Posted on Dec 08, 2008 under puppy training |
While a full advocate of dog obedience training even at the young age of puppy, it needs to be said that like children, dogs are only a puppy for a very short period of time. Yes, it’s a time for training and socialization and housebreaking and everything else that goes along with owning a puppy. Still, all too often we forget the real reason why we bought a puppy in the first place. Fun!
Romping with a little puppy is one of the few inexpensive joys of living. At this time, puppies think that you are probably the absolute most wonderful person. They learn to anticipate when you come home from work and when you leave in the morning. I had a Rottweiler for almost 13 years that even in those later years when he slept most of the time, my dog always managed to be at the door just as I was walking in. Kids grow up and go off on their own, but a puppy grows up to be your very own four-legged fan club.
I remember laying on the floor in the living room reading the newspaper after a hard days work. My Rottweiler puppy Willie, would unceremoniously plant himself right in the middle of the newspaper making certain to lick my eyeglasses. It was almost as if he was saying there would be no more work today, it’s time to build some sweet memories.
We would end up playing around and wrestling on the floor. I know you should never play with the dog with your own hands but Willie and I seemed to have this bond that was kept all throughout his life. When he tired, my little pup Willie would go over to the fireplace and curl up in the wood carrier. Sometimes he would decide to go to sleep directly on my slippers with his nose firmly lodged inside the right one.
I did crate training with Willie to housebreak him. Of course there were accidents but he was a great dog nonetheless. It took awhile but he got the hang of it. Although we moved several times during his life, Willie always seemed to know that going to the bathroom in a house was just wrong.
Willie and I had a great time together a short 13 years. Sometimes even today I long to once again enjoy that distinctive puppy breath and see my 4 legged friend once again waiting by the door. He was a great dog. I will never forget the time we spent together.
If you’re thinking of getting a puppy, remember to enjoy the good times and not obsess over training and other necessities. He’s only a puppy for a short while and they leave way to early.
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Posted on Dec 02, 2008 under puppy training |
Housebreaking a puppy is probably the number one reason people donâ??t enter into dog ownership. There is no doubt that this is the hardest part of owning a puppy, but if the process is started immediately and taken seriously your puppy will be trained in no time.
Kennel Training
First and foremost, buy a kennel. This is as important as the toys the leash and the food dish. Kennel training is the easiest and most effective way to housebreak your puppy. Not to mention it will save you hundreds in cleaning bills and damage to your personal property. Forget all you that you have heard that kenneling a puppy is cruel. By providing a kennel for your puppy you are actually catering to his natural instinct as a den animal. Depending on your puppyâ??s breed, choose a kennel that can accommodate the puppy as a full grown dog. You will be surprised how much your mature dog will utilize their kennel as a place of refuge or just as a place to hang out years down the road. Whatever you do donâ??t use the kennel as a place to punish your pup. Make the kennel a fun and safe place your puppy will want to be.
Start the process immediately
After you pick up your cute fuzz ball at the breeder make the first stop the backyard or the outside area you plan to take your pup to do his business everyday. Get him acquainted with a spot. Dogs are creatures of habit that crave a schedule and familiarity.
Put together a schedule the entire household will follow on how to of care for your puppy. When everyone is on the same page it will be easy to housebreak your puppy. Puppies on average eat three times a day and sleep about 18 hours a day. After every feeding take him out to his spot and go with him. http://www.dogbreedadvice.com/ Yes, even when itâ??s below freezing and snowing. Take this into consideration when youâ??re deciding what time of year to bring your puppy home. You need to make sure he takes his outside trips seriously. Eventually you will be able to open the door and let him out, but not at first.
Newspaper training is a waste of time when housebreaking a puppy. Youâ??re just making more work for yourself. You will end up training your puppy twice, and time is of the essence in the house breaking process. You can never take your puppy out too much. They must go out first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed. If you are accustomed to staying out till 3 am and sleeping till 10, then maybe you arenâ??t ready to have a puppy.
Now back to the kennel. As I mentioned before, puppies sleep a lot! So after a meal, a trip outside to do his business and some playtime, put him in his kennel. Repeat this and it will become habit. Start out leaving your puppy in the crate for short periods of time when you are home. Gradually extend the stay and take him outside after each time. Dogs in general will not mess where they sleep. If the housebreaking process is done correctly there will be minimal accidents. Donâ??t leave a puppy to run free when you are not home. You are just asking for a mess.
Bedtime
Right before you go to bed throw on your slippers and head out one last time with your puppy. When you come back in, give your puppy a treat and tuck him into his kennel for the night. All night! Donâ??t cave to the sad cries of a home sick puppy that would rather snuggle under your down comforter. Before you invite your puppy into your bed remember, cute 10lb puppies grew into 80lb adults! To ease the loneliness you can put a radio near the kennel or a leave on a night light. After a night or two, when your puppy realizes the crying gets him nowhere, he will stop. Itâ??s so important to remain consistent in this house breaking process or it just wonâ??t work. There is no such thing as a partially house trained dog. They either get it or they donâ??t.
Praise, Praise, Praise
Last but not least dogs crave praise. After every outside trip make a big deal. Scratch under his chin and give him a treat. Donâ??t scold your puppy for accidents unless you catch them in the act. Puppyâ??s memory capacity is small. He will have no idea why he is being punished after the fact. If you do catch him in the act, grab him by the scruff of his neck, as his mother would do in the den, and give him a firm NO! Then immediately clean the area with an odor eliminating cleaner.
So thatâ??s it in a nut shell. Puppy training sounds a lot harder than it is. With a little patience and a kennel, you are on the path to puppy training success
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Posted on Nov 29, 2008 under puppy training |
Imagine the next time you join a discussion about puppy training. When you start sharing the fascinating puppy training facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.
Dealing with problem puppy behaviors:
Everyone who owns a puppy or dog will eventually have to deal with and correct less than desirable behaviors on the part of their companion animal. There are a number of behaviors that should be nipped in the bud, including:
Jumping up on people. This is one of those behaviors that many owners inadvertently encourage in their animals, since jumping up, wagging his tail and the like can be adorable in a young puppy. When that puppy is older, larger and heavier, however, this jumping up behavior ceases to be cute and begins to become annoying and even dangerous.
A large, heavy dog jumping up on people can be dangerous to young children and even to some adults, since a large, 100 pound plus dog can easily knock down a child or small adult. Since you as the owner are responsible for the behavior of your dog, it is important to nip this problem behavior in the bud.
The best time to do that, of course, is when the puppy is still small and easy to handle. When the puppy jumps up on you or someone else, gently place the puppy’s feet back on the floor. When the dog remains standing there, be sure to praise it extensively.
Those of you not familiar with the latest on dog training now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.
It is also important to give the puppy an alternative to jumping up. Puppies jump up on people to express their enthusiasm, so it is important to redirect this energy in a more socially acceptable direction. Try teaching the puppy to present his paw instead of jumping up.
When teaching the puppy to not jump up on people, it is important to be consistent. Consistency is important in any training program, and all members of the family must understand that the puppy is not permitted to jump on them.
Pulling, charging and tugging on the lead. One problem you definitely want to nip in the bud is this one. It is important that the puppy learn to respect the collar and leash now, when he is still small and light enough to handle. Teaching this lesson to a 10 pound puppy will be much easier than teaching the same lesson to a 150 pound dog.
Using a good strong body harness or head collar can be a big help when training a puppy not to pull, or to retrain a dog that has already learned to pull on the leash. When first fitting a harness, it is important to allow the puppy to walk around wearing it, so that he can get used to wearing it. The first thing your puppy must learn, and the basis of all subsequent training, is teaching your dog to heel. Teaching your dog to walk quietly at your side on a loose lead is the basis of all dog training, and until your puppy has mastered this vital skill he will be unable to move onto more advanced training.
When walking with a puppy on a leash, it is important to always keep slack in the leash. If the puppy begins to pull on the leash, the handler should quickly change directions. The puppy will then find itself lagging behind instead of forging ahead. The least will be loose except for the split second it takes to change directions. It is important for the handler to use a quick tug of the leash, followed by an immediate loosening, when teaching this lesson.
When teaching the puppy to walk properly, it is important to never allow the puppy to pull you around, or to forge ahead on the leash. Allowing the puppy to pull you around will teach him exactly the wrong lesson.
If you’ve picked some pointers about dog training that you can put into action, then by all means, do so. You won’t really be able to gain any benefits from your new knowledge if you don’t use it.
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Posted on Nov 26, 2008 under puppy training |
Housebreaking any new pet can be a difficult chore, but with repetition and practice the challenge will become easier and easier. If you want the puppy to listen only to you, then don’t allow him to play with other persons. Potty training your new puppy is a necessary evil.
You must do the same routine every single day and it is important to give your puppy a lot of extra attention as this will make the house breaking process much easier.
Your pet is living in a human world full of confusing things and behavior he can’t understand. It is better to create good habits in the beginning, if you start early you can stop behavior problems such as biting or jumping on furniture.
Every dog owner knows that when he/she treats the dog with praise the dog will get greater satisfaction and will execute the command more readily than if the dog receives discipline in another fashion. So when training your dog needs positive reinforcement.
You can train a dog on your own, or you can join an obedience training class and get instruction from professionals. You will find many resources online and most of the online sites are free and you will find many tips and secrets to dog training.
If you really want to train your puppy you will need to put some effort into it. And some type of dog is trained just for that.
Having a dog that can perform tricks and is very obedient and well trained is the pride and joy of every dog owner. While they are generally warm, loving and loyal, they can be trained to be more obedient. Even if you only have your dog inside for a short amount of time he or she must be trained not to leave a mess.
The correct position for the heel command is your dog at your left side with his shoulder and front leg aligned with your left leg. When you and your dog have a good relationship and training will come very easily. As your dog progresses in his training, youâ??ll be able to give him a command in the middle of a crowded area and heâ??ll obey you.
When training your puppy make sure you use positive experiences because negative experiences might affect your puppy, so make sure you make the training positive and fun. And this training requires frequent, consistent, and appropriately timed positive reinforcement. Unlike man, dogs do not know how to differentiate between positive and negative attention.
Your dog will its best when it receives praise, so using positive words and reinforcement you dog will do it best when training him/her. There are two elements at work here: positive reinforcement and intermittent reinforcement. All positive commands should be spoken sharply and distinctly during training.
When training your pet you can use the treat system, this system is training with a treat by rewarding your dog with his/her favorite snack for following your commands or doing something good. Try to go outside with him at least every thirty minutes or so, and make sure you praise or reward him for relieving himself outside.
Properly crate training your puppy is one of the best things that you could possibly do.
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