Looking After Pets

Best Free Advice For Looking After Your Pets
  • scissors
    September 18th, 2010adminPets Advice

     

    If it is effective on old dogs, it’s also usually effective on young puppies, too.The logic for clicker training dogs is simple: associating the click with positive behavior.

    Before proceeding, seeCanis Clickertraining for more information.

    It’s no wonder that clicker training is easily the standard in behavior education.The clicking sound points to the dog the exact behavior you are looking for; it tells him why you’re rewarding him.

    How it Functions.

    Perhaps because of positive feedback, you’d now like to learn how clicker training works so you can use it on your little furry friend or to teach your dear old companion some excitng new tricks.This training method allows your dog to understand the treats are for doing your specific command.To illustrate, when you’re training him to sit, you can gently push his rump to the ground as you repeat the word, “Sit.”.At the precise moment his fanny hits the ground, click then give him a treat.Work with this exercise a few times.Eventually, your dog learns that the treats come with doing the command.

    Find an informative article on How To Teach Dog Tricks.

    Dog Training Using a Clicker.

    Don’t get too impressed with what you read here; validate the claims.A word of caution though: when you decide to using the clicker to domesticate your pet, bear in mind.

    Reward at each click.The clicker is a instrument for training.You must only use it when training.When your dog shows comprehension by doing as you say, you can put the clicker aside.

    Be understanding.Animals differ in intelligence, as you and I do.Despite their intelligence, dogs are still dogs.If young children can test your resolve, dogs can try your patience; don’t hope for too much from your little pet, especially if this training is a first time.Don’t be too hard on your dog or yourself.

    End a training session always on a positive note.The last thing you do per session stays with your dog.If a session doesn’t end on a good note, your dog might not be willing to give it another try.To make sure it ends well, go back to a command he has already learned and you know he can manage to follow well.To illustrate, tell him to sit about twice prior to closing the session.Remember to click and reward.He’d be eager to join you for more the next time.

    Be Sure to Do it Right.

    Because clicker training is all about timing, you want to be precise.Your dog needs your timing to be perfect to easily connect the commands with the sound of the clicks.Prior to introducing the clicker to your dog, work on timing your clicks.

    Want to read more? Visit Dog Clicker Training Information .

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  • scissors
    August 22nd, 2010adminPets Advice

     

    If it is effective on old dogs, it’s also usually effective on young puppies, too.The logic for clicker training dogs is simple: associating the click with positive behavior.

    Before proceeding, seeCanis Clickertraining for more information.

    It’s no wonder that clicker training is easily the standard in behavior education.The clicking sound points to the dog the exact behavior you are looking for; it tells him why you’re rewarding him.

    How it Functions.

    Perhaps because of positive feedback, you’d now like to learn how clicker training works so you can use it on your little furry friend or to teach your dear old companion some excitng new tricks.This training method allows your dog to understand the treats are for doing your specific command.To illustrate, when you’re training him to sit, you can gently push his rump to the ground as you repeat the word, “Sit.”.At the precise moment his fanny hits the ground, click then give him a treat.Work with this exercise a few times.Eventually, your dog learns that the treats come with doing the command.

    Find an informative article on How To Teach Dog Tricks.

    Dog Training Using a Clicker.

    Don’t get too impressed with what you read here; validate the claims.A word of caution though: when you decide to using the clicker to domesticate your pet, bear in mind.

    Reward at each click.The clicker is a instrument for training.You must only use it when training.When your dog shows comprehension by doing as you say, you can put the clicker aside.

    Be understanding.Animals differ in intelligence, as you and I do.Despite their intelligence, dogs are still dogs.If young children can test your resolve, dogs can try your patience; don’t hope for too much from your little pet, especially if this training is a first time.Don’t be too hard on your dog or yourself.

    End a training session always on a positive note.The last thing you do per session stays with your dog.If a session doesn’t end on a good note, your dog might not be willing to give it another try.To make sure it ends well, go back to a command he has already learned and you know he can manage to follow well.To illustrate, tell him to sit about twice prior to closing the session.Remember to click and reward.He’d be eager to join you for more the next time.

    Be Sure to Do it Right.

    Because clicker training is all about timing, you want to be precise.Your dog needs your timing to be perfect to easily connect the commands with the sound of the clicks.Prior to introducing the clicker to your dog, work on timing your clicks.

    Want to read more? Visit Dog Clicker Training Information .

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  • scissors
    April 24th, 2010adminPets Advice

    Clicker training goes back to the 1930’s. Clicker training is the use of sound to strengthen desired behavior through positive reinforcement. An example of the use of clicker training techniques can be found in the training of dolphins by marine biologists. However, since sound is muffled the deeper a dolphin descends underwater, a clicker was not practical so an air horn was used instead. Since dolphins quickly understood the tasks they were expected to perform these training techniques were considered to be very successful. Today clicker training is being used to train almost every animal imaginable; dogs, cats, birds, horses, as well as wild animals.

    There is one main difference between clicker training and traditional dog training. Often traditional dog training focuses on reprimanding inappropriate behavior. Clicker training rewards good actions and ignores all bad behavior. Clicker training is based on the principle that animals who are being trained want to please their trainers. If an animal exhibits inappropriate behavior it is usually the result of ineffective communication by his trainer.

    If clicker training is of interest to you I highly recommend this awesome guide. Go to: Secrets to Becoming a Supertrainer

    What is a Clicker?

    Clickers, that will do the job, are simple, inexpensive mechanical devices that make an identical sound every time they are pressed. When used properly the clicker produces a motivational incentive for an animal to repeat specific tasks.

    Basics of Clicker Training

    Using conditioned reinforcement an animal learns to control the click, and accompanying reward, by performing as requested. The training of an animal accelerates when he has the aha moment and realizes that he can control when the clicker is going to click. Using conditioned reinforcement this understanding will eventually occur with all animals.

    Dogs are intelligent and as a result they understand quickly that they are able to control the click of the clicker. The click sound tells the dog, “Job well done, here is your treat”. Following the techniques and principles of clicker training a dog quickly develops the ability to master various tasks.

    Since your dog’s ability to focus is limited training sessions should be short, less than 15 minutes. It is a good idea to repeat these short training sessions multiple times throughout the day. When you show your dog the task you want done and he performs that task the clicker clicks and a treat is given to your dog. Your dog is moved gently through a desired task and he will soon perform the task without hearing a click or receiving a treat.

    Clicker training benefits your dog by helping him to learn, think and adapt. Training is faster because you can communicate the desired task more effectively and your dog is motivated to learn.

    For more information on Clicker Training remember to check out: How to Clicker Train My Dog

    All Family Members Can Use Clicker Training

    Often a dog receives mixed signals from family members which causes him to become confused. Clicker training can prevent confusion. Even young children can quickly understand the techniques of clicker training. When a clicker trained dog exhibits bad behavior he can be encouraged, by any family member, to correct his behavior with a signal or command accompanied by the clicker. There is better communication, with you dog, when all family members understand what they are to do.

    Clicker Training is Enjoyable

    The relationship between you and your dog is made stronger through clicker training. You and your dog become more responsive to each other. In this way a strong bond is created between you and your dog.

    Clicker training is fun. Your dog accomplishes tasks quickly because of the clear communication. Training your dog becomes enjoyable since you quickly see results from your training sessions. It’s a win/win scenario for both the trainer and your dog.

    If you would like additional information on dog training I highly recommend you take a look at: Dove Cresswell’s Online Dog Training

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  • scissors
    March 9th, 2010adminPets Advice

     

    If it is feasible on old dogs, it’s also usually effective on young puppies, too.Just like training other animals, clicker training works by training dogs to associate the clicking sound with positive behavior.

    Before proceeding, readCanis Clickertraining Review for more information.

    It should not be suprising for clicker training to have been made the benchmark in behavaior training.The clicking sound points to the dog the exact behavior you are looking for; it tells him why you’re rewarding him.

    How the Clicking Trains.

    Perhaps because of positive feedback, you’d now like to learn how clicker training works so you can use it on your little furry friend or to teach your dear old companion some excitng new tricks.The clicker training is a reward system – allowing your dog to connect the click with rewards for bidding your command.When training your dog to sit on command, you can deliberately push his rump downward while saying, “Sit.”.As soon as his bottom hits solid ground, click then reward him with a treat.Perform this exercise several times.Sooner or later, you dog recognizes the command with the click and the treat he recieves for doing it.

    Find an informative article on Teach Dog Tricks Information.

    Teaching Your Dog with the Clicker.

    Don’t just believe what you hear; try it and prove what they say.Be warned however, that when you start applying the clicker on your dog, don’t forget to.

    Give your dog a treat every time you let him hear the clicking sound.The clicker is a training tool.Use it solely during your training schedules.When your dog shows understanding by doing as you say, you can put the clicker aside.

    Persist.Animals differ in intelligence, as you and I do.Even if they have a measure of intelligence, they’re still animals.It’s logical to not expect too much of a dog especially if this is their first time being trained.Don’t be too hard on your dog or yourself.

    End a training session every time on a positive note.Your dog won’t forget the final thing that occured at each session.If the session hasn’t gone as planned, don’t close it feeling annoyed with your dog; he’d be discouraged and won’t try again next time.To make sure it ends well, go back to a command he has already learned and you know he can manage to follow well.To illustrate, tell him to sit about twice prior to closing the session.Be mindful of clicking and rewarding him with a pat or a treat.He’d be eager to join you for more the next time.

    Do it Correctly.

    Because clicker training is all about timing, you want to be precise.To help your dog associate the clicking sound with the rewards and the commands easily, your timing must be impeccably precise.Prior to introducing the clicker to your dog, practice your clicks.

    Looking to find out more on this? See Dog Clicker Training Information .

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  • scissors
    February 11th, 2010adminPets Advice

     

    What works for old dogs is effective for young puppies as well.As is the standard in dog training, the reason for clicker training is to have dogs associate the sound of the click with a specific behavior, hopefully positive.

    At this point, you may want to see Clickertraining: the 4 secrets of becoming a supertrainer review.

    It’s no wonder that clicker training is widely accepted as the standard in behavior education.The click is an excellent marker for that precise moment the behavior was performed; it communicates to the dog the exact reason he’s receiving treats.

    How it Operates.

    Perhaps because of positive feedback, you’d now like to learn how clicker training works so you can use it on your little furry friend or to teach your dear old companion some excitng new tricks.This training method allows your dog to understand the rewards are for doing your specific command.When training your dog to sit on command, you can deliberately push his rump downward while telling him to, “Sit.”.At the exact moment his fanny hits the ground, click then give him a treat.Do this a few times.Soon, your dog understands the click, the command and the treat come together.

    Find an informative article on Teach Dog Tricks.

    Dog Training with a Clicker.

    To see is to believe; try it and be convinced.A word of caution though: when you decide to using the clicker to domesticate your pet, bear in mind.

    Hand a treat for every click you make.The clicker is a prop for training.Use it solely during your training schedules.When your dog shows understanding by doing as you say, you can put the clicker aside.

    Be understanding.Dogs differ in intelligence, as you and I do.Even if they have a measure of intelligence, they’re still animals.If your toddlers can be trying, dogs can, too; don’t expect too much, especially of a previously untamed dog.Don’t be too tough on your dog or yourself.

    End a training session every time on a positive note.The last thing you do per session stays with your dog.If the session hasn’t gone as planned, don’t close it feeling annoyed with your dog; he’d be discouraged and won’t try again next time.To make sure it ends well, go back to a command he has already learned and you know he can manage to obey well.For example, order him to sit a couple of times just before calling it a day.Remember to click and reward.He should now be enthusiastic for the next session.

    Be Sure it’s Right.

    Since clicker training is all about timing, you want to be precise.To help your dog recognize the clicking sound with the rewards and the commands easily, your timing must be impeccably precise.Prior to introducing the clicker to your dog, work on timing your clicks.

    Looking to find out more on this? See Dog Clicker Training Information .

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  • scissors
    January 3rd, 2010adminPets Advice

    There are a number of canine training methods available. One of the most prominent is dog clicker training. This method has really come into its own in recent years, and for many good reasons.  This method allows you to communicate with your dog in a way you both understand. Your pup will pick up what you are saying (or clicking) quickly for an efficient training process.

    What exactly does clicker training a dog mean? This type of obedience training requires the use of a small plastic tool called a clicker. These come in all shapes, sizes and colors. The general idea is metal plates inside a plastic casing can be pushed to produce an audible click sound. Some clickers even have a toggle for a slightly different click. These can be found at most pet supply stores for a dollar or two, or less.

    Dog clicker training will enhance communication between you and your furry friend. To begin, you must teach your pet to associate the sound made by the clicker with a positive reward. Start with a basic command, such as a come when called command or a sit. As soon as the dog obeys, click and reward.

    Timing is vital when clicker training dogs. The treat or praise must always immediately follow he click. Never reward before, or your pet may miss the association. Also, remember to only click when you are about to reward. Never click as a punishment.

    Clicker training a dog to sit, stay, or speak is easy. Simply use this same method each time. Even small steps in the right direction should be clicked and rewarded. Think of it as your dog connecting the dots. Each click is a dot in your dog’s mind. Every click is one step closer to your desired behavior.

    Eventually, the dog will figure out each motion and learn to connect them by clicks. Success will make both you and Fido happy and confident, which will improve your chances of more successes later on.

    A clicker can be used without a food reward, or only with the occasional food reward. When you use treats to connect the dots, rather than clicks, you risk creating a health problem in your dog. Obesity in dogs can lead to many issues later in life, such as arthritis.  Your dog may also become reliance on receiving a treat. He or she may be less likely to continue with enthusiasm if no treat is produce. Sticking to praise and petting can solve these problems before they start.

    When the training process is simplified, both dog and human will benefit. Help ensure success by giving dog clicker training a try. Not only will you build up your dog’s trick portfolio, but you will also strengthen the bond you share with your canine companion. Enjoy the success and stress-free training that can come from a simple well timed click!

    Copyright Danny Taylor

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  • scissors
    September 24th, 2009adminPets Advice

      If you are willing to train your dog you might want to know about the ‘dog clicker training’ method, which has recently become popular amongst dog trainers all over the country.    In this method the trainer uses a clicker, a tiny plastic box with a metal button which makes a unique click sound when the button has been pressed.

    This training method is not complex and it is in many ways parallel to the positive training method. This is how you can make it work. Make up your mind as to what behaviour you want to reinforce or teach your dog.Certain behaviour comes naturally to the dog like sitting, eating, standing, barking etc. These need only be reinforced to let your dog know when you would like him/her to do what.

    Several other actions such as acting dead, shaking hands, rolling over,are not inborn actions in the dog and need to be taught.

    Clicker training is usually used to do both.

    Clicker training functions according to the basic principles of operant conditioning, by associating the sound of the clicker with a food item that the dog particularly likes.

    What you have to do is to use the clicker to command the dog to do something, the dog, given that he associates the click with the food, immediately obliges and the training occurs.

    Let us take an example to illustrate the training of a dog with a clicker better, imagine you want to teach your dog to sit, you put a biscuit on your dog’s nose playfully and then move it upwards, the dog will obviously follow the movement of the biscuit with its nose and will then naturally rest its haunches on the ground, thereby putting itself in a sitting position.

    Now time your clicking accurately for it to occur right as the dog seats, and then give him/her the biscuit and praise him/her.

    Go on doing this for some time until the dog begins to associate the clicking with the food until the click makes him/her sit without your persuading it with treats.

    Now teach him/her some other behavior, remembering to attach the clicking cue only once the animal himself offers you the behavior you expect, otherwise the clicking will not be connected to anything in the dog’s head and it may be confused as to what it means.

    Your dog is a clever little animal and you must give him/her the credit it deserves.

    Although some trainers have been known to use negative reinforcement techniques together with the clicker method, this simply does not work because punishment always creates a number of cases of unwanted behavior even if it serves the primary purpose of teaching the dog not to do something for a period of time.

    Any sort of training is a strenuous and rigorous process and needs time as well as patience.

    Although dog clicker training method has a high success rate it might not work for certain kinds of dogs, if you see that it’s not working for your pet you would be well advised to use some other technique to teach it tricks.

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  • scissors
    July 2nd, 2009adminPets Advice

     

    Of course, clicker training is also practical for young puppies.The logic for clicker training dogs is simple: associating the click with positive behavior.

    At this point, you may want to see clickertraining: the 4 secrets of becoming a supertrainer review.

    It should not be suprising for clicker training to have been made the standard in behavaior training.The sound of the click marks the specific moment your dog has successfully complied with a command; it tells him know what exactly you’re giving him treats for.

    How it Produces the Desired Behavior.

    Perhaps because of positive feedback, you’d now like to learn how clicker training works so you can use it on your little furry friend or to teach your dear old companion some fancy new tricks.The clicker training is a reward system – allowing your dog to associate the click with rewards for bidding your command.When making your dog recognize the command, “Sit,” you can gently push him rump downward while repeatedly saying the word.Click then give him a treat at the exact second his butt his the ground.Perform this exercise several times.Eventually, your dog learns that the treats come with doing the command.

    You would read an informational article here on How To Teach Dog Tricks.

    Dog Training Using a Clicker.

    Don’t just believe what you hear; try it and prove what others claim.Fair warning: when you begin on clicker training your dog, always remember.

    Give your dog a treat every time you let him hear the clicking sound.The clicker is a prop for training.Use it only during your training schedules.When your dog shows understanding by doing as you say, you can put the clicker aside.

    Be persevering.Just like humans, dogs have different IQs.Despite their intelligence, dogs are still dogs.If young children can test your resolve, dogs can try your patience; don’t hope for too much from your little pet, more so if this training is a first time.Don’t drive yourself and your dog too hard.

    Close each clicker session on a positively cheerful mood.Your dog won’t forget the last thing that occured at each session.If a session doesn’t end well, your dog might not be willing to give it another try.To ensure the session ends with your dog feeling hopeful, revert to an old command you know he has mastered well.Run him through the sit command two more times before you say the session is over for the day.Remember to click and reward.He should now be thrilled for the next session.

    Be Sure it’s Right.

    Because it’s all about precise timing, you want to pay atention to doing it correctly.Your dog needs your timing to be perfect to easily connect the commands with the sound of the clicks.When you use the clicker with your dog within earshot, be sure you’ve trained your clicks to be precise.

    Want to read more? See Dog Clicker Training .

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  • scissors
    May 19th, 2009adminPets Advice

    No one argues that dog obedience training isn’t necessary. Of course it is. Dogs don’t just intuitively know what it is you want them to do. While breeders and professional dog trainers are obviously very aware of the different training approaches, they normally prefer one over another. It’s always a good idea to go to dog obedience class because the socialization you get is invaluable – but more and more, dog owners are becoming informed in order to take on a greater role in training their dogs at home.

    Correction Based Training
    Up until a number of years ago, the most popular method of dog training was based on correcting unwanted behavior. This approach emphasizes avoiding behaviors by associating those behaviors with something unpleasant.For instance, prong collars. When the dog pulls on the leash, the prongs dig into his neck, thus causing pain or at least an uncomfortable feeling. While correction based training can get quick results, there is a danger that it easily becomes nothing more than punishment. Trainers often get good results using these techniques. Dog owners don’t.

    Positive Reinforcement Dog Training
    In recent years, positive reinforcement dog training has become the biggest buzz word in the dog training world. Positive reinforcement is based on teaching your dog to associate a desired behavior with a reward. When the dog delivers a wanted response, she is rewarded. She doesn’t get punished when she does something wrong – she gets rewarded when she does something right.

    Some trainers claim that positive reinforcement by itself is never enough for some dogs and certainly not as efficient as a combination positive reinforcement and correction based exercises. Others preach that positive reinforcement by itself works as long as you teach your dog you are the alpha leader in her pack so her instincts tell her she has to do what you tell her – the only thing you have to do is teach her what you want her to do.

    Clicker Training
    And then there’s another group that swears by clicker training. This is positive based, but relies entirely on the theory that your dog will act based on getting what she wants more than any desire to please you. It assumes that your dog will give a certain behaviour not because she strives to please you, but because she knows it means something good will come. With clicker training, the dog offers the desired behavior voluntarily and by using the clicker to mark the exact behavior, timing is very accurate in tems of associating reward with with action. Clicker training takes a bit longer when starting out, but more and more trainers and every day dog owners swear by it.

    More and more, people are dog training at home and using online dog training products to educate themselves. There are numerous approaches to dog obedience training but it makes sense to be aware of all of them when choosing what’s right for you and your dog.

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  • scissors
    February 13th, 2009adminPets Advice

    Clicker training for dogs is one of the latest methods in dog training. The method comes from behavioral psychology research and is known as operant conditioning. But you don’t need to know scientific terminology in order to benefit from the method.

    The method was first developed with marine mammals like dolphins. With the dolphins, a whistle was used rather than a clicker. You can imagine how difficult it is to train a marine mammal compared to a dog. This particular method uses the idea of positive reinforcement. It was very difficult to give a fish to a dolphin at the moment the dolphin did the behaviour you wanted. However, a whistle could be blown at the precise moment. Then you could follow that with a treat shortly afterwards.

    In order to reinforce a desired behaviour, you should reward it at the precise moment it occurs or very soon afterwards or the animal will not relate the reward with the action. The whole reward process is made so much easier and clearer by using a sound from a whistle or clicker to mark the action.

    The first step is to positively associate the sound of the clicker with getting a reward. By clicking and following the click with a treat many times, the sound and the reward become associated. Once this relation is made, the clicker sound itself becomes like a reward because it’s so closely linked with the treat in the dog’s mind. This process is called charging the clicker by dog trainers.

    Once the clicker is charged, you sound the clicker when the dog does a desired behavior and you always follow with a treat. In true clicker training, you wait for the behavior to happen naturally and click and treat. In order to do this behaviors which are more complex need to be broken down into smaller bits. A tool which assists the trainer in doing this is the target stick.

    One of the first exercises in clicker training is to get your dog to touch the target stick with his nose. Once your dog accomplishes this, the target stick can be used to get your dog to any place where you put the target stick. This is so helpful when training your dog in other actions.

    Getting your dog to touch the stick is easy. If you put it in front of his nose, he will probably touch it. Then you click and treat. Be sure to let your dog to touch the stickof his own free will! Keep repeating for a couple of minutes. Then take a rest.

    It can take a while when a dog is introduced to clicker training, especially if he is an older dog. So you need to be patient. You may need to repeat the target stick session a couple of times before he gets the connection. But once he’s got it, the learning will stay.

    One other tool which clicker trainers find useful is a mouse pad or something similar that you train your dog to step on with one of his front feet. You can get your dog to do this easily by just positioning it down on the ground near him and waiting for him to stand on it. Immediately, click and reward. As before, repeat this until your dog gets it. As with the target stick, this tool can then be used to guide your dog to a particular place in further training.

    In clicker training, a behavior is trained first as with the target stick and mouse pad and only then is a cue added. A cue means that you assign a verbal request like “sit” or “stay” to the behavior. You do this by saying the cue word just as you notice the dog is about to do the behavior. As always you click and reward the action. Then, by repeating this, the command becomes associated with the reward, just like the clicker sound is. Please note that when you start training with the cue, you don’t reward the behavior alone any more – it has to be preceded by the cue. If the dog just offers the behavior, there is no click or reward.

    This is an introduction to the way clicker training is used. Obviously there is a lot more to learn. What I particularly like about it is that it’s very step-by-step and all that’s needed is being patient and consistent. Read more about clicker training, a review of the top clicker training manual, and also reviews of other dog training manuals.

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