Currently we share our home with a very smart, and very loving little miniature schnauzer. Although things are great with him, they weren’t always. Shortly after he came to live with us, we learned that he:

1. Jumped and/or growled at every visitor to our house and barked at everything.

2. Was completely and totally terrified of visiting the groomers for his monthly clipping.

So what could be done to help him…and us? Well we did some research, and spoke with our veterinarian to learn some techniques and strategies to help him become a “good friend”. This article will discuss what we learned.

1. The barking/growling/jumping issue took some time because schnauzers, like all good little terriers are territorial, and are adamant about protecting that territory. Still, we could not scare away everyone who came to visit. So we tried all kinds of reward systems, squirting water, coins in a can, newspaper, just about everything. Nothing really worked. Finally our vet suggested a remote training collar, and after a lot more research, we tried the Innotek Ultrasmart Remote Trainer. One of the first things that we liked about it was that it has 9 stimulation levels so that we could start with the very lowest one first until we found the lowest one that was effective. It also has a tone-only training option providing more versatility. And we actually got the Innotek Ultrasmart Remote Trainer, 300 yds., which has a 300 yard range, allowing us to train from a distance. The best thing about the Innotek Ultrasmart? It worked. Within a short period of time our little guy learned good manners and our friends were no longer afraid to come visit us.

2. Now the problem of our dog being stressed by going to the groomers was really more an issue of training us as opposed to him. We decided that by learning to clip him each month at home, we could be done with the process much quicker, and he would be more comfortable, and happier as a result. So we invested in the Oster A5 Turbo Clipper, and have to honestly say that doing so has made such a difference in his life…and ours. We chose these clippers because Oster has a reputation for lasting forever, and we didn’t want to buy new ones each year. Plus, the reviews on them stated that they did a quiet, smooth, and quick job, which was just what we wanted. The Oster A5 Turbo Clipper has worked out great for us, with the only slight glitch being that the clippers can get warm, but we easily solved this by cleaning and changing the blades, and using Oster Kool Lube. They are really very easy to use, the challenge for us was just learning to get the cut right! But happily, all the challenges in grooming our little guy each month have completely vanished, and the process is now actually smooth and stress-free for all of us.

Having a dog can, and should be a joy, but it often takes a little work to get to that point. In our case, we had a little help from the Innotek Ultrasmart Remote Trainer, and the Oster A5 Turbo Clipper. But the investment and time we took to use these tools to help make life with our dog better for us and for him have been so worthwhile. The reward has been a merry, little schnauzer whose intelligence, loving nature, and desire to please truly make him our best friend!

Discover how your dog can be trained to be a happy and well-mannered best friend. Learn more about the Innotek Ultrasmart Remote Trainer and the Oster A5 Turbo Clipper, read the product reviews from other satisfied pet owners, and determine if they are right for you and your dog.