From reading a selection of recommended dog training books, in my experience, the best ones focus on using positive reinforcement, which seem to get the most positive response from the dogs or puppies being trained, as opposed to using more negative methods such as choke or check collar training or electric collar training. It is important to train your dog or puppy by gaining his or her respect and not through fear.

The books all teach methods of establishing yourself as your dog’s pack leader which is essential if you want to gain your dog’s trust and respect. There are several things you can do to accomplish this such as controlling your dog’s food, making sure he or she gets plenty of exercise and teaching him, or her, the basic obedience commands such as sit, stay, come and heel.

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The Praise and Reward System is without any doubt the most animal friendly approach to train your dog. This method, often referred to as positive reinforcement training, is considered by experts to be the correct method of dog training.

In the same fashion as parent reward and praise a child for good behavior so it is with training your dog. The difference in dog training is, you praise your dog when the dog does something you approve and ignore your dog’s behavior when you disapprove.

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The click and treat system, or positive reward training, has become the preferred method used by dog obedience training instructors all over the world.

Take a look at the dog’s world and try getting into your dog’s paws. You have heard your master’s car arrive home and you wait at the door, excited, eyes bright, tongue flopping out, tail madly wagging, and your master walks through the door – oh, oh, he has had a bad, bad day, he is in a sour mood and he has a headache. He totally ignores you and stomps into the kitchen, opens the back door and chases you outside.

A few minutes later, your master comes out of the kitchen door and calls you. He slips on a steel slip chain training collar and starts jerking you through your obedience training exercises: – sit, drop stand or whatever. He insists your attention gruffly, he is hard on you and does not like it when you sit too slow, or don’t stay in a sit and his voice is harsh and angry. You do not want to work in this obedience training session and so you receive more harsh words and you do what you have to do but you work most reluctantly.

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A dog training method called clicker training has become popular over the last several years.

Clicker training consist of positive reinforcement training – that is, rewarding the behaviours that we like instead of punishing behaviours that we don’t like. When the dog does what we want him to do, we ‘click’ and give him a treat. So, we train the dog to understand that the ‘click’ means “well done” and that a treat is coming.

The reward can be food such as roast beef, petting, playing with a tennis ball, or anything else your dog may enjoy.If you want to use a food reward, you must make sure that you use small pieces of food because you do not want your dog to be preoccupied with eating and forget about the clicker training.

Dog Training with a clicker can be more effective rather than positive words such “good dog” because dog are very perceptive to body language and tone of voice so will receive mixed signals depending on what mood you are.

3 Ways to train your using the clicker:


1. Start somewhere with minimal distractions. The first idea is show the dog the meaning of the clicker.Stand in front of him, click ONCE and give a treat. At this point, the dog doesn’t have to do anything for his treat – he just needs to learn the association of the ‘click’ and treat routine. Spend some time doing a ‘click’, then treat. Generally give 1 treat. ALWAYS treat after a click – even if you’ve accidentally clicked. The dog must have absolute faith in the ‘click means treat’ routine.

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I’m totally against a pinch collar and would never use one. I adopted a Dobie and want to start leash training her. I’m a huge fan of harnesses and would like her to get used to being walked with one. Is leash training the same when you use a harness rather than a collar? Thanks!

Can I just clap my hands, or whistle? I can’t seem to pick up a clicker anywhere, not even the local pet store. :/

how does clicking before treating the dog actually help?

Leash Training is one of the most regular training method and the leash itself would perhaps is the most basic equipment used in training your dog.

Now here are some things you should think into before going into leash training which will help you to be more effective in training your dog:

1. You can begin leash training even when your dog is still a puppy. To Start leash training as early as the puppy stage will multiply the effectiveness enormously.

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Most dog trainers believe that the best way to train any dog is using a method called positive reinforcement training. For those who are doing home dog obedience training this process simply entails using positive reinforcement for good behavior and ignoring bad behavior.

A dog’s natural instinct is to please her owner. Positive reinforcement uses this instinct and allows your dog to learn what it is you want her to do. This type of training has more meaning to your dog because she is able to learn what you want her to do using her own mental capacity.

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Barking is a normal conduct for dogs, but it can get very exasperating for you and people around you if it turns extreme. The only thing you can do is to get large dog training collars or citronella dog training collars. Dogs own an innate impulse to bark, out of the need to notify peril or to communicate with their master and other dogs around them.

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