Posted on Dec 05, 2008 under puppy training |
Dogs are considered man’s best friend. Throughout the ages and of all animals, dogs have been man’s companion. More than companions, dogs serve a variety of functions. There are working dogs (e.g., police dogs) and dogs that are used as guides for the disabled. Farmers and livestock owners use dogs for herding, and some home owners get dogs specifically to guard their property.
Whatever the primary purpose of a particular breed of dog is, it’s important that it receive proper training. Many dog training professionals will attest to the importance of having a well-trained dog. You don’t have to be a professional dog trainer to train your dog. You can do simple activities to teach your pet how to behave.
Dog training tip #1: Curbing your dog’s digging behavior
As a dog owner, you need to understand that dogs are social animals. When they are lonely or alone, dogs resort to digging. Loneliness isn’t the only reason dogs dig, though. In some instances, dogs that dig are experiencing some sort of nutrient deficiency. To make up for this condition, dogs oftentimes would eat the dirt they dig. If your dog tends to dig a lot, spend more time with him. It also pays to have your dog checked up to make sure that his health is in good condition.
Dog training tip #2: Potty training your dog
A reward-based method works best when potty training your dog. To use this method, give your dog a treat after it potties in the right place. Following up good behavior with a reward will make it easier for your dog to remember doing good behavior.
Dog training tip #3: Repetition is key
Whenever you are trying to teach your dog something—whether it’s a trick or making your dog obey a command—repetition is important. Repetition and consistency are keys that will help your dog understand a command. To test if your dog knows a command after so many repetitions, test him without any assistance. Do this at least three consecutive times to make sure that your dog’s grasp of a command is not simply a fluke.
Dog training tip #4: Communicating with your dog
When training your dog to follow a certain command or do a certain thing, it’s vital that you not just issue the command out. It’s also important that you direct your dog how to perform a command or drill as well as correct your dog if he doesn’t follow the command properly. Be consistent when you are issuing out commands and trying to teach your dog to develop certain behaviors. For instance, if you are trying to teach your dog not to chew on slippers or shoes, do not praise him one day when you see him chewing on a slipper.
Dog training tip #5: Proper timing in training your dog
It’s always best—and professional dog trainers will recommend this—to train your dog when it is still a puppy. When it comes to training dogs, it is indeed true that old dogs can’t learn new tricks. So start training your dog early.
Dog training tip #6: Let your dog know you’re the boss
Dogs are pack animals, which means they follow a hierarchy. Thus, when training your dog, it’s important that you establish yourself as the alpha dog (the leader). Your dog needs to understand that he is the submissive being. Avoid showing any fear when your dog snaps back. Doing so will break the established hierarchy you have with your dog. When your dog is doing his exercises, never allow your dog to stop mid-way or not complete the exercise. Firmly let your dog know that it should do what you, the alpha dog, wants him to do.
Dog training tip #6: Act around your dog
Your puppy will naturally want to chew on things so give your puppy an outlet for his chewing urges. You can give your puppy a chew bone to chew. If your puppy tries to chew on you, yelp loudly, fold your arms and ignore your puppy for about ten minutes. When a puppy becomes too rough on other puppies, the others yelp and tend to ignore the puppy. However, you may need to assess your puppy’s personality because he may react to the yelping by biting more and even harder. If this happens, you may need to apply a more aggressive approach.
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Posted on Nov 20, 2008 under puppy training |
Just like babies, puppies have no control of when or where they “unleash their goods”. Having a puppy urinate inside your house is definitely not going to make you happy and it won’t do any good for your puppy when you get mad with him/her.
It’s important that you tackle this issue early on in the pup’s life and teach them some discipline. You may be surprised to hear this, but it’s true that a dog that has an authority figure and learns right from wrong will lead a more prosperous life and will make your job of caring for them much easier.
It’s not too difficult to correctly potty train your puppy, however keep in mind the process can take anything up to 1 year.
So how exactly do you potty train your puppy? Read on to find out the basic techniques and a lot of useful advice.
Restrict the Puppy’s Freedom
You should restrict the area in which the puppy can move around. What this will do is decrease the chance of the puppy urinating in a place, which they shouldn’t. Lay the potty paper in an area outside and then put a fence around so the puppy cannot roam elsewhere. It’s not supposed to be a jail so make it large enough so the puppy can run around and have fun. Of course you can take the puppy inside occasionally but you need to make it clear that the area is their home for the time being.
Wet the Potty
When setting up your potty you should place some of your pup’s urine on the paper and then walk them to it so they can smell it. This will give them the idea that the area is where they should be urinating.
One Potty,One Place
Many people who try to potty train their puppy have great difficulty, so they decide to set up multiple potty areas in hope that the puppy will use at least one of them. This is a bad idea as it will only confuse your puppy and they will not learn to use a potty effectively. You should only ever need one potty area.
It Takes Time
Younger pups need to go to the toilet every few hours, so put a leash on them and take them to the potty area and give the puppy 10 minutes to do their thing. If they don’t need to go, take the puppy back to its area and then try again in about 20 minutes. You should not play with the puppy until it uses the potty, once they do, you should reward them by playing with them, praising them or feeding them.
Reward Good Behavior
Whether you feed them or praise them, it’s essential that you reward your puppy for their good behavior. Rewarding a puppy will make them happier and teach them discipline and a happier dog in the long run is going to listen to you. A good idea is to reward them every time they use the potty.
Make a Potty Journal
By keeping a journal of the time it takes your puppy to urinate after eating, it will make it easier for you to train them and understand their habits.
Mistakes will Happen
Please remember not to get angry with your puppy if they urinate in the wrong area. At an early age they lack many skills that older dogs have much like how a toddler may urinate before they make it to the toilet. The best thing to do if your puppy urinates in a wrong place, is to simply say “no” or “bad dog”and then walk them to their potty area.
All in all, by following the above advice, your puppy will be well on there way to being potty trained and you will have a well mannered and obedient dog because of it. However make sure you give it time, it’s not something that most puppies can learn in a week or so.
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