What Happens When I Board My Dog?

Knowing what to expect when you bring your dog into DoGone Fun for boarding can help you feel more comfortable about it. Your dog will enjoy plenty of playtime, get a good night’s rest every night and be given attention so she won’t feel lonely. The following provides you with a look at how your dog’s day will go when you bring her in for dog boarding.

Morning Routine

Drop off times for dogs are between 7 and 9 a.m. After you drop your dog off, she’ll have a chance to meet some of the other dogs at our facility. We’ll give her breakfast at 8 a.m., then let her play outdoors with her new friends. If you signed your dog up for obedience training during dog boarding, we’ll have these sessions in the morning and in the early afternoon.

Afternoon Routine

Dogs at our facility get a break from playing around mid-day. Your dog will have lunch at 12 p.m. if you requested a meal at this time. If not, your dog will have a chance to relax and take a nap for an hour or so before heading back outside for more playtime. If your dog will be getting a bath or having any grooming done, this usually happens during the afternoon. Afterwards, your dog can play outside again. Keep in mind that our facility has an indoor play area in addition to an outdoor play area, so your dog can have plenty of playtime even when the weather’s bad. You can also check on your dog during playtime by viewing our webcam.

Evening Routine

When your dog stays with us for dog boarding, she’ll have dinner between 5 and 6 p.m. The evening hours at our facility are more relaxed, so that dogs can calm down and sleep well at night. Since they get more than eight hours of playtime, they need this time to rest. If you’re unable to pick up your dog by late afternoon or early evening, we have later pickup times available during the week from 7 to 10 p.m.

4 Tips for Training Aggressive Dogs

When you have a dog that is aggressive, training can become much more of a challenge. However, training is crucial in order to control your dog’s behavior and reduce the risk of someone getting hurt. When you need to work on dog training for aggressive dogs, keep the following tips in mind.

Visit a Vet

Before you begin training a dog with aggression, bring her to the veterinarian’s office for a checkup. Your vet will look for underlying medical problems that could be causing considerable discomfort and aggressive behavior. If medical problems are ruled out, consider turning to a professional for help.

Consider the Type of Aggression

There are different types of aggression that dogs can exhibit, such as aggression based on fear or aggression based on dominance. The type of aggression your dog has will determine the most effective way to handle it. An animal behaviorist can help you figure out what kind your dog has and come up with helpful ways to deal with this behavior.

Get Help From a Professional

Dog training for aggressive dogs isn’t something you might be able to do on your own, especially if your dog has severe behavioral problems. If your dog is hard to handle, look into finding a reliable dog trainer who specializes in working with aggressive dogs. This trainer can help your dog learn to obey commands while you also learn the correct way to teach your dog new commands. Keep in mind that one-on-one sessions rather than group classes are the most suitable training situation for dogs with aggression.

Don’t Punish

While you might think that it’s alright to punish bad behavior when you have an aggressive dog, the opposite is true. Punishing dogs, especially by yelling at them or hitting them, can make them more fearful and aggressive. Instead, focus on using positive training methods for your aggressive dog if you’re training her on your own. This involves rewarding her for good behavior, which helps reinforce it.

Tips for Clicker Training Dogs

Clicker training offers a highly effective way to teach dogs to obey commands. This type of training, which uses positive reinforcement, can be used to help dogs learn a wide range of commands. Keep the following tips in mind when you’re working clicker training dogs.

Use Bite-Sized Treats

Since you’ll be giving your dogs several treats during clicker training sessions, keep them small in size. Break up bits of chicken, or use smaller dog treats as rewards. To get the best results, make sure you choose treats or small pieces of food that your dog loves.

Click at the Right Time

When you’re clicker training dogs, it’s important to get the timing right. Using the clicker helps dogs learn that when they hear a verbal command, they’re expected to behave a certain way. Click while your dog is performing the correct behavior, instead of clicking after he’s done it. Reward him with a treat afterwards as positive reinforcement.

Only Click Once

Don’t use the clicker a number of times when your dog performs the desired behavior. Each time he does so during training, only click once rather than several times. If you want to show enthusiasm, such as when your dog masters a harder command, reward him with more treats instead.

Carry a Clicker Around

Clicking to reward positive behavior on the spot is an important part of clicker training dogs. Have a clicker handy in your pocket, so you can pull it out and click when your dog does something positive, such as greeting someone calmly instead of jumping.

Add a Cue

When your dog knows how to perform a behavior when he hears the clicker, you can add a cue, such as a verbal command or a hand signal. Start using these during clicker training sessions, which helps your dog learn to follow verbal commands or hand signals.

Focus on the Positive

Only click for good behavior, which will end up reducing bad behavior. Don’t use the clicker to distract your dog from doing something he shouldn’t. Instead, wait until he’s doing something good to use the clicker.

4 Commands to Teach Your Dog for Obedience Training

When you start working on obedience training for your dog, there are several different commands you can teach. Some of these are more advanced that you’ll need to wait on, but there are some basic ones that every dog should know. These are some of the most important basic commands you should work on when teaching your dog.

Sit

Teaching dogs to sit is among the most basic commands to include in obedience training. All you have to do in order to teach your dog this command is hold a treat near her nose, then slowly raise your hand. Your dog will naturally follow your hand, which will cause her head to go up and her rear to move toward the floor. When she sits, say the verbal command “sit” and reward her with a treat.

Down

This command is a basic one for dogs to learn, but it might take a little bit more work. For this one, hold a treat in your hand and put it close to your dog’s nose. Move your hand down toward the floor. When your dog follows your hand and lies down, say the “down” command and give her a treat.

Come

The “come” command helps you keep your dog safe in potentially dangerous situations. To teach your dog this command during obedience training, put her leash on and lean down toward her. Say the “come” command and tug on the leash gently. When your dog comes over to you, reward her with a treat. When your dog learns to do this on the leash, you can remove it and try the command without it.

Stay

When your dog learns to sit on command, she’ll be ready to learn the “stay” command. Have your dog sit, then hold your hand up with the palm facing out and say “stay.” Move back a few steps, and give your dog a treat if she doesn’t move. As you train her, keep moving back a few steps more. Keep in mind that your dog might take longer to learn this command.

Dog Obedience Training at DoGone Fun

Obedience classes provide dogs with important training that makes life easier for both pets and owners. These classes also offer a chance for dogs to get used to being around other dogs while also learning to follow commands without getting distracted. At DoGone Fun, we offer dog obedience training to help puppies and dogs learn to successfully obey commands.

Puppy Pre-School/AKC S.T.A.R Puppy Program

This 7 week program focuses on covering all aspects of training young pups and giving them opportunities to socialize with others, which is an important part of their learning process. During this program, you can expect us to cover house training and crate training, as well as potential behavioral issues, such as biting and jumping on people. Puppies also learn how to walk on a leash, sit on command, behave around other puppies, how to get used to city noises and how to calm down. Your puppy will also learn how to perform the behaviors required for passing the AKC’s S.T.A.R Puppy program.

Back to Basics

This 7 week program is designed for dogs who are at least 5 months old. During this program, dogs learn basic behaviors that they need in order to behave properly around others. This includes learning to focus when distractions are around and coming to you when called. We also cover other important dog obedience training topics, such as putting a stop to leash pulling, jumping on people, and helping your dog calm down when she’s excited.

Beyond Basics

This 7 week program takes training to the next level for dogs who have successfully completed our Back to Basics program. This program focuses on teaching your dog to ignore distractions and return to you when called. This is a more challenging program that adds more distractions while increasing distance and duration.

Come and Take a Walk

This 7 week program is designed to teach your dog how to walk on a leash on busy city sidewalks. Your dog will learn to come back to you on command and walk properly on a loose leash.

Tips for Choosing Dog Training Classes

Puppies aren’t born knowing how they should behave or how to obey commands. This comes about through dog training classes. If you’re thinking of having your dog go through this type of training, how do you choose a class? Keep the following tips in mind before you sign your dog up for any classes. This helps ensure that you and your dog will both have a rewarding experience with obedience training.

Group vs. Individual

Some dog training classes are set up for groups of dogs, while others classes offer one-on-one training with a dog trainer. Group classes are ideal for puppies who need the opportunity to socialize with other pups. These classes are also good for teaching dogs to follow commands when there are distractions around. Some dogs also enjoy being able to spend time with other dogs and make a new friend or two.

Individual training is more suitable for dogs who have behavioral problems that make it hard for them to be around other dogs. This type of training might also be better for dogs who are anxious or afraid of other dogs.

Class Level

You’ll find that there are different levels of dog training classes. The level your dog needs depends partly on his age and the amount of training he has had already. Puppies should attend puppy training classes that are filled with beginners who have not gone through any training before. Dogs who are a bit older can benefit from a basic obedience class if they have never had any training. Dogs who know basic commands can take higher level classes that teach more advanced commands and behaviors.

Class Size

The size of a dog training class might have an effect on how well it goes for you and your pup. Larger classes give your dog more chances to socialize, but they also have more distractions. Smaller classes are sometimes a more suitable option if you want to minimize distractions and get more help from the trainer during class. Larger classes make it more difficult for trainers to give advice to individuals during class.

Getting the Most Out of Dog Obedience Classes

Going through obedience training is an important part of a dog’s life. This type of training helps keep them safe, and teaches them how to behave around you, other people and other pets. Attending dog obedience classes is a great way for you to learn how to give commands, and it gives your dog plenty of opportunities to figure out how to obey those commands. In order to make the most of this experience, keep the following tips in mind.

Practice Outside of Class

Obedience training isn’t just something that happens during class. Your dog needs to practice learning these commands on a regular basis, which means at home and out in public. Being consistent with commands and working on training a few times or more per day helps your dog learn them in a shorter amount of time. If you wait until class time to work on commands, your dog might forget what she is supposed to be doing, which can make training take longer.

Be Patient

One of the most important things to keep in mind when your dog goes through obedience training is that dogs learn at different speeds. Your pet isn’t expected to learn commands during dog obedience classes within a specific time frame. Some dogs take longer to figure out what they should be doing when they hear a command, while others pick up on these cues much more quickly. If your dog is among the slower learners or if your dog gets distracted, remember to be patient. Getting upset and frustrated can end up making it harder for your dog to learn to obey commands. Instead, stay calm and understand that it might take several tries before your dog successfully obeys a command.

Pay Close Attention to Body Language

You might be learning verbal commands during dog obedience classes, but keep in mind that dogs tend to focus more on body language. Keep hand signals and other movements consistent when issuing verbal commands, so your dog will have an easier time figuring out what she should be doing.

The Benefits of Dog Training You Might Never Have Thought Were Possible

Making sure that dogs are properly trained isn’t just about teaching them to obey commands. Dog training also provides a number of important benefits that go beyond basic obedience, especially when dogs and owners receive guidance from a professional dog trainer. These are some of the advantages you can expect when your dogs have proper training.

Improved Safety for Your Dog

Dogs that know how to listen to commands such as “stay” or return to you on command have a lower risk of running off and being hurt. Whether you’re walking your dog down the streets of your Chicago neighborhood or visiting a local dog park, you don’t have to worry about your dog suddenly taking off and possibly getting into trouble or getting hurt. If your dog does start to run off or approach something dangerous, you can give the appropriate command to have her return to your side or stop where she is until you reach her.

Stronger Bond

Taking the time to train dogs help strengthen the bond you have with them, as long as you maintain a positive atmosphere. You’ll find that you will also end up learning more about a dog’s personality when you work on teaching them to follow commands. This can help you understand your dog more, which makes it easier to adapt training as needed. For example, you’ll know that you need to be more patient and allow for more training time if you have a dog who doesn’t learn as quickly as others or a dog who is easily distracted.

More Social Opportunities

When you have dogs that are well-trained, you’ll be more willing to bring them to your local dog park or take them out in public. You won’t have to worry about them embarrassing you or upsetting others with poor behavior. This means that you and your dogs will be able to enjoy more social interactions with others.

These are just a few of the extra benefits that come with dog training. Keep in mind that undergoing training provides several other advantages for both you and your dog.

Basic Dog Training Tips

One of the most important responsibilities of having dogs is making sure they’re trained. When your dogs have gone through obedience training, they’re more fun and less stressful to be around. You don’t have to worry about them running off on you or jumping up on other people. When you’re ready to begin dog training, the following tips can help you out.

Build a Positive Association

How can you train dogs to obey commands like “sit” or “stay?” One of the most effective ways to do so is by setting up a positive association between verbal commands or hand signals and the correct behavior on your dog’s part. When dogs follow the commands you give, offering them a reward right away builds up positive reinforcement. This makes them more likely to repeat the correct behavior the next time you give the same command. Rewards can be in the form of treats or praise.

Stick to a Routine

When you work on dog training, make sure that you’re being consistent when teaching your dogs a certain command. Don’t use different words or hand signals for the same command, or your dogs will end up being confused and not knowing what to do. Try to use the same tone of voice as well if you’re using verbal commands. Being consistent makes it easier for dogs to learn to follow commands.

Ignore Negative Attention Seeking Behavior

If dogs do things they’re not supposed to in order to get your attention, such as jumping on you or barking excessively at you, be careful with the way you respond. Giving dogs any kind of attention, even if it’s negative attention such as a stern reprimand, reinforces the unwanted behavior. Instead of giving them attention, turn away from them and wait for them to settle down.

Practice Patience

Dog training isn’t something that takes place quickly. Think of it as an ongoing process instead, and learn to be patient with your dogs. Staying patient helps them stay calm and prevents training sessions from becoming stressful, which can help dogs learn to follow commands faster.

Dog Training is as important for you as it is for your dog.

There’s no doubt that dog training is an important part of a dog’s life. Learning to follow commands makes dogs less likely to cause trouble with their owners or with other people and pets. However, training is beneficial for dog owners as well. These are some of the reasons why obedience training is just as important for you as it is for your dog.

Reduces Stress

Pets bring a lot of joy to our lives, but untrained ones can be stressful to deal with on a regular basis. When you have a trained dog in your home, you don’t have to be concerned about facing behavioral problems, such as inappropriate elimination, excessive barking, jumping or other issues. Dogs who have been through training are generally calmer and easier to deal with than dogs who have not been trained. This can help you enjoy your pet’s company even more without having to find ways to ease pet related stress.

Encourages Social Interaction

When you have a poorly trained dog or a dog who has not had any training, you might find that you’re reluctant to go out in public much with your pet. This might mean limiting walks to short ones in areas where you’re less likely to run into other people or pets. When you have a dog who has been trained, you can count on having more pleasant social interactions with others. This can encourage you to bring your dog out in public more, whether that means going for longer walks in busier areas or heading to dog parks.

Keeps Your Dog Safe

One of the biggest reasons for dog training being important for dog owners is that it helps keep their pets safe. When your dog knows how to obey commands, you don’t have as much to worry about when it comes to potential dangers. For example, if your dog dashes into the street, you can call him back with a command, so he won’t get hurt. Knowing that your dog is safer provides you with more peace of mind as a dog owner.

Why dog training benefits you as an owner

Training your dog is an important part of making sure that your pet is well-behaved around you and other people and pets. It also boosts your pet’s quality of life overall. Dog training helps your pet learn how to behave, but it also offers a few important benefits for you as a dog owner.

Less Stress

Living with a dog who has not been trained can be incredibly stressful for pet owners. Dogs who have not been through obedience training are more likely to engage in troublesome behaviors, such as chewing on your belongings or jumping up on you and other people. Training helps you set boundaries on what is appropriate or inappropriate, so your dog can learn proper behavior. This makes your dog easier to live with and more pleasant to have around when you have guests over. If you live in an apartment, having a well-behaved dog also means you won’t have to worry about neighbors complaining to the landlord about your pet.

Strong Bond

Working on obedience training provides you with an opportunity to create a strong bond with your dog. You can make this bond even stronger by focusing on positive reinforcement while training, so your dog associates obedience training with something good. Making training fun for your dog can also strengthen the bond between you and make it seem like less of a chore for both of you. Building this relationship with your dog through training is a rewarding experience that can improve your quality of life, as well as your dog’s quality of life.

Safety

Having a dog who is properly trained can keep you and other family members safe by lowering the risk of aggressive behavior. Dog training helps your dog understand that you are in charge, which makes your pet more likely to listen to you when you issue commands instead of being bossy or pushy. Training also means you can worry less about your dog getting into fights with other dogs or other animals. Keep in mind that obeying commands such as “stay” also prevents your dog from getting into potentially dangerous situations, such as running into the street or approaching a harmful object.

Just remember that dog training takes patience and persistence. Take your time, focus on positive reinforcement and your dog will eventually learn to listen to your commands.

Do shock collars work for training your dog?

Dog training includes different approaches to helping dogs learn to obey commands. Positive reinforcement focuses on rewarding dogs for performing the correct behavior, while aversive training uses punishment or an unpleasant experience to stop dogs from performing unwanted behaviors. Shock collars are sometimes used for dog training that involves an aversive method. Are these collars effective, and should they be used for training dogs?

How Shock Collars Work

These collars produce an electric current that can be used to shock dogs when they behave in an undesirable way, such as barking excessively or jumping on people. They can also be used during training when dogs perform the wrong behavior instead of the correct behavior. These collars are also used to keep dogs from roaming outside their owners’ property when used with an electronic fencing system. Dog owners can control the force of this shock, which can range from mild to strong enough to be painful.

Effectiveness of Shock Collars

These collars can be effective when training dogs, but they do so through negative methods. Using a shock collar punishes dogs and can potentially hurt them, which can make them fearful and anxious. This can result in a higher risk of dogs becoming aggressive toward their owner and other people. It also has a negative impact on the bond between dogs and their owners. It’s also important to keep in mind that these collars can be used incorrectly or in an abusive way, which causes more harm to dogs and leads to ineffective training. They can also cause inflammation in the skin when they are worn for long periods of time.

Alternatives to Shock Collars

Although these collars can be effective, using aversive training methods is not recommended. Negative training methods usually produce short-term results while raising the risk of harmful consequences in the long run. Using positive reinforcement for dog training is a more effective method that benefits dogs and their owners. Positive reinforcement involves giving dogs a reward for successfully obeying commands, such as a treat or praise. This causes dogs to think of training as a positive experience that results in them getting something desirable. Positive reinforcement methods encourage dogs to learn to obey commands and to continue obeying them even when the reward is gradually phased out. This has proven to be a more effective training method with long-term results.