1. What age should I start using the prong collar'

[Adam replies: ] Generally speaking, at about four months of age' when you see the adult teeth begin to come in.

2. What should I be teaching, obedience wise, with 8 month puppy'

[Adam replies: ] At eight months of age, there really isn't ANYTHING you can't teach the dog, obedience-wise.

3. When you say pop, when teaching the down command,do you mean I should pop the prong collar' So for example if the dog gets up from down/stay position and walk away, you said to say NO, pop the leash, then say NO all the way back to manhole, then pop the leash again' Do you mean to pop the prong or to guide him into down/stay position'

[Adam replies: ] When I say 'pop' I mean to tug on the leash. Make sure you're starting and ending with slack. So, you say, 'No!' then go to the dog and give a pop on the leash, then walk him back to the spot and reissue the 'down' command' and then 'pop' downward (or to the side) on the leash and put him back into the down position.

5. What's the difference between obedience training and sport training (i.e. Schutzhund)' Why do they say you shouldn't train your dog in obedience if you want him to be in Schutzhund' (I just want to know for my own knowledge)

[Adam replies: ] Schutzhund is a dog sport the incorporates an obedience routine, as well as a protection and tracking routine. The obedience exercises are mostly route exercises, and are not trained in a street-smart context. As for why you supposedly shouldn't train your dog in obedience if you want him to be in Schutzhund' this is a myth. Some macho types will consistently over-correct their dog in the obedience phase' and this will kill drive. But anyone with even a shred of common sense will avoid this predicament.

6. What do you think of raw diets for dogs' Worth it''

[Adam replies: ] Not worth it. Feed the dog a high quality dog food and your dog will be fine.

7. What order should I teach the dog the commands'(first sit, then down then come'' How should I do it')

[Adam replies: ] I like to teach the 'Walk on a loose leash' exercise first, followed by the curb/street/boundary training, as this teaches the dog what a correction is (if he doesn't know already). Then you can teach exercises in any order you wish. To be honest, the order of basic exercises is largely irrelevant. It DOES become relevant in later training, when you begin chaining behaviors together, such as 'Go to the fridge, open door, retrieve beer, then close door.'

8. To teach the dog to not run out of the house, when I slam the door I'm afraid it is going slam on him too hard and hurt him. How do I go about doing it' Do I shut it softly or will he be fast enough to stop'

[Adam replies: ] You're thinking too much. Just slam the door shut. Assuming it's not a toy breed, it's not going to kill him. If it is a toy breed, keep your hand on the door and guide it shut. The idea is that the door slams on the dog' not to injure the dog, but to be uncomfortable so that he waits and watches you for the 'release' command before walking through. You are the alpha dog. You walk through first. It is your job to make sure it's safe for him to leave the property, and he needs to look to you for the 'It's Okay' cue. If you don't give the 'A-okay' cue' then bad things could happen. Like the door suddenly slamming shut. Ever sit on a dirty chair and ruin a clean pair of slacks' Once it happens to you, you'll always check first. It's the same concept with the dog.

To read more of my dog training ramblings, read about my book (click below):
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!

All breeds and sizes of dogs can be taught easily to speak, and the way to go about it is to call your dog, show him a treat and say 'Speak.' He will not understand what you mean and will probably at first jump for it, and then sit down and eye it attentively; finally, he will get impatient and utter a sharp bark, which is what you have been waiting for, and the instant he does so reward him with the treat.

A dog which is slow in barking can be encouraged to do so by your imitating a bark, as the chances are he will reply to it, and if you reward him he will learn to bark as soon as he hears the word 'speak.'

After a dog has been taught to bark once, you can teach him to bark any number of times, for when he has learned to expect a reward after barking once and you do not give it to him he is apt to bark again or until you give him a signal to stop.

Dogs are very observing and the signal to stop barking can be so slight that your friends will not detect it, such as a movement of the foot or hand, a dropping of the eyelids or a shifting of your gaze, and if you keep up a running fire of conversation and address your dog as if he were a human being his performance will be much more impressive and perplexing.

As an illustration, if you are exhibiting your dog to an audience and want him to speak, don't simply say 'speak,' but address him something like this: 'Now, Buddy, all the ladies and gentlemen present are very anxious to hear you speak.' Put a slight emphasis on the word 'speak' and your dog will catch it, but it will appear to the audience as if the dog understood the entire sentence and not only the one word 'speak.' Of course, when training the young dog you should use only the word 'speak' and that distinctly and free from other words, so as not to confuse him.

If your dog knows how to speck on command, you can try to teach 'singing' ' which is to teach him to howl on command. It is not expected that your dog will produce any melody but only repeat in a mechanical way a series of whines and barks.

Teach him to 'sing' in the following manner. Try to imitate a whine yourself and try to get him to imitate the noise you make and to a certain degree, reach the pitch and style of noise make by you, be it a howl, whine or bark and with constant practice, a dog can and will learn to follow your tone quite accurately.

As your dog learn to follow your barking, say 'sing' instinctively to associate this action. Praise and treat plentifully during training to encourage him further. Exercise him on a regular basis will help him to learn to sing in no time on your command.

'Speak' and 'Sing' are useful lessons in curbing a nuisance barking dog. Let your dog understand that barking and whining is only allowed on command. Simply ignore your dog whenever he barks and whine for your attention. Vice versa, give him lots of praise or treats when he barks on command. If your dog understands this lesson, he will no longer be a nuisance barker and be a good quiet boy for a long time to go.

About the Author

Moses Chia is a dog lover and owner of DogsObedienceTraining.com ' The dog training resource site for a happier and healthier dog.