training weimeranas

I would like to tell you about my pet Weimerana we owned a few years ago. Sadly she died of natural causes last year after a long and happy life. We had read a lot about these dogs and 20 years ago they were still a pretty rare breed in certain countries. I managed to locate a litter that was available and after choosing the boisterous little bitch out of a litter of 2 dogs and 2 bitches we brought our little bundle of fun home and named her California Mississippi Princess or Cally for short. These dogs are beautiful to look at. Short, velvety fur which has a silvery sheen over a bluish or grey main colour. They have soft floppy ears, big damp noses and soft mouths. They have huge feet which of course is a pre cursor as to how big they will grow! The breed is the ideal hunting and pointing dog and they really are happiest off the leash in the woods sniffing about in the undergrowth.

We were also informed they make excellent pets and happily live indoors. Well, if anyone else has owned one of these dogs you will agree that they don't actually come with a brain until about 2 years old! They have boundless energy and although not normally nervous they are very excitable. This is all very well if you live out in the country with lots of safe open spaces for him to explore but not so good when you look him in the eye with his front paws on your shoulders as he jumps up to greet you when you return from work. We found that with Cally she would jump up at people coming in the house and literally knocking them off their feet. When we took her to the park she would chase a ball or Frisbee for a certain amount of time then get bored and find a much more interesting smell to follow and no amount of shouting or chasing would detract her from the scent. Of course she was only doing what comes naturally but it doesn't make for a good owner/dog relationship!

Like most dogs Weimeranas are desperate to please and they will do anyting for their owners but they really need good training from an early age to stop their exuberant antics becoming tiresome. I wish I had used the clicker training method with her from a puppy but as it happens I started using it from her being about 18 months. What a transformation! I found that the clicker training method worked a treat with Cally. I stopped her jumping up at people, running off in the park and she would come, sit and stay with ease.

She was a lovely animal, so affectionate and happy. But she was too big to be silly so she had to be well trained. We enjoyed 15 years of our delightful Weimerana and I would recommend them as a pet but they need to be well trained.

basics of clicker dog training

Clicker Dog Training

You may have heard a lot about Clicker Dog Training but are unsure as what it entails. There is one minor disadvantage in that you need to carry a clicker with you whenever you are with your dog, but this is easily solved by investing in more than one these small, inexpensive clickers and keeping one in your pocket or bag. But to learn use this method of training your dog has so many advantages and its fun for everyone including your dog.

So what is Clicker Dog Training?

It is basically training your dog to carry out your commands without you having to resort to any kind of violence or harsh words when he disobeys or misunderstands. When he does something right he gets a treat and it doesn’t take him long to catch on!

There is no mystery to training your dog with a clicker and it helps to make training sessions enjoyable for everyone, including your dog. I would recommend though that you learn as much as you can about the method so you can fully appreciate the advantages.

The ‘clicker’ is just a metal box with a button on the top, which makes a clicking sound when pressed. So whenever your dog does as he is told he gets a ‘click’ and a treat (small dog snack of some sort) and lots of praise from you. He will soon understand that the click means treat and happy owner then eventually you will be able to drop the treat as he will be just as happy to please you and receive praise.

So to get started press the clicker and give him a treat a few times so that he associates the sound with the treat.

Then give him the command to ‘sit’ (plus a hand signal) then as soon as his backside touches the ground press the clicker and give him a treat and praise. He will soon understand - no sit - no click - no treat.

Keep your training sessions short and happy.

This is the basics of clicker dog training and with this method you can get your dog to behave perfectly which leads to a more enjoyable time for everyone. You can get loads of advice, help and tips for training your dog with a clicker and with just a little bit of investment and time you will reap the rewards.

clicker dog training

Clicker dog training is an amazing technique. It is easy to learn, and is a powerful training tool. This training method is useful for dog obedience training to shape good behavior and discourage bad behavior.

Clicker dog training is based on both classical and operant conditioning.

You must remember that your dog wants to make you happy and he responds to praise and treats so much more positively than fear and violence.

Clicker dog training is a highly precise technique and a tremendously effective way of communicating with your dog irrespective of age, gender or breed. It is a method of dog training that almost entirely uses the concept of positive reinforcement to teach your dog to enjoy learning.

The idea behind clicker dog training is taking that natural behavior in dogs and giving positive outcomes to actions that you as the trainer want your dog to learn and repeat.

The only things you need to start clicker dog training are a dog clicker, treats, and leash.

The first step in the clicker training method is known as loading the clicker. This step takes place before any dog obedience training begins as it associates the sound of the clicker with something good. It will not take long for your dog to understand the sound of the clicker means he has done something good so then you can begin training your dog with the clicker. Positive reinforcement and clicker do not involve aggressive corrections in the training such as hitting your dog, shouting at him or getting annoyed.

Training

Keep training sessions short so they will be fun for you and your dog and they will be easier to evaluate. During the first sessions of clicker training it is best to stay close to your dog so that the click and treat and praise can be given almost simultaneously. As your dog becomes more used to this type of training you can begin to delay the reward part of the training which will allow you to start training your dog at a distance, giving you the ability to control your dog when he is off the leash.

The basic initial exercises may include commands such as sit, stay, down, heel, wait or any other commands that will make your life as a dog owner easier and help to ensure the safety of your pet. However, if you are dealing with any type of aggression issues with your pet such as growling, biting, snarling etc then you might require more advanced dog behavior training.

Be consistent with your training – little and often is true of clicker dog training as with most things in life!

clicker dog training for your puppy

Clicker dog training is an excellent way to start training your dog from when they are very young. It is one of the few training methods that can be used with young puppies.

So get started Clicker dog training your puppy now!

The clicker is simply a device that creates a consistent, but unique sound that your dog can recognize. The click is be used to mark a certain type of behavior and if the behavior is good, a treat will follow. The treat needs to be a little food snack plus praise from you and eventually you will be able to drop the food treat as your dog will be happy with praise. This allows the dog to recognize when they have done what you want them to and remember the sound and treat in the future. By using the click dog training system, your dog learns quickly and will be much more responsive to you.

The clicker dog training system is better than training a dog using voice commands because the device will generate a consistent sound that will always be the same. Whereas your voice can change with your emotions and tone, sending mixed signals to your dog.

So, if you are angry at your puppy, this emotion will transmit to him in a negative way. Your puppy will be able to hear the sound of the clicker device above the surrounding sounds of the everyday environment, which makes it ideal for using in the park.

The best thing about clicker dog training is that it doesn't involve any kind of punishment or force to work so the entire training process is much more pleasant for you and the dog.

Some training methods rely on devices such as choke collars or sprays to discipline the dog. The clicker dog training system doesn't rely on any of these methods. This is even more of an advantage if you have children because they can take part in the fun games and even play a part in training the puppy themselves which will be great for developing their own confidence in handling the puppy.

Having your children work closely with your puppy when they are still young is an excellent thing to do. The clicker system can be used on puppies when they are only a few weeks old with some excellent results.

For more information and an excellent start up pack go to Clicker Dog Training