Dog Trick Academy Library

So you want to train your dog to jump through a hoop? Well in this article, I am going to show you how to make one that is SAFE for your dog.

When a dog jumps through a hoop, there is always the possibility of the dog injuring himself by accidentally hitting the hoop with his legs. So below, I will take you on a step-by-step guide to building your own safe hoop. (more…)

This article was written by drgnrdr.
This article may or may not be fully endorsed by the Dog Trick Academy.

All of the material contained in this handout is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, copy by writing the information down or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from JH. If and/or when permission is given, any reproduction of this handout must contain the authors name and credit given to them. All Rights Reserved

You might be surprised that you are actually following, not leading. Try and answer these questions:

1. Does your dog usually walk ahead of you, either in the house or when you go for a walk? Does he tug or bite at the leash?

2. You know when he wants to play because he…Brings you a toy/ball? Or Barks at you? Plays “keep away”?

3. You know when he wants attention (wants to be petted or you’re ignoring him) because he:
A). gets up under your hands?
B). barks or makes noises (whining included)?
C). puts his head on you or puts a paw on your leg or knee?
D). Jumps up on you with both feet or when you’re sitting he just stands upright looming over you?
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It is truly amazing to see that all dogs from all over the world has learned to communicate with each other using a universal language. Whether you are from China, Europe or Mexico, all dogs communicate the same way. They communicate their moods and feelings by giving out signals with their body.

An encounter with a dog can be a lovely experience or a very bad one, totally depending on how well you interpret his body language. (more…)

There are many different kinds of leashes on the market today; each one has its own practical and aesthetic appeal. When shopping for a leash, you will need to consider your dog’s size and age. Keep in mind that small dogs and puppies should have light weight leashes while larger dogs should have stronger and heavier leashes.

There are different lengths of leashes available; the majority of leashes come in 4-foot, 6-foot or 8-foot lengths. For training purposes, a 6-foot length leash is ideal and recommended. The longer leashes are used when your training requires you to be at a distance from your dog. (more…)

Dogs have learned throughout their many years of existence that they must protect their resources, such as food, in order to survive. They’ve learned that they could easily keep other dogs from eating their food by growling, showing teethes, snapping or even biting other dogs that came too close to their food. (more…)

Article written by Bipa.

I am always upset when I hear or read stories about perfectly good puppies being ruined by over-aggressive training techniques aimed at making a pup submit to the owner. There is absolutely no basis for most of this bullying. In nature, it is actually quite the opposite! Puppies have a so-called “puppy license” for the first 4 or 5 months. During this time, older dogs will let them get away with all sorts of puppy behaviour without retaliation. If the older dog doesn’t feel like playing with the pup, then he will often just get up and move away, or else give a quick verbal signal that he isn’t interested. Only once this “puppy license” has expired do the pups start getting real lessons in manners from the other dogs.

During her seminars, Patricia McConnell often shows two videos of Bailey, a beautiful golden retriever pup. In the first video, Bailey is perhaps 4 months old, and is chewing on a child’s stuffed toy. The woman owner tries to get the toy away from the dog by using outdated “dominance” techniques such as grabbing the puppy by the scruff of the neck and trying to make it submit to her. Errr…guys…. This is a retriever! They are mouthy dogs and by their nature love to chew on stuff. So can anyone guess what happens after a month or two of such “training”? (more…)

Article written by CollieMan.

No matter which breed of dog you own, it will love to learn new things. How and why dogs learn is already discussed in the Level One classroom lessons and, if you haven’t already, you could learn much from reading through them.

The important question, for me at least, is what is your dog learning and from who or what is it learning from? (more…)

Dog training has evolved through the centuries to arrive at the many dog professions and tricks of today. Hunting dogs hundreds of years ago were once trained in a similar way to the guide dogs of today and the cute dog down the street that knows so many tricks. Throughout its history, dog training has had its ups and downs, but with the latest versions of training effectively encouraging animals to become a loving and functioning part of society. (more…)