Training your dog creates a bond between canine and human. Having a trained dog helps keep it safe and it's mind active. Dogs are naturally pack animals and enjoy social contact. Dogs generally need and want a pack leader to guide them.
Without training dogs may get confused, anxious, often frightened about their world and very unhappy. Insecure dogs bark when you leave them, fret, and get into mischief or try to escape.
Whether you want to train your dog for obedience competitions or around the house and out on walks, training benefits the whole family, neighbours and community.
Remember your dog cannot talk your language and you can't expect them to understand you without teaching them what your words mean first. Only use positive methods of training, lots of praise, use treats or their favourite toy. Dogs learn by association. For example, Sit = a treat or stay = their favourite toy. Never be negative towards your dog whilst training as you do not want them to associate training as something bad. Training should be fun with lots of rewards for doing things right.
There are many dog training activities. To name a few: Pet obedience, Agility, Flyball, Rally Obedience, Competition Obedience, Gun dog trails.
Remember your dog cannot talk your language and you can't expect them to understand you without teaching them what your words mean first. Only use positive methods of training, lots of praise, use treats or their favourite toy. Dogs learn by association. For example, Sit = a treat or stay = their favourite toy. Never be negative towards your dog whilst training as you do not want them to associate training as something bad. Training should be fun with lots of rewards for doing things right.
There are many dog training activities. To name a few: Pet obedience, Agility, Flyball, Rally Obedience, Competition Obedience, Gun dog trails.
A good place to start your training is The Kennel Club Good Citizens Award.
The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme is the largest dog training scheme in the UK. Its aim is to promote responsible dog ownership, enhance our relationship with our pets and to make the community aware of the benefits associated with dog ownership.
Dog training classes are also a great way to socialise your dog and meet other dog owners. You and your dog can start with the Bronze award and progress onto the Silver and Gold awards. This gives you something to aim for and achieve.
To find your nearest Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme visit the kennel club website:
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2543
The classes involve positive reward training using treats or toys. Some of the training involved:
How to walk your dog on a lead.
Controlled walk amongst other people and dogs.
Stay.
Recall.
Control at a door or a gate.
Controlled greeting.
To find out more visit the Kennel Club website.
Competition Obedience
If you decide to stay on at your dog training club after you and your dog have learnt all the basics, you can decide to get into competition obedience. This will give you and your dog more advanced training skills.
You will start in Pre-Beginners and work your way up.
You will need to be able to do the following:
- Heel on lead
- Heel free (off the lead)
- Recall with finish (finish is your dog sitting beside you after the recall)
- Sit Stay (this will be in a group with other dogs)
- Down Stay (this will be in a group with other dogs)
- Retrieve (Beginners)
Confused by all the classes? Open Shows, Limit Shows, Championship Shows.
Take a look at Getting started in Competition Obedeince on the link below. It will tell you all:
http://www.obedienceuk.com/book/page0.htmYou can find lots of information on Obedience UK
http://www.obedienceuk.com/From Beginner:
I wish!
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Agility
Dog Agility involves your dog learning to negotiate a variety of obstacles correctly and on command. This is a fun sport for you and your dog and will keep you both fit and healthy!You can go to agility training classes where you will have opportunites to get involved in competitions. Any breed of dog can do agility as long as it is fit and healthy.
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/agility
http://www.agilitynet.com/
Watch this video to see what fun agility is at Crufts:
Link: http://youtu.be/KkYoNRav5_w
Dog agility course
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Flyball
Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring loaded pad, then back to their handlers while carrying the ball.
This is a very fast sport and lots of fun!
Watch flyball at Crufts:
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Rally Obedience
Rally Obedience is a fun and exciting team sport for dogs and their handlers!
Dog and Handler teams navigate a course with numbered signs indicating different exercises to perform such as Sit-Down-Sit, Straight Figure 8, Send Over Jump, Recall Over Jump. Teams navigate the course at a brisk, continuous performance without direction from the judge. Handlers are encouraged to talk to their dogs durin...g the performance.
All dogs, purebred, mixed breeds and dogs with disabilities are encouraged to participate.
Visit my facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=106774588237&v=wall
Visit the association of pet dog trainers website for more info:
http://www.apdt.co.uk/ukrally.asp
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