Search Results for: blog training consistency in commands

Training: NILIF

NILIF stands for Nothing In Life Is Free. This is a training program that can work with any type of dog and any time of behavior problem. Step One: Eliminate attention on demand. Is your dog an attention hound? Does he nudge your hand for petting? My Moose dog is definitely an attention hound. To solve the attention hound issue, you need to ignore the dog’s demands for attention. Be strong! He may try even harder to get your attention. But in a pack situation, the top dog demands attention from the lower ones — not the other way around. … Continue reading →

Training: Body Language Matters

My dog Moose was surrendered to a shelter because he was “too stubborn”. This says to me that maybe his family didn’t take enough time in training him, but then stubbornness is a stupid reason to dump a dog into a shelter, if you ask me. I’ll admit, Moose is not the brightest dog in the bunch. It’s taken me a while (we just had our three year anniversary together last month) to learn what works and what doesn’t if I want Mr. Moose to listen. Obedience training needs three things from you to line up: your tone of voice, … Continue reading →

How Do You Train a Deaf Dog?

Yesterday I wrote about my friend who found out her dog is deaf. She had asked me if I knew anything about training a deaf dog, so I looked into it. I searched online for resources on the topic, and I also posted a request for help in the forums. The result? A wealth of information! Training Techniques TOUCH Both the replies in the forum and the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund emphasized how important physical contact, like pats and petting, is to training deaf dogs. Which makes sense. When one sense is out of commission the others have to … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog How to Lay Down

If your dog already knows how to sit, it will be relatively easy to teach him or her to lie down. This is especially easy if you have some kind of irresistible treat to work with. (For my dogs, that would be anything involving chicken.) Step One: Ask your dog to sit. Always start with the basics! Step Two: Stick that irresistible treat in front of his nose. Step Three: Slowly move the treat down towards the floor. Step Four: Say DOWN or whatever command you’ve chosen as your dog begins to follow the treat and lie down. Step Five: … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog How To Shake

Once your dog knows how to sit on command, you can use that as a starting point for other tricks, like “lay down” and “shake”. Whether you want to call it “shake hands” or “give paw” or “high five”, teaching your dog to shake on command is an easy trick that will get you (and the pup) lots of oohs and aahs. Get your dog to sit. Hold his attention with a treat. Pick up one of his front paws and hold it VERY loosely in your hand. Say SHAKE (or whatever command you want him to learn). Reward him … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog How To Sit

Sit is an easy command — and a useful one for your dog to know. There’s more than one way to teach your dog how to sit. Method One: Face your dog with a treat or toy in your hand. Show him the treat. Chances are, he’ll come to get it. As he approaches, raise the treat up and over his head. Chances are, he’ll sit down in order to keep his eyes on the food. Say SIT as soon as he starts to sit. Reward him with the treat! Method Two: Face your dog with a treat or toy … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog Tricks: The Basics

Teaching your dog to do tricks can be a great bonding experience. It can also help build confidence in your dog! Dogs like having jobs to do, and they like pleasing their people. Time, patience, rewards, and reinforcement will get you through the training process. After the age of twelve weeks, your dog should be read for some basic training. Don’t believe that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” line — dogs of any age can learn. Some breeds and some dogs are faster learners than others. Some dogs are motivated by food; others are motivated by play … Continue reading →

Test Your Dog’s Intelligence

A researcher from the University of British Columbia has developed a basic canine intelligence test. Want to know how smart your pup really is? Try this quick and easy test. With your dog watching, take a treat and place it under a can. Keep track of how long it takes your pet to retrieve the treat! Less than fifteen seconds is considered a very good time! You may have a four-legged smarty on your hands. With your dog watching, set up three cans and place a treat underneath one. Take your dog out of the room for a few minutes, … Continue reading →