Below is a list of common dog training collars and tools. What is most appropriate for your dog should be based on your personal goals and needs. There is absolutely nothing inhumane about any of the items listed and it is essential to realize that a dog's physiology is very different than a human being's.

Inappropriate barking is often the greatest annoyance to dog owners. One of the biggest mistakes that new dog owners make is to angrily yell "QUIET!!" at a dog when it is barking. The dog does not understand what "quiet" means, so to yell angrily is simply unfair to the dog. In addition, since the dog has no idea why it is being scolded, the angry tone only causes conflict in the relationship. It is even more unfair when dog owners say they want their dog to bark when someone is at the front door or approaches their house.

Teaching

If you want a dog to perform a desired behavior, remember the "3 T's". Your time should be spent teaching, training, and testing. A majority of your time should be spent teaching and training, while testing should only be done once in a while. One of the biggest mistakes made by dog owners is that they test before training or, even worse, they test before teaching.

A dog's mentality is very simple as it learns based upon "pleasant" and "unpleasant". When training a dog, we teach it that it is pleasant to display what the owner considers desirable behavior and unpleasant to display undesirable behavior. Therefore, it is imperative to understand when it is appropriate to reward, withhold reward, or punish. Every trainer has a different preference when it comes to the type of reward to give a dog. I prefer to use food when I'm looking for a little less excitement and more precision.

Not only is your dog of great value to you, but so is your time and money. Seeking out a good trainer for your dog is essential, however, it is often difficult to figure out who is the best choice. Here are some guidelines and things to look for to help you make the right decision.

1. A good trainer can guarantee to deliver results. This means that they should have no problem delivering what they promise. For example, if a trainer tells you that he/she can teach your dog to lie down, they better be able to get to your dog to lie down.

With so many dog trainers advocating different obedience training methods, it is often difficult to figure out which is best for your dog. In order to help you make the most educated decision, it is important to understand the underlying principle of dog training. All training methods and techniques fall under one simple concept- dogs learn from pleasant and unpleasant. Dogs will perform certain behaviors and actions if the result is pleasant and avoid certain behaviors and actions if the result is unpleasant.

The use of pinch/prong and electronic collars in dog training has become an increasingly controversial issue. With debates on humane treatment, it is important to look at the facts in regards to use of these tools.

A dog's obedience is 99% a result of the owner/handler and 1% a result of the dog. A dog will only do what it is allowed and taught to do. Many house pet owners become frustrated with their dogs when it comes to obedience training and problem solving, yet they do not realize they are actually the ones making the mistake. Here is a countdown of the top 10 most common mistakes made by dog owners.

10. The owner somehow believes the dog naturally understands English (or any other language spoken by the owner).