Crate Training

One of the most important things is to get a dog crate. Whenever you are not home, put the dog in the crate. The dog will not want to eliminate in the crate, because it is a confined area, and he sleeps in there. As soon as you get home, let the dog out of the crate, and take him outside right away. This way, he will automatically wait to relieve himself until he goes outside.

Work With Your Puppy

When you are home, it is a little trickier. You will have to observe your dog closely, and as soon as you see that he is about to go in the house, stop him and take him outside. Don’t give your puppy the run of the house right away. Close off some areas with baby gates or by closing doors. This way, you will be able to keep a closer eye on him, and catch him in the act if he starts going to the bathroom.

It will help to put the dog on a consistent schedule. Feed him and take your puppy outside at the same times every day. Always take him out first thing in the morning, after eating, when you get home, and last thing at night. Also, take him out every few hours. For a puppy, you may have to get up in the night and let him out as well.

Taking Your Dog Outside

When you get the dog outside, pick a command such as “go potty”, and say it every time. Whenever you see the dog relieving himself, say your phrase. Pretty soon he will understand and associate the phrase with going to the bathroom.

Always take the puppy to the same place in the yard to go potty. This will help to reinforce why he is there, and it will become a habit. Give him lots of praise when he goes. Make a big fuss about him at first, so that he knows he is doing something great by sucessfully going outside. You could even reward him with a treat if you want. Soon just taking him to his potty place will remind him to relieve himself.

Accidents Happen

Accidents are bound to happen at first. When your puppy has an accident in the house, don’t punish him. This will just make him fearful. Instead, just say “no”, and take him out right away. Say your “go potty” phrase when he is outside. Clean up the mess in the house right away. Use an odor eliminator that is made for getting rid of pet smells. Otherwise the puppy will smell that spot and want to go there again.

After a while, you will start to notice when the puppy has to go out. Start to take him out at those times.

Paper Training

It is possible to paper train a puppy as well. This involves having the puppy pee or poop on newspapers or special puppy pads inside the house. The problem with this method is that once the dog gets used to going inside the house, it will be hard to teach it later to go outside. So only do this if you want the dog to go on papers or pads for the rest of its life.

Other Problems

If you are having problems with your dog peeing in the house even after he should be housetrained, you might be dealing with submissive urination. This is when the dog pees out of fear or nervousness. This is not a potty training issue. Instead, you have to deal with the fear problem. Ask your vet or a professional dog trainer for suggestions.

Potty Training Success

Housebreaking a puppy or adult dog will be a breeze if you follow theses suggestions. Be patient, and use lots of praise and rewards for good behavior. Expect a few accidents and mistakes as part of the process. Don’t get too excited about this. Your dog will learn the proper behavior with a little time.

Potty Training Videos

Here is a video with some great tips about potty training your dog:

And here is a great idea for how your dog can let you know that he needs to go out to go potty:

Photo credit: bdollproject

How to Modify Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety Using Behavior Modification Techniques

By Kristi Patrice Carter

Separation anxiety is a condition that affects millions of dogs around the globe. It is a condition that causes intense anxiety, fear, and nervousness when the dog is separated from their human companions or pack leaders. As a result, many dogs with separation anxiety attempt to relieve their anxiety by digging, escaping, self mutilating, chewing, barking, or excessively whining.

Photo by derfel_ie

In order to help your dog overcome dog separation anxiety, you will have to retrain him to deal with the anxious feelings that he experiences while you’re gone. For some dogs, medication may be needed, but for others behavior modification is best. In this article, we’ll discuss the fundamentals of behavior modification as a way to counter condition your dog’s negative behavior and recondition him to not feel stressed and anxious upon your absence.

1. First of all, you must understand that separation anxiety is a medical condition that only gets worse with time. It is not something that you can ignore. Therefore, if your dog is experiencing the symptoms of dog separation anxiety, you should take him to the veterinarian right away. Your veterinarian will do a complete health exam and offer tips and possibly medication to assist him.

2. Second, don’t escalate the problem. This means that you must make a commitment to not spoil your dog. That is, you can’t enable his condition by giving him your undivided attention when you’re home. This just teaches him that your life revolves around his. For instance, if your dog follows you around all the time, then don’t let him. Encourage him to have his own interests and to play by himself. Give him accolades when he plays independently.

3. Third, engage in basic obedience training. That is, you must be careful not to respond to all his demands for attention and to only give him attention when you’re ready to give it to him. For instance, if your dog jumps on you for cuddles, gently push him away without making eye contact. Then when you’re ready for cuddles, you should do so on your own time. You can call him over to you and offer him your attention. Another example is if he constantly barks and whines, ignore him. This will demonstrate that you’re the “leader of the pack” and that negative behavior will not be tolerated.

4. Fourth, give your dog plenty of exercise every single day. Exercising him for about 15 minutes a day (especially before you get ready to leave) will inevitably tire him out and cause him to feel more relaxed and less stressed. After all, a tired dog is often a calmer one.

5. Fifth, in addition to not spoiling your dog, you should prepare him for departures. That is, most dogs experience separation anxiety quite intensely as soon as you leave home, so you should start paying less attention to him about 20 minutes before you leave. This will help you distance yourself from him and mentally prepare him for your departure. Another option is ignore him for 6-8 hours when you’re at home. This teaches him how to handle being alone and encourages him to entertain himself.

6. Lastly, you can try the following:

a. Only give him free access to a smaller part of the house and then extend that time as you notice a positive behavior change. Another suggestion is to use a crate when you’re away which can help him feel less anxious. The only exception to this is if a crate makes him feel more anxious. In that case, a baby gate may work better.

b. Give him some special treats when you leave. Most dogs love natural sterilized bones or a special squeaky toy. Another option is to make him a buried treasure box full of toys.

c. Put on tape recording of yourself talking, but make sure that you play the same tape when you’re at home, as well.

d. Dog proof the house. You should cover electrical cords, close toilets, doors, cabinets, etc. In addition, you can spray items with a terrible tasting spray like bitter apple to keep him from chewing on it when you’re gone.

In conclusion, dog separation anxiety is a condition that affects many dogs. By engaging in a behavior modification program, you can retrain your dog’s negative behavior and teach him to enjoy being alone. Although it may take some time, the key is to not give up on your dog. But be patient and believe that he can and will get better with time!

Have you thought about sending your dog to obedience school? Could your dog use some professional training? Here is some great information you can use when choosing a dog obedience school.

Choosing A Good Dog Obedience School

By Lee Dobbins

Everyone wants a well trained dog, but sometimes your pet may be a little difficult or you just might not have the time or know how to train him properly. Luckily you can get help and it’s as easy as enrolling your dog in a dog obedience school.

Perhaps you have seen people with unruly dogs, or maybe even have resigned yourself to think that your dog will never do as he’s told. Maybe you’ve gotten used to coming home from work and finding chewed shoes and trash all over the house. Perhaps you’ve even taken to walking your dog at night when no neighbors are out because you simply can’t control him when people and other dogs are around.

You don’t have to resign yourself to thinking your dog will never behave and in, fact you owe it to yourself and your pet to do everything you can to get him trained properly. Having a well behaved dog can save trouble for both yourself and your pet. An unruly dog could bite a neighbor or child causing you legal problems. If your dog barks a lot or gets loose all the time you may even find yourself in trouble with the police. And most importantly, if your dog will not come when called, you have limited methods to keep him out of harms way.

A dog obedience school trainer will show you how to communicate with your dog to get him to listen to you. He’ll learn how to behave around people as well as other dogs and the basic commands such as “down”, “sit”, “stay”, and “heel”. Your dog will probably even enjoy this as he will get to spend time with you which is all he really wants in the first place!

Picking a dog obedience school is kind of like choosing a school for your kids – you want to be sure to send him to the right one. Of course, since you will probably be attending as well you want one that works for the both of you so you need to do a little research before you settle on the school.

One thing to consider when researching dog obedience schools is a reference from others who have attended the school. Perhaps you have a friend, co-worker or neighbor you can ask? If not you can ask the school for references and phone someone who has been through the program. You should have a list of basic questions you can ask about the school and the outcome of the dog’s training. If you get positive answers then you may have found your school, otherwise, it’s time to move on to the next choice.

Another thing you want to do when narrowing down your choice of obedience schools is to visit the “campus”. Just like picking a college, you want to be sure that the school offers a good environment. Make sure the school seems well organized and the trainers are knowledgeable. Also, you will probably want a friendly environment where your dog (and you) feel comfortable.

Talking to the trainers at the school is also a good idea. Find out about the methods that each instructor uses and you might even introduce them to your dog to be sure they will get along. Your training will be much more successful if both you and your dog are comfortable with the trainer.

Dog obedience school can be a great way to turn your unruly pet into a great companion that will not embarrass you in social situations and you can really take anywhere you want. The whole training process can help you bond with your dog and truly help him be your best friend.

Many people wonder how to house train their dog. It is not too hard if you follow some simple guidelines. Terry Edwards gives some great potty-training tips in this article.

How To House Train Your Dog

By Terry Edwards

House training a dog is perhaps one of the biggest subjects when it comes to dog obedience training. If you do it right, there isn’t that much of a hassle. However, many people have trouble when it comes to potty training their dog because there is a bit of a commitment involved. In his article, I will give you some tips to train your dog quickly and effectively.

Dogs do not think like humans do. They do not have the ability to reason like we do, nor can they interpret verbal communication effectively. However, they can make simple associations. All dog training boils down to creating positive associations to positive behaviors and negative associations to negative behaviors.

This means you will need to have a strategy for positively reinforcing good behaviors when house training a dog. What are yours? They can be simple words of encouragement, affectionate touching, or even treats and chew toys as rewards. Anytime your dog does something positive, you must reinforce it. The quicker you reinforce it, and the more consistently you reinforce their behavior, the more of that behavior you will get.

Also, develop a strategy to punish bad behavior. Usually, a simple “No!” and a look of disdain is good enough. Additionally, you might tug on their collar to show them that you do not approve of that behavior.

Potty training a dog revolves around routines. Until you have properly trained your pet, you should have a schedule for when you take them out. Ideally, you should take them out every morning around the same time, 20 minutes after they have finished their meals, and before bedtime.

Also, put your dog on a feeding schedule as well. Feed them at the same time everyday. This way you are taking them out at the same time everyday as well. These types of routines make it easier for dogs to learn to act how you want them to act.

Finally, when house training a dog; you must be patient and loving with them. Dogs rarely learn overnight, but if you are affectionate towards them and you continually work with them you can train them properly It takes a bit for you to understand the different signals your dog will send you, but by patiently observing them you will soon be able to pick up on the subtle communications your dog is giving you.

Have you ever run into this before? Your puppy just refuses to walk on a leash. Well, don’t despair. This is a common problem. You just have to get your puppy used to the leash gradually. Follow the tips below and your puppy will soon be walking on the leash just fine.

8 Tips For How To Leash Train a Puppy

By Alex Page

A well-behaved puppy becomes a well-behaved dog. One of the most basic, but most important, puppy training techniques is leash training. When your puppy grows up and can walk on a leash without pulling your arm out of socket, you’ll be glad you trained your puppy at a young age.

Here are some helpful tips to teach your puppy how to walk on a leash without pulling or tugging:

• Find a comfortable collar or training harness. Do not choose a collar or harness that is too tight or too loose.
• Let your puppy wear the collar or harness around the house until he gets used to it. This may take a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days. But eventually, he will get used to it.
• Hook the leash up to your puppy and let him get used to it also. If he doesn’t seem to be bothered with the leash, he’s ready to go outside to be trained. If he’s afraid of it, try to comfort him, but keep the leash hooked up until he knows the leash is not a bad thing.
• When leash training your puppy, your goal is to keep slack in the leash. If your puppy keeps the leash tight by pulling and tugging, then he’s not properly trained yet.
• The easiest technique is to just start walking. If you puppy starts to tug or pull on the leash, give it a quick little tug, then turn and walk in a different direction.
• When you start to head in the opposite direction, don’t drag him along. Wait for him to catch up. As long as the leash is not tight (the leash is slack) then you can keep walking.
• As soon as the puppy starts to tug or pull at the leash again, give the leash a quick little jerk and turn around again.
• Repeat this process until your puppy understands that he is not taking you for a walk, but you are taking him for a walk.

Puppies and dogs love going for walks, and should be exercised frequently. Walking a dog who is constantly pulling you along is no fun. If you follow these simple tips when your puppy is still young, you and your dog will have countless enjoyable walks for years to come.

Agility dog training can be a lot of fun for both the dog and the owner. Here is an article about some of the equipment you will need for the agility training. You might be able to get together with some friends and share the agility training equipment among yourselves.

Getting the Right Dog Agility Training Equipment for Your Dog

By Andrew Bicknell

Agility training is considered a specialized area when it comes to dog training and while it may not be for every dog the majority of dog breeds can enjoy this exciting type of training. There is a variety of dog agility training equipment on the market today that can assist the owner who is interested in this form of dog training. The great thing about agility training is the fun that all dogs have doing it. There is no greater outlet for a dog than getting lots of exercise, and if they are learning at the same time it is a win-win for both dog and owner.

Before buying any agility training equipment it is a good idea to check out a training manual or check with your local agility training club to see which type of training and equipment is best suited for your particular dog. Because each breed of dog has its strengths and weaknesses it is important to set tasks that they can excel in. Every aspect of your dogs breeds abilities needs to be considered when determining not only the training methods but also the type of agility course to use.

The obstacle course is one of the agility exercises that many dogs and owners enjoy the most. It normally consists of a series of jumps, tunnels, hoops, turns, and other obstacles which the dog must be trained to navigate. If you have a breed that is naturally good at surmounting these types of obstacles you will find that they will learn to overcome any and all obstacles quickly and easily. The bond between owner and dog is further strengthened because of the communication and trust needed to successfully teach a dog to run these type of courses.

When training a dog to run an agility course it pays to make the experience as fun as possible. The more fun you have the better the experience for both you and your dog. Lots of positive reinforcement with praise is key to getting the best out of any dog. They naturally love to please and if they are having fun at the same time the rewards will be that much greater.

If you are considering dog agility training for your dog then it pays to do some up front research before purchasing any training equipment. By choosing the equipment that is best suited for your dog and the goals you have set you will soon see returns on your investment in your dog agility training equipment.

Having a baby is one of the most exciting things that happen in people’s lives. However, it is also one of the greatest changes in people’s lives. As you begin to prepare for having a baby in the house, you will need to give thought to preparing your dog as well. Here are a few tips in preparing your dog for when you bring home your new baby.

First, you will want to start with obedience training (if your dog has not already been trained) as soon as possible. Commands such as “sit,” “heel,” “stay,” and “down” are good to start with. Though your dog almost always means no harm, they may try to jump up and greet the baby because they do not know any better. If you work with your dog beforehand, you will be pleased with the confidence you will have in your dog when he is around the baby.

You will also want to do some role-playing or staging for your dog to simulate having a baby in your home. For example, you will need to teach your dog not to walk on the baby blanket lying on the floor or to not sniff the burping cloth or the baby’s toys. You will need to teach your dog to that the baby toys are not for him, and that he shouldn’t touch them. This may be confusing for your dog at first, but if you start teaching him early, by the time baby comes along your dog should be used to having toys around.

A huge adjustment for dogs when there is a baby in the house is that their roaming space may become limited. Many people set aside a specific space (such as the living room or sun room) solely for the baby to play in. Once baby is at home, your dog may have to adjust to differences in space. Another example would be the couch. Before baby, you may have allowed Fido to relax on the sofa, whereas now you may not want him to. The sooner you start making these tiny changes, the easier it will be for your dog to adjust.

Finally, take care to still make time for your dog. Though you will be much more busy with the baby, make it a point to play fetch in the living room while the baby is napping, or take your dog and baby to the park for a walk beside the stroller. This will help your dog feel included and not neglected. Most dogs like children and babies, and they can be surprisingly gentle as well as tolerant of children if you teach them to be.

Bringing a baby into the home results in many different changes. Of course it is a new challenge for you to adjust, but it also is for your dog. Before baby is born, go ahead and start training and teaching your dog about having a child in the home. You, your dog, and your baby will all benefit from the time you invest in preparing your dog for the new arrival.

Sometimes it is difficult to read your pup’s body language. Here are a few tips on how to read and understand your dog’s body language, as well as a few helpful hints on how to react to what your dog is telling you through their actions.

For starters, you will want to begin by watching and studying your dog. Go ahead and take your dog to a park, and see how other dogs are acting; pay attention to what they doing, and consider why they are doing what they do.

This takes time and practice, but the more time you invest in studying the body language of dogs, the more you and your dog will benefit from Rover’s communication techniques.

First we will look at body language relating to when your pup is stressed and is trying to calm down. Usually, when your dog is worried, they will usually shiver, whine or cry, and you may see the whites of their eyes.

Some ways dogs deal with anxiety is by licking their lips, walking slowly in circles, or panting. A good way to help calm your dog is by stroking them from their head to their rump, while speaking softly and reassuringly.

Next, if your dog is being aggressive, they will bar their lips back and sometimes snarl or bark. They will also display “hackles,” that is, raised hair on their back between their shoulder blades and sometimes right above their tail. Most of the time their ears will be pulled back and sometimes the whites of their eyes will show.

Usually when a dog is aggressive, it is because they feel the need to protect someone or something, or they feel like another dog has provoked them. The best way to deal with your dog when they are showing signs of aggression is to remove them from situation. However, it is a good idea to refrain from touching your dog, as this might cause them to startle and snap at you.

The next type of common doggie body language is a display of either confidence or fear. When a dog is feeling confident, they may prance around with their head held high, their tail relaxed and raised, and a relaxed mouth with their lips gently falling over their teeth.

If a dog is fearful, their ears may be pulled back, the whites of their eyes will show, and their head will not be raised. Other body language that displays fear is also a lowered head and body, and some dogs are known to hide behind your legs, under the bed, or under the table.

The final kind of body language is when your dog wants to play with another dog, or just simply wants to say “hi.” If your dog is initiating playtime with another dog, you will usually see your dog paw the air (this is prominent in puppies) or perform a classic bow by lowering their head and bending their front paws. Sometimes a friendly swat or sniff is present as well.

When playing with other dogs occurs, go ahead and let your dog do what seems appropriate to them. However, if you feel that your dog is being overwhelmed or is overwhelming their playmate, feel free to intervene for a short “breather” or “time-out.”

Reading your dog’s body language is a process, but hopefully it will be an interesting and beneficial experience for the both of you. Remember, the more you study your dog’s movements, the more you will understand and the easier it will be for you to communicate with your pup!

1. Use a harness or halter, not a collar.

This is very important, both for your dog’s health and for your peace of mind. Pulling on the leash is very bad for the dog’s neck and can leave lasting problems.

A halter will give you more control, and the dog will not pull as much. The way the collar chokes the dog itself causes the dog to pull more. A harness will make things much easier.

2. If the dog pulls, walk in the opposite direction.

Just turn around and start walking the other way. Don’t get angry or even say anything. The dog will soon realize that you are the one who controls where the two of you go, and how fast.

You will have to repeat this a lot. For a while, I had to do this a few times at the beginning of every walk, until my dog remembered. But it sure made the rest of the walk very pleasant.

3. Hold the leash close to your abdomen.

If your arm is stretched out, then a sudden pull by the dog will have you feeling like your arm is about to get pulled out. If you keep your hand close to your body (just above the waist seems to work fine), then you have much more control. If necessary, use both hands at first. But keep them close to your body.

4. Be matter-of-fact about it all.

Don’t get upset and yell at the dog. Just matter-of-factly, go along where you want to go. The dog will have to follow. The dog will soon learn to go where you want.

If you get all upset, you give a lot of control to the dog. She could be just trying to get a rise out of you. If she pulls, just calmly walk in the other direction. Don’t even look back. If she lags behind, just keep going. Keep your hands close to your body and this will be pretty easy to do, especially if you are using a halter.

It would be a real shame if you avoided going on walks with your dog because of the pulling. Dogs need walks. They need the exercise and the variety of seeing something other than their own back yard. And the exercise is good for you too. So try these tips, and I think you will see a big difference.

I once had a dog who was deaf. He had been deaf from a young age, due to a number of ear infections. It didn’t seem to concern him at all. He was great at reading “sign language”. That is, if I beckoned to him, he would come; if I held up my hand, palm out, as in “stop”, he would stay where he was, etc. If he wasn’t looking at me and I wanted him to come to me, all I had to do was stomp on the floor, and he would feel the vibrations and look at me. Then I just had to motion him to “come”, and he would come.

In fact, there were a few advantages to having a deaf dog. He would never bark. The neighbor dogs could be barking up a storm, but because he couldn’t see them over the high fence they had, and he couldn’t hear them, he wouldn’t react.

And recently, I saw a little three-legged miniature poodle at the Humane Society, waiting to be adopted. The cute little thing was hopping all over, as lively as any dog. The people who came to look at the dogs all really liked her, and I am sure she got adopted quickly.

We can learn a lot from how dogs handle their disabilities. They don’t feel sorry for themselves or get all depressed and ask “why me?”. They just go on with life to the best of their ability. They accept things as they are and don’t obsess over things. They don’t feel self-conscious or worry that people will not like them because they are “different.”

Those of us who have some kind of disability (and I think most people have some kind of “disability”; some are just a lot more visible than others) can take a lesson from these dogs.

Also, just as we seem to think nothing of accepting dogs with disabilities, we can learn to accept our fellow humans with disabilities. We don’t need to feel sorry for them or coddle them. Just treat them like anyone else. They really are no different than us.