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Good Dog Manners The best thing that you can do for your dog is to teach him to become well-mannered on a leash and responsive to basic commands. To get started, you need the right collar. There are 3 types of training collars - it is important to pick the right type for your dog. The original style chain collar, if used correctly, should never choke your dog. It is the sound of the chain, not the choking, that teaches. It is important to put the collar on correctly for it to work properly. The second type of training collar is the prong collar, which delivers a pinch to the skin of the dog's neck to get him under control. Be sure to have someone knowledgeable help you fit the collar to your dog and show you how to use it. The third type of training collar is known as the Halti, or Gentle Leader. This collar is for dogs that are very headstrong and excitable. This collar corrects the dog as his mother would, by grasping and shaking his muzzle. A good way to develop your dog's social skills and manners is to work toward his certification as a Canine Good Citizen. This program is a noncompetitive test that encourages pet owners to train their dogs to be safe and well mannered in public. To pass the test, your dog must know the commands Heel, Sit, Down and Stay. There are 10 evaluations: 1. accepting a friendly stranger 2. sitting politely for petting 3. appearance and grooming 4. out for a walk 5. walking through a crowd 6. sit and down on command/staying in place 7. praise/interaction 8. reaction to another dog 9. reaction to distractions 10. supervised isolation To find out more about the Canine Good Citizen Program click here. |
