Selecting the right training gear and equipment is a vital factor in determining the outcome of your puppy-training program. You should be careful while selecting the equipment for your puppy. The primary consideration for selecting training gear is the breed and age of your puppy, your training goals and objectives, the quality of equipment and their user friendliness. User friendliness is the most important factor because if you are not able to use the equipment properly, you will face difficulties in accomplishing the training objectives. 

Parameters for Equipment Selection
Ensure that the equipment you select is in accordance with the following parameters:

Signal Perception: Select equipment that will ensure a proper signal perception. Most of the equipment is based on signal perception and equipment that is lacking on this count will cause unnecessary delays and confusions in your training program. The puppy responds after feeling the touch sensation of the equipment. If the equipment does not enable adequate signal perception, how can you expect your puppy to follow the command?

Avoid selecting equipment that requires large movements of your body for the puppy to perceive the signals. The puppy is a sensitive animal and responds effectively to even subtle body movements such as twitch of a finger or a minor hand turn. Your equipment should conform to this special ability of your canine friend.

Results: Results are another important consideration for equipment selection. The best way to judge the effectiveness of training equipment is by evaluating the outcome. Try to change the equipment if you are not getting the desired results. Persisting with equipment that fails to deliver will frustrate you as well as your puppy. However, make sure to evaluate your handling skills and training approach before changing the equipment.

Affects on Your Body: Select the equipment that you can handle with ease and with simple body movements. If you select the equipment without considering its user friendliness, you may end up delaying the training process. Some equipment can cause rashes or other complications for your body. Moreover, if you are having physical conditions such as arthritis or back pain you should select the equipment that you can use using without causing any discomfort. Select the equipment that is safe for your hands and body rather than the one that is in vogue. Equipment selected on these parameters will enable you to handle and train your puppy with ease.

Basic Training Equipment

Collars: Collars are the most important training equipment required for consummating puppy training. Selection of right collar is important not only for the training but also for your puppy’s health and appearance. Age and the puppy’s breed is the most important consideration for selecting a puppy collar. Neck size and coat are other important factors that you should keep in mind before selecting the collar. Select a collar made from soft and skin friendly material when the puppy is young because a hard collar can leave ugly marks on her neck.

It is better to procure two separate collars for walking and training purposes. The Martingale type puppy-collar is safe while you are walking with your puppy because it limits the puppy’s ability to pull. Classic collars are good for training purposes. You can also buy a waling harness if you want to restrict pulling behavior. Some puppy trainers recommend use of buckle slip type or choke collars for puppy training. However, using choke collars can be cruel and could be fatal for your puppy. Avoid using shock collars, ultrasonic collars or citronella collars for your puppy. These collars can develop fear and negative behavioral traits in your puppy.

Leash: Like collars, the selection of leash also depends upon the age and training requirements of your puppy. It may be better to select a longer nylon leash for your puppy. However, you can go for a leather leash at the commencement of formal training. You will also need a 25-30 foot long cord or lunge line for your puppy. The lunge line will come in handy to exercise control over the puppy before she is accustomed to leash and collar.

Training Toys: Toys also play an important role in puppy training and are good rewards for your puppy. Puppy toys are available in a wide range. Selection of the right toys can be a confusing affair. You can select some basic chew toys and some innovative toys such as treat holders and cubes that motivate your puppy to use her creativity and learn some tricks while playing with her toys. Select the toys that can attract interest of your puppy for a long time and are safe for playing in your company as well as when she is alone.

Clickers: Clicker training is gaining much importance these days. The clicker is a very good means for attracting the attention of your puppy. You can select a clicker that is easy to handle and produces a uniform sound each time you use it. However, you have to be very careful with clicker training because a wrong selection and timing of clicker training method can scare your puppy and cause confusion. 

Secondary Equipment: You may also require secondary training equipment like whistles, tennis balls, canvass dummies and specific equipments such as hurdles, jumping boards and hula-hoops for specific training requirements.

Begging food from the dinner table is one of the easiest things to teach a dog, and also one of the hardest habits to break. Your pet’s training to beg begins when he is a young, adorable puppy. It does not take too many repetitions before he learns that he gets fed from the table by begging.

Then he sits by your chair while you are eating and stares at you. Occasionally he’ll get up on his hind legs and paw you, or he’ll nudge your arm and remind you that he is waiting. And he drools, that’s the worst part. He looks as though you never feed him.

If you don’t have this problem, prevention is quite simple. Don’t start giving your dog food from the table. If you must give your dog table scraps, give them in moderation and in his own dish after you have finished eating or, better yet, with his regular meal. Once you have a dog that begs, it becomes a self-perpetuating problem. Begging is rewarded with food.

Chances are, if you have this problem, you’ve tried to stop his begging, you’ve yelled at him when he begs, pushed him away, and even gotten really angry, but he just gets more persistent. So you’ve had to give him something to be able to eat in peace. What you have done is to reward his persistence.

Each time you have tried holding out longer, but have ultimately given in, you have further trained him that no matter how far away the rainbow looks, there is a pot of gold at the end if he simply waits.

When you are tired of this behavior and want to end it, when you get to the point that you can’t stand the drooling, the whining, the pawing and the sad eyes staring at you, then you have to steel yourself for the cure.

Using the positive approach, give him the command “Down” and have him do a long “Down” by your chair during dinner. Be prepared for many interruptions initially, while you reinforce his “Down.” Each time he gets up, repeat the command and replace it if necessary so that he remains down during your dinner.

With a truly persistent begger, your first week of dinners may be quite a trial. Some dogs bark repeatedly and go through all manner of random actions to try to get you to feed them from the table. But once you have begun the training, stick with it.

If you give in at any time, no matter how small the tidbit you sneak him, not only have you lost that battle, you may very well have lost the entire war.

If you have made up your mind that you don’t want begging, then it’s just a matter of time before you have your dog resigned to the fact that the party is over, at least at the dinner table.

When your dog is steady enough to do the long “Down” away from your side during dinner, then establish his place where he stays while you eat. He should be put in his place every evening while you are eating, and praised when you release him at the end of the meal.

It won’t be too long before you will be eating dinner in the company of a well-trained, well- behaved dog lying quietly in the corner.

There are dogs that do not have bad behaviors, and even if their owners are trying hard to teach them to obey some simple commands, these dogs are hardheaded. Chances are, many owners would just dump them to dog pounds because they are already fed up, and could no longer understand the behavior anymore.

These things could have been avoided if obedience training was used and implemented. Most obedience training in dogs is used to create a groundwork from which the dog and his master will learn how to effectively correspond to each other.

Moreover, obedience training is also employed by dog owners whose dogs are behaving badly. It is one way of incorporating discipline in the dog’s behavior. This kind of training makes him realize that certain behaviors are not allowed and that he should not act that way.

When obedience training is incorporated into a dog’s behavior, the dog, in turn, will be able to respond properly with the right behavior that is expected of him to manifest.

Consequently, many dog owners are wondering whether it would be better if a professional should handle their dog’s obedience training. In most cases, it can be much easier to have a professional trainer or an obedience school to teach the proper way to follow a command. However, if the dog owner feels he can do just the same, then, there is no special condition for that matter.

Whether the obedience training is done at home, by a professional trainer, or in an obedience school, there are things that must be considered when incorporating this kind of training. Here is a list of the things that should be taken into account.

1. Fun

Obedience training does not necessarily mean that strict rules should be imposed. This is because the dog is not aware of the reasons why he should be trained. Therefore, for him to respond to the commands, the training must be done in such a way that the dog sees the activity as something that is fun.

The dog will be able to respond positively if he sees that whenever he follows what he is asked to do, he gets rewards or praises, and that is having fun for them.

2. Consistency

During the course of obedience training, it is really important to have consistency in the training. For example, if a dog was allowed to sit on the rug the other day and when the dog tried to sit on the rug today, he was scolded. Things like this should not be taken for granted. It is extremely important to teach the dog what he should and should not do and stick to it. Confusion will only make the matters worst.

3. Obedience training instructor/trainer

When people choose to enroll their dogs in an obedience class, it is important to analyze the trainer before the owner leaves his dog. The character and personality of the trainer is extremely important. They should be professional enough to know how to handle the dog’s behavior and how to train them properly.

4. Referrals

It is best not to try new and unfamiliar obedience training schools. This could be really risky both for you and for your dog. It would be better if dog owners ask for some referrals from their veterinarians, dog breeders, or other people who can give their honest opinions.

5. Charges

Not all obedience training schools are created equal. They vary depending on the kind of services that they offer. Therefore, it is best to consider the amount of charges that they provide and the dog owners should know how to analyze if the prices are worth it.

6. Methods used in the training

It is highly recommended that dog owners should contemplate first on the kind of methods being used in the training. This is because some obedience training schools do not use the appropriate method in training the dog. In this manner, dog owners do not get the results they expected.

Obedience training can be very useful in fulfilling most of the dog’s essential needs. It gives them something to direct their skills and actions thereby making them reliable and happy pets.

Most people just don’t know this, but one of the reasons why dogs behave inappropriately is because they don’t have the right direction to guide their actions.  They are confused on how to respond appropriately with the environmental and social variables that they encounter.

With obedience training, your dog will be on the way to a happier and more enjoyable environment.