Successful Miniature Schnauzer Training Using Praise And Leadership By Richard Cussons

Your Miniature Schnauzer training will be much more successful if praise is only used as a reward in the daily training with your puppy. That is when your pup actually does something you desire. Otherwise, praise should be withheld. When teaching a new command you should use a physical movement or stance which helps to show your dog what it means. Then as soon as your puppy starts to make the proper movement, pile on the praise. That is, when your dog does a desired action, you should pet him and make a fuss of him.

This important conditioning of your Miniature Schnauzer associating behavior with praise is show when you teach you dog basic commands like 'Sit'. First say your puppy’s name, followed by the command 'Sit'. At the same time hold your hand a few inches above you dog, then move it a little behind his dog's head. He will raise his head to keep an eye on your hand and sit. Gentle pressure can be used on your dog’s rear if required. When he sits praise him. Repeat this exercise followed by praise (stroking and saying 'good boy/girl' in a friendly upbeat tine) on success and your Schnauzer will begin to sit without the hand single. This is very effective because it is the need for positive praise and attention which is driving your dog to sit

Training sessions should be short and no longer then 10 minutes at a time and always end with lots of petting, praise and play. Caring for you puppy in this way soon makes him understand that doing as you ask and following you as a 'leader' results great rewards. Professional trainers often call this type of dog training the 'earn and praise,' method or the 'No free lunch' system. Consistency is the key to all puppy training, and this goes for all family members. Otherwise your puppy may become confused or learn the easy way of getting praise without working for it.

In working like this with all you training your Schnauzer puppy will learn and enjoy being a 'follower' within the family. This behavioral foundation will make all of your future training and socialization work much easier as your dog will be eager to please. Showing your dog that you are a competent leader, allows you puppy to be a subordinate which, in turn, makes him less frustrated and aggressive (protective). This leads to a happy, gentle, well behaved and obedient dog who is a please to be around and own. Miniature Schnauzers who do not have a leader will take this role for themselves and can become aggressive, unruly, fretful destructive and disobedient. You have been warned! So, becoming the pack leader, in your dog’s eyes, is vitally important and has the added advantage of avoiding most unwanted behavior associated with this breed.

Dominant older Miniature Schnauzers dogs will respond well to the total 'social attraction' regimen of training with praise and leadership too. However, because of the months or years, during which an adult dog has been dominance, owners will need to be very strict, kind and patient to change the balance of power. Consistency is the key again as is praise after every successful change in behavior you dog shows.

Treats are very effective in training older stubborn dogs who are set in their ways but are not as necessary with puppies as the reward of praise in usually enough in it’s self.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=103805&ca=Pets

Your Dog's Healthy Lifestyle And Organic Dog Foods By Shabi

Just like you want to stay healthy and live a healthy lifestyle, so too should your pet live a similar healthy lifestyle. This is not a luxury that either of you can forego, and getting organic dog food for your dog is one of the few things that you can do to keep your faithful companion in the best of health.

Organic dog food can be found readily at many stores now, although probably not in smaller townships and such where organic foods and the fad of going organic has not yet fully caught on. If this is the case you might need to go to a specialty store or a health food store to obtain organic dog food for your dog.

The question you might want to ask however might be why you would want to go to so much trouble to get organic dog food for your dog. Well, besides the healthy aspect of things, by giving your dog organic dog food, you can be assured that no poisonous chemicals in the form of fertilizers and pesticides are getting into his system.

Organic dog food just like the organic foods we eat, are also free of genetically modified organisms. When you take all of these coupled together with the fact that organic foods are also produced using the best natural methods for the earth, it all makes one convincing case to go out and get your dog organic dog food.

The one thing that might give you pause for thought when looking at getting organic dog food is the prohibitive costs that you will encounter. Granted, the costs aren’t as high as they were a few years ago when organic dog food came out on the market, but they can still be pretty staggering if you have to manage on a tight budget.

Then of course you have the problem of not knowing whether your dog will actually take to his new diet. Some canine companions are notoriously picky when it comes to their meals and a change from the norm might incur what amounts to a food strike, from your dog until you give him back his normal fare.

If you know that your dog is one of these picky eaters (I know that mine is definitely a picky eater!) you might want to first introduce the organic dog food to their diets in slow stages.

This helps to make it easier on your pockets, and in the unlikely event that your dog dislikes his new organic dog food you know that you won’t be stuck with a whopping bag of dog feed on your hands.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=181316&ca=Pets

Dog Training At Home Tips And Techniques By Robert Weiner

Teaching your dog acceptable behavior patterns and tricks is not difficult using techniques proven by dog training experts. Dogs are intelligent and loyal, but it takes time for them to learn your ‘language’ and the meaning of your words. With patience and persistence, you can easily teach him your desired conduct, and create a close bond with your dog.

The most important aspect of dog training is consistency. To have a well-behaved dog, everyone who cares for or is normally in close contact with your dog should know the proper commands. Always use the same word for a desired action. If you teach him to lie down using the word ‘down’, do not expect him to get off the sofa with the command ‘down’. Using the command ‘stay’ one day and ‘wait’ the next, will only cause frustration and confusion in your dogs mind. Dogs are intelligent enough to learn hundreds of commands, but single word commands are easier for dogs to learn and understand. Be uniform in meting out punishment as well. Hit of miss punishment is very counterproductive to good behavior.

Let your dog know you are pleased with him by showing him happiness and affection. Petting and play tell him he is a good dog. When punishment is due, a strong harsh word will let him know you are not happy with his action. Hitting your dog will make him fear you and cause aggressive behavior.

Your dog is naturally a pack animal, and for him to be well adjusted he needs to feel like he is part of your “pack”. A dog cannot feel part of your pack if you keep him isolated and only let him out on occasion to mingle with the family. The only way for your dog to feel part of the pack and to learn the “pack order” is for him to live with the family. Living with the family, your dog will learn his place in the group especially relating with children.

Playtime, walks, and exercise are a vital part of a dog’s life to prevent him from becoming bored, mischievous, and destructive due to pent up energy. To keep your dog from getting lonely, take him to meet the neighbors and their dogs. Chewing, incessant barking, digging are signs of stress, boredom, and frustration. If he chews, make sure he has plenty of chew toys, or give him raw bones. For digging, provide a place in the yard where he can dig without destroying your garden. Vary his routine every now and then by letting him spend a day at doggy day care so he can meet new friends. An occasional trip to a dog park will do wonders for your dog’s disposition.

A happy, well-behaved, well-adjusted dog will be your reward for patience and consistency in your dog training efforts.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=181829&ca=Pets