| By :
Dirik Hameed
There are many reasons to train your dog with toys, and a Kong classic toy can be one of the best training aids around. Overweight dogs, dogs that are prone to over excitement when the treats come out, and dogs that are not comfortable enough to take treats in certain environments are far from lost causes. You just have to know how to motivate them. A kong original is great aid to teaching efforts for a wide variety of reasons. Even the dogs with the strongest of bites can not readily destroy this toy. By design these are the toys that are almost impossible to tear apart. They can hold a yummy morsel to encourage interest without being a source of unwanted calories. Additionally, you can leave them with your best friend unattended provided you have offered them the appropriate size. Never leave a small one lying around when there is a larger furkid in the home. If you have a small pooch and gentle giant, the smaller of the Kongs can get lodged in the throat of the bigger dog. Keep everything size appropriate for safety. You can help encourage your furry family members to be happy about being left along by freezing something delicious inside the opening and teaching them how to go find their special rewards as you head out the door. Only use that special frozen treat when you are leaving and it will not be long before your restless ones actually want you to leave. If you have not been able to get the kind of motivation that you want, try building the value of the toy. Dress it up with yummy goodies, put it away when you are not teaching him, and never yell or act aggressively toward him while the session is going on. Any kind of meat, canned food, or even peanut butter in small doses can be helpful for building up the toy's value. Stuffing it with Kong stuffing also helps. If the effort you are putting forth does not yield a result, stuff the Kong with goodies and then allows him to have it. When he is done, pick it back up. When he is really excited about seeing you get it for him, you know it has a high value to him. Then start teaching him basics through guidance. Sit should be a guided positioning by raising the toy so he has to look up at it. Of course, as soon as he does you want to present the reward along with a very happy "sit!" Avoid naming any behavior until he understands what it actually means. Otherwise you are simply asking him to do what he can not comprehend. Using a Kong toy as your training aid will help keep the calories down, provide good stimulation for alone time, and can be used the same way that you offer treat rewards. As he starts to associate pleasing you and fun with his toys, you can start adding other rewards like throwing it for retrieval or a good swim.
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