The Scottish Terrier is a spunky, alert little dog. This breed may be small, but isn’t a lap dog. The Scottie has an independent streak and rarely develops extreme separation anxiety. If you’ve never owned a Scottie before, you may think that your dog is starting to growl aggressively at you when he or she wants something, but this is actually the way that these dogs “talk” to people.
Despite all the photos of Scotties in lush gardens that you see in magazines, Scottish Terriers are diggers and can do some serious damage to a garden. These dogs also do quite a lot of chewing as puppies. Mine actually tried to chew up the 100 year old wooden floor boards in the kitchen, the baseboard trim, and any number of children’s toys. Imagine what an unsupervised puppy could do. Be sure to fence off important garden areas and provide plenty of chew toys for your new Scottie.

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Teaching your new puppy to recognize its name is the first type of dog training that you will most likely experience. You can use the following simple and easy tips to train your dog to know its name.

1. When choosing a name, keep it under two syllables. Using one or two syllables makes it easier for your dog to recognize and easier for you to say.

2. Your puppy will want to follow you around constantly. As this is happening, say his or her new name repeatedly. The dog will become used to this sound.

3. Crouch down and pat the ground in front of you as you say the pups name. “Here BoBo, here BoBo” When the puppy comes to that spot then praise it with petting and affection.

4. Call out the dog’s name with every interaction you have with it. For example when you play with it – call out the dogs name repeatedly. The same goes when you are feeding it, brushing it, laying next to it, etc. Each time the dog looks up at you after calling out his or her name – pet it and praise the dog with love.

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This dog trick may be an old one, but it is still fun. It is extremely simple to teach as well. Most pet owners can teach this trick within a day if done repetitively and with positive reinforcement. In a nutshell, all you have to do is run through the following motions using a a treat and a small amount of pressure to get the dog down in the “dead” position.

Shout the command “BANG”, while pointing one hand like a gun, and coax the dog down on its side with your other hand. Once he is laying down, give the dog a treat and praise him enthusiastically.

Repeat this process at least ten times, or until the dog gets used to laying down. Eventually, after many times of doing this over and over the dog will look forward to immediately laying down on its side when hearing “BANG!”

If you would like to teach your dog to play dead from the sitting or standing position, then simply get your dog’s attention by calling his name. Then go and lean over him as you initiate the “BANG!” command (pointing your finger of course). Once the dog lays over, then give him a treat and plenty of praise.

Repeat this process again but stay about 2 feet away from the dog. Keep repeating the process further and further away and before you know it your pet will perform the trick at any distance so long as it hears you say “BANG!”

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Training your dog to offer his paw in exchange for a “high-five” is rather simple. Below is a short but simple way that you can teach your dog this neat trick:

1. Holding a treat in one hand with your dog sitting in front of you, crouch down to his level (eye to eye), and give him the command of your choice. Your command can either be “Shake”, “High Five”, or anything similar that you like.

2. Once you have spoken your “high five” command with your empty hand out to shake the dog, gently pick up his or her dominant paw, lift it off of the ground about three inches, and easily slide your hand into the paw. Then shake!

3. Once you shake the dog’s paw you should give as much enthusiastic love and attention that you can, along with a treat. Repeat this process multiple times until the dog will offer you his paw for the “High Five” readily on command.

The above 3 simple steps can be used to train you dog anywhere and at anytime. It is important to remember that once your dog is trained to shake hands, you must still give the dog a lot of praise each he completes the “high five” in the future.

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Would you like your dog to learn to properly fetch when you command or to retrieve your morning paper without tearing it up? The process is rather simple but has several steps.

1. The dog will approach the item that you want him to fetch.
2. Lift the item up with its mouth.
3. Hold the item in place without dropping it.
4. Carry the item back to you.
5. Lastly, drop the item in front of you.

Some dogs, if not most, already know how to retrieve on their own. Others will require a lot more patience. Several factors are involved such as the dog’s breed and how many ‘prey dive’ behaviors exist in its genes.

If your dog is having trouble to retrieve on command then you may want to try the following trick:

Each day, start your retrieving sessions off when the dog is hungry before a meal. Offer your dog some food on a spoon, like peanut butter (dog’s love peanut butter), and as the he goes to grab it with its mouth – should the command “Get it!” or “Take it!”. Once this has been done enough times for the dog to retrieve the food on command, then introduce the object that you would for the dog to retrieve in place of the food.

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What does it mean to be a Canine Good Citizen? This award is a certificate that declares that your dog has the ability to act and behave in a suitable way in public. The following are the 10 parts of the test that your dog will be graded on:

1. The quality of your dog’s grooming and appearance.
2. How well your dog walks through a crowd.
3. How well your dog sits down in place on command.
4. How well the dog sits for a long period of time for petting.
5. How well your dog accepts attention from a friendly stranger.
6. How well your dog walks with a leash without tugging.
7. How well your dog is able to behave while under a stranger’s supervision
8. How well your dog reacts to various distractions, like loud sudden noises or a person jogging quickly past the dog.
9. How well your dog reacts to another dog.
10. How well your dog comes when called.

This test is done on an individual basis and not with a group of other dogs. While having this license is not necessary, for the enthusiastic dog trainer, it is a token of achievement.

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The Standard Poodle may look fluffy and silly, but this breed is actually very hardworking and intelligent. Standard Poodles were originally used to retrieve game for hunters. However, these dogs were so smart and loyal that they quickly became popular with pet owners. Now, few Standards are hunting dogs, but they often complete in obedience and agility trials. If you want a big dog that is good with children and other pets, easy to train and very affectionate, the Standard Poodle is a perfect fit.
Just be prepared to spend several hours a week on grooming. If you take your Standard to a professional groomer, you will probably pay $50-75 per session, since this breed has a coat that is time consuming to maintain.

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1. The crate gets your puppy ready to get on a schedule for house training.

2. It provides security and functions as a babysitter. To make sure that your dog will not get into any kind of trouble when you’re not around or too busy to look after him, putting your pet in a crate is a good way to guarantee his safety.

3. A crate is a dog’s den and many of them consider it their place of sanctuary. It is a place where they can get away from the entire commotion and turmoil of everyday life and hide out, especially when there are children in the house who always like playing with them. A crate also provides a familiar place for your dog when you take him with you on vacations. He won’t feel stressed or sad if you leave him alone in the hotel room or another strange place.

4. Putting your dog in a crate provides safety inside a moving vehicle. It protects both you and your dog particularly during an emergency stop.

5. There may be instances where you have to keep your dog in one particular area, maybe after an injury or after being altered. If your dog is used to being in a crate, he will not have to go through added stress from being confined.

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Being with your dog while strolling on the beach or through a park can be very enjoyable, especially if you are confident that he will come back when he is called.

Below are some tips to help you successfully teach your dog to come when he is called.

1. Start right away. The best stage to train your dog is during puppy-hood. At about four months of age, your dog will begin to realize that the world is not limited to your home and yard, and will start to wander. As soon as you get your dog, teach him how to come when he is called.

2. Make coming to you a pleasant experience for your dog. When the purpose of calling your dog is to punish him or do something that he considers not enjoyable, there is almost a 100% chance that he will not come to you. When your dog needs a bath or when you are ending his play time, go get him instead of calling him to you. During training when you call your dog, expect him to come to you when you are giving him a treat, taking him out, or even just for petting.

3. Give your dog a work out. Exercise is good for you and your dog and if he has time to run every day he will be less likely to play hard to get. Training your dog to come to you when he is called is hard when he does not get enough time to play around on his own and without the leash. Leaving him in your yard to play is not enough. You need to take him out on walks.

4. When your dog comes to you, touch his collar first before you give him his treat. This will prevent your pet from dancing around you and acting excited thinking that you want to play catch.

5. Use common sense. When you are at a place where you’re not sure about the safety of letting your dog loose, it is best to just keep him on leash.

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One of the easiest commands that you can teach your dog is how to sit. Getting your dog to sit is a very practical trick that you can use in order to direct and control him when needed. When learning to sit, your dog should know what is expected of him when you say the command and obey you every time.

This kind of training is actually fairly easy. The following are two methods that you can try.

1. You should start by getting a piece of small treat. Show it to your dog by holding it just a little over his head and a bit in front of his eyes.

2. Next, say “SIT!” as you move your hand above his eyes. You dog should sit as he look up at the treat.

3. As soon as he sits, give him a treat and praise him by telling him what a good puppy he is. You should do this without petting him; otherwise, he may forget about the command that you just went over with him.

TIP: Accurately positioning your hand in regard to your dog’s head is important when using this technique when training your dog how to sit. If you hold up your hand too high, your dog will determine to jump up. If your hand is too low, it is more likely that he will not sit. You need to position your hand about two inches above your dogs’ head.

TIP: If your dog ignores the command or is having a hard time responding on his own, say “sit” once again. Get him to sit by positioning your right hand on his chest and your left hand behind his knees and under his tail in order to tuck him down to sit. While keeping your hands still, count to five before giving him his treat.

Apply this technique with your dog for ten minutes a day for a week. Some dogs learn to sit almost instantly, while others take a bit longer to learn to sit.

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