be trained out of the dog.
How To Stop Your Dog Barking
Excessive or regular barking can be a common problem with many dogs. There is usually always a reason behind the barking and for many dogs it is quite often because they don’t know its a problem for you. The dog may think its alright to bark all day and all night. It may be that the dog has found that it gets more attention when it barks. For instance, if you leave the dog alone he may start barking because he knows it will get you to return.
Before you decide to take your dog off to training school, there may be a cheaper solution. You could get an anti-barking collar. These are usually one of two types. Both are activated by the sound of the dog barking. The shock collar will give the dog a small electric shock when he barks – of course this is uncomfortable for the dog but he will soon learn that the shocks only come when he barks and before long the constant barking will stop. The spray collar will release a small pungent chemical with a smell the dog does not like and has the same overall effect as the shock collar.
How To Stop Your Dog Biting
Some dogs just don’t seem to realise they are causing harm when they bite you. When dogs are young they will tend to bite and chew almost everything. If they don’t lose this behavior within the first six months then you could have a serious problem on your hands. Nowadays its common for dogs to be put down for any bite attack on a person. To train a puppy to stop biting, you will need to sit with him and use a toy that he is allowed to bite. If he bites your hand or tries to bite your hand, say firmly “NO” and hold his mouth shut for a few seconds. You should do this regularly several times a day until the dog stops biting you.
If you have an older dog that still has a biting problem you could use the same method – however, older dogs have more muscle power and you could end up with a more serious injury. If this is likely, take your dog to a local training school for assistance.
Garnett Johnston runs and maintains a free information site for anyone seeking advice or tips on dog training. The site can be found by visiting dogtraininghutdotcom