You may think that dog training aids are out there for you to spend money and not actually reap any benefits from. That is not the case. Dog training aids are there to help you succeed in teaching your dog. This could be teaching him obedience, agility or any other type of teaching you want to do. There are many aids available but only a certain few will work with your dog and his temperament.

I find the best training aid to be treats. Small pieces of human food chopped up and given to him when he has done something good has always worked wonders. At our home we used hot dogs cut up into tiny pieces. The dogs love them. This is a really cheap method of training aid but if you want to blow some cash there are hundreds of options available for you.

Agility Training

For dog agility training aids that are available are things like anti bark collars. Many dogs have a problem when they do dog agility in that they bark constantly because of the hype involved. Anti bark collars do one of two things, sometimes both. They give a small electric charge when your dog barks and/or spray some water up into their face. People may think this is cruel but it is completely harmless it just lets your dog know that barking is not acceptable. These collars are available at pet shops and on the internet and are not to expensive.

Clickers

For dog obedience some dog training aids that are available are dog clickers, the newest craze out on the market which allows owners instead of associating sit with a word they use a click instead and reward with treats, no punishment allowed. We have found that clickers work very effectively, and they are very cheap. Just a dollar or two. A clicker and pieces of hotdog is are very cost-effective training aids.

Harness Training

Another aid available is a harness; this gets fitted around your dog’s upper body so when you are teaching him to heel a slight tug on the harness pulls him back completely. The harness is a widely used obedience aid and is greatly used for bigger dogs such as German shepherds and Rottweilers (and my aunt's Boston Terrier, pictured to the right).

Housebreaking your puppy is fairly simple if you follow a few steps.

Using a Crate

Besides a puppy, you will need a create, some treats, a leash and an enzymatic cleaner. A crate similar to the one you would carry your dog in while traveling is perfect. You may think placing your dog in a crate for this purpose is cruel, but remember dogs are den animals, and like small enclosed locations.

The dog will also not want to soil the area within the crate. There are exceptions to this, such as the puppy that comes from a pet shop or any place where they have been confined to a cage.

Buy a crate which is large enough to fit your dog when it is grown, but block off certain parts of it with cardboard. If you don't do this, the puppy will use the bathroom in one part of the crate and sleep in another. You just want to leave enough space for the puppy to rest comfortably.

If you can't watch the puppy, put him in the crate. Put toys and things in there with him so it is comfortable and your dog doesn't think you're punishing him. If he begins yelping, ignore him until he becomes quiet before letting him out. If you take him out when he yelps, he will think he can yelp whenever he wants to leave.

Take the Puppy Outside After Eating

After every meal, and after a large drink of water, take the puppy out to relieve himself. You also want to take him out after he has been playing vigorously. When the dog sniffs, runs around in circles, or whines, that is a signal he needs to go and relieve himself.You may want to take him out every 30 minutes during the day and every four hours at night until he can sleep through the night. Make sure you place treats in the area where he wants to relieve himself, and reward him when he does.

Accidents Happen

If he has an accident, don't yell at him. You can either take him outside and reward him when he finishes or in some cases you may want to hold his nose above where he used the bathroom so that the smell will make him think twice about using the bathroom there again. After a while he will begin to listen.You must remember that puppies are babies, and it will take them about 6 months before they can sleep through the night without supervision. They will have to be a bit older before they are able to be fully housebroken.