Absolutely Magic
Dog Training

The Benifits Of Food and Toys in Training NEW!

Crate Training New!

Potty On Leash New!

Staying Cool In the Heat, 'Hope's Guide' Funny yet informative.

Building a Good Relationship With Your Dog Coming Soon!

Turn and Here, Directionals NEW!

Check back often for more training tips!

The definition of Positive Reinforcement Dog Training:

Positive reinforcement is an increase in the future frequency of a behavior due to the addition of a stimulus immediately following a response. Giving (or adding) food to a dog contingent on its sitting is an example of positive reinforcement (if this results in an increase in the future behavior of the dog sitting).

If you reward your dog when it does the 'right' behavior, know what you want prior to starting, it will increase the likelihood of the dog repeating the behavior. If you ignore the 'incorrect' behavior your dog will be less likely to repeat the behavior.

You want to make sure the reinforcer/motivator is something that the dog wants, not just something you THINK they want to make positive reinforcement training successful. Most dogs like food such as Hot Dogs, Cheese, Chicken, Beef, PupARoni, Beggin' Strips ect. If your dog would prefer to have their squeaky ball, rope toy, Kong ect than use that as your motivator.

When your dog performs the behavior you are wanting them to give them the reinforcer. If you want them to sit and they do IMMEDIATELY give them the toy/treat. They don't get the toy/treat until they perform the behavior.

The more you give them the reinforcer when they perform the behavior the more they will WANT to perform the behavior. When you are teaching a 'sit' and they 'down' you don't reward for the down, nor do you punish for the down, you ignore it. The dog will have no benefit for doing the down. When they sit you give the reinforcer and they will forget about the down they were doing and offer more sits.

As your dog is performing the specified behavior reliably and readily withhold the reward for a longer period of time. Only reward every other sit. Than only reward a sit, followed by a down, followed by a sit, and so on. They will still have the motivation of performing the correct behavior because they are expecting the reward.

The more your reward for the desired behavior the higher the likelyhood is that you will get the behavior faster and more reliably.

BEHAVIORS WHICH ARE REINFORCED WILL BECOME STRONGER, BEHAVIORS WHICH ARE IGNORED WILL EXTINGUISH!

Crate training is a very important aspect of the dog sport world. In competitions dogs are not allowed on the course while their handler memorizes it. Crate training allows the dog to stay safe and calm while their handler is not around.

If you crate a dog in the car as you travel with them they stay much safer that if they are riding loose. Putting a dog in a crate in the car is similar to placing a child in a seatbelt. In the case of an accedent the dog will not become a projectile in the vehical.

Crating also keeps dogs out of trouble while their owner is not home. An uncrated dog has a higher chance of chewing on household items and getting into items that could harm them. It is also easier to housetrain dogs when they are crate trained, as they cannot potty on the carpeting when the owner is at work or school.

When initialy training a dog to use a crate you don't want to just put them in and leave. This can cause the dog to be worried and work themselves up into a panic while you are not around to monitor them. It is imortant to desencitize the dog to the crate by making in the best place in the world!

Start by setting the crate up in a general location in the house, in the living room, the dining room, the kitchen any location that you and your dog spend a decent amount of time in. It just becomes another part of their everyday lives.

Progress to feeding your dog near the crate. Open the door and set the dish near the open door. Place the dish just inside the crate with the door open so the dog must put thier head into the crate to eat but they don't have to put their feet in the crate. Place the dish further back in the crate so they must put their front feet in the crate. Put the dish in the back of the crate so the dog is completely in the crate eating their meal.

Once your dog understands that the crate is related to good things start having them go into the crate and then presenting them with thier food, the food is a reward for going into the crate.

As the dog is eating close the door. When they are finished open the door and let them out. Gradually increase the amount of them the dogs spends in the crate before and after meals.

In a short time your dog will love their kennel, they may even run to thier crate at dinner time and when they come in from outside on thier own!

A necessity in the dog sport world is teaching a dog to go potty on leash. At dog competitions the dogs are not allowed off leash. Many dogs are not familiar with going potty on leash and simply won't go until they are off leash. This is usually while they are running the agility course or performing an obedience run. If a dog goes potty in the agility or obedience ring it is an automatic elimination, which gives the dog and handler team a zero score on the run.

Other dogs won't go at trials at all, on or off leash, this can cause some major health issues, including bladder infections and other urinary disorders. It is very important to make sure dogs are comfortable and reliable about going potty on leash and in pubic areas on command.

To teach them to go potty on leash start by following them outside when it is time to 'do their business.' When they potty give them virbal and physical rewards. Tell them 'good potty' or 'good business', or whatever you wand your command to be. As they are getting better about expecting the reward of going potty progess it to saying 'go potty' as you let them out and then 'good potty' as they are completing the behavior.

When your dog is running out to go potty when you tell them to put the leash on them and walk them around for a minute or two, when they go potty tell them 'good potty' and make a big deal out of it. Keep progressing to the point when you are walking outside with the leash on and tell them to 'go potty' and then the do it and get their reward.

It is important to have your dog do thier business quickly. At a show you may not have time to take your dog for an hour walk, you may only have a few minutes.

This is also a nessicary training exercise if you travel with your dog at all. You can't have a nice relaxing vacation with your dog, nor your dog have a relaxing vacation, if they are not comfortable going potty in unfamiliar areas on leash.

Narated by Hope with special apperances by Rush and Gypsy. Typed by Amanda.

When the weather is hot make sure you and your furry friend play it safe!

If you are looking for some fun outdoors follow these steps and you are sure to have a ball!

First, get your human counterpart to go to the store and buy you a small plastic pool. Place the pool in some nice soft grass.

Pull a hose arouond to your pool, you may need some assistance with this from your human.

Place the end of the hose in the pool and start filling.

After you have some water in your pool call your doggie friends over to play.

Continute to play in the water by splashing, digging and diving, just make sure your play sessions are short so your furry friend doesn't get too tired.

When you are done playing for the day empty your pool so nothing grows in it while you are away.

Take your friends to the shade so they can relax and dry if need be.

Next step... take a nap in the shade.

Make sure you always have fresh water for your dog to drink.

After you are dry then go into the house, I'm lucky and have AC, and play with your friends some more!

Thanks, have fun with your furry friends!!

Hope, Amanda, Gypsy and Rush.

Directionals are commands you use to direct your dog around the agility course. Just as your GPS directs you to your destination, you will be directing your dog around the agility course. Cues must come early enough for the dog to know where they will be going next but no so early that you are pulling them off of the correct piece of equipment. This is an art that is learned through repetition and lots of training, the more you work on directionals the better both you and your dog will get at them.

You may use any words that work best for you and your dog, there are countless possibilities. One thing to keep in mind... make sure you can relate them to something that will make sense to you, it makes it easier to remember them on a whim on the fast paced agility course. Some people like teaching their dog left and right, easy enough! You must then decide is it my dog’s left or my left? Some people have difficulty remembering their left from their right on the course too, not a problem! Another way to teach directionals are turn and here. Turn means turn away from me and here means come into me. This method is pretty simple as you don’t have to do too much thinking, do I want my dog to come in or go away?