Author: Linda E Joy

Attention: The following spouting is directed at the selfless human, you who have a pet you leave alone for nine hours a day, not to romp happily on acres of woodlands but to stay practically still, tethered as it is to a limiting post or trapped as he or she is within the confines of a cage no bigger, proportionately, than a bathroom is for a human. Have you considered training your dog�instead of punishing it for your restricted capabilities to �own” a dog?

You should consider training your dog, instead of caging him up. Train him not to flee. Train her not to bark. Lastly train her as you would be trained. The main thing is this: she is really unhappy when you lock the poor mutt in a cage. Just think of your dog (ala George Orwell’s animals in Animal Farm) being the owner of your home and you are the pet. Next knock the ceiling off the bathroom and put a chicken wire fencing across the top in its place. After that take away your ability to speak words and take away your hands. So, Mr. Pooch, who is getting ready to set off to the mill for a nine hour shift grabs you by the nape of your neck, your scruff, and leads you into the bathroom, then leaves. There is no music neither are any toys. The floor is hard. (Are you thinking about training your dog, yet?)

The temperature drops. It starts to rain at the same time the wind blows more of itself cold into your nook. It turns dark. Strange sounds, traffic, and smells taunt you. There are some smells that remind you of food. Others make you nervous. Little kids pass by and poke at your little walls. And don’t forget that lawnmower which cranks up right by your head. All you can do is walk back and forth in your own poop and howl and yip. (Are you thinking about training your dog, yet?)

Mr. Pooch brought you home because you were a cute pet, but when he left you inside the confines of the main house on the first day, you chewed the hell out of his favorite material belongings. For many unusual innate reasons you have the tendency to gnaw but some how he doesn’t get that and didn’t think about it (or anything else) when he added you to his possessions of belongings. So you must be beaten. Nonetheless you must be remaindered to a pet prison. Your cuteness has worn off

Wake UP, humans. Training your dog is SIMPLE (as dogs are trainable). Training your dog is not expensive. Training your dog, as well, can be done by someone else, who will coach you the few commands you need as well as the logic of the rewards process you could use so that an animal with natural instincts or needs to chew or bark will be re-trained to chew only select items or to bark only when there is danger.

You really can’t take it out on the dog that you do not understand dogs. You definitely need to work out a way of training your dog, understanding that it is a gift to the animal to train it and a punishment to neglect to do so. If yet training your dog is not clearly the message here, then maybe YOU need a few lessons; or just maybe a bit of training! Your sleepless, angry next-door-neighbor will gladly oblige, I’m sure.

Author: Burt Cotton

Dogs by nature are predatory animals, and all predatory animals share the motivation to chase fleeing objects. While this may be a natural instinct, it is not appropriate when those fleeing objects are joggers, bicyclists or the mailman.

Training the dog not to chase people and bicycles is an important thing to do, and it is best to start that training as early as possible. Starting when the dog is still small and non-threatening is important, particularly with breeds that grow very large, or with breeds that have a reputation for being very aggressive. Many people respond to being chased by a dog, especially a large dog, with understandable fear, and it is best for yourself and your dog that he be trained not to chase before he reaches a threatening size.

Some dogs are easier to train away from chasing than others. Breeds that have been used for hunting or herding often retain much more of their chasing instincts than other types of dogs, for instance.

No matter what breed of dog you are working with, however, it is important to not allow him off the leash until his chasing behavior has been curbed. Allowing an untrained dog off the leash is dangerous, irresponsible and illegal.

Before you expose your dog to a situation where he will want to chase someone or something, be sure to train him in a safe, controlled area like a fenced in yard. It is important for the dog to be able to focus and concentrate on you, and for him to understand what behavior you want. The dog must be given the opportunity to repeatedly perform the behavior you want while in this controlled setting.

The training session should be started indoors in the dog’s home. The dog should be put on a leash and the owner and the dog should stand at one end of a hallway or a room. The owner then waves a tennis ball in front of the dog but does not allow him to touch it. After that, the tennis ball is rolled to the other end of the hallway or the room, and the command �Off” is used to tell the dog not to chase the ball. If the dog starts out after the ball, use the command �Off” once again and give a firm tug on the leash.

When doing this type of training, it is vital that the dog not be allowed to touch the ball. If he actually reaches the ball, he may think that �Off” means to get the ball. This exercise should be repeated several times, until the dog has learned the meaning of the �Off” command. When the dog responds correctly by not chasing the ball, he should be rewarded with a special treat.

After the dog seems to understand his new game, move to another room and try the same thing. Repeat the exercise in several rooms of the house, in the garage, etc. After the dog has seemingly mastered the game and learned the meaning of the �Off” command, you can work with him without the leash, but still only in a safe area like your own home or a fenced in yard. It may take some time for the dog to fully master control of his chasing instinct, and it is important not to rush the process, or to leave the dog off leash until you are sure he is fully trained.

To test the training in the real world, enlist the assistance of a friend to pose as a jogger. It is important that the dog does not see and recognize this person; he has to assume that it is a stranger in order for the test to be valid. Stand with the dog on his leash and have your friend jog by a couple of times while you do the �Off” exercise. If the dog does as he is asked, be sure to provide lots of praise and treats. If he starts after the �jogger”, give a firm reminder by tugging on the leash.