Potty Training Your Dog or Puppy

Before You Get  Dog or Puppy Get Prepared for Potty Training Your Dog

Probably the very first thing you are going to want to do with your dog it teach it to “go” in the appropriate place.  Before you even get your dog or puppy you better think about what place that is.  It could be inside or outside depending on what your living situation is, house or high rise apartment, the size of your dog, and your personal preference.

My personal recommendation is that the dog should be trained to go outside if at all possible.  Skip paper training your dog unless you want to keep them going on papers all the time.  It’s just as easy to take them outside to go than to have them go on papers only to have to retrain them to go outside.

Your dog is clueless when it comes to potty training.  You are going to have to get him to understand what you want him to do and it’s pretty simple if you are willing to spend time with your dog so you can recognize when he’s got to go.

The other thing you should do, in my opinion, is to get a crate for your dog that is not too big. Get something that is cozy that she can feel comforted in and just barely stand up in.  You may have to get a few crates if you get a puppy as they grow and you don’t want a crate that is too big.

For the dog owner the point of the crate with potty training is to keep the dog confined so that accidents are less likely to occur and isolated to the crate if they do occur.  I’m not saying keep your dog in the crate all the time, but if you can’t keep an eye on him and he’s not trained yet then he gets placed in the crate.  It should feel like home-sweet-home to your dog.

There are many ways to potty train your dog in a positive manner.  You can find examples on youtube if you search carefully.

We have a really good report available for you to help you potty train a puppy or an adult or older dog.  At the moment it’s free but soon we’ll be charging a nominal fee for this excellent resource.  Click here for the Free Report.

Some reasons to train your dog to go outside:

  • Dog urine and feces smell bad, especially in your house.
  • Your guest will think it’s gross that you encourage your dog to pee in the house.
  • Getting outside is good for you and your dog.
  • Taking your dog on a poop walk (bring bags to pick it up) is a good way to meet your neighbors and get some exercise.
  • Dog pee outside doesn’t smell up your house inside.
  • If you ever need to re-home your dog you’ll have a much better chance of finding a good home for him if he’s trained to go outside.

Click Here for How To Potty Train a Puppy or Any Adult Dog, regardless of prior failures.

 

 

Technorati Tags:

Five Things to Remember: When You’re Working With Your Dog.

Working with your dog? These five tips will help you get the most out of your dog training session:

Dog Training - Jan 2009

1. Stay Calm: Getting anxious or upset will only frustrate you and your dog.  Staying calm will help you to connect with your dog and prove to you and your dog that you have confidence to be a reliable leader.  This will help you to build trust with your dog and to speed up training.

 

2. Be Consistent: Consistency is possibly the most important thing to remember.  Dogs are creatures of habit. Having a consistent daily routine as well as consistent training and direction will help your dog to feel more comfortable with its surroundings.  This in turn will aid you in the work you do with your dog.  Try to keep things such as feeding time, play time, training time, quiet time, and bed time consistent. Also be consistent with your expectations.  Don’t say a command one day and then change it the next (i.e. don’t say “down” when you mean “off”; don’t say “wait” when you mean “stay” and vice versa.)  This should apply to praise and direction as well.  Don’t be over the top gushy on one day and then barely acknowledge an achievement the next day.

3. Be Kind – Not Easy: Dogs are very astute at picking out a ‘soft touch’ as well as learning each of our weaknesses. Be fair to your dog.  Make sure they understand the result you are trying to reach and the trigger word.  However, once they know the commands, don’t allow them to get away without following them.  Don’t make excuses for your dog not following through on a command. And don’t let things that you once trained slide or old habits that have been broken creep back in.

4. Always Think Ahead: Don’t allow your dog or yourself to be put in a compromised situation.  Always scout areas for training or exercise before you take your dog there.  Remember to take any supplies or training equipment you might need.  Consider making a bag to take with you or using a check list.  Also, keep your eyes and ears open for any distractions that may come up.

5. Know When to Say When: When training, don’t push things too far.  If you’ve had a great 45 minute training session with your dog and they are starting to tire, then call it quits.  You should always end on a good note.  If your training session is not going well, then work on easier skills you have already achieved for 5-10 minutes and then end the session.  If you’ve had a really bad day and you’re unable to focus on training, then focus on management.  Work on sharpening old commands, try doing a series of commands before you throw a ball.  Think of ways to fulfill your dog’s needs without allowing their training to regress.  Trying to train when you are unable to focus on your dog will do neither of you any good.

This article was written by Dog Trainer  John Adams from  Dogheart in Ann Arbor, MI.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Technorati Tags:

Dog Got Stuck in Water Tank

A chocolate Labrador Retriever.
Image via Wikipedia

Cats often get stuck in trees. What would you say about a dog stuck in a water tank? It was Sunday when firefighters found a dog in a water tank in an old water treatment plant in Charleston. People reported hearing barks from inside. It was not determined yet as to how the Labrador retriever got inside the empty concrete tank but it was pretty clear that the dog needs help.

According to Charleston Fire Chief Pat Goodwin, firefighters climbed down the 14-foot deep tank and raised the dog using a harness. The dog weighed about 80 pounds.

Coles County animal control officer Josh Pfoor said the dog, although scared, is already fine. The dog was reunited with his owners.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Hungarian Flying Dog

We have always dreamed to fly that’s why there’s the airplane. However, nobody has ever seen a flying dog, except maybe in cartoons.

A storm just sent a dog flying for 20 miles away from his home. Luckily the dog lived through the fall and he was found by Kalman Csutor, 20 miles away from Tamas’ house, the owner of the dog. Csutor was kind enough to bring the dog back to his owners so he opted to contact a local radio station to locate the Tamas.

According to Tamas, as he was dismayed by the damage caused by the storm to his house, he later found out that his dog and the dog house was gone.

The owner of the dog decided to change this pet’s name to Lucky. A very lucky dog indeed.

Technorati Tags:

Stop Dog Aggression: Follow These 5 Suggestions

Angry german shepard.
Image via Wikipedia

Does your dog curl her lip from time to time or growl at you? Does he get frustrated easily and start attacking toys and other objects for no apparent reason? Does your pooch try to mount you or herd small children? If any of the above applies then you immediately need to think about stopping dog aggression. All are signs of aggression, although there are others too. As such, you need to be vigilant for them and all other signs so that you can stop dog aggression in its tracks!

As soon as you can identify the signs, you need to deal with it and begin to stop dog aggression immediately. Sounds easy enough. It might, but sometimes it really is not that easy at all. You need the correct tools at your disposal when stopping dog aggression because without them you will find that your methods may not work. The following essential tips will help you:

1. Don’t cut your dog any slack. Once he displays aggressive growling or biting behavior it’s time to step up to the plate and become the alpha leader. Get in your dog’s space and tell him NO in a stern voice immediately. Turn him over on his back if you need to. Don’t loose your temper. Be firm! You want to control dog aggression.

2. Socialize your dog because getting him or her used to people and dogs alike will help to teach manners and appropriate social behavior. This can also eliminate anxiety so you can have peace of mind that your attempts of stopping dog aggression will work.

3. Never give up because no two dogs are the same. What works for one may not work for another in terms of discipline and encouraging good behavior. Try several different techniques and methods until you find the one that works best for you because all of that effort will be worth it in the end.

4. Assert rules at home when stopping dog aggression because if your dog does not have to obey certain rules there then he or she will not obey them anywhere else.

5. Finally, if all else fails, employ a trainer or go to obedience classes for a fresh perspective. Stopping dog aggression via classes can give you a break and help you to learn as well. You may just need someone to role model in the behaviors needed to show your dog who is boss.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Technorati Tags: ,

Dog Aggression – What Signs Do You Need To Recognize

this is my friend's dog. she really really lik...
Image by Malingering via Flickr

Believe it or not, stopping dog aggression does not start soon enough in many homes with dogs that exhibit some sort of aggressive behavior. This is because some owners either ignore the behavior and dismiss it as a one off or just simply do not recognize aggression in dogs.

The only way to solve this is to acquaint yourself with the signs that you need to know in order to get a jump start on stopping dog aggression sooner rather than later.

The most common signs of aggression are widely recognized by all dog owners and yet few go about stopping dog aggression immediately. The dog will growl, snarl, curl his lip, bite or snap at a human, animal or object. It can be just one of the above or a combination ? either way, it is aggression.

There are other more subtle signs of aggression though that you may not notice. These can appear at any time, either singularly or in a combination, but very few trigger stopping dog aggression because few owners recognize them.

These are behaviors of an aggressive dog that every owner should know of and watch for.

1. blocking a doorway or path

2. mounting people

3. lunging

4. barking and advancing slowly but deliberately

Now that you know the signs of dog aggression you must become equipped to start dealing with your dog’s aggression. Understand that aggression that is not directed at humans is still aggression.

Many owners ignore it providing that a human does not get hurt or feel threatened as a result. However any form of aggression should be dealt with regardless of where it is directed. You wouldn’t want your dog to kill your neighbor’s cat or small dog or heaven forbid, a small child!

Enhanced by Zemanta

Technorati Tags: , ,

Stop Dog Aggression: Determine The Cause

The dog is actively stalking a bird. I think t...
Image via Wikipedia

No matter what other advice or information you read if you are looking for a solution to help you in your quest to stop your dog’s aggressive behavior, the one piece that you cannot ignore is this you have to find the root cause before any attempt at stopping dog aggression can ever work.

Stopping dog aggression is a human desire rather than a canine one because domesticated dogs were once wild and, as such, needed to be aggressive in order to protect their territory, food, family and of course themselves. They also needed to be able to establish a place in the pack. As such, dogs today may still have those tendencies. Some dogs are incredibly placid but all dogs have the ability to turn if they feel threatened or insecure so it may be wise to plan on stopping dog aggression no matter what your dog?s disposition.

However, dogs that display infrequent aggression are not the same as dogs that display aggression all the time. The former is natural, and the latter may be due to anxiety, previous abuse if you have a rescue dog, a lack of socialization or even the inability to trust strangers.

No matter what the root cause behind your need for stopping dog aggression, you need to identify it before you begin the process of stopping it. This root cause must be treated first and foremost because it is essential in making sure that your dog can ultimately feel safe and lose any aggressive tendencies.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Technorati Tags: ,

Stopping Dog Aggression: Four Types Of Dog Aggression

Two dogs (one old and one pup) play-fighting, ...
Image by gopal1035 via Flickr

If you want to stop dog aggression realize this: there is not just one solution for every dog out there to stop aggression for ever. Dogs are like humans in that they all have their own personalities and some will respond to certain incentives whereas others will not. However, some will definitely look to you to provide them with the safety and security they need to stop their aggressive behavior. You need to identify the type of aggression before you can do that though.

Stopping dog aggression may or may not be an easy task at all and this is why it is important to establish the type of aggression before you try to stop the behavior. You will need to identify which of the following types your dog displays before you start:

1. Dominance Aggression. When working on this problem, you need to get to the bottom of the problem. There can be any number of reasons why your dog is trying to be dominant but you have to exert your own authority and make sure that you are perceived as the alpha dog.

2. Fear Aggression. This type of aggression is common in rescued dogs or those that are really timid and of a nervous disposition. This is a dangerous type of aggression that requires you to make your dog feel secure when stopping dog aggression.

3. Possessive Aggression.  Territorial and possessive aggression is another major form of aggression and one that should be stopped in its tracks purely and simply because anything can set it off and, if left unchecked, this will definitely escalate and expand.

4. Redirected Aggression.  This is harder to handle because it is difficult to manage. Redirected aggression occurs when your dog cannot deal with the real source of a threat or anxiety so do a little digging and then use positive reinforcement when dealing with this type of problem.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Technorati Tags: ,

Stopping Dog Aggression: Does Breed Matter?

Niko Soaks Up Sun
Image by meganpru via Flickr

Some dog owners anticipate stopping dog aggression when they get a new pet pooch but others do not. This is a fact and is largely related to the breed of the individual dog in question. For example, you may expect to put stopping dog aggression plans in your agenda when adopting a Rottweiler but not when adopting a Labrador. Although the latter?s nature is generally more easy going, that does not mean that stopping dog aggression is not on your horizon. Why? Because aggressive dog behavior is not unique to certain breeds. It can and does affect all breeds, with around 1% of every single breed going displaying aggressive tendencies.

Accepting this is actually the first step towards stopping dog aggression completely. Many owners go into denial when witnessing aggressive behaviour. Their Labradors, Greyhounds, Boxers, Pugs and other breeds may be easy going by nature but any of them may display aggression. Thinking it is cute or that you imagined it may make you feel better but it will not help your dog.

All breeds are capable of aggression, regardless of their nature or their purpose. Environmental factors can lead to aggression. Abuse can lead to aggression. Natural competition within the house can lead to aggression. You must accept that your dog’s breed makes no difference and only then will you be ready to start the process of stopping dog aggression.

There really is no such thing as aggressive dog breeds as any dog is capable of aggression.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Technorati Tags: ,

Stop Aggressive Dog Biting

A dog in a wire crate strapped into a car for ...
Image via Wikipedia

Did you know that biting is a natural action for a dog? It was an essential tool for survival when they used to run wild prior to domestication. So even if your dog nips on a regular basis, this “natural” behavior can be eliminated when you train your dog to stop being aggressive. It is possible to trust a dog that bites again as a result, providing that you give him or her the right training.

If you are committed to training your dog not to bite and to eliminate aggressive behavior, then you should recognize the fact that biting is a bad pattern. It may include a challenge, some barking or growling, lunging and snapping before the bite occurs. You must stop these companion behaviors right away or it will lead to more aggression and more biting because your dog got away with it. As soon as you notice any of these behaviors, you must deal with it sternly.

First determine what may be causing anxiety or aggression in your dog. Crate training can be beneficial because it can provide your dog with a safe haven to go to when needing comfort and safety. You might also want to look at his or her behavior overall to see if there is a pattern so you can deal with that as a whole when addressing dog aggression.

It is important to remember that biting needs to be completely eliminated from your dog’s behavior. You need to prevent it occurring ever again so use positive reinforcement to discourage biting. Do not correct only one single element of bad behavior, address then all. Leaving a few bad biting behaviors could result in some dangerous end result. Discovering the root of the behavior and the training out the bad behavior itself is the only way to stop dog aggression and aggressive biting so make sure that you do just that.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Technorati Tags: , ,