Our furry canine friends are great at communicating with us. All we need to do is learn how to listen to them. Plenty of people get frustrated and annoyed by incessant barking.  Instead of just yelling to the dog to shut up though it might be more productive to learn just exactly why dogs bark.

Dogs are highly intelligent animals. Unfortunately they don’t have the capability to communicate in words. Instead, you have to listen to their barks and yelps and interpret their body language.

Here are a few of the different meanings to a dog’s bark.

• Constant rapid barking usually means something like ‘hey look at that. There’s something in our territory we really need to check it out.’

• A low growl means that danger is near or that the dog is scared and looking to defend its home.

• A couple high pitched yaps is normally just a “Hi it’s great to see you” kind of greeting.

• An extremely high pitched bark or yelp normally means the dog has a sharp shooting pain like a thorn in a paw pad.

• If a dog is just belting out a short incessant yap then chances are it probably needs to go outside and use the bathroom. It’s more of an attention getter than anything else.

• If you have a hound breed then a long drawn out howl means that the dog has found whatever it was looking for and wants you to investigate.  This bark is used more as an attention getter than anything else.

• If a dog is happy and looking to play it will let out a couple medium to high pitched yaps to say ‘hey there pay attention to me! It’s play time now!”

Understanding your dog’s barks is key to training the dog when it is and isn’t appropriate to start yapping. You want a dog that will alert whenever strangers are around. At the same time you don’t want an animal that won’t shut up.

Unless you make it clear from the start who is in control then training a big dog can be a problem. A big dog can be a handful because of its size and sometimes its temperament. Unless training has commenced at puppy hood it can be difficult to train your pet. This guide will provide you with some dog training tips and hints to help you gain control over your dog.

It is best to start training your dog from the day you bring it home. If you have acquired a puppy, that is better from a training perspective. Puppies are much easier to train than a big dog. While your pet is a puppy you will easily have control which makes training that much easier.

If your dog is already full grown and is a problem to you and anyone it meets then some serious training is required. Training a big dog will require a lot of patience. A grown dog is harder to train than a puppy. Stay calm and be persistent with your training methods. Start with the basics and take it slowly.

Teaching your dog to sit is one of the first things most people teach their dogs. It can solve a lot of other related problems, like jumping up for instance. There is no point trying to physically get a big dog to sit by forcing their back down. This is not a good method to try on any size dog as it can damage their back so avoid it.

To teach a big dog to sit use food rewards.

• Get your dogs attention.
• If your dog has a tendency to run from you then train it in a small room in your house or in a small confined area of your yard.
• Take a dog treat that you know your dog loves and stand in front of your dog.
• Hold the dog treat just over your dog’s nose, say SIT in a firm voice and move your hand backward behind your dogs head.
• This should all be actioned in one fluid movement. If done correctly your dog will automatically sit. Let him have the treat and praise him. Don’t overdo the praise for hyperactive dogs.

Repeat this four or five times ensuring that you say SIT each time.  Do not overdo it on the first day.

Repeat this process for a week reducing the treats little by little until your big dog eventually sits without the treats. Ensure that you praise your dog each time he does the right thing. The praise will eventually replace the need for treats.

Dog training is an essential part of the socialization process of any dog. Without it your dog will be a problem to both you and anyone it meets. Nobody likes a dog that jumps up when greeted, barks all day and night or bites at unwary passers-by. Dog training may require some effort on your part but in the end it will definitely be worth it. You will have a pet that you will be proud to own.

If you haven’t yet purchased a dog then think about the temperament of the breed before purchasing. If you are buying from a breeder ask them about the temperament of the puppy’s parents. Dog training will tend to be a little easier with gentler, less volatile breeds and smaller breeds are often easier to control.

If you have already purchased your puppy or already have a fully grown dog and are ready to start dog training then check the following list of tips and hints:

1. Start dog training from day 1. This is so important and yet many believe that puppies are too young to train. The best time to train your dog is from the day you bring it home regardless of its age.
2. Be consistent. This includes your family and friends. There is no point teaching your dog not to jump up when greeted if your partner or friends allow it.
3. Don’t yell at your dog. This will only cause your dog to be scared of you and a scared dog is less likely to do what you want. You want a happy dog that is willing to do everything you say.
4. Don’t hit your dog or physically abuse it in anyway. This will only create a bad relationship between you and your dog and your dog will be less likely to do as you say.
5. Use positive rewards and ignore bad behaviour. When your dog does something good then reward it. If it does something bad, like jumping up on you, then ignore it.
6. Attend obedience classes. You don’t need to spend the rest of your life at obedience classes but if you can make the effort to attend at least ten lessons this will be a great start and give you and your dog the confidence you need.
7. Don’t expect too much too soon. Some dogs learn faster than others but if you are consistent then your dog training efforts will be rewarded.
8. Don’t leave your children alone with a new puppy. I put this one here only because young children don’t always understand how to look after a puppy and some have been known to hit them without reason. Any damage done at this early stage can have detrimental affects on your training program.

A simple approach to housebreaking your puppy

One of the more common problems we have with our puppies is housebreaking them. Housebreaking some puppies is more difficult than others and these puppies will take longer to train. Keep in mind that no matter how well the training is going, your puppy will occasionally have accidents. The key is to be patient and never take your frustrations out on your new pet.

Puppies are creatures of habit. If they learn that they can relieve themselves in your house then they will continue to do so. Don’t let your puppy get into this habit. Begin housebreaking as soon as you bring your puppy home.

Puppies will generally use the same area to relieve themselves so designate an area in your yard. When your puppy wakens, finishes eating or before he is ready for another nap, take him to the designated area. The more consistent you are with this method, the quicker your puppy will learn that it is the yard that he should use and not the house.

You can always pick when puppies are about to relieve themselves. Their nose will hit the floor and they will start sniffing around looking for the best spot. This is the key for you to pick up your puppy and take them to the designated area in the yard. Puppies are like toddlers – you need to keep your eye on them at all times otherwise you will have an accident of some sort.

Even with the best of training, puppies will make a few mistakes. If you see your puppy in the act, then pick him up quickly and tell him ‘No’ in a firm voice. Take him to the designated area immediately. You should not need to do anymore than this. Your puppy will eventually get the idea. If you have found an accident but didn’t see your puppy in the act then don’t admonish your pet or rub your puppy’s nose in it. He will have no idea why you are yelling at him. Just continue on as if nothing has happened.

Be consistent with your training habits and your puppy will be housebroken before you know it.

Are you trying to train your dog and wonder why you can’t even get it to sit?

Don’t despair! Training a dog takes a little time and quite a lot of patience but it can be done and the payoffs are tremendous. Sitting is good – but sitting and staying is better so here’s a guide on how to teach your dog to sit down…and stay put!

Before you start – you need to know…

Patience is key. You and your canine are not going to master this in a morning.

Reward good behaviour. Verbal praise and a small dog treat are great positive reinforcement but make sure you limit the edible treats to training sessions. If you don’t do this, your dog will come to accept them as the ‘norm’ and will stop seeing them as training rewards.

When your dog makes a mistake, let it know but only verbally. If you use physical discipline it will slow the training process as your dog will start to associate pain with training and will not want to participate. Would you? Most dog trainers frown on physical discipline but some say it is justified if your dog has done something totally unacceptable like biting or attacking another dog without justification.

Keep training sessions short. You will get more achievement from three sessions each lasting ten minutes than from one lasting half an hour. If they’re short and fun, both you and your dog will look forward to them…and they’re easier to fit into the day.

What you’ll need:

• Small edible dog treats

• An area with no distractions

• A collar

• A 6 foot (2 meter) leash made of nylon webbing or leather. Don’t use a retractable leash – keep that for walks and play times.

Sit…

Take your dog to a place where there are no distractions and don’t forget the dog treats!

1. Hold the treat in front of the dog so that it can smell it.
2. Holding the treat in your hand, move it up and towards your dog, so that the treat is above the dog’s nose. At this point, the dog should start automatically sitting.
3. Once the dog’s rear is on the floor, say “sit” once, in a clear, firm voice. Then praise the dog and give it the treat.

Your dog may not sit when the treat is held up. It may try to reach the treat by stretching its’ neck or jumping up. If it does this, put the treat back into your pocket. Start again from step one, this time gently pushing down on the dog’s lower back as you raise the treat.

When you’ve successfully completed the ‘sit’ five or six times, finish the session.

Repeat the ‘sit’ training until you are absolutely sure that your dog understands it. At that point, give the dog a treat every other time it sits, then every third time and every fourth time until the dog sits purely for verbal praise.

Stay…

The most important part of this command is the hand signal. This is because the dog will learn to recognize it immediately. Practice it yourself before you use it during training.

The “Stay” hand signal

Bring your hand up, with your fingers outstretched and hold it still with your palm right in front of where your dog’s nose would be – but not touching it. Only say “stay” once for each hand signal.

“Stay” training session

You’ll need to keep your dog on a leash to start with because it’s likely it won’t ‘stay’ straight away!

1. Hold the very end of the leash and make the dog sit. You can stand in front of the dog or beside it.
2. Still holding the leash, step in front of the dog and as you face it, do the hand signal (hold it continually) and say “stay” once in a firm, clear voice. Then take two steps back from your dog.
3. Hold your hand signal for between 5 and 10 seconds. While the dog is ‘staying’, talk to it quietly and try and keep eye contact with it. Then lower your hand, step to the dog, praise it and give it an edible treat.
4. Once your dog is getting the hang of ‘staying’, start increasing the ‘staying’ time and your distance from your dog with each session.
5. Finally, once your dog really has got it, add in dropping the leash to the floor.

If your dog stands up or won’t stay, bring it back using the leash. Don’t call it by name as this may confuse the dog in the future. Simply repeat the four steps, over and over.

When your dog has completely mastered ‘staying’, start weaning off the edible treats as before.

Helpful hints

• You need to practice every day while it’s learning and then every few days so it remembers.
• Don’t do a training session if you are in a bad mood, tired, late or short of time.
• Make sure everyone in the family uses the same words and signals.
• Your dog wants to please and isn’t trying to annoy you by not learning. Patience!
• Puppies have shorter attention spans than older dogs. Keep the sessions short or your little one will get tired and bored!

Some days it just doesn’t happen! Stop before you both get frustrated and try again tomorrow!