Training Your Puppy: Keep Your House Clean and Your Furry Friend Happy

January 27, 2010 by  
Filed under Featured, Uncategorized

Initially, a new puppy means excitement and fun for everyone. They are rolly polly balls of pure, fluffy cute! A puppy is a new best friend who will be by your side for its entire life. If you allow it, your dog will become a part of your life and you will share many fond memories together. However, even before the initial excitement subsides, new puppy training must begin.

These lessons will help set the stage for your puppy’s life. Done properly, you can promote a healthy and positive daily existence. Always discuss training with your family, even younger members, prior to introducing the new dog. Eventually, even the youngest member of the family may be required to help reinforce puppy obedience training. The best time to bring a new furry friend into your family’s home is during periods of calm, when time can be arranged for puppy care. Ideally, holidays and other celebrations are discouraged. These events can be hectic times that may add stress to your pup as he or she adjusts.

The family should play a role in training a puppy. For example, one of the simplest activities we do each day is ascending and descending stairs. If you have a stair case in your home, your dog will inevitably have to learn to navigate it. This process may prove very intimidating from a dog’s perspective. Take it one step at a time.

Have your family situated just above the pup on the stair.  Encourage and urge your little dog to climb up. He or she will most likely be timid at first; some dogs adjust to this faster than others. Size is also a factor. Never place a small, young dog high up on a staircase. The pup could fall and possibly injure itself. Climbing stairs is not a natural activity for a dog in the wild, so it takes time and practice to learn.

Believe it or not, putting on a collar can be traumatic for a pup.  A big part of knowing how to train a puppy involves patience and understanding. Start by carefully and calmly buckling the pup’s collar on. Never put the collar on too tight. Never replace your pup’s buckle collar for a choke collar. While these can be valuable training aids, they are not intended to be the actual collar. Your pup may nip and scratch at the collar, but give it time. Eventually, he or she will accept it. If the collar causes excitement levels to go too high, try leaving it on for short periods, slowly lengthening them until your pup no longer minds.

House training your puppy is one of the first things you will cover. This will help keep your home clean and odor free. It takes time and patience, but do not worry, eventually it will happen. It takes time for a young dog to develop strong bladder control, so do not take every accident as intentional. It is much more likely your pup became overly excited or was urinating submissively.

Training your puppy should be a fun and enlightening learning experience. You can get the entire family involved. Children can learn much about a growing life by observing puppy development and having a hand in basic lessons. Educate your little ones on the importance of patience and consider drawing parallels between the dog’s progress and their own when they were not much bigger than a pup!

Copyright Danny Taylor

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The Basics of Dog Training: Taking the First Steps in Obedience

January 27, 2010 by  
Filed under Featured, Uncategorized

No matter how you approach the lessons you teach your canine companion, the basics of dog training are still important. Dogs are very in-tune to vocals and body language. They pick up on these key indicators quickly. The very first thing every dog will learn is its name. This may sound simple, but the name will help form a base of communication. Your dog will now know when you are requesting his or her attention.  The name may also be used for a recall.

Some people prefer to use another word as well, such as “come” or “here,” rather than the dog’s name. When choosing the proper terms to use, remember consistency is vital. If you start changing the words you use in basic puppy training, your furry friend may become confused. This can lead to frustration on both your end and that of the dog.  You will be setting the tone for each lesson, so remember to maintain consistency as well as patience. Eventually, you can introduce a second way of stating the same command.

Anyone attempting beginner dog training should also keep in mind that dogs are very receptive to your tone. Each command should be given in a concise and sharp manner. Eventually, as your dog moves along in training, he or she will respond better to a less firm command. However, you must maintain a position of command or your dog will not be convinced it should obey. This does not mean yelling or shouting angrily at your pup. You may need to adjust a little based on your individual dog’s personality.

A dog that lacks confidence or is overly timid may grow afraid if you sound as though you are shouting at it. Keep your tone low and firm, but without an edge of excitement. A dog that is playful may have a harder time staying focused. Try making a game out of training. Also, remember, proper exercise will keep your dog’s energy levels at a healthy low that can be a benefit during beginners dog training.

Your tone of voice can also act as a reward to your dog. When praising, make sure to praise them and adjust your tone accordingly. An extremely high and fast manner of speaking may get your dog too excited, and can make the basics of dog training even harder.  Be observant of your dog’s reaction to your various tones and make any necessary changes.

One of the biggest mistakes made during the dog training basics stage is to punish your pup for bad behavior after the fact. Only punish your dog when you catch him or her in the act. Dogs live in the now. Your dog will think you are scolding it for nothing. This can lead to fear and anxiety, as well as damage your budding relationship.

Remember the basics of dog training before you begin each lesson. These simple tips can make the process as painless and efficient as possible. Enjoy the time you spend with your dog. Even lessons teaching the most basic commands can be a bonding experience. Your dog will learn to trust you and will appreciate your guidance. The basics of dog training will help you and your pet get started on the right foot for a lifetime of companionship and good times!

Copyright Danny Taylor

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Cleaner Pet Care: Dog Paper Training

January 27, 2010 by  
Filed under Dog Training, Featured

One of the most important training decisions a new pet owner will make is how to go about housebreaking their four-legged family member. Toilet training a dog can be a tedious and frustrating task.  In general, dogs are willing learners and want to please you. However, getting the correct message across can be difficult. You cannot explain the reasons you do not want your pup to go in the corner of the living room or near your houseplant. Instead, you must utilize a little bit of know-how and a lot of patience so your pup gets the hint.

Potty training a dog is very important, especially earlier in life. This will set the tone for the dog’s habits later on. You can housebreak an older dog. However, it can be much more difficult.  Consider the options available before starting the training process. This will help you set a clear course for success, rather than jumping from one dog toilet training method to the next. Doing so can confuse your pup and cause potential dog potty training problems.

There are two main approaches to toilet training your dog. The first, and most common, is to teach your pet to relieve itself outside. A good way to go about it is to always use the same part of yard. This will train your pup to always go to this area, keeping the rest of the yard clean. It also helps them understand exactly where you want them to go for such activity. This method takes practice, but in the end, you will not have to deal with any mess in your house. The only down side is your yard can get messy, and may require clean up every so often. This method can also become a chore during the winter months, should you live in an area that sees a lot of snowfall and cold temperatures, or a lot of rain during spring. No matter what, you will have to brave the weather or risk an accident!

A second method is indoor dog potty training, or paper training. This type of housebreaking is popular among those who live in apartments or urban areas with little or no grass. During bad weather, you can be thankful you do not have to grab your jacket or umbrella to go outside. This also eliminates the problem of being ready the moment Fido feels the natural urge. On the other hand, this method is usually better utilized with small dog potty training. There is also more potential for indoor accidents, should your dog become confused by a furniture move or any other changes in your home. On top of that, you have to remember that your dog will be relieving itself inside, which means you will have to clean up daily.

Unlike outdoor dog toilet training, paper training a dog requires less waste being left in the environment. It is a cleaner option and will also leave your yard looking pristine and lush. If you choose a paper dog training technique, keep in mind that a puppy does not have a well developed bladder. It will take time for your little furry friend to develop his ability to hold it. Remember to stick to a schedule to keep accidents to a minimum. Every forty-five minutes or less, take your pup to the potty area. In no time, he will understand you want him to go there and become a well trained member of the family!

Copyright Danny Taylor

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How to train your dog to stop barking

January 27, 2010 by  
Filed under Dog Training, Featured

Dogs will bark instinctively, often as the result of a visual stimulus like a bird or bus nearby, or noise such as a phone or motorike passing by. They may do it as a means of protecting their patch, or to display their boredom or anxiety. They will bark as a means of displaying their dominance, or maybe just as a way of getting your attention.

It may even bark just for the sheer fun of it!

If you’d like to read more about how to train your dog to stop barking, check out Learning how to stop dogs barking

To try and prevent your dog barking entirely would be unreasonable and a little unfair – a bit like telling a child that he’s not allowed to laugh or shout ! A much more advisable tactic is to gain total command of your dog, who will then be more likely to remain obedient to your commands to stop barking.

You could set up a false situation in which you would actually want your dog to start barking – during an attempted burglary for example. Ask somebody to come over to your house to help, and ensure that there will not be any interruptions or distractions. Make sure that your dog is in a calm frame of mind, then tell your friend to try to come onto the property in a way that an invited guest would never try, like through an open window. Now get your dog to bark at your helper, saying a phrase such as ‘bark’ or ‘who’s that’. What you do now is you tell your dog in a relaxed assertive voice to stop barking, using the command ‘be quiet’ or ‘shush’. When the barking has stopped, allow him to take the treat, praising him enthusiastically for his good behaviour.

To check out loads more useful information and advice on ways of stopping dogs barking excessively, have a look at Stop excessive dog barking

Continue to repeat these steps, ensuring that your dog stays quiet and focussed on you for longer each time before he gets his reward. The aim is eventually to be able to stop your dogs barking on your command, and keep him calm and attentive for an extended period of time. Your dog will understand that he reacted in an acceptable way if you remain happy and calm as you praise him.

Going through these stages in an controlled environment will mean that your dog is much more likely to default to this new behaviour when something unexpectedly causes him to bark at a later stage.

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I hope that you have found reading this page beneficial – why not take at look at some more advice on how to stop a dog from barking, by checking out Ways of stopping barking dogs

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