Archive for the ‘Dog Training Commands’ Category

Training a young 5 month old puppy to do a bark and hold exercise for police k9 work, personal protection or even dog training sports such as Schutzhund involves a delicate balance of desire and control. Putting too much pressure or too many expectations on a puppy at a young age can result in excessive stress and confusion which can lead to a reduction in your puppy’s confidence, understanding, and most importantly their motivation.

Ashton Fitz-Gerald is featured in the video below demonstrating how he teaches a puppy to learn a bark and hold command with enthusiasm and intensity. Phender is taught to ‘guard’ on command using a puppy bite-sleeve, 15 foot dog training line, a remote dog training collar and some very enticing treats.

The goal of a bark and hold command is to be able to have the dog begin barking repeatedly and intensely until given the command to either bite, or come back to the handler. Obviously with a young puppy, it is important to give the puppy confidence throughout all of his training sessions by allowing him to explore options while the handler is guiding and shaping the dog’s behavior toward the ultimate goal of the dog trainer.

Ashton is teaching Phender two things in this video.

1. He is learning to bark on command at an object
2. He is learning to turn his attention away from the object and on to the handler

Phender has already had quite a bit of practice barking in order to get to his reward (the puppy bite sleeve). In the event Phender does not bark intensely on command, Ashton can easily encourage the barking by moving the sleeve to excite the puppy into barking. During the teaching phase for a bark and hold, the dog needs to become conditioned that when he makes any noise at all, he gets his reward. It begins with rewarding any noise at all, then progressing to rewarding only the deep barks, then progresses to building up the dog’s intensity and time he barks by lengthening the amount of time the puppy is required to bark in order to get his reward.

While teaching the puppy to guard and then to stop and watch the handler on command, a long line is used to maintain the puppy’s guard on command and to stop him from grabbing the reward before the handler allows it. This enables the handler to maintain control over which behaviors give the puppy success. The treats are used to bring the puppy’s attention back onto the handler when desired, along with the Sit Means Sit dog training collar.

The puppy has already been taught the ‘tap’ or stimulation from the remote dog training collar is connected with food, so he is very willing to turn his attention to wherever the handler desires. Check out this puppy training video with Fred Hassen showing how you can link the dog training collar with food.

By redirecting the puppy’s attention from the sleeve to the handler without conflict, you gain the ability to control the dog’s attention while still maintaining desire. The same can be said of reversing the roles. Teaching the dog to look at another target (i.e. a bite sleeve) without force or conflict creates a much more effective learning scenario for the dog. The key is being able to tap into your puppy’s desires and move his attention from one item of value to another seamlessly and without conflict or confusion.

Watch the video below to see this beginning phase of a remote bark and hold with a young 5 month old puppy. We’d love to hear your opinion on this video, as well as any of our other dog training videos. Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Related Police Dog Training Video
Check out this police dog training video showing what a remote guard and bark command looks like when it is a finished command. The dutch shepherd dog in this video is demonstrating looking at the handler, then looking at a suspect, then looking back at the handler. All of this on command, at a distance. We even throw in another police dog doing drug searches while this is going on.

Teaching your dog to sit and to remain stationary until he is either released from the command, or given another different command is very important
in your clarity to your dog. A lot of times people have the bad habit of calling the dog to them in the initial behavior training which can influence the dog, and
create a bad habit of the dog breaking the command because of anticipation.

In this video, Sit Means Sit CEO Fred Hassen goes over the steps to see to it that your dog can have a very steady command and in conjunction with
the Sit Means Sit remote dog training collar, your obedience commands can be as consistent while the dog is away from you, as they are with the dog next to you.

Training multiple dogs at once is much easier using the Sit Means Sit Remote dog collar, and having the instruction from one of our franchise owners will give you an education that you will have and use forever!

Fred Hassen shows in this video that the sky is the limit when using the Sit Means Sit dog training system, and how to keep a line of communication always open between you and your dog.
This video is part of Fred Hassen’s daily dog training videos on his training system that can be subscribed to here.

Fred Hassen is seen here showing how he teaches the ‘Curb-Stand’, which is very aptly named!

This video was shot during the ‘Make a Wish’ foundation event in San Diego California, of which Sit Means Sit Dog Training was one of the featured demonstrators. “Nash” is a 1 1/2 yr. old Belgian Malinois.

This is the Frisbee video that is referred to in this clip.

In this dog training video, Darin Shepherd from Sit Means Sit Dog Training Atlanta Georgiashows one of the many advantages of the Sit Means Sit Dog Training system which allows you to get to a dog from anywhere, and to do it immediately.

This is obviously more efficient than having to go up next to the dog, because you could do it from anywhere, would not have to raise your voice, and would be able to adjust things instantly according to the temperament of your particular dog, or even during the changing of your dogs temperament in an isolated instance.

Our dog training system makes this information much more transferrable to owners and families than any other way, and provides a clearness in the dog’s learning that is unmatched.

Notice also how Darin is able to maintain enthusiasm with his dog ‘Bauer’ which is vitally important in dog training.

Darin was also one of the feature presenters at the 2009 HITS Police demonstration.

Sit Means Sit dog trainer Bobby Pablico from Las Vegas, shows us progressions for training the place command.

Place two raised objects (place boards) on the floor spread a few feet apart. We use a raised place board because this is clearly defined from the floor and becomes a tool to help the dog begin to problem solve. Most dogs will try to walk around or avoid the place boards when presented to it. Your goal will be to walk the dog over these two place boards.

You begin by having the first place board between you and the dog and calling the dog to you, bringing them over the place board. You may need to guide them over this since the place board can present a clear boundary for them and they may hesitate initially to even touch it. Success at this level begins with getting the paws on the place board.

Once the dog is moving freely over the first place board guide him over the second place board. By having two place boards, you are providing a natural target that builds attention to the task at hand, that will eventually bring attention to you.

Place boards are available through the SitMeansSit.com Online Store or through any of our Sit Means Sit locations worldwide.