Article by Melanie McClure

Musical canine freestyle is a fun way to train your dog. I got started in training dogs when I got my first two Australian shepherds. I enjoyed teaching them basic obedience, but then I wanted to know what more could I teach my smart dogs. Teaching basic obedience was easy and fun and I wanted something more advanced I could teach them at such a young age. I also needed something I could teach from the comfort of our own home. I thought about agility training, but my dogs needed to be over the age of one to really get into that and it requires a special field with special equipment.

Then, I finally discovered musical canine freestyle. It combines the best of obedience, agility and trick training and adds in some musical creativity and dance! My dogs loved it from the start. Musical canine freestyle is a dog sport in which you do heelwork to music and add in all sorts of creative and basic tricks like sit, lay, spin, jumps, leg weaves, and circle around, etc. The choreography of the routine is up to you to create and has very few restrictions. You get to chose what moves work well for you and your dog and select music that compliments your dogs’ movement so it looks like he is dancing to the music.

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Article by Julie Hayward

Most people considering adopting a kitten are nervous about the prospect of figuring out how to potty train a cat. Anyone who has owned a dog knows how difficult potty training can be, and unfortunately these people mistakenly assume that potty training a kitten is just as hard.

Unlike dogs, kittens are naturally inclined to use the bathroom in a litter box if they cannot go outside. Though accidents do sometimes occur, learning the best way to potty train a kitten will reduce the number of messes you have to deal with during the litter-box training stage.

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Article by Jean Cote

Today, I’m going to show you the easiest dog trick that anyone can train their dog to do without any prior dog training experience. If you have a dog, then you will be able to train and this trick very easily and you won’t need anything besides treats and a positive attitude.The dog trick is called “target”, and it teaches the dog to touch a target with his nose where ever you place it. The first thing that you want to do is to get an old Tupperware, margarine container or one of those colorful cardboard that you may have lying around the house. Cut a circle about 2 to 3 inches wide which in the end will give you a target to train your dog.Then you will need a bag of treats. If you own a dog then you probably already have a whole bunch of those around the house. Make sure that you cut the treat in very small pieces so that you can train your dog multiple times without him getting stuffed or full from eating.To begin your training, have some treats in your pocket or nearby that can be accessed easily. Take your target and position it about the same height as your dog, he should be able to touch it with his nose with ease.Then, you will need to pay very close attention to your dog and at the exact moment that he touches the target with his nose, you will want to say the word “yes!” and then give him a treat. This exercise teaches the dog that touching the target with his nose gets him a treat.To make it even more challenging for your dog, you can move the target in different positions. You can move it to the left, to the right, a little higher or a little lower. Don’t forget to keep saying the word “yes!” and giving your dog a treat each time that he touches the target.Finally, you will need to train your dog that the word “target!” means to touch the target. The way that I like to do that is by saying it just before the dog touches the target. It’s a little tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it works very well.Step-by-step example:1. Have the target ready in your hand and your treat nearby.2. Bring the target where your dog can easily touch it with his nose.3. Wait for him to start walking towards the target. Once he starts walking towards the target, say your command “target!”.4. Pay close attention and as soon as his nose touches the target, say your word “yes!” and give him the treat.I recommend that you practice this exercise several times to really associate the command with the behavior. Remember to have fun with this, dog tricks are all about connecting your dog and having fun.If you would like more dog tricks tutorials, videos, or need inspiration you are very welcome to visit our website the dog trick academy. We have many tricks that will really knock your socks off!

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Article by Katie Walker

Leash training your dog is vital and the earlier you do it the better for you and your pet. Why? Because you will need to take your dog out for walks (remember good exercise is necessary for your dog’s health and happiness).

With proper leash training your pet will know that you are the one that is always in control and not the other way round and will ensure that you will be able to handle/control your dog in most situations.

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Article by Melanie McClure

Musical Canine Freestyle, is a fun way to train a dog. I started training dogs when I got my first two Australian shepherds. I enjoyed teaching them basic obedience, but then I wanted to know what more could I teach my smart dogs. Starting them with basic obedience was easy and fun and I wanted something more advanced I could teach them at such a young age. I also needed something I could teach on our own home. I thought about agility training, but my dogs needed to be past the age of one to really get into that and it needs a special field with special equipment.

Then, I finally discovered musical freestyle. It is a combination of the best of obedience, agility and trick training and adds in some musical creativity and dance! My dogs loved it from the start. Musical canine freestyle is a dog sport in which you do heelwork to music and add in all sorts of creative and basic tricks like sit, lay, spin, jumps, leg weaves, and circle around, etc. In canine freestyle you get to have a variety of creative heelwork positions. There are more options than just left heel! There is the right heel position, front, middle, and follow from behind. Then your dog can be a number of postions himself such as standing perpendicular to you as you move, or standing with his back to you or you back to back with him. You can also incorporate a variety of movement directions such as moving forward and backwards, together or apart and moving sideways left and right mirrored or parallel. The variety and creativity is endless. But don’t be overwhelmed, beginners get to start easy and work their way up. In most competitive organizations, there are very loose requirements allowing for the handler and dog to show off their talents and skills while avoiding things you are not good at. It is up to you to create the choreography of the routine and it has very few restrictions. You get to chose what moves work well for you and your dog and select music that suits your dogs’ movement so it looks like he is dancing to the music.

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Question by theresa V: Clicker Training: How do I clicker train my BIG DOG to not jump on people to greet them?
He is an 8 month old German Shepherd & Rottweiler mix. He is a very smart dog with an AMAZING temperament and responds almost instantly to clicker training… The biggest problem Im having is the way he greets people… He jumps on everyone to greet them! Its a bad habit I’ve been having a hard time breaking…

Anyone have a positive way to incorporate the clicker training for this jumping habit?

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Article by Dave

Searching for ways on how to potty train a dog is a crucial duty of any pet owner. Just like humans do, young puppies need to be educated so that they could be taught where’s the right spot to urinate and eliminate wastes. This technique is recognized as “potty training”. For training to work, look at if your dog can readily follow commands or it will take time to enable them to obey or it responds when given treats. Understand the attitude of the dog first before doing training.

Potty training is significantly important as it is very difficult to clean up when dogs pee or wastes in any parts of your house like furniture, carpets or home equipment. There is an option to hire a dog trainer and pay the fee. But, if your dog is not used to other people, then this could be not the right decision to make. It is best to perform the potty training on your own.

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Article by Neal Craft

When you first take a dog or puppy home, you will most likely have to potty train your dog. There are a few people who are luck out and get an already potty trained dog, but this is pretty rare. The truth is, most new owners will have to train their dogs. This can be scary but it is a lot easier than it sounds.Patience and consistency is the most important thing to know when you need to potty train a dog. You can’t be relaxed one day and strict the next. If you do this, it will take a long while to succeed in potty training. Keeping the right mindset and concentrating on what needs to be done will make it fun and exciting. You need to first decide where you want the dog to go potty. Are you wanting it to go outside or on a pee pad inside?The most important thing when you potty train your dog is to provide a sense of consistency so that it knows what to expect. That means that if you decide to use a pee pad, then you have to leave it in one spot, and one spot only. Your dog really needs to know where it can be found at all times, because this way the amount of accidents will be reduced. In the event that your dog is showing a distinct preference for some other location, such as the kitchen floor, and is foregoing the pee pad altogether you need to start your training based on what the dog is already doing.Do not shout about where the dog has done its business; just put the pee pad on that place. This way, your dog will start to go on it and then you can give it praise. After several days, move the pee pad several feet towards the preferred location for it. Then, every few days, as the dog keeps using the pee pad, move the pad again in the direction of the place where you’d like it to be. Sooner or later, you’ll have the dog going just where you would like it to go.Learn more about how to Potty Train Dog here.No matter whether indoor or out, when you potty train a dog you should be careful to only give food and water during set meal times, so that there are less accidents. For outdoor training, wait about twenty minutes after eating, then put the leash on and take your dog outside, but do not let it just wander around as it pleases. Instead, lead it directly to a designated spot, and when your dog does what it’s expected to, give lots of acknowledgment along with a treat.Unlike the dogs being trained for the pee pads, your dog will not have a means to properly relieve itself. How to potty train a dog for going to the bathroom outside also means teaching it how to hold its bladder.Learn more about how to Potty Train Dog here.

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