Our latest Long Island Board and Train Program member said farewell to us yesterday after completing the program; however, she did not say good-bye to us before I had a chance to take her back to the park that she loves so much- Cedar Creek, located in Seaford, Long Island. Baby has taught this Long Island Dog Trainer something- she may be the fastest Labrador Retriever in Hicksville, Long Island, maybe New York too.  Anyway she was a pleasure to have in my home, where all dog board and train participants stay. our

She is a very loving puppy, who displays nothing but affection, and one thing is for sure, she loves the new freedom she has, as displayed in the video below.

Well, make room here comes Baby from Hicksville, Long Island.  Baby is a Labrador Retriever who comes to us with a sweet dispostion.  Baby began her dog board and train program yesterday; she was picked up at 9:00 am from her residenceand transported to my home (James) the owner of Dedicated Dog Training.  Our Long Island Dog Board and Train Program differs from many in multiple ways, but one of the largest differences is our quality for quantity trade-off.  We accept only one dog or puppy at a time to ensure quality training.  This (2) week period will be dedicated to our Labrador Retriever Baby. 

Usually, we take the first day or so to acclimate the puppy or dog into the new environment, no different than adults or children travelling or staying somewhere new.  On occasion, we see dogs that just fit in so fast, these are dogs are extremely confident…well meet Baby, because she is breaking records here.  Baby training actually started yesterday afternoon in the backyard with the COME command.  We will keep our readers posted with the progress of this Hicksville, Lab!

A little Long Island Rottweiler Dog Training with our Dog Board and Train member Dante.  Dante is (3) years old.  Talk about a teddy bear, this Rottweiler from Massapequa is admired by many Wantagh shoppers.  Our Long Island Dog Training is geared towards distraction training.  We like to prep the dog as well as the owner for real life situations.

Why is a Prong Collar better to use than a Choke collar?

Dog collars are basically used to train dogs. They look very stylish. These days it has become most important to purchase one for your dog. As your dog grows, you have to purchase new collars to accomplish certain goals and needs. There are lots of reasons why dogs need collars. Dog Collars come in various varieties but among all, the most famous ones are the Prong collar and choke collar.

We have seen many torture devices in the market like iron maiden, the rack and thumb screw. The appearance of the prong collar is no different than a torture device. If appearance of the collar matters so much, then why do we see prong collar in every pet store for sale? Do the pet shopkeepers like to torture dogs by making them wear prong collar? No. Prong collars looks torturous but they never harm a dog, when used correctly. In fact the prong collar is the most preferable in comparison to choke collar.

Choke collars are comparatively very dangerous for dogs. It comes in different fabrics like nylon. It doesn’t matter whether you choose chain or nylon fabric. If you don’t use a Choke collar properly then it will damage your dogs’ neck. It is not considered safe for a dog that is why many pet lovers prefer the prong collar to keep their pet safe.

The basic objective behind the prong collar is to encourage positive behavior by discouraging bad behavior like tugging at the leash.  Prong collars are not designed to give pain for every bad behavior of dogs. The appearance of the prong collar looks like an adult dogs teeth.

Prong and choke collars both are used for the training purpose.  Before using dog collars it is necessary to know the proper usage otherwise it will end up hurting your animal. In spite of the bad appearance of  the prong collar they are still very popular and used widely in the market.  If we compare both, the prong collar is any day better then choke collar because:-

1. A prong collar can be tightened to a limited extent. This quality is very important as the prong collar helps your dog to breathe properly, prevents from neck injuries such as soft tissue damage, damage to the spine and collapsing trachea whereas on the other hand choke collars can cause many injuries to your dog like severely sprained necks, ocular blood vessels, transient, fainting and so on. 

      2.  Choke collars when tightened become very difficult to release. This is very dangerous for your dog as he can die on the spot because of less oxygen. Whereas there is no difficulty with prong collars as it they can be tightened to a limited extent only.

      3.   Prong collars don’t require lot of force during the training purpose. But with the choke collar the owners have to pull the leash if a dog misbehaves.

This comparison will be very effective in telling you that a prong is better to use than a choke collar and much more advisable.

Massapequa, Long Island, Rottweiler joins our Long Island Dog Board and Train  program.  Dante, who is a (3) year old male Rottweiler came to us because of his jumping, unruly dominant behaviors.  This is his 1st day with us, due to the weather we started his Long island dog board and train with the PLACE command, my favorite command.  This Rottweiler picks up fast, he recognizes what is expected of him and goes to work. 

Once again, we start our Long Island Boarding off with bad weather, some of the many challenges that dog board and train programs face.  Let’s see how this Rottweiler dog handles the obstacle.  Will Dante the Massapequa Rottweiler rise to the occasion?  Stay tuned for some updated videos and comments on our Rottweiler guest.

As with any articles found on this Long Island Dog Training Blog, it is the contention of the author to clarify that the articles are opinions, experience, and beliefs of the dog trainer.  In addition, any article posted to the Long Island Dog Training Blog is not a substitute for puppy or dog training, especially when it comes to behavioral problems such as aggression.

Dominance among dogs is evident in many ways, depending on the activation trigger and the environment your pet lives in. If it reacts aggressively, when you touch it while it is eating, it can be a sign of dominant dog behavior.  This is actually a protective behavior exhibited by dogs to guard their resources. Dominant behavior may also surface if it is not getting anything it wishes, like any particular toy. If charm fails to work then it might resort to barking fiercely to get the thing it wants.

Dogs are pack animals and this is basically the reason why they display dominant traits and also many other behavioral issues. So, if you have a dominant dog that tends to become aggressive when denied something it wants, keep reading, but more importantly consult with a professional dog training school. There are many measures you can undertake to control this behavior. First and foremost, establish your position as the owner in your dog’s mind very clearly. This is a very crucial issue and it should be done at any cost. If the leadership of the household is not clear, your dog may assume the role as it is their instinct.  As a reminder, this conduct, new behavior very rarely happens over night, it many cases it happens in small increments at an undetected level and pace.  A dominant dog may start by taking small liberties and then become increasingly stubborn regarding its wishes. So, it is necessary to prove your role as the leader as early as possible. This does not mean that you should physically punish or lock up your dog. Instead, be firm and authoritative, rewarding proper conduct simultaneously.

Sometimes, even owners unsuspectingly train their pets to behave in a dominant fashion which they discourage later. The tug of war game is one such game, where you in fact train your dog to go against you and also overpower you in addition to being aggressive.  As far as this Long Island Dog Training School is concerned, tug of war should be introduced when and only when your puppy or dog understands that you are the pack leader, because it may boost the competitive spirit in a dominant dog. Playing fetch is the safest game and it also teaches the pet to report to you.

Make sure that you start training your dog as early as possible because it is easier to control your dog when he is younger. You should start training your pet preferably, when he is a puppy. Behavioral rules learned at a young age are easily accepted by puppies and you may find it a bit difficult when you try to rectify aggressive behavior in grown dogs.

Another measure to correct dominant dogs is exercising them on a regular basis. This results in curbing their excess energy and excitement as well which consequently curbs aggressive behavior. It is a proven fact that dogs that lack exercise tend to be more aggressive and dominant than well exercised dogs. The trick is to provide an outlet for the excess energy.

The main aim of all these measures is to guarantee safety of your family as well as your dog so that your dog can be a loving and loyal friend of you and your family. Now you probably have a complete idea on how to deal with dominant dogs.

Our newest Long Island Dog, Bailee.  Baliee is a Goldendoodle and is almost (1) years old.  She was trained by us when she was puppy.  We are boarding her while her owners vacation.  In addition to boarding her she will receive a refresher dog training course, one of the many perks that our members receive eith us.  A Long Island Dog Board and Train at a discounted rate, not too bad.

Dogs are pack animals or family animals which mean that they are social animals and desire the company of other dogs or of humans. Many people leave dogs alone at home and do not understand that this may result in a psychological problem for the animal. There is a medical term for such a condition. It is known as dog separation anxiety. This problem may result in destructive behavior. It may be noted that dog separation anxiety is mostly common in urban dogs where most of the family members are working or need to stay out of the house for any reason. So, if your pet is suffering from dog separation anxiety here are some ways to cure it or at the very least handle dog separation anxiety.. 

One of the methods of how to handle dog separation anxiety is socialization. Due to the social nature of dogs, they want to be close to their owners all the time, in many dogs that lack confidence, this is a must for them to properly function. You should actually try to take some time out for your pet to play with him or her and also train him or her.  Although our Long Island Dog Training school has not subscribed to this as of this writing, some research indicates that Herbal formulas also work to cure dog separation anxiety and they are readily available in the market. Ginger, valerian root, natural flowers and passion are used to make these supplements. But, if you have not came to a conclusion on this method of how to handle dog separation anxiety, it is advisable to get help of a reputed veterinarian. This is something which has to be handled expertly and thereby needs a professional and trained person who is able to analyze your dog better and prescribe the right combination of these herbal formulas to give the desired results.    

Many of the problems faced by dogs can be cured by exercise and training. Dog separation anxiety is also one of them. Exercising your dog regularly is beneficial for him not only physically but also mentally. Do not chide or shout at your dog when you are trying to alter his behavior. In addition to verbal commands you can definitely use signals like whistles or general call up sounds to train your dog.

The diet of your dog has also been noted to possibly play vital role in developing its physical as well as mental health. Some of the dog diets are being researched, and are possibly one of the considerations known to cause anxiety which then results in dog separation anxiety. These diets may contain some chemical ingredients which do not get properly absorbed in your dog’s system and your dog’s system may react negatively thereby causing anxiety. Hence, always check the diet you give your dog with a veterinarian. It is also advisable to keep some remedies handy if by any chance, your dog is wrongly fed by you.

Handling the dog professionally is one of the most effective ways to cure dog separation anxiety. You should not punish your dog for behavior which can be a result of dog separation anxiety. This can be more harmful as the dog may feel unappreciated as it is a sensitive animal. This should not be considered as a remedy as it actually adds to the stress which your dog is already experiencing.

I hope you have now understood the measures needed to be taken if your dog is suffering from dog separation anxiety. 

Lastly, but probably most important, is the conditioning of your puppy.  Many of a dog’s undesirable behaviors originate from their puppy months and years.  Many behaviors are easier to PREVENT than to mitigate or modify; whence, the reason for my “Complete Guide To Effectively Training Your Puppy” ebook.  As always a dog’s behavior is usually the result of either his or her puppy months, or our human behavior, or a combination of both.

Hey everyone, this is our Long Island Dog  Board and Train Golden Retriever Max, who is (1) years old.  Today we are going over the PLACE  (go to your doggy bed and remain there until released) command; Max was introduced to this command earlier in the day.  The PLACE command is an awesome command for pet owners.  This is the command that allows you to interact with the delivery person, open the door to let people in without having your puppy or dog jump on them, bring the groceries in, do laundry, etc.

Our Long Island Dog Board and Train Program teaches the command to the puppy or dog first, then we proof the command.  Proofing the command is a way to ensure that your puppy or dog becomes reliable; there are many methods to proof the various commands.  Today, I have hired a specialist in the art of distraction dog training, he has helped our Long Island Dog Board and Train Program on many occasions, mostly, without having to ask him.  Today we have employed his talents, and we are using him to stimulate Max to move off his PLACE.

Max is our latest Long Island Dog Board and Train participant.  Max is a (1) year old Golden Retriever.  Max enrolled in our Dog Board and Train Program for several reasons; his primary reason was for his puppy like hyperactive disposition;  he has been known to be a bit unruly in the home, especially upon meeting new arrivals.  This Golden Retriever’s usual MO is to jump up on people.

We will be monitoring Max’s dog board and train participation here on our blog.  In addition to our text, we will be sporting some video footage of Max’s progress.  Our Long Island dog Board and Train Program allows your dog or puppy to reside in a real life home setting instead of a kennel atmosphere. In addition to your dog being command trained we will address all common puppy and dog unwanted behaviors.  Max has just arrived; the video below shows him meeting and playing in the backyard with our dogs, Daisy and Niko.

Dogs are very faithful pets but they need to be trained so that they are disciplined when off the leash. There are several different breeds as we all know, some are huge while some are small and there is the medium kind as well. Every breed has its own characteristics; some breeds of dogs are mild while some are ferocious. If you are an owner of a dog in the Long Island area and don’t know what to do where your precious pet is concerned don’t get discouraged or dismayed.  There are plenty of Long Island Dog trainers that are listed and you can avail of one of their services. Dogs are not that easy to train for some people, mostly it will take the expertise of a professional to tame that dog of yours. You would be wise to check if the dog trainer whose services you would like to avail  has good independent reviews.

Most  Long Island dog trainers are trained and  will be able to successfully train your dog to be obedient; this is the most important factor as even human beings that are obedient go a long way in life.  We like to offer the added benefit of not only being highly trained to deal with your dog or puppy’s issues but to be able to effectively transfer our knowledge to you.  Obedience is the beginning of a long healthy relationship with your canine and it is good to invest in one of the positively  reviewed Long island dog trainers’ services. Choosing one of the Long Island dog trainers should not be a tough task as you can go online  and simply check out some of the best, unfortunatley this is not always the case, sometimes we are misguided by fancy websites or better text. In addition, dog trainers have some background or the other in veterinary care, you should check to see if the dog trainer has sufficient experience as well.  Dog trainers must love all kinds of dogs, this will normally show in the way they handle dogs, they are committed to teach dogs to obey their owners so that there is a better bond between the two.

 Most services that are offered by the dog trainers include private lessons, personal training, crate training, professional pet sitting, and even consultations for puppies that are new. Different dogs have different needs so while choosing any of the Long Island dog trainers make sure to do background checks before going ahead; you will need the assistance of a professionally trained dog trainer, if you for any reason do not feel comfortable hiring us or are not in our geographical area please feel free to contact us so we can assist and guide you in the right direction. There is nothing better than owning a well trained dog, you can safely trust your dog when he or she is off the leash; give them into the care of the right dog trainer.

Who said Pugs are stubborn and can’t pay attention?  This is Frankie, he is (2) years old;  Frankie is our latest Long Island Dog Board and Train member.  Frankie came to Dedicated Dog Training because he was very hyperactive in the house and didn’t understand what was expected of him.  Well, we are proud to say this Pug is just about ready to be reunited with his family; only this time he understands what desired behaviors are expected of him.   At our Long Island Dog Board and Train Program you can expect to see results like these.

Frankie has been trained to respond to a host of different commands under distractions.  We spent more time on his “PLACE” (go to your doggy bed) command, because that was a major concern with his owner.  Frankie also has learned to behave in the car, and not dart out when the door opens until he is given the “OUTSIDE” command. 

Our Long Island Board and Train program is a (2) week program that not only trains your puppy or dog to respond to commands Off-Leash, we also train your dog to respect the rules of the house.  When your puppy or dog stays with us, he is viewed as our pet, and we treat him accordingly and the way we would expect some one to treat our own.  Your dog has access to the same amenties as our dogs.

Anyway, enough about my Dog Board and Train Program, we would love to hear from you about you dog or puppy problems.  So, if you need friendly advice from a dog trainer, but more importantly…a dog lover, give us a call or drop us an email.

This is Frankie a (2) year old Pug, in the begininning of his (4th) training lesson at our Long Island Dog Board and Train Program which lasts for (2) weeks.

Some FOUNDATION work with Frankie.

Training the off-leash COME command, our 4th dog training lesson with Frankie in Levittown, Nassau County.

German Shepherds are incredibly intelligent, making them one of the easiest breeds to train. However, as the saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks (unless you are a member of Dedicated Dog Training), so it is best to begin training your dog as early as possible. For German Shepherd dog training, the recommended start age is ASAP! Correct and consistent training is incredibly important, which is why it is recommended to utilize a professional dog trainer, someone who understands how to properly coach and train your new puppy. Luckily, if you live in a big city like New York, there are plenty of dog trainers to choose from. These trainers will be able to instill good obedience habits in your dog, habits that will continue as the dog grows older. Waiting too long to train your puppy will create bad behavior that will be more difficult to break or change later on which is why you should begin your German Shepherd dog training when your new family pet is still a puppy.

Yorkshire Terriers are great little bundles of high energy and affection ( just ask our recent member from Staten Island who felt the need to use our dog board and train program to redirect some of their Yorkie’s energy).  They have become one of the most popular breed of dog and make great companions to anyone from children to senior citizens.  They fit well in a large family or as a live alone individual.  In addition, to running around in some of dog parks, they do well in apartment settings too. 

The spunky yorkie originates from England and they were originally used to get rid of rats.  These animals are athletic and muscular for a small dog and they are quick on their feet.  A very confident dog, they hold their heads high as they walk.  This breed is very intelligent and their dark eyes are full of expression. 

Yorkies have a soft and silky coat that starts out black and tan and develops into a steel blue and tan coat.  These dogs do not shed and require little maintenance in the way of grooming.  They also do not cause any dog fur related allergies.    These puppies need to be socialized in order to avoid snappiness.  Our Yorkie dog training program requires consistency but gentleness.  Two areas of contention are house breaking and excessive barking.  With the proper Yorkie dog training program, both these issues can be taken care of . 

This bubbly breed is outgoing and energetic but can be a tad territorial in nature.  They can be a great watch dog and their bark is much bigger than their bite.  These dogs form tight bonds with their owners and family and can suffer from dog separation anxiety.  One of the biggest threats to these pets is household accidents.  They are so small in stature that they are literally under your feet.  Stepping on them or things falling on them can occur quite easily.

They are also predisposed to hypoglycemia, tooth decay, cataracts and tracheal collapse.  You can watch for signs of listlessness to indicate hypoglycemia or problems breathing to indicate tracheal collapse.  Straining on the leash can be a major cause of this as well.  Regular check ups at the vet can help to achieve a long life for your yorkie.

Positive reinforcement is the best method of yorkie dog training.  Through encouragement and repetition, the pup will learn to do what you want.  Obedience is important with this rambunctious pup.  If you live in Nassua or Suffolk County, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, or New York City, and would like assistance with your yorkie visit www.DedicatedDogTraining.com