Archive for June, 2009


Potty Training A Puppy

There are a number of reasons why dogs have problems with inappropriate urination and in some cases defecation.

Unfortunately most dog owners don’t understand why this happens and are unsure what to do.

It can even happen to dogs that have been trained and housebroken.

Many dog owners who are unable to address the problem simply take their dog to the pound as they assume there is no alternative to the problem that they are unable to solve.

Unwanted urination is a very common problem that many dog owners face and is more common than most people would assume.

You will need to eliminate any medical reasons first, as there could be bladder infections that are causing the urination, but aside from that there are other reasons why dogs will urinate.

One of the most common reasons for a dog to lose control of it’s bladder is from excitement and you will generally see this happen a lot more with puppies.

With puppies this is a lack of bladder control that will generally stop, as they get older.

Puppies are often unaware that they are urinating when they get excited and to reprimand them for doing this will cause confusion.

To get angry with your dog for excitement urination can lead to other problems where the dog will begin to urinate from submissiveness rather than excitement thereby creating another problem that will need to be addressed.

With excitement urination the best cure is prevention and that is achieved by not allowing your dog to get overly excited.

And the best way to stop your dog getting over excited in certain circumstances is to expose him/her to those situations more often until they no longer get excited to the extent that they urinate.

Puppies will eventually grow out of excitement urination as they develop better bladder control.

Submissive urination is something that is common in the wild, where dogs, being pack animals, show their submissiveness to the leader of the pack by lowering themselves and urinating.

Where a dog is showing signs of submissive urination this is effectively a sign of insecurity and is very often associated with dogs that have been abused.

It can be difficult to correct submissive urination and quite often the best method is to ignore what is happening and focus on developing a better relationship with your pet and help to build it’s self confidence.

Michael Silvester
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/yes-you-too-can-learn-how-to-potty-training-a-puppy-with-ease-119453.html

Despite their rambunctious behavior at times, puppies are eager to please and they desperately want your love and approval. Much like a newborn baby, puppies need to be taught right from wrong and they need to learn in a way that involves both patience and understanding. Not only can effective puppy training lead to a better relationship between you and your four-legged friend, but it may also save your pet’s life one day.

One of the most popular types of puppy training techniques involves housebreaking, which will teach your pet the difference between his/her home and bathroom and why the distinction is so important. By nature, your puppy will not want to relieve itself in his/her home and will appreciate having a separate area for that sole purpose. When your puppy has structure, he/she will be much happier and healthier.

Obedience training is another important goal of many pet owners. Puppies are especially energetic and, if not trained properly at a young age, can grow into an unruly dog. In order to prevent this from happening, obedience training should begin as early as possible and may either be done by you at your home, or by an instructor. In many cases, your puppy will respond better to you and your commands because he/she is already familiar with you. If you enroll your pet in an obedience training class where other animals are present, your puppy may become anxious or disruptive. If possible, it’s a good idea to train your pet at home by using your own puppy training techniques that will give you full control over methods, treatment and effectiveness.

When it comes to any type of training, your puppy will appreciate the ability to understand your commands. Dogs who never seem to obey their owners lack both discipline and structure. They may never understand the importance of “stay” in the face of oncoming traffic or the “off” command to be used to prevent your pet from jumping up on guests in your home. An unruly pet cannot be taken out in public, may never enjoy a stroll through the park and may have a very difficult time at the veterinarian’s office. While your pup is young, he/she is small and will be controllable. The real problems start when a puppy grows up without being taught how to act in public, how to react to other animals and how to respond to your commands.

Puppy training is most effective when used in conjunction with the reward method. This involves giving your puppy a treat when he/she does something on command and should be followed by loving strokes and praise. Your puppy will learn to respond to the tone of your voice and he/she will love hearing positive tones because this means that you are pleased. Although they seem to be nothing more than a ball of energy at times, your puppy is really hoping for your approval. This desire will especially show through as he/she begins to mature and, with the proper training, your puppy will become very familiar with what “good dog” means. Not only that, but he/she will also know how to earn the title.

There are many great resources for dog training available on the internet. One of the best ways to find these resources is by reading independent reviews and comparison rankings. In this way you can be confident your pet is getting best training possible.

Brian Dolezal
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/obedience-training-why-your-puppy-will-love-you-for-it-98938.html


Dogs or puppies are the most adorable pet and their cuteness is irresistible. But when they start to urinate and poop improperly, you will probably freak out. Before your patience runs out, you must learn some tips and tricks on how to potty train a dog.

Why you need to know how to potty train a dog? Like a child, puppies need to be trained to poop and urinate properly. It will help you keep you house in order and you don’t have to clean up all the time when your beloved puppy starts to pee on your slippers, furniture and newly cleaned carpet.

Crate your dog. It is easier to potty train a dog if you can watch him closely during the potty training period. He may do something nasty if left alone, so it is best to crate him to closely monitor his actions.

Give proper dog food. To help you potty train a dog easily, you have to take into consideration the kind of dog food you prepare. Not all dog foods are good and dog foods have effects on your dog’s poop. The amount of food your dog eats determines the amount of poop he will eliminate. The more waste in his food the more waste your dog will going to eliminate. Ask your veterinarian about good quality dog food.

Scheduled eating and drinking. Create a fix schedule for feeding and drinking. Avoid treats before bed time. Water should be given in small amounts. If there is too much water available, dogs usually get the habit of drinking too much when bored or stressed which could lead to improper urinating. Setting a strict schedule for feeding and drinking is a big help to effectively potty train a dog.

After establishing a fixed schedule for feeding and drinking, it is now time to make a bathroom schedule to effectively potty train a dog. Dogs need to pee and poop 15-20 minutes after eating and drinking. Take him outside on scheduled time daily, in the morning when he wakes up, after his meals, after his naps and before bedtime. Take him to the same spot every time he needs to poop or pee, this will teach him to recognize the spot or place by smell when he needs to go back to pee or poop. If he fails to eliminate, bring him inside again to his crate and after 15 minutes take him outside again on the same spot to potty.

Teach him to recognize a word or phrase every time he needs to pee or poop. You can repeat the words “go outside and poop” to help him associate these words or phrase each time he needs to eliminate. This will teach your dog to go outside on his own when it’s time to poop or pee.

Praise him. Remember that your dog wants to please you and praising him each time he followed your instructions will send a message that you are pleased with his behavior. It is important to send a positive message to effectively potty train a dog.

It takes time to potty train a dog and you need patience. There are cases that dog owners are unsuccessful in training their own dog due to dog’s behavior problems and aggressiveness. In this case you need help from the experts for your dog’s obedience training. Transform you dog’s behavior problem with proven strategies and get immediate results visit Dogs’ Corner

Gerry Restrivera
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-potty-training-how-to-potty-train-a-dog-749538.html

Great tips to teach your puppy basic commands. More on www.eukanuba.com

Duration : 0:6:3

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

From Karen Pryor’s Puppy Love (available at http://www.clickertraining.com/store), Carolyn Clark gives you an overview and some tips on potty training your puppy. To learn how to teach your puppy to ring a bell when it needs to go potty, check out How to Teach ‘Ring the Bell’ for Potty Time by Virginia Broitman and Sherri Lippman. From the ClickFlicks Learning Center. http://www.clickertraining.tv

“Clicker training” is the popular term for the training or teaching method based on what we know about how living organisms learn.

Research has shown that any creature—whether a dog, cat, dolphin, parrot, fish, horse, llama, or person—is more likely to learn and repeat actions that result in consequences it desires and enjoys. So clicker trainers provide consequences desired by their animal in exchange for actions or behaviors desired by their trainers.

We call these consequences “rewards” and the process is called “reinforcement.” Clicker training, therefore, is a positive-reinforcement-based system of training.

First widely used by dolphin trainers who needed a way to teach behavior without using physical force, operant conditioning (the scientific term for clicker training) can be and has been successfully employed with animals of all sizes and species, both domesticated and wild, young and old; all breeds of dogs and puppies, cats, birds, leopards, rats, rabbits, chinchillas, fish, and more.

Clicker trainers who learn the underlying principles have at their disposal a powerful set of tools that enable them to analyze behaviors, modify existing methods for individual animals, and create new methods where none previously existed. This flexibility allows the tools of clicker training to be re-invented in new forms that work in a range of situations, and for an infinite variety of animals.

The same principles have also been applied to training for athletes, dancers, skaters, and other people. Called “TAGteach,” this form of training uses a click as a marker signal to teach precise physical motions quickly, accurately, and positively.

More information can be found at http://www.clickertraining.com

Duration : 0:3:22

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Puppy training starts as soon as your new puppy arrives at his new home. Before you bring him home look at puppy names and decide what you are callling him. Below is a list of puppy training tips to guide you during the first month of acquiring your pet.

Week One: During your puppy’s first week home (he should be around 8 weeks old), it is important to take him for a vet check up. Sample of his stool is checked for worms and preventive inoculations are given. As I said puppy training starts on day one by calling him by his new puppy name.

Set up his eating area as well as his crate or sleeping quarters. Begin the process of house training as well as collar and leash training. Watch him while he plays by himself and observe his style and personality. Play gently and enthusiastically but avoid rough housing. Say “Ok” whenever you feed him, hand him a toy or a treat as you walk out the door with him. Use plenty of praise all the time.

Week Two: As you play with your puppy, gradually add simple phrases and words into the games. If he is retrieving, say “Take it “as you throw the object. Praise him when he brings the object back to you. Say “Out” as he drops it and praise him again. Continue with “Ok” during meal, for going out, with playing, housebreaking, leash training, and observing.

Week Three: During the third week of puppy training begin to correct him gently for nipping and for chewing on shoes, cords, and furniture. Provide a toy for him to chew instead. Even if he stays inside the house, be sure to walk him around on his leash everyday. Always use eye contact. Say “Watch me” to draw his attention to your eyes. Praise him for looking at you. This method teaches him to look to you for direction.A great leash training idea is to begin tying his leash to your belt and have him trail around wherever you go; starting for a few minutes at a time, working up to an hour as it becomes easier. This will help him bond to you and will also help with his puppy training.

Start teaching table manners, beginning with “No” and “Ok” for food. Initiate the “Sit” and “Stay”, working for no more than five minutes at a time this week. If you are at home most of the time, make sure that you leave him alone for short periods of time during the day to get him used to being alone. Begin to correct the stealing of food and found objects - keeping in mind that prevention is your best correction. Correct excessive barking, noise, and whining.

Week Four: Carry on with all of the above puppy training, adding more time that he walks properly on leash. Continue practicing “No” and “Ok” with food no more than twice per week. Continue to let him explore the house under supervision, both on and off the leash. Initiate the “Come” and “Down stay” to your puppy training program. Work with your puppy no more than fifteen minutes at a time. If he is going out, you may start teaching him to “Heel” but do it very gently. Get him used to grooming procedures such as brushing, nail clipping, and occasional baths. Always make sure that every puppy training session is run as a game that way your puppy will enjoy himself whilst being trained.

John Mailer
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/simple-puppy-training-tips-for-the-first-month-98073.html

Potty training your dog should start as early as possible while he has not yet caught up on bad habits like urinating anywhere he likes.

If you are bringing home a puppy then you are lucky because there are better chances of potty training your dog at this age. However, do not expect a puppy to immediately learn how to control his bladder in a few weeks because you will only get frustrated.

Your task in potty training your dog is to take him to the specific areas where you want him to do his thing. But when he commits a mistake do not shout at him or hurt him because he will not learn from this. The best way to deal with accidents is to just wipe the urine or poop immediately and then continue potty training your dog.

Here are a few important tips to remember if you want to succeed in potty training your dog:

•Try using newspapers while on the training process to protect your house from dog urine. Potty training a dog can be done in various ways like taking him inside the house but confining him in a room or a small space with newspapers until he learns how to do his thing properly.

•Always remember the times when your dog has to urinate or defecate to avoid accidents. One way of potty training your dog is by taking him out at specific periods to enable him to associate urinating and defecating with going out. Potty training a dog especially puppies can be easy if you know the times when they are expected to urinate.

•If you have puppies then take special notice of their irregular potty habits. Puppies need to urinate often because their bladders could not hold out their urine for longer periods. Take out your dog the moment he wakes up or a few minutes after he finishes his meal.

•Be vigilant of your dog’s actions as they might indicate a desire to urinate. Watch for other signs that your dog wants to urinate or defecate like irregular barking, sniffing or circling the floor.

•Always give a reward when your dog successfully does his thing right. When your dog is successful in giving you a signal that he wants to go out to urinate or if he is successful in doing his thing in the proper area then reward him for it.

•Consistency is the key. It may take a lot of effort on your part but being consistent will help a lot in potty training your dog. Training your dog today and then allowing him to urinate on the rug the next day will not teach him to urinate in the proper area.

Success in potty training your dog can be so sweet after you have tried your best and sacrificed a little of your time in potty training him.

James Lee
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/potty-training-your-dog-112396.html