Here's a great series that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim
Basic Breed Information – Part 5
Beagle
Although Beagle obedience training is a hard and challenging task, it is not an impossible one. Usually Beagles are considered to be very obedient dogs. However, training them requires hard skills as they follow the directions only when they pick up scent. There are some important aspects to be followed that make Beagle obedience training successful and easier task.
First and foremost, the Beagle obedience training must begin from basic lessons. It is very important and necessary for the dog to learn basic commands like "sit," "stay," "come," etc. These basic lessons are common for training any type of dog. It is important to learn the commands for communicating with the dog in a better way. The training sessions should be enjoyable for both the dog and the trainer. The training period can ideally be short and brief. Ten minutes time is sufficient for maintaining and motivating the dog. When the dog does not pay any more attention or when the dog does not respond to any given command, the training should be immediately stopped. After a few seconds of a temporary halt, the training can be resumed after the dog starts enjoying the commands.
The Beagle obedience training should be started with home rules, good behavior and schedules since, being a puppy, it has to be prevented from catching bad habits. Beagles are difficult to recall after they have started picking up scents. Hence it is necessary to start the training at an early age. The training activities should be chosen in such a way that they are more appropriate and perfectly suited to Beagles. Being scent hounds, in olden days they were trained for tracking rabbit and hare. So, you can train them to discover buried elements, retrieving exercises or running. The training sessions are very enjoyable when they are done outdoors. It is better to use positive reinforcements.
Your dog finds positive reinforces very rewarding. It can be a special treat, toy, interaction with the owner or other dogs. While doing positive reinforcement, remember that the reward should not be shown to the dog before passing out commands. Beagle obedience training includes showing reward for the dog before giving commands becomes an act of bribery. This will enforce the dog and corrupt it to obey only when reward is presented. It is better to hide the intended reward from the sight of the dog and show it only when a command is completed by the dog.
Avoid physical punishment as much as possible. Hitting the dog may not make it a well-trained and obedient dog. Physically hurting may even confuse the dog and scare him away from the trainer. Instead helping, it will cause more harm. When the dog has performed some unacceptable deed, the punishment should be limited by neglecting the dog temporarily for a while. If you do not like his actions, then ignore him for some hours and soon he will realize the mistake and will start to answer your commands.
This article was brought to you by Sean Green, at Online Dog Training (©2008 Dog Obedience Training).
For more in-depth Beagle training info, check out: Beagle Training Secrets or Secrets to Dog Training.
Bichon Frise
This curly lap dog is a cute and small dog. Bichons are extremely intelligent, and you will really feel proud to own one. After the French revolution, these dogs ended up on the lanes as their regal masters were dethroned. Then, these dogs were caught and were used in the circus to do tricks. Nowadays, farmers in Norway are using these dogs for rounding up sheep. Bichon Frise obedience training is important, as only when you train the dog can you enjoy his companionship.
Bichons are small dogs, but are sturdy and hence do not require much exercise. You can train them as a watchdog, but they are not aggressive. Though it has a curly coat, it will not shed and therefore one of the best dogs for allergy sufferers. Bichon Frise obedience training comprises training your dog with the housebreaking difficulties. Also, remember that they don't like to be left alone. If you are occupied with your work all day, this dog is not suitable for you. They express their unhappiness through non-stop barking and destructive work.
Bichon Frise obedience training includes extensive socialization, and you also need to introduce them to unfamiliar surroundings and sounds. Otherwise, they become suspicious or shy away from people. Also, Bichons are not suitable for smaller children as the steep sound and loud noises they make will irritate them, and they can even bite the children.
While providing Bichon Frise obedience training, you need to concentrate on the stubbornness of these dogs. They are manipulative, and hence, you must show them that you stand for what you say. Also, Bichon Frise obedience training contains grooming that is a very important part to play. You have to brush and clip the curly coat frequently, or else they are prone to skin diseases. The Bichon Frise show dogs you watch on TV and magazines were groomed for hours by experienced show groomers.
You have to first train your Bichon with the words "sit" and "stay" as soon as you bring them home. Bichons are very fast, and if you leave the door open, they will just run away. Also, if you have a swimming pool, then you need to watch your puppy as he may step into the water by mistake. It is also a good idea to teach your Bichon to swim, as this will remove the dirt and chemicals from his skin, and also, so he will be safe if he falls into the water accidentally.
Bichons often quickly respond to the new sounds and sights. So, you should be equally quick to control them. You should never leave your Bichon unattended in your yard. If you have close neighbors, then you have to take extra caution in nurturing your Bichon. Some Bichons bark loudly and can bite anyone when disturbed. Another problem with the Bichons is the tendency to develop skin allergies. They are allergic to chemicals, fleas, grass, pollen etc. So, you have to keep them clean and hygienic in order to maintain their curly coat.
This article was brought to you by Sean Green, at Online Dog Training (©2008 Dog Obedience Training).
For more in-depth Bichon training info, check out: Bichon Frise Training Secrets or Secrets to Dog Training.
Border Collie
The Border Collie is one of the best trainable dogs out of all the breeds. They usually perform in obedience, fly ball, Frisbee and agility trials. If you obtain this dog, mere physical exercise will not keep the dog active. They should be given some task to keep their mind as well as body energetic.
The Border Collie is an extremely energetic dog. He needs open space to exercise and being a working sheep herding dog, he always performs tasks happily. He will get too bored and perhaps destructive when you make him sit in a place. Border Collie obedience training is very easy to carry out as the dog is extremely agile and intelligent.
The dog will be able to squat, spring and corner adeptly for the function of driving the disobedient cattle or sheep into line. The Border's coat should be thick enough so that he can survive in cold days, but excessive growth has to be cut. Border collie obedience training includes grooming the dog with care. The water resistant coat of the dog needs to be brushed every other day. He should not be bathed often, as the strips of the coat will lose its protective oils. Brushing will maintain the coat clean and healthy, and also, you should strengthen the emotional bonding with your pet to keep her healthy.
Border Collie obedience training is not much difficult when compared to training other dogs since he does well in rally obedience, sheep herding trials and agility. Also, because of his medium size and higher intelligence level, he can be trained as rescue and search dogs. Normally, these dogs display stable temperament and they don't shy away from the people. Those who are into Border Collie obedience training will find that the dog is a faithful and loyal friend. He responds eagerly to the commands given by his owner and willingly performs the tasks.
During Border Collie obedience training, you need to praise him a lot. Because, lots of praise makes him happy and he will perform excellently. You have to train him to mingle with people right from his young age. Then, there will be no problem in socializing, and he will live fine with other dogs and children. When you bring this dog home, you have to pay him lot of attention and should keep him busy with lot of exercise and tasks. A Border Collie lives for serving his owner and hence he may not like to lie idle in a corner of the house. Also, you should know that he can be destructive when he gets bored.
If you live in a small house, then you should not get a Border Collie. He needs a lot of space to run and play. Border Collie obedience training can be done efficiently only when you have lots of open space and time to train the dog. He always needs your constant attention, and will become neurotic if ignored. Border Collie are normally pretty healthy, but may suffer from eye disease, epilepsy, allergies to fleas' and deafness.
This article was brought to you by Sean Green, at Online Dog Training (©2008 Dog Obedience Training).
For more in-depth Border Collie training info, check out: Border Collie Training Secrets or Secrets to Dog Training.
Boston Terrier
Most new owners struggle with Boston Terrier training, and seem to surrender to the common myth that it takes up to six months to train this breed. I will dispel this myth, and tell you about the reasons behind why most Boston Terrier owners mistakenly believe this to be true. And, I will share with you the right way to training Boston Terrier.
When you understand the underlying secrets to Boston Terrier behavior, you will be pleasantly surprised at how you can transform your "little terror" into the perfectly well behaved mutt that will make you make you the envy of every other dog owner on your block.
First, let me start by stating something that will never work for training your dog. Any form of aggression. If you think you can beat or scold your dog into submission and good behavior, then not only is it cruel, but a completely ineffective approach to training that will fail to get any results, ever.
The key to knowing the right way to get your dog to behave is to realize that he is a pack animal. From the early days of puppy hood, it is in their instinct to quickly figure out the structure of authority surrounding them. And this is where most owners drop the ball, so to speak.
Being your typical loving owner, it is very common to spoil your new puppy with affection and attention with no boundaries. You can let him play on the couch, bed, jump up on anyone and anything. And because it's just a harmless little puppy, you allow that behavior without any restrictions.
By treating him just like a friend, and not as a pet, you fail to set up and establish boundaries, and worse yet, you fail to do the one thing that makes all the difference regarding Boston Terrier training. That is: to clearly and quickly stamp your authority as the leader of the pack. Failing to assert yourself in the early stages will always make it difficult to train your dog later on. Here are two important elements for successful Boston Terrier training that, when followed, will pay off in spades.
First, do not attempt to teach multiple commands at the same time. Think of it as building blocks. Start with small steps and once mastered, move on to the more demanding commands. If your little one creates a big fuss when you are just trying to clips his nails, or put on a leash, he is unlikely to respond to your training for sit, stay or come.
Second, do not go overboard and try lengthy training sessions and expect to see results. What is better...doing thirty minutes of training twice a week, or seven minutes every day? The latter will transform their behavior quickly, while the other may not work at all, and you'll be left wondering why your efforts are not paying off.
For more in-depth Boston Terrier training info, check out: Boston Terrier Training Secrets or Secrets to Dog Training.
Learn the secrets to raising and training Boston Terriers the right way.
