Although they could be YouTube, DVD or videotape, instructional tips of dog training that you can watch over and over again are usually called dog training videos.  There are many specialty videos or DVDs made for specific jobs your dog may have, including being a police dog, show dog or drug-sniffing dog.  But the majority of dog training videos are made for the average dog owner in mind.

Like Recipe Books

Dog training videos are to be used a merely suggestions and helpful hints and not followed like gospel.  Your dog will often not behave like the dogs in dog training videos.  If you have a toy dog, it will be very hard to find dog training videos just for toy dogs.  So, you have to get videos of trainers working with large dog breeds and have to improvise.  It’s a bit like a cookbook, where following a recipe to the letter is merely optional, not a requirement for a good meal.

But there are some basic ingredients that should be a part of every dog’s life to help any advice from dog training videos to work.  Your dog needs to have regular exercise, eat quality food (and not too much of it), have only occasional human food as treats, needs regular vet check ups and really needs to be spayed or neutered.  Without the sex hormones running amuck in a dog’s brain, they are more ready to pay attention to you and to let you be the boss.

Positive Reinforcement

Whether you are looking for a video on housebreaking, general obedience or for dog agility training videos, you need to pay the most attention to those which feature positive reinforcement as the main training method.  If you are given dog training videos featuring punishment or the use of gadgets like prong collars, chuck them in the trash.  All you are learning from those videos is how to terrorize and abuse your dog.  Your dog then becomes terrified of you and is more prone to bite and disobey.

Methods of positive reinforcement include clicker training and shaping.  This is where undesired behavior is ignored and positive behavior rewarded with a click (or other marker noise) and a treat.  Eventually, you won’t need to give a treat every single time you give a command.  But in the beginning, it sure helps.  You need to be patient, persistent and have a big sense of humor.

If you’re looking to train your dog, there’s no need to buy brand new dog training equipment. You do need dog training equipment, and in some cases dog training videos, so that you know that you’re training your dog correctly. However, there is no rule that says you must go out and buy all new dog training equipment. The used equipment works just as good as the new, you just have to know where to look for it. You can get used dog training equipment, you can train your dog effectively and you can save money in the process. What could be better than that?

The Internet

The first place you should go for used dog training equipment is online. You can find anything on the internet these days, and used dog training equipment is no different. Log on and do a search using your favorite search engine. You should be able to find websites that sell used dog training equipment. Or, you can try an online auction site, where you can bid on used equipment. Another idea is one of the free classified ad sites where people are selling and even bartering used equipment.

Know What You’re Buying

Just like when you buy anything used, make sure you know what you’re getting when it comes to buying used dog training equipment. Pictures can be deceiving so make sure you see pictures at several angles if you’re going to buy online. Also, talk to the seller to make sure you trust who you’re getting the items from. The used dog training equipment should be in working order and should not be damaged in any way. If you want to train your dog correctly, make sure you’re absolutely certain that the equipment you’re getting is in good working order.

Pet Training Facilities

If you can’t find what you’re looking for online, you can always try a pet training facility where new equipment is often purchased every year or every few years. You might be able to catch them at a time when they’re buying new equipment. Try to make a deal to buy their old equipment. Or, if they’re not buying new equipment right now, try to get on a waiting list where you can buy their used dog training equipment when it becomes available.

These are all great places to find used dog training equipment. However, equipment is only half of the battle. You must show your pet lots of love, patience and attention if you hope to train it correctly. But this is a great way to train your dog and save money at the same time.