I'd like to know how much dog obedience training usually costs

Or even where I could personally learn how to train and influence my dog's behaviors.

Thank you for helping

Does this sound like you and your dog? You've had him since he was a puppy. He is a sweet dog, eager to please, and enjoys being around you and your whole family.

But lately, you've notice that he's become destructive around the house whenever he's left alone, even for just a few hours. You come home and the house looks like it was hit by a tornado - papers scattered everywhere, the trash can was knocked down, and your clothes were chewed into shreds.

Your dog may be suffering from separation anxiety, a problem common with many puppies and dogs. Separation anxiety is a panic disorder exhibited by a dog in the absence of his owner. It is the fear of being left alone that results in unwanted, destructive behaviors.

Dogs are social creatures. As puppies it is natural for them to get dependent and attached to their mother and littermates. This type of attachment is transferred on to you, his owner, when the puppy enters your life. This attachment results in distress whenever the dog is left alone in the house, which is the most common cause of separation anxiety.

Signs Of Separation Anxiety

Your dog is suffering from separation anxiety if he displays the following signs: Destructiveness; excessive crying, barking, howling, whining, house soiling, pacing, depression, self mutilation, excessive salivation, hyperactivity, and scratching or chewing at walls, doors, windows, furniture, and other objects.

Causes Of Separation Anxiety

There are many causes for separation anxiety in dogs. Some were developed with experiences they had before the dog ever became part of your family, such as loss or abandonment of previous owner.

Below are six other causes of separation anxiety in dogs:

1. A traumatic experience such as an injury, thunderstorm, or an alarm system going off that happened while you were gone.
2. A loss or addition of a family member.
3. Premature separation from its mother and littermates.
4. Having a new pet in the house and spending a lot of time with that new pet and less time with him.
5. A sudden change in schedule, lifestyle, or environment.
6. Changes that occur in older dogs, both physiologically and mentally, that results from aging.

Different people have varying ways of enjoying their leisure time in life. There are growing numbers of people who have taken their spare time to help dog owners become more responsible with the care and training of their own animals.

These dedicated band of responsible dog enthusiasts are now working hard to instill that same sense of responsibility into other pet owners and to prove, by example, that a "trained" dog is not only a "happy" dog, but is unlikely to prove a menace to others.

There are thousands of dog training clubs located all over the world, especially throughout the United States and Great Britain, and new ones are continually being established. Owners attend one or two evenings each week and take part in elementary, intermediate, or senior grades. The classes usually begin at specific times, although dog owners often like to sit and watch their less experienced (or more advanced) colleagues go through their paces.

Beginners learn to teach their dog how to walk at "heel", to "sit", "come", and to "stay." Seniors aspire to more ambitious exercises such as scent discrimination and dumbbell carrying, then go on to competitive obedience trials on weekends - and perhaps finally, the honor of competing in annual obedience championship contests.

People of all ages attend dog training classes, and for a variety of reasons; some consider their dog training evenings to be a pleasant night out for all the family, and of course, it can be a great way to meet someone special! But without exception, everyone joins because they are proud of their dog and want to do their best for their pet and get the maximum pleasure from pet ownership.

Who Instructs?

You may wonder who instructs at these types of training clubs and where the instructors obtain their qualifications in the first place. Obviously, there are clubs whose instructors have worked up through the ranks, developing their own training skill while gaining experience at the club. However, more and more clubs are becoming affiliated to non-profit organizations, such as the National Dog Owner's Association which was founded back in 1953.

Among its activities are the holding of annual residential holiday courses for pet owners, and intensive obedience instructor's courses, where candidates, with their dog, or dogs (often sponsored by their local dog training club), are given the chance to qualify in the various instructional grades.

The pet courses are helpful "fun" courses - a holiday in which the family dog learns his manners and the owner learns a lot about the dog's welfare. But to enroll for the instructor's course is to let oneself in for a hard working week. You will learn how to train your dog in addition to learning to to train people to train their dogs.

This is the day of the final exam, and graduation!

Cut the long line in half, and allow the dog to drag about 15 feet of line. Have a member of your family release the dog in the front yard, still dragging his line.

You should position yourself in the backseat of your assistant's car. Have your driver make as many passes as is necessary to convince you that your dog has kicked the habit, is now reformed, and views automobiles with absolute disgust.

The most hardheaded, stubborn dog, who views the short line, and your absence, as a reason to go charging, is in for quite a surprise. At his charge, have your driver stop the car. The shock of you emerging from the car will shock the dog even more than before. Now grab the line, jerk your disobedient dog toward you, making sure that his two front feet leave the ground and remain airborne, while you apply the loudest verbal assault you have even given him.

Really lay this disobedient chewing into the dog, making it count!

Keep in mind that this could mean life or death for your dog in the future so do not feel bad about laying your anger into him in order to communicate through the animal's mind.

Remember that there can be no such thing as compromise. Your dog will either associate this experience with displeasure, or not. It's up to you to make sure that it is as displeasing as humanely possible. Send the dog scampering back into his yard as you get back into the car and drive away.

A Final Word For All Of The "Humanitarians" Out There

For the humanitarians who will gasp and point the accusing finger at this perceived "inhumane" way of training a dog, let us remind you that we are literally training your dog to avoid a bloody, painful, flesh-tearing death. And remember that the dog will always be a victim, the car's occupants will be shocked, and the culprit will always be the dog's owner.

A few days of jerking your dog by the line, yelling and screaming, and using shock therapy to create the association of displeasure with a moving vehicle, is nothing compared to your family dog lying around on the streets for hours with broken bones, torn flesh, mangled body parts - all the while motorists drive-by without a care in the world until finally somebody stops, only to be too late as your lovable canine passes away.

Isn't your dog worth it?

Now it's time to find out if your dog has truly learned how to heel and execute an automatic sit.

Give him the command "Heel" and make any necessary corrections for poor heeling or lack of attentiveness to bring him up to the proper mental level of awareness. Come to a stop and command "Sit." Watch your dog do it all by himself. Get down to his level and praise him enthusiastically.

For the stubborn or uncooperative dog who would rather be helped for the rest of his life, you'll be surprised to see that he is going to graduate from being spoon-fed whether he wants to or not.

How do you do this? When you come to a stop and command "Sit", silently count to three. If your dog is not seated by the time you get to three, place both hands on the leash, making sure that there's a little slack in it, and jerk straight up! Your dog will immediately sit if you make the correction strongly enough. Don't forget the praise when you're done.

If he still refuses to sit after the initial correction, consider that correction ineffective. An ineffective correction is inhumane because it means that you will have to keep doing it. This is unfair to your pet and will only create resistance. If you simply tighten the collar around his neck by pulling up slowly on the leash, the only thing you can accomplish is constriction of your dog's breathing, and you have caused your dog's training collar to turn into a choking chain.

This is your fault, not his, and he is going to wonder why you have suddenly decided to choke him. So, in all fairness to your dog, make a humane correction by an emphatic and upward jerk of the leash using both hands. Make the correction properly the first time, and chances are you will not have to make it again. Remember to follow the correction with loving praise the moment your dog has responded correctly.

The heel and sit combinations should be continued for one week, after which time you will notice that it's no longer necessary for you to command "Sit" every time you stop. Your dog will realize that this is what is expected when he is out on a walk and you suddenly come to a stop.

At the end of a week, you can begin dropping the command "Sit" since he will be doing it automatically anyway. Be sure, however, that anytime he fails to sit, make the correction immediately, followed by praise.

Congratulations!

Now you have the proper tools to teach your dog to walk beside you and to sit automatically at your side each time you stop. Why is this crucial? In addition to getting your dog's attention, which is necessary in order to take him to more advanced levels of training, it will make all the difference in the world when you take him for a walk down a busy street or a crowded place.

Should you stop to talk to someone, your dog is trained to sit at your side patiently, rather than jumping on the person you're talking to or wrapping the leash around your legs and making a nuisance of himself.

One thing you can count on when bringing home a new puppy is the fact that he will nip and bite at your fingers during the first few days or weeks. This is perfectly normal and there is no reason to get alarmed that you may have purchased an aggressive dog. However, like any behavior you wish to change about your dog, you need to take a few steps so that he realizes that nipping is not something you as the "pack leader" want him to continue doing.

So how do you change this natural biting behavior that a little puppy has? Well the first thing to do is determine his age. This is important because puppies under the age of aboutಏ weeks need to be handled a little differently when it comes to mouthing and nipping than puppies over the age of 15 weeks.

If your puppy is brand new and younger than the 15 week period, the following tips can help you control his nipping behavior:

1. Start to show your puppy that you appreciate licking instead of nipping. When he changes his behavior and licks at your fingers or hands, be sure to praise him very lovingly. You can also encourage your puppy to lick more often by rubbing a little butter or coconut oil on your fingers. Let him know by soothing caresses that what he is doing is a good thing with each lick.

2. If your puppy is still biting or nipping at your fingers and he is just been fed and really doesn't need anything in its mouth, set him aside with a nice bone for a little while. This is where a crate would come in handy. Place the dog in the crate for a short period of time so that he can divert his mouthing attention to his favorite bone. And it is very important not to yell at or scold your puppy along the way. You must create a positive learning environment.

3. Whenever the puppy bites down hard on your fingers or hand, use a disciplinary tone of voice and give a command such as "No No" while looking sharply into his eyes. Hold this firm demeanor for a few moments and then immediately change your body language and go back to whatever it is you're doing before, and with a soothing approach. Doing this procedure a few times is enough for your puppy to learn the command and to stop biting down hard when he is commanded.

Excessive Barking (Part 1): The Number One Reason Why Dogs Become Excessive Barkers

Dogs are not born as "problem dogs." Instead, they become problem dogs as a result of human dog owner inadequacies. The shortcomings of dog owners are to blame as the real culprit for bad behaving dogs. And although most serious canine problems tend to develop during the most critical period of a dog's life, which is during the first 8 weeks of puppyhood, many issues can develop at any time as the dog grows into an adult.

One of the most common dog behavior problems that many of you can relate to is excessive barking. This is the dog that makes all of your neighbors regret having you live nearby! This annoying barking habit will keep people awake at night, severely get on people's nerves that are within hearing distance, and floods police lines with neighborhood complaints of noise.

The scary part about having a dog that barks excessively, especially if he is kept outside during the daytime, is that they can be the target of abuse or poisoning by sick-minded individuals living in your neighborhood. I'm not trying to scare you or anything but the truth is that every day dogs are reported to have been poisoned from an unknown substance which usually results from a disgruntled neighbor.

Is Your Dog Lonely?

Most dogs that are guilty of excessive barking have developed this behavioral issue for no better reason than that of loneliness. Of course there are other reasons, and to be certain we will discuss them later, but canine loneliness has been proven to be the number one culprit for excessive barking behavior.

Dogs are just like children when it comes to the need for companionship. And when these animals have nobody around for long periods of time, sheer loneliness will cause them to invent games and make toys out of whatever is available. From the start of these "invented games" comes habits that progress and create a problematic dog.

Inside Your Dog's Mind

What goes on inside your dog's mind as he is barking excessively? What does he do when he is lonely? What is it about being alone that gets dogs all excited and noisy?

Your dog's world consists of everything within his reach. For those of you that keep your pet at home during the day while you're at work, the entire house is his domain. If you keep your dog out on a rope that is securely tied to your backyard, everything within the circumference of his paws are fair game. And when he reaches the end of that rope, loneliness can set in, and quick!

Your dog may spot a bird or a cat outside the window or on top of the backyard fence. All of a sudden he is in a frenzy as he sees a potential playmate. He starts to cry, then scratch at the door, window, or the fence. Then the barking sets in, becoming louder and louder as he wants to play with any moving object he sees outside, but cannot seem to get to it.

Woof! Woof! Woof! - as he attempts over and over to see what is going on and to find somebody or something to play with him. Woof! Woof! Woof! - louder and louder the barking becomes, matched with frustration and eventually barking at anything he sees. A plane flying over, a bird swooping too close, the bushes that are moving in the wind - all of which your dog begins to bark excessively at, trying to get its attention. Nothing seems to help and your dog only knows one thing: BARK! BARK! BARK!
If he barks long enough, he figures that something will happen, somebody will play with him, or one of those neighborhood animals will join in a game of chase. As you can imagine, this is the type of experience that no house dog should have to go through, and then be punished because of its barking problems.

Brand new puppies literally absorb everything that passes through their senses. Whatever they see, hear, taste, smell, and touch, it all gets stored in their brains just like a computer.

Vast amounts of information are constantly being downloaded into a puppy's mind about the people they come across, places they visit, and responses from all stimuli, whether it is from the form of communication it receives from people or the scary sounds of vehicles moving by outside.

Most new dog owners completely underestimate the intelligence of their younger puppies. Do not waste this remarkable learning time. Make good use of your dog's capacity to learn and absorb information by teaching him good manners and healthy behaviors that will help guide the pup towards a civilized and respectful member of the family.

Concrete Evidence That Puppies Are Ready To Learn Early In Life

It wasn't too long ago that most dog owners and dog trainers did not consider puppies to be trainable until they were well past five or six months old. However, that theory has been totally disproved.

We now know that puppies as young as two to three weeks of age can start learning due to their rapid brain development. EEG measurements of young puppies show that they have a marked increase in the height, or amplitude, of brain waves when they are awake. And from this point on, puppies acquire new skills at a rapid pace.

Bigger Brains

Studies have shown that a puppy's early experiences can mold and shape the brain's physiology. Puppies that are raised with lots of toys to play with and problems to solve, along with positive behavior training, ended up having a higher learning ability and amazingly enough, grew slightly more developed brains than similar puppies that were raised in limited learning environments.

Think about this information. Evidence clearly shows that the puppy which learns various training protocols at an early age, such as climbing stairs, meeting different people, etc. will be better developed both mentally and physically then the puppy who is confined to a crate or room all day long and only interacts with its family members, without being stimulated mentally.

What Does This Mean?

The good news is that this does not mean that your puppy should have total freedom and domination over the house to do what he or she wants. However, it does mean that your new dog should spend as much time as possible around you and other people as you go about your day.

Do not make the mistake of giving the pup too much freedom. This will encourage problems with behavior and when this behavior becomes a habit, it is increasingly harder to break these characteristics as your dog gets older. You have to let your puppy know that you are in charge and while he has free reign to express himself, a clear understanding of who is the boss (pack leader) must be constituted.

When a dog is unwilling to eliminate in new public places it can create huge traveling problems. Some dogs will try to hold it as long as they can, rather than pee or poop at a rest stop, motel or weekend dog show. This can cause the dog a lot of discomfort and even generate health problems.

Teaching your pup to potty when given a verbal cue, such as "go potty", will help him get over his worries about eliminating in new places. Hearing the potty cue at home and being praised for doing his business will smooth the way to pottying on strange turf.

Here's the trick that will make unfamiliar ground smell more like home: When your dog pees before leaving home, blot up some of the urine with a paper towel and put it in a plastic zip-sealed bag. Take that with you on your trip.

When you take your dog for a potty stop, first pour a few tablespoons of water into the bag. Let the urine-scented water drip out onto the ground in a couple of places about 5 feet apart. You can reseal the bag and use it again at other rest stops.

After you put the bag away, take your dog to the area you just scented with his urine. Stand there with him, keeping him in view from the corner of your eye. He'll sniff those spots you scented, recognize his urine odor and perhaps wonder why he doesn't recognize the place. Praise him calmly when he sniffs the urine spots and say his potty cue to him. If he relieves himself, praise quietly and wait a few more minutes in case he has more business to do.

Time To Hit The Road

Once your dog has mastered pottying on leash and pottying where other dogs have been, the next step is to take him on a lot of short trips, so he can practice appropriate potty behavior in different locations.

Start with car rides to places 15 minutes to an hour from home. When you get where you're going, take your dog for a pleasant on-leash walk. Let him do a good bit of sniffing in areas where it would be OK for him to eliminate. If he sniffs intently at several spots in one area, chances are good that dogs have left their urine scent there. Calmly encourage your dog to do likewise and praise him quietly if he does.

Take rides to dog-friendly parks and other areas where your dog can sniff and explore on his leash. Praise him calmly when he sniffs so he'll get the idea that it's alright for dogs to potty there, and maybe he'll try it, too. If he does potty, calmly praise him, then give him some more time to sniff around - he might do it again.

Excessive Barking (Part 3): Train Your Dog To Stop Inappropriate Barking In Less Than 7 Days

Every day, all over the world, dog owners are making the mistake of supporting their dogs behavior problems, such as excessive barking, and then punishing the animal for its actions.

Excessive barkers are created, not born. And as you know, loneliness and the need for attention are the most common causes of such behavior problems. The secondary cause of excessive barking his simple misunderstanding. In other words, a dog is practicing a particular action because he thinks that what he is doing is what is expected.

Regardless of the cause, or the motivator, a barking dog must be quieted. You may have heard on the news recently about a woman who threw boiling water on her neighbor's dog that would not stop barking at night. Other dogs have been reported to have been shot with BB guns, yelled at by angry neighbors, turned in to the police, kidnapped, and worse yet, even beaten up and killed.

Everyone Is To Blame

The previous examples of what angry people will do to a neighborhood dog that barks constantly could definitely be described as inhumane, to say the least, but if you think about it, whose actions are inhumane? Is it the dog's action because of its incessant barking? The angry neighbor, by way of his tortures? How about the dog's owner, who does nothing and seems oblivious to the problem at hand?

Most responsible dog owners have the desire to quiet down there excessive barking dogs. While they do not want to squash that natural protective instinct that a dog has (who wants a silent dog when the house is getting robbed?), at the same time you do want your family dog to understand when to bark and went to be quiet.

Your Dog Can Learn

Did you know that it takes less than a week (on average) for a dog to learn a basic principle? In this small time frame anyone with the desire and patience can teach their dog that excessive barking is definitely an inappropriate behavior. You can make your dog understand that there are some occasions when barking is permissible, but that it must be "turned off" when given the proper command.

The secret weapon to getting this point across to an excessive barking dog is by communication. Communication simply means "finding a way that your dog can understand exactly what your desires are." When we communicate to another person, we just say the words we mean and it is automatically understood, but with a dog you must resort to methods which are backed by action.