Housetraining Tips and Advice
April 26, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
No training is more basic for pet owners than that first important lesson: Do it outside!
Teaching your pet to eliminate outside the home, not in it, usually starts between six and eight weeks of age. Dogs as young as four weeks have been started on the program, but at that age they may not have the muscular control to succeed.
With any dog training program, trainer patience is as important as the dog’s temperament. ‘Sit’, ‘stay’ and other behaviors can often be learned in a few days. House breaking typically takes weeks – sometimes as short as two, often a month or more.
As with other learned behaviors, it helps to watch for signs of the daily duty and enforce and direct them with a voice command followed by praise. In this case that technique works even more to the trainer’s advantage, since all dogs will naturally eliminate. The tactic is to get them to do it when and where you want!
Observe for circling or squatting, then pick up the pup, say ‘outside’ and dash outside. The puppy may circle some more, but will often promptly squat. Once it starts, say ‘Go potty’ ( or some other unique phrase) in a clear, firm (but not angry) voice. Once the puppy has finished, lavish him with praises.
You won’t always be able to catch the puppy about to begin, but don’t become angry or impatient when the dog eliminates indoors. It takes some time for your puppy to learn to tell you it’s time to ‘go outside’. It also takes time for the muscles needed to control bladder and bowels to mature.
Usually,young dogs need to eliminate every 2-3 hours. If you haven’t spotted pre-elimination behavior within that time, take the dog outside anyway. Issue the command ‘Go potty’ and wait. At first, usually, the dog will have no clue what you want.
Especially, even when outside, it helps to wait and observe for the desired behavior then issue the command. That helps the dog associate the command with the behavior. If the dog hasn’t eliminated after a few minutes and a few ‘Go potty’ commands, take it back inside for an hour. Of course, if you see the pre-elimination behavior in less time, go outside again immediately.
Puppies have a surprising ability to quickly learn what their ‘alpha’ (the leader of the pack) wants. This is almost always accomplished by associating a verbal command with behavior, followed by praise. Punishment is usually counter-productive, and nowhere more so than in waste elimination training. Never rub your pup’s nose in waste.
Paper and/or crate training is preferred by some. A pup can be trained to potty on a newspaper, or on one of the chemically treated pads designed for the purpose. Some small breeds that live all day in the home may not need to go outside at all.
The technique has a couple of downsides however. Unlike cats, dogs will hardly go in a perfumed litter box. Newspapers (even with the top layer removed after the dog goes) will eventually create an unpleasant smell in the house.
Also, long before the odor becomes repulsive to humans, the aroma is a heavenly scent for dogs. Dogs don’t find the smell unattractive – quite the opposite. And that is where the problem lays.
Dogs that are paper trained sometimes will prefer to potty indoors. Sometimes they’ll miss the paper by only an inch, creating a smelly mess to clean up.
Once the scent is deposited in the carpet, the dog will continue to seek that spot out as its proper ‘place to go’. This makes training the dog to eliminate outside even more difficult. Best to suffer a few accidents than to create a hard-to-overcome habit.
Patience, praise and consistency are the keys to any dog training. Elimination training is the first challenge for you and your dog.
Get more tips and advice on housetraining or dog training at Luvurdog.com/dogtraining
Buy this tool for dog training
All kinds of clothes and costumes are out there for dogs. Some are cute, some are funny, but very few are practical.
But how about the dog backpack? This "costume" is actually worthwhile. It can even aid in training your dog.
You can find great deals on backpacks, with prices ranging from just a few dollars all the way to $100, depending on the brand of the pack and the size of your dog.
The best part is that while the packs are stylish, they can actually help you train your dog and build a healthier lifestyle. What would you say is the biggest dog behavioral problem? I would say it’s how hyper dogs in America are. They just don’t get enough exercise, let alone training. Well, a calmer dog is able to learn more. He is able to sit still and listen, pay attention. A dog backpack can help you get to this point.
Think about taking your dog for a three-mile walk and how he comes back just a little tired or not tired at all. If you put a pack on his back, he will become tired faster. He is getting more exercise, and therefore he will be healthier. He will also be mentally worn out because he has to learn something new and focus on something other than his usual routine (pulling, peeing, sniffing etc.).
So if you haven’t checked out some deals on packs for dogs online or at your local pet store, it is well worth the money.
Where should your puppy live?
April 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Breeds of dogs all differ, just as owners Differ. Housing your dog depends on many factors, such as your lifestyle, your dog breed and the amount of room you have to spare.
For those who dont know me, my name is Sue Walton, and I am a professionaly accredited Dog trainer and coach. This article shares with you some of my top dog housing tips, but for my best secrets and heaps more info, you need to visit my site on dog training tips, which has a huge section on choosing and siting a great kennel/dog house.
We can start with looking at which breed of dog you own. Housing the dog depends on its requirements to remain safe warm and dry.
Toy varities, by the virtue of their petite size, make brilliant house pets. Many owners of small dogs such as terriers, shitzu or bichon are happy all the time, provided they are trained well!
These small dogs respond well to the home, providing they know their place inside! You’ll probly discover that a matt or a doggy bed around the size of a cat bed will suffice for these little breeds.
Keeping them in garage or laundry could be ideal, provided that your dog feels safe and it feels like it has a little area of its own. Dogs are known for being territorial after all.
As for bigger dogs, such as medum sized pointers, boxers and terriers, you will learn that keeping them inside becomes tedious or irritating. Not just for you but for your dog also.
They need spacious areas that the outdoors gives them.
Also, you will have to consider the space and room that you can offer for housing your dog.
If your garage is dry, cosy and there is not to much junk, it may be a great place for your dog to be, if however its full of stuff and your pet has to live in a corner where it cant make its own space, it will become irritated.
For those of us that live in areas like apartments and duplex houses (or attatched units) you should be very wary of how your dog will be exposed to the neighours. Many dogs dont take to kindly to being housed where people can annoy them and interrupt them.
Youve also got to consider what sort of breed requires what sort of housing to live in.
The breeder will have sussed you out before selling a dog, to see if your home suits that breed, however some people often come across dogs in other circumstances. Do plenty of research into your chosen breeds living requirements. A lazy bulldog will surely be happy with a corner of the yard and not much space, but you try and keep a livly breed like a pointer in a small yard, and you’ll drive the poor dog insane. Active breeds such as working dogs, needs space and roomy enclosures.
If your in this situation, and have a yard space for your pet to be housed and run around in, ALWAYS ensure that the fence you put up, is in good order and is secure. Consider that your pet must not get out, but also consider if anything else can get in the yeard. Cats, other dogs & children are known for getting into places where they shouldnt be, and this can lead to trouble!
Housing a dog also has situational requirements. Think about your climate, and where your kennel will be. will your dog be cold? Windy? Directly sunny? Consider all these factors when pacing a dog house in your yard or chosen space. Insulated kennels might be required if the place you live is frosty or snow prone.
Obviously, in this circumstance a saint bernard will be happier than a greyhound, so exercise common thought about the breed your dealing with. Think about hot areas, that can affect a dog really quick.
Black paint on that kennel might suit your house, but will it cook your dog….? As far as buying a kennel goes nowadays there are great off the shelf items that suit many homes. Moulded ones are popular but watch out if your pet is a chewer!
Avoid GRP kennels like the plague, as the glass can lead to harm and discomfort for your pet. Wood ones are hard wearing and look great also. If your budget allows, go for a wood kennel!
My best dog housing tips, and some great examples of kennels and enclosure designs can be found at my dog resource page on housing your dog. Check it out, and the rest of my site www.dog-hobbyist.com
