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Showing posts from February, 2016

Should You be Using Food to Train Your Dog?

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using food to train your dog Have you ever asked yourself whether or not using food is cheating when training your dog?  If you have, then I can promise you that you are not alone. It’s something that many people never actually get clear in their minds and yet it is one of the most powerful topics to understand and also very simple to master! What I am about to explain in this article will almost certainly surprise you but also make total sense. It will contradict some of the things that you have heard through the grapevine, but getting tips from other dog owners at the park is not always the best place to get your dog training advice from.  Once you have read this I’m sure that both you and your dog will have a better understanding and appreciation for each other. Firstly, let’s look at the comment that you should never use food to get your dog to respond to you because your dog will then only listen to you if you have food in your hand. This is simply

How to Stop Your Dogs Digging

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So what’s the score with my dogs digging ? I hear you asking… Why are they doing it and how do I stop them destroying my beautiful back garden? Well here’s the way your dog see’s it and its very different from how you think! In fact it will answer a lot of your questions. Firstly though here’s what your dogs digging is not. Your dogs digging is not their attempt to annoy you, wind you up or simply ruin your new flower garden out of spite. Dogs simply are not like that…(you’re thinking like a human) Natural behavior Dogs are fun loving animals however and so many dogs will dig for fun. Younger dogs and puppies especially simply love exploring, investigating and having a good time in the soil, sand, mud, stones etc…it really doesn’t matter to them. Sometimes dogs are doing it for specific reasons, such as they are too hot and are looking to dig into the cooler ground. Alternatively they could be cold and looking to build a bit of a den. They could sim

How to Maximize The Use of Food Treats

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How to maximize the use of food treats We all know somebody who’s got a dog that only listens when food is shown to them. Or even worse a dog who simply doesn’t listen even when treats are on offer. Maybe it's you and your dog? Sometimes it really does seem like the only way to get your dog to listen to you is to bribe them, and that just doesn’t feel right. Well the good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way and the solution certainly isn’t complicated… as you’re going to see. Here’s four very simply tricks that I’ve picked up from leading dog trainer, Doggy Dan, that make so much sense and have transformed my own way of training and motivating my dog. I’ve seen this in action so I know it all works.  1. The Jackpot:  The first secret is simply this… Dogs are far more motivated and excited by food rewards when the size of the reward varies. In other words it's much better to give your dog a couple of smaller treats followed by a big one than jus