Class Goal:
• Beginning Obedience: These classes are often called beginner or introductory classes and sometimes accept only dogs under a certain age. Instruction is both informative and practical. Owners learn tips on canine growth, nutrition, housebreaking, and grooming, as well as some basic commands such as sit and stay.
• Advanced Obedience: Advanced classes may have some tips on canine health, but they primarily focus on commands and actions. Sit, stay, heel, come, leave it, and drop it, are all possible class topics, and dogs also learn to greet strangers and otherwise behave properly in public places. Many advanced courses also allow dogs to earn the AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificate.
• Competition Obedience: Dog shows demand long periods of focused training, so some dog schools offer classes that teach dogs and their owners the skills required for these competitions.

Class Size
• Group Sessions: Most obedience schools primarily offer group classes. These sessions probably include around twelve people and their dogs and are held at the obedience school or in a public area. The cost can vary widely, but $75 for six to eight sessions is about average.
• Private Sessions: Private sessions are much more expensive than are group sessions (often well over one hundred dollars per session), but they have their advantages. Private sessions may occur in your home, and they can be geared to your specific goals for your dog.

Depending on where you live, not all of these classes will be available, but remember that in most cases, a good instructor is more important than the right type of class. Find a good instructor and you'll find a good class.

While each dog obedience school may order their lessons differently, all dog trainers will teach by example. Usually, the trainer will give a verbal explanation of an action, and then he will demonstrate (perhaps with his own dog, or perhaps with one from the class) how to practice that action. Watch carefully so that you can mimic the action; notice the instructor's words, tone of voice, body posture, eye contact with the dog, hands on the dog, etc.

After demonstrating the action, most instructors will give you time to practice the same action with your dog. Meanwhile, the instructor will roam the room, giving individual assistance to owners and dogs. Carefully mimic the instructor's actions, crave that individual instruction, and ask questions when you don't understand.

You'll probably notice that the instructor lavishes excessive praise on dogs that complete the required action. Praise is the center of any good dog training method, so make sure you emulate this praising.

Finally, your obedience school instructor should leave you with tips that you can practice at home. These tips may come in the form of a handout or just as a verbal reminder, but good obedience schools always emphasize that you need to practice these actions with your dog throughout the week and not just on the night of your sessions.

Your obedience school may teach tricks such as sitting, standing, heeling, and greeting, or it may work on curbing your dog's destructive behavior. If you have a specific request for a class lesson, ask the instructor if he can fit it into the class.

It's relatively easy to find a list of obedience schools, but it can be much more difficult to find a good school. Ask your dog-owning friends about their experience with particular schools, and see if your veterinarian has any suggestions.

When you finally talk with one or two schools, ask them lots of questions. How big are your classes? What happens at your classes? How much do your classes cost? What kind of success do you have and what will you do if my dog doesn't learn? Also, see if the instructor asks you questions. Hopefully, he will ask you about your dog--its health, obedience problems and lifestyle--so that he can be prepared to teach your dog.

The best way to find out about an obedience school, however, may be to visit the school. Notice whether the instructor treats the people with respect and the dogs with care. Does he seem to be a good and helpful teacher? Above all, would you enjoy being in this class and would your dog benefit from it?

Depending on what level of obedience you want from your dog, you may not need to visit obedience school. It's not all that difficult to housebreak your dog, and sitting, heeling, and other tricks are also relatively easy to teach if you use the basic behavior modification techniques: praise and light discipline.

On the other hand, some dogs have lots of trouble learning to obey. In addition, some dog owners want to prepare their dogs for dog shows, and they don't know what is required in these competitions. In these situations, an obedience school can be very helpful because the instructors have experience; you've seen one dog, they've seen hundreds. They can view your dog objectively, analyze his behavior, and then improve his actions for competitions or for life in your home.

In the end, it's your decision. Most people can get their dog to desired levels of obedience using only focused attention at home. In addition, other behavior problems are often caused by medical issues, so a trip to the veterinarian might solve the problem. If the best efforts of both you and the vet still leave you with a destructive and unruly dog, however, it might be school time.

Dog training equipment is rooted in the philosophy of behaviorism, which argues that behavior changes can be prompted through the use of positive and negative reinforcers. Positive reinforcers, such as doggie treats, reward a dog for a correctly performed actions while negative reinforcers, such as a shock collar, discipline a dog for an inappropriate action. Other types of equipment, such as obstacles, allow you to train your dog to practice specific actions, and each time he succeeds, you can offer him a reward.

In addition to the actual equipment, you can find an abundance of training advice in the forms of videos and books. Much of the information in these sources is sound advice, but you can likely find much of the information for free at your library or over the Internet, so be careful spending a lot of money on these products. If you are willing to spend a lot of money, it might be more productive to take your dog to an obedience school, where you can meet experienced trainers and gain experience with dog training products.

Pet training equipment is available at general retailers such as Wal-Mart as well as at pet stores (both the hometown shops and the national chains such as PetSmart). In addition, many companies advertise their products over the Internet.

The real question, however, is whether this equipment is really necessary to train your dog. There is no one answer to that question, as each dog requires a slightly different training strategy. You can, however, housebreak most dogs and train them to perform basic tricks such as sitting and heeling without the use of any equipment. It is only as you begin to train dogs for competition and require them to overcome natural tendencies of fear and inattention that equipment becomes particularly helpful.

Dog whistles, however, are more than an amusing toy; they have significant use in dog training. A dog whistle quickly gets your dog's attention, which is especially helpful when your dog is far away and you want to recall him. The whistle also works well in windy and foggy conditions when other manners of communication might be more difficult. The whistle can thus be a means of silently (to humans at least) controlling your dog, and it can be a marker that prompts particular action from him. In addition, you can use a whistle as a negative reinforcer, as excessive whistling can be painfully earsplitting for a dog.

Basic dog whistles are about two inches long and are powered simply by your lungs. They work well over short distances and for young dogs. Many are audible only to dogs, but some whistles operate at a frequency that both dogs and humans can hear.

On the other hand, some more expensive dog whistles have adjustable frequency levels, so you can decide whether you want your whistle to be audible to humans or not. Some of these whistles are also electronic rather than human-powered and produce an ultrasonic sound via piezoelectric emitters. Most dog owners and casual trainers would have no need for this type of dog whistle, but it can be helpful when training a dog for specific high-distraction jobs, such as search and rescue work.

The electronic training collar, also known as an e-collar or a shock collar, provides a short, small, and harmless electric shock as a form of punishment for the dog. These collars fit around your dog's neck and come with a small transmitter, which you press to send the shock. When you see your dog performing an inappropriate act (e.g. chewing your coffee table), press the transmitter, and your dog will hopefully be shocked into obedience. Some shock collars are programmed to automatically shock the dog in response to acts such as a loud bark; these collars are less work on your part, but they only work for correcting certain acts.

The best shock collars have multiple levels of electric shock (lower levels for smaller dogs), and some models have a range of nearly one mile (which most dog owners won't need). In addition, there should be no lag between the time you press the transmitter button and the time the dog feels the shock. Keep in mind, however, that some trainers argue that shock collars are inhumane, and those trainers that do approve of shock collars still warn against using the collar any more than is absolutely necessary.

In addition to shock collars, some trainers use prong collars or choke chains. Both of these types of collars pain your dog when he pulls in the wrong direction. Before long, the dog learns never to pull in that direction on the leash, and you can remove the collar.

Some dog owners put their dogs into doggie diapers or doggie wraps. Neither of these products actually helps housebreak your dog, but you at least protect your house from accidents. Doggie diapers come in both the disposable and nondisposable variety.

You can also protect your house with floor protection pads and furniture spray. Floor protection pads cover sections of your floor where you especially don't want your dog to do his business. If your dog has an accident on your furniture, however, you can purchase furniture spray that is designed and scented specifically to mask the smell. In addition, you should get some carpet cleaner that you can quickly spray on the carpet to eliminate stains.

Finally, you can direct your dog to only relieve himself in certain areas using training pads and dog litter. You'll still need to train your dog to relieve himself on that spot (see the articles on housebreaking your dog), but he will learn to associate the pad or the litter with nature's call. Never again will you have to let your dog out at two in the morning, and no matter where you are, if you have the pads or the litter, your dog will literally know where to go.

Products such as rings and hurdles, for example, allow your dog to practice jumping. If you start practicing with these obstacles near the ground, you can gradually raise them so that your dog learns to jump higher and higher. On the other hand, small weights or dumbbells can build up your dog's strength, and waterproof toys and nylon collars are ideal for letting your dog go swimming.

You can also purchase tunnels that he can run through and a set of weave poles, which he will face in dog shows. Flyball, another type of competition, requires a set of hurdles and springs. Most dogs and their owners, however, will be content with simple exercise and any products from balls to Frisbees that keep the dogs running and enjoying life.

While balls and Frisbees cost only a few dollars, items such as weave poles and flyball hurdles often cost a hundred dollars or more. Thus, it's a good idea to use items you already have, such as chairs or logs. Your dog can learn to jump over, around, or through, anything you use to train him, so why not save some money in the training process?

Pet Gates Overview

New Puppy?

Benefits of Pet Gates

Types of Gates

Why buy a pet feeder?

What types of pet feeder are there?

What are some features of self pet feeders?

What are some features of automatic pet feeders?

What do I need to know before housebreaking my dog?

Housetraining baby puppies

How do I incorporate crate training with housebreaking?

How do I start out right with my new puppy?

How do I choose a vet?

How do I search for a veterinarian?

What do I do when I find a vet?

How can I make a vet appointment easier?

Let it be said and known throughout the land: People who leave their pets in the car while they shop are going to Hell.

Every year, people leave their animals in cars during the hot summer months. Some suffer heat stroke and serious injury, or in the worst instances, they can die. It's a problem Tybee Island officials know all too well. That's why Tybee Police are cracking down on anyone who puts an animal at risk.

"Fifteen minutes could result in the death of an animal," explained Tybee Island Police Corporal Jason Heckman.

Yeah, I just don't get it. I think it should be common law that anyone happening on a dog inside a car in the Wal-Mart parking lot should be legally entitled to break through the windshield with a cinderblock. Who's with me?

Someone has finally weighed in on the pro-pets side of the emergency planning stuff:

There are people who will not leave their pets behind, therefore endangering not only their lives but the lives of rescue personnel.

I do agree that the majority of the responsibility lies with the pet owners, and yes, in most cases, people should have their own evacuation plan for themselves along with their pets. But there are people who do not have the means to evacuate out of the county and can't go to public shelters because they won't leave their pets behind. Most of these people are going to be the elderly and the poor.