Training Tips #2
3 useful accessories for training your dog
Dog crates or cages: Dog crates are an extremely useful accessory for any dog owner. They let you transport dogs in comfort and security as well as having several benefits. Perhaps the most useful one is how easily they can be cleaned! If your dog is covered in mud, crates or cages can help keep the mess off your upholstery. They can also be particularly useful for new dogs and puppies; untrained dogs are rarely going to obey your commands to "sit", "stay" or "stop jumping around the backseat of the car whilst I'm driving".
Training line or Extended Leash: When you're training a puppy, one of the hardest decisions to make is when it's ok to let them off the leash in a public space. A training line can help with that, making it easier to give effective recall training and allowing you to give your dogs a little more freedom during training without sacrificing security. This helps you build their confidence, particularly in socialising puppies and young dogs with other animals and people - whilst you're still in control, you're not stood right at their shoulder, letting you ingrain better natural habits outside of your presence.
Dog Whistle: Dog whistles can be an extremely useful tool for training. Outside of training, they let you get your dogs attention instantly without having to compete with background noise. This is obviously useful for when you're just exercising or playing with your pet in public areas - but its also extremely useful for dog training, when your pet might not have learnt to respond to your voice. Beyond this, they can also be used as a disciplinary measure to discourage negative behaviour. Humans can't hear the notes caused by a dog whistle but dogs are fairly sensitive to these frequencies; extended use of the whistle won't bother you or anyone around you but the sustained noise will cause your dog some discomfort. Generally speaking, this is far more effective than a rolled up newspaper.