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Most dog owners do not know about the growling reflex which occurs in many dogs when their ear canals are massaged. When this apparently unconditioned response occurs, the dog may be punished, stimulating defensive reflexes to fight, flee or freeze. Also, when many dogs display submissive growling and/or fang baring, (the submissive “smile”), naive owners apply harsh punishment or back away from the dog.

In either event, serious biting problems can result because the threatened dog displays submissive behavior, but achieves no relief from the owner’s threats or punishment so it then actively defends itself; or the retreating owner becomes fearful of the dog, which puts the dog in control.

Growling is one of the least studied kinds of canine behavior. Unfortunately, growling is widely regarded as something an owner should never tolerate, lest the dog become dominant in the relationship. In fact, many owners are advised to apply dominance handling techniques as a counter measure with puppies and adults.

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Leash practice should be fun. If the puppy is timid, walk him up and down indoors, pulling gently and coaxing to keep him in motion and in line with you. Then try it in the yard or up and down a quiet street. Never jerk violently, or choke him if he refuses to move. Let him wander off at will; if he sits down, pat and laugh at him a bit, and wait a moment before beginning to get him going. He will soon realize that the leash is a tie between him and you.

Puppies learn more quickly from other dogs than from us. If you have a friend with an older, leash-trained dog, walking together will soon put the idea over to your puppy. When he finds that the leash means “We are going out!” it becomes a friend, not a foe.

Like the collar, it is a signal he soon learns, and will bring to your attention when he wants action! You are teaching him this when you pick it up and say “Here is your leash, we are going for a walk!” At first, start him on a long leash. Go as far away from him as the leash permits, then call “Come (dog’s name)!” As you do this, give the leash a little jerk toward you. If he resists, pull gently, and the moment he is within reaching distance, pet and praise him.

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What type of dog training products do you need in order to teach your dog all of the basic manners and behaviors of a well trained dog? That answer to that question would invariably depend on what type of training tactics you plan on using.

Although using harsh and punishment-like methods of training is frowned upon, there are still many dog owners who insist on using dog training products like choke collars, spiked collars, and even electrical shock devices, all in order to simply training their dog in the same way that loving methods can work just as good, if not better.

Since you want to use love and care with your dog training then you need not worry about purchasing the above mentioned dog training products. In fact, you will need very little dog training products at all. To get a list of your needs and all of the training aids available, visit the many dog training product stores that are online.

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Calmness means the appropriate response in any given situation. It is a quality we must completely understand in order to properly train our dogs.

A dog gains calmness by focusing on an objective and then attaining it through action. He can’t think his way to calmness nor can he learn it through the example of another. A dog learns to be calm by doing. If a dog’s action leads him to fulfillment, patience becomes a learned skill. And if a dog gets enough practice in a variety of endeavors, he can develop an overall character trait of calmness.

The biggest mistake is made by attempting to calm a dog by trying to train him to be still. Whether the owner yells, pleads, nags, grabs the dog in some way, or stares, he is only going to make the dog nervous.

The most effective way to train a dog to be patient and focused is through the most active of his instincts: the prey instinct. Calmness and patience in the face of denial are built into the prey instinct. Through the prey instinct the dog can learn that a condition of denial is not only temporary but is positive, as it is a predictor of eventual success.

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