How Technology Makes Training Your Dog Easier

Owning a dog is a joy millions of people know and appreciate. Dogs bring us endless amounts of unconditional love and affection, so it’s no wonder that a large majority of households own a dog. If you own one of your own or are about to buy or adopt a new canine friend, you’ll want to brush up on your dog training skills. Luckily, technology has come a long way lately, and this goes for dog training tools as well. Let’s look at these six products that use technology to make training your dog easier.

1. Smart Dog Harnesses

Dogs should be trained to go on walks and to interact with other dogs and humans right from the start. This means wearing a collar and walking on a leash. However, many typical dog collars aren’t very useful for training purposes. Your dog may be able to twist and turn to get out of it, especially if they get excited and start to run after something. The Pampered Pup has a solution – a smart dog harness.

Smart dog harnesses work much better than a typical collar because they circle the dog around the chest. Instead of fastening your leash to the collar by their neck, you’ll attach it to the clip on their lower back instead. This allows you much more control as you are out walking and training your dog. A dog harness is also more comfortable for your dog to wear for long periods of time.

2. Treat-Dispensing Pet Cameras

When you are in the process of training your dog, experts agree that positive reinforcement is the key to positive results. Your dog should always be rewarded by you in a positive tone of voice when they do something you want them to do. But what can you do when your pup is home alone for an extended period of time? The solution- a treat dispensing pet camera that runs off of your internet connection.

These cameras serve two important purposes; one, they will watch your pet from afar; two, they will dispense treats directly from your smartphone. Simply download the app on your phone to check-in with your dog while you are gone. If you wish to award them, use the app to give them a treat from the dispenser. It’s an easy solution when you don’t want all of your hard work undone because you are away from home for a few hours.

3. Dog Activity Trackers

No matter how old your dog is, they still need regular exercise every single day. It can be hard to figure out just how much activity they are getting, however. This is especially true if you are working long days outside of your home. One way to keep close track of your dog and the exercise they get is to use a smart activity tracker on them.

Activity trackers are meant to be attached to the collar of your dog. Next, download the accompanying app to your smartphone. You’ll then be able to view how much movement your dog is exerting during the day. Most models give you reports on a daily basis as well as helpful information concerning their health. When you are training your dog to get and stay healthy, being able to keep track of their activity level is important.

4. Remote Training Collars

One of the most important skills your dog needs to learn is to recall. This means getting your pup to come back to you when you call them. A remote training collar is one of the best ways to train your dog to do this and more. The collar runs off of a wireless signal that connects to a handheld transmitter you’ll hold onto while you train your dog. As you are training your four-legged friend, use the remote to get their attention when you need to deter them from their behavior.

Don’t worry, remote training collars do not hurt your pup. When pressed, the transmitter will send a signal to their collar. This signal is usually just a strong static shock or a vibration that makes them stop whatever bad behavior they are displaying. However, you should always use this type of device along with positive reinforcement training techniques for the best results.

5. Potty Break Doorbells

Another very important but frustrating job is housetraining your dog, especially when they are a brand-new puppy. It takes lots of time and patience to completely train a dog to go outside every time they need to, particularly excitable puppies who can’t always control their bladder well. Luckily, technology has a new fix for this, too!

The training tool in question is known as a potty break doorbell. Simply attach the doorbell to the wall by the door, or the door itself, at the height of your dog. As soon as you go to take them outside, guide them to push the bell with their nose. Every time you go out to potty, say the keyword while ringing the bell, such as “potty” or “outside”. Soon, your dog will learn to push the doorbell by themselves whenever they need to go.

6. Anti-Barking Tool

No one wants to hear your dog barking excessively. In fact, you could be fined for it in certain areas. Again, technology has come to the rescue in this particular training need. There are a few different devices you can choose from when you need to train your dog not to bark, from sound-emitting collars to a device you keep with you during training.

Sound-emitting collars will make a loud noise when your dog begins barking in order to correct their behavior. Some collars connect to your smartphone through an app, allowing you to send a small static shock or vibration to the collar when they bark. Other devices that do the same thing are handheld.

Remember, your dog also needs regular positive reinforcement from you while you are training them. Make sure that you keep lots of tasty treats for your dog along with your tech training tools when you’re working with them. You’ll see amazing results in no time when you have the patience to push your dog to excel!