You may remember Lassie, the television series, along with ‘Flipper’ and of course Tin Tin’s dog Snowy. Well if you’d never heard of “Uggie” I’m sure you’ll be familiar with his name now as he’s the dog star of the movie ‘The Artist’ in which he plays a starring role.

Uggie lives with his owner and trainer Omar Von Muller who told Adam Gropman of LAWeekly:

“I don’t want to put anyone down. There’s a bunch of good animal actors out there. But Uggie is one of the best. He knows when the word ‘action’ comes, he does what he’s supposed to be doing, he doesn’t get distracted with the people around him, the camera and the lights, and he takes no time to get used to what the director wants.”

He continued to say:

“This movie was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in. Besides it being in the Oscars and Golden Globes, my dog got to actually have a great part in it. Most movies with a lot of dogs are cheesy, like Disney movies and ones filled with chihuahuas.”

If you want your dog to be as obedient as Uggie then make sure you and your take dog training courses – you never know your best friend could become a movie star!

If you have ever heard of a dog owner saying that his pet has the uncanny ability to read his mind, we bet that it is partly because both have undergone dog training courses. This is because dog training is a process involving two distinct individuals – you, the owner, and your pet, the best canine this side of the world – working as a team to achieve a common purpose.

Said common purpose may be to establish house rules, become competitive in dog shows, or even just to deepen the human-canine relationship. In most cases, however, all three of these common purposes apply for the simple reason that dog training programs are aimed at turning out well-behaved dogs that can interact with their human owners on a better basis. Let’s take a look at each of these three common purposes of dog training courses in greater detail.

First, dog training provides both the owner and the animal the essential tools and techniques to build better behavior on both parts. A trained dog can easily follow the commands of its owner while an owner will know how to command his dog so that he will be obeyed. This is especially helpful when it comes to enforcing the rules of the house such as going potty, feeding time and dealing with the kids.

Second, dog training prepares both the owner and the canine for the rigorous demands of highly competitive dog show contests. Even when your dog easily follows commands in your home, the environment in a dog show is markedly different, which an appropriate dog training program will prepare both of you for.

Third and most important, dog training courses enhance your bond of friendship. In the end, we love our dogs because they are our friend and family rolled into one adorable package.

Many dog owners do not train their pets. Every dog has behaviors that need to be modified and that is the major benefit of enrolling your pet in dog training courses. Some dogs bite, some chew things and some just bark incessantly. These behaviors can make having the animal a chore and that is not the idea of having a pet. You want to enjoy that pet and the way to do that is to train him right from the start.

The first benefit you will see is a happier pet. A dog inherently wants to make their human happy. When you are happy with him, he is happy with you. He’s content; you’re content, and everyone is happy. Next, you will notice that your dog will look to you for acceptance in other areas. Once he realizes how to make you happy and proud of him, he will clamor for your favor.

Dog training courses are available for all types of behavior modification. Recently, I acquired a lovely Pit Bull/Bull Terrier mix from our local humane society. He is only a pup, but we also have 2 cats. We took him to a dog training course and within two weeks, he was good with the cats. Now, they actually play together freely.

Dog training courses can help you achieve this type of obedience in a matter of a few short weeks. Other benefits of the courses can be simply training him not to pull the leash when walking, to sit quietly or just stay put for a minute. All of these are valid benefits of attending dog training courses.

Overall, you get a happier pet that will live longer and bring you much joy in the years to come.

Kathryn Newman, dog trainer, talked to kare11.com about ways to get your dog to listen to instructions without using treats as a reward. She told Kare11:

“The trick is to start to introduce distractions (any item or scenario that will cause you dog to not listen or follow a command) into your training regimen.

It also means introducing a low level correction. Most dogs that are trained exclusively with treats are never taught there will be a negative consequence for non-compliance. This results in a dog who obeys when he wants to; not when the owner needs him to. If introduced properly a correction can be quite mild but still effective”.

There are effective ways to train dogs without them expecting an automatic reward and of course the younger the dog the easier the training will be. However, which ever dog training courses you decide is best for you and your dog has to be far better than a disobedient animal which completely ignores any instructions its given.

If you want your dog to be healthy and happy, you must train him well. Here are a few dog training tips and tricks that will help your dog adjust well:

1. Your dog training tactics must be consistent. Changing tactics or processes will lead to delay and frustration.

2. Use primary and secondary reinforcement methods (voice and clicker) consistently.

3. While using voice, ensure that you use one particular phrase for a specific dog behavior and say it every time when your dog performs a task. The dog must start understanding what “Good Job,” “Down, Boy,” Fetch,” etc., mean.

4. Everyone in your family must use the same phrase as well.

5. Treat your dog when he responds favorably to training. Treats are required only when you are teaching him something new or early into the training.

6. While dog training, do not think of your dog as a human being. Be patient and gentle with him.

7. Remember that every dog is unique – he is what he is because of his parents and life before he entered your family. Do not expect him to behave just like every other dog.

8. Puppies miss their mothers. They want to get close to a human who can give them warmth and comfort that they miss. So, be aware of this fact before starting your dog training courses.

9. Dog training sessions should be short. No more than 3 sessions and no more than 10 minutes per session. Reward the dog after each correct action.

10. Make all dog training sessions fun and playful.

Do you need a professional dog trainer in order to get your K-9 to behave as you wish? Truthfully, you can teach a dog basic obedience commands as long as you understand the right approach to dog training. For those wondering about how to train their four-legged family member.

First, you do need to perform a little research into the breed of dog you own. Some breeds are fast learners and others are a little slower. There are aggressive breeds and non-aggressive breeds. Certain dogs may become bored with training and others enjoy it. How does your breed react to training? You need to know the answer to this if you wish to train it properly.

When taking part in dog training, you need to quickly establish yourself as the alpha. If you do not then the dog will never follow along with your training program.

Never, ever be mean to the dog when training it. Don’t yell at it or punish the dog. Use positive reinforcement instead because this positive approach will deliver much better results. Often, giving the dog treats when it goes along with your commands can help the dog remember what it was taught in training.

You will need to prioritize toilet training with your dog right away for the obvious reasons. Starting out with cage training is advised by many trainers until the dog is old enough to be let outside to go. Once it is old enough, you can then set a regular timed schedule to let it out.

Leasing training is critical as well and you should purchase a special collar to ensure leash training is undertaken effectively. Remember, a dog that does not behave on a leash is a danger to itself and others.

Dog training requires effort but it is not always difficult. You just need to take the right steps for organizing dog training courses and you (and your dog) will experience a positive outcome.

Any dog which is out in public must wear a collar and for the most part be kept on a leash. Buying your dog a new collar and leash is an practical and functional gift idea. Make sure that you choose the correct size and style of collar for your particular breed. You can go all-out and have sparkly stones or other embellishments just as long as the embellishments don’t interfere, irritate or annoy your dog.

It would be wise to consider all suitable options, some of the collars on the market may look great but in reality may cause harm and/or trauma to your pet. Think practically before buying, consider the width, and take a good look at the fastenings to ensure they are the best choice.

Leashes would also make a great gift and again you should look for styles which are suitable for your dog. Retractable leashes are hugely popular for small and medium sized dogs, but may not be suitable for large dogs.

Think quality over quantity – you may like all the fancy collars and leashes available but if they don’t do their job effectively you’ll be wasting your money.