Teaching Your Canine Utilising The Right Toys

Training your dog with toys can often be the appropriate measure, and a classic Kong toy is the choice that professional trainers make for good reason. Any dogs that suffer from obesity, fear issues, or high levels of treat anticipation can benefit from learning your expectations with toys as a reward. It is a cheaper, more effective way to reach a pup with issues and can be used for emotionally healthy canines, too.

A kong puppy toy is often recommended because it is nearly impossible to shred, tear, or chew through. Even dogs with excessively strong bites can not eat through these.

It comes with a convenient space for putting something delectable for added motivation, and they do not pose the same dangers as bones, rawhides, and other goodies when you need to leave your guy home alone for awhile.

These toys are excellent for teaching Fido how to stay home alone without fear or anxiety. Whether in a crate or on a treasure hunt, frozen canned food in the Kong toy can help him associate your absence with pleasure instead of pain. He will be pushing you out the door if this is the only time he receives such a reward. Use different filling material at other times. Be sure that a big dog does not have access to a small Kong as these can end up being a choking hazard.

Most hesitant dogs will respond better if you build the value of the toy. This will allow you to train him to do basic obedience, tricks, and even agility or flyball. Keep everything about the experiences he has with the toy as positive as possible. Refrain from yelling or scolding and never use physical punishment. Give the toy extra value by only using it for teaching sessions rather than allowing it to lie around all the time.

Small helpings of canned food can be very helpful when building value. You can use this as a treat and toy reward and then eventually phase out the treats. If all else fails, place the canned food inside and then allow your dog some play time with it. Once he truly values the experience, you can turn the attention toward training him. With a cue such as sit, the addition of canned food will help him track the toy as you lift it above him, encouraging him to go straight into the correct position.

As soon as his rear is on the floor, he gets the reward and you name the behavior. Praise the sitting, not the dog so that he learns what the word means. You can not expect any furbaby to understand the word before he has made an association with it. Imagine trying to follow instructions in a language you did not know. This would be just as difficult for you as it is for him. Praising the sit with a happily exclaimed, “Sit, ” allows him to understand after several repetitions.

The steps for using a Kong Toy instead of treats for training your dog follow the very same principle as teaching him to sit. Provide him with the guidance to perform the behavior you want, and then praise the achievement while giving him the reward. When you have built the value of the reward high enough, you can add activities that he enjoys with his reward like throwing it for him to chase. You can always train with special toys like this when treats are not the best option.


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