Here’s a guest article on positive dog training. I’m always happy to find other people advocating positive, pain-free methods as I do. It’s really a growing movement. — Rosana

By Eddie Gillespie

There are thousands of different positive dog training tips you could try. You don’t need to teach them all those fancy tricks but there are a few basic skills that every dog should learn. It’s important to choose dog training solutions that have proven to work. These are a few of the most basic but important ones that you should be working on with your dog.

“Sit”

One of the first training lessons for a dog an owner should teach their dog is how to sit. This is an extremely basic skill but one that comes in handy in a variety of situations. Positive training teaches your dog this skill by getting started with the dog standing. Of all the dog training tips on teaching a dog to sit the best is to begin with the dog standing. Read the rest of this entry

The StarMark Clicker Dog Training System begins with a very sturdy dog clicker which fits easily into your hand. It makes quite a loud click, good for working at a distance — if it is a bit too loud for your taste, you can muffle the sound with your hand.You can attach it to a key chain or a lanyard, useful for keeping it nearby. It is very inexpensive.

A step-by-step training booklet comes with the clicker, and if you haven’t already downloaded my free ebook on dog clicker training, get it at the link!

I haven’t used this particular clicker myself, so I read through the reviews. I am always amused by Read the rest of this entry

In the minds of most kids, dogs are warm furry cuddly companions who love to be hugged and squeezed.

However, this isn’t always the case.

Different dogs have different temperaments, and from an early age children need to learn how to treat dogs respectfully. This will help reduce the incidence of dog attacks on children, and allow them to live peacefully together.

The term “temperament” refers to a dog’s general attitude and outlook. Dog temperament not only varies between breeds, but between individuals within a breed. For example, working breeds are known to be active and may not like to sit still, whereas terriers can be tenacious and quite strong willed. Read the rest of this entry

The Midwest Life Stages Double-Door Folding Metal Dog Crate is the bestselling dog crate at Amazon. I recently learned that when you are in any category there, you can look up at a top menu bar and choose Bestsellers. I just did that and as of today, this crate is not just the #1 dog crate, it’s #1 in pet supplies AND #1 in the entire home and garden category. Okay, I admit to liking odd facts like this! So I got interested and clicked through to read the page about this particular crate. I’m a huge fan of crate training for puppies and dogs both — that link takes you to a long how-to page I wrote. It immediately became evident why this crate is so popular. It has two features that most dog crates don’t have:

1. There are doors in two different spots, very convenient for different places in your home or for use in both home and car. Latches on the top and bottom of each door.
2. There is a divider that can be used when you are potty-training a puppy or adult dog. Since puppies are more apt to hold it in a smaller space, use this for training. ( Of course, if you will be gone all day, be sure the pup has enough room!) They say that this crate cuts housebreaking time in half. Read the rest of this entry