Dog Training Accessories - Toys, Tricks and Treats Used to Teach New Behavior

By Dean Forster
Dog training accessories are any toys, tricks or treats used to teach new behavior. Some people are under the misconceived notion that these items are only available at obedience schools or through training classes, but that simply isn't true. A trip to any pet store will reveal a number of training accessories for pet owners to buy and use at home.
The first type of dog training accessories are shock collars and electric shock fences. The collar contains a small transmitter hidden in the fabric and comes with a separate remote control for the owner to use. When the owner notices the dog doing something wrong, a gentle push of the button sends a mild shock to the dog. After several shocks the dog learns to associate the mild pain with the behavior.
An electric shock fence is one type of training accessory for those pets that refuse to stay inside their own yard. Dogs that run and wander aimlessly through the neighborhood can benefit from one of these fences. The shock collar works the same way as the one described previously, but is attached to a remote sensor. When the dog steps outside their designated area, a small shockwave is sent to the collar. Almost immediately your pet learns where it can't go and where it needs to stay.
Dog training accessories also include things that can be used at home without delivering any pain. Those that worry about delivering any pain to their pet can get the same results from a spray bottle of water. One spritz of the water will irritate the dog enough to stop it from snapping or barking loudly. If it is chewing on its skin or licking excessively, the owner can use bitter spray. The nontoxic formula tastes awful and makes the dog associate the taste with their behavior.
Dog training accessories also include positive conditioning items such as treats and toys. These items are highly beneficial when teaching new tricks and commands. The dog learns that when it follows a command, it gets a treat or the chance to play with a new toy. This type of accessory is readily available from any pet store.
There are a number of different dog training accessories out there for pet owners to use at home when teaching and training their dogs. Negative and positive reinforcement quickly teaches what is acceptable behavior and how it should act.Find out more about suitable Dog Training Products and accessories at => http://www.trainingdogschool.com
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Making Safe Fetch Toys For Your Dog

By Michael Russell

Playful dogs love to play fetch. Playing "fetch" is an activity that is enjoyed by both the dog and the owner. Also playing "fetch" is an important training event which is a necessary part of teaching the dog to retrieve.
Sticks are the most often used "fetch" item for dog owners. It is common to pick up a stick and throw it for your dog. However a stick is simply too dangerous. Most owners get by with this time after time, but all too often the worst can happen and the stick will penetrate either the dog, or someone nearby. Sticks can be deadly in the mouth of a running dog. They can jam backwards into the mouth or jab into the eyes of nearby dogs or children. Another example of an inappropriate object is a rock, but unbelievably, there are numerous owners who think it is really cute that their dogs pick up rocks and bring them to be thrown. Unfortunately, rocks and the digestive system of the dog simply do not work well together!
It is important that you purchase safe fetch items for your dog. If you don't want to spend the money, you can make good fetch toys, toys such as braided rope items that are too thick or big for the dog to swallow. Individual socks that don't match make wonderful braided ropes, provided that they are tied together into a large enough knot that they can not be swallowed. Another excellent way to make several good throwing toys is to take an old garden hose and cut it into foot long strips. When you are teaching your dog to fetch it is a great training trick to have a whole set of these rubbery "sticks" handy, because you can throw one out and as the dog begins to bring it back to you, you can immediately throw another one...thus he will drop the first one and go after the one that you just threw. This is the first step towards training him to release the object to you.
Often dogs that are oriented to the water need to have "fetch" toys that will float. Here again, a stick is the one most often used and also the most deadly. It is far better to use a regular "bumper" type of toy. If you don't want to spend the money, especially since water toys can often be lost, you can make a much cheaper version. This version is a closed plastic bottle partially filled with water, (to give it enough weight to throw) with a rope tied around the neck. Give a good swing with the rope and you can sail this toy quite a distance out into the water. The toy has much the same action as a bumper toy and is very cheap to make.
Tennis balls are great toys but only for dogs who are small. Bigger dogs have bigger mouths than most folks realize and the tennis ball really can be swallowed or can end up actually choking the dog at the back of the throat. Bigger dogs often get the ball so coated with slime that it becomes really slippery and this will make it even easier to swallow! If you want to use a ball it is better to purchase a larger ball or make a tennis ball that can not be swallowed by putting it into the bottom of a long sock and tying it in place. Having the sock around the ball prevents the slime from building up and also allows for less chance of having it swallowed because of the "tail" of the sock.
Avoiding high vet bills and having fun with your dog with safe fetch toys can both be accomplished. A little imagination and keeping safety in mind can go a long way towards providing a safe play time and/or training time for both you and your dog.Michael RussellYour Independent guide to Dog Training
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Dog Toys - Options You and Your Pet Will Love

By Johnathan Livingston
It has been said that a tired dog is a happy one. That may be true. However, it is certainly true that a tired dog has a happy owner. Dog toys and play serve a valuable function for you and your pet-besides wearing him out and keeping him out of trouble, toys can stimulate his mind.
Boredom is often the cause of a lot of bad behavior with dogs, such as chewing furniture, digging holes, or constant barking. Pet Toys, by alleviating the boredom, may help alleviate the problem.
Dog Psychology and Dog Toys
One thing you have to know about pets is that they like to work. They like also like to play. Most of all, they like to be involved. They also need exercise every single day.
Dogs are pack animals and need structure and interactions. For a pet dog, that means you are the pack. You need to do more than just feed and water your dog. You need to care for his mental health. And there's more to that than locking Fido out in the yard with chew toys.
Somewhere out there are pet toys that are right for you and your pup. Below are a number of options for toys that will improve indoor playtime beyond the simple and rather repetitive games like fetch and tug of war.
Hide and Seek Dog Toys
Hide and seek dog toys, usually featuring a cute yet hunt-able animal in effigy, are a good choice to amuse your dog (and yourself). The concept is simple-the plush toy stuffed squirrel hides in a plush toy tree trunk. You get your pet excited about digging it out of its hiding place.
If your dog has the habit of destroying his toys, this may be a perfect toy for him. He can dig the stuffed toys out of the base repeatedly rather than dig the stuffing out of a traditional stuffed animal. These toys have built in squeakers, making it easy to get your dog worked up about finding the toys.
These are great toys for smaller dogs (under forty pounds), especially terriers. Terriers, named for their digging, will love digging the toys out. These dog toys will also make your dog smarter by encouraging him to figure out how to get the dog toys out of their hiding place.
Hidden Egg Dog Toys
Alternatively, there are pet toys available with squeaky eggs in their stomach. They operate on the same principle; your pet practices gutting his prey, and his prey-your pet toys-live to be gutted another day.
Dog Toys with Treats in Them
Most pets love those old standards, chew toys. Many pups are quite content to gnaw their chew toys to oblivion, but most need more mental stimulation, at least some of the time.
Toys with treats in them give your pet a challenging puzzle to solve, that presses their instinctual buttons and rewards them at the end with a dog treat. An example is a plastic cube with treats inside which the dog must find a way to get out of the cube. The cube is also adjustable, so as your dog figures out how to get the treats out, you can make it harder so he won't get bored.
Another example of this type of dog toys is a rubber ball that helps clean your pet's teeth when he plays with it. Your dog bites the slits in the ball. His teeth sink into the grooves. The grooves stimulate the gums and clean the teeth, and dispense treats or kibble for your pet. These chew toys come in various sizes for different sizes of canines, but also come in different degrees of toughness so you can adjust for the destructiveness of your dog's chewing ability.
Dog Toys Stimulate Your pet's Mind As Well As His Teeth
These toys all have one trait in common: they can reward your dog as the task is completed. This provides mentally stimulating play for your dog, which can help keep them from being bored, and a contented, tired pet is less likely to destroy everything you own by chewing it.Make sure you select the right Dog Toys for your pet. You will find a large selection of Dog Products and articles at Dog House Market Everything you will ever need for your pet.
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