The Importance of Puppy Obedience

Puppy obedience should start early on in the whelping box. The basics of puppy obedience training may be initiated by the breeder from whom you purchased or secured your puppy.

Puppies, according to studies, are not ready for any training until at least three weeks of age. Their entire world revolves around their mother, eating and sleeping. By the 21st to 28th day of a puppies life they begin to leave the blanket and search for somewhere to do their business. During this stage, puppies start becoming more conscious of their environment, and also become more sensitive to stimuli. Lessons that an animal learns at an early age will have a greater impact on their obedience training as a whole.

Getting Puppies Started with Encouragement

While training puppies to obey, you need not use punishment to induce their readiness to please and do the right thing. Positive reinforcement and treats work best of all. Negative stimuli should well be limited to saying ?no? and blocking any negative actions from your puppy with your hands. Hitting or hurting is unnecessary for a young puppy and it should really be avoided.

Puppies should be rewarded with praises and positive affection each time they respond correctly to a command. If not praised, puppies will lose enthusiasm and interest in obeying you. Alternatively, when given praise and caressed soon after a command is correctly executed, your pet will learn that following these things are fun and rewarding. Puppy obedience will also be developed as he learns that repeating proper actions will reap rewards. Positive reinforcement such as praises and treats strengthen the understanding and willingness of the pup to follow and respond to commands.

A Consistent and Proper Timed Approach

While puppy training, you should keep in mind that timing is everything. Your movements, actions, and corrections are related to the puppy?s ability to understand the lessons and trainings taught to him. It is imperative that pups learn to recognize that the corrections are given as a result of his untoward action and behavior and that it will not happen if only he did what was expected of him.

For instance, a puppy who chews on a toy in a different room may not respond to the command “come,” and unless it is reinforced, he will not learn to obey it. However, if the young dog is told to “come” under circumstances such as when on a leash, followed by a gentle pull towards the trainer, and subsequently followed by praising the dog, then he will find out that when hearing “come”, he should head towards the trainer, and that rewards will be waiting.

Puppy obedience training is best taught in easy exercises, one by one. It will be simpler concept for your puppy, instead of trying to teach all the exercise is a single session. Bring your patience with you when you are training and use positive reinforcement. Slowly your puppy will learn to obey.

Puppies Communicate Through Puppy Barking

Canines bark, so a puppy barking is a completely normal phenomenon. Be prepared for puppy barking, whining and howling when you bring them home as it is what they do! If you have a dog that you love, you know that you are going to hear plenty of barking, whining, and howling at almost any time. There is no way to train your puppy to stop barking completely and you would not want him to anyway. Of course, everyone will benefit once you have your dog’s barking under control. You, your neighbors, and even your dog will be happier.

Why dogs start barking

Dogs who are confined or alone a lot without exercise store up energy and need an outlet for it. If there is no one around to tell a dog to stop, he will tend to start barking as a hobby. That is why it is not a good idea to leave your dog alone all day. Before you know it, your dog will be barking just because it is fun. Many dogs, once they start barking, do it because they think it’s fun and enjoyable.

You may have trained your dog to bark too much by accident. You obey your dog when he speaks. When the dog barks, you let him out. When he barks again, you let him back in. A puppy quickly learns that barking earns him a snack; they bark and they get rewarded. A puppy gets attention from you by barking. For this reason, it is easy for barking to become a habit. After all, the puppy wants your attention, and if he barks, he gets your attention. Of course, if your dog is not barking, you won’t be reminded to give him treats, praises, and other reinforcement.

Exercises and Puppy Barking

It is important to realize that when your puppy barks there are many reasons for this, like boredom, being lonely, mad, or scared. Things will greatly improve when you spend time with your puppy. While you are away, a puppy will generally spend most of the day sleeping as long as it is content and well-exercised. Be sure to give your dog some of your time. He needs your attention and the benefit of training, exercise, and play.

Puppy obedience training is as tiresome a mental exercise for dogs as it is for humans. Most puppies and dogs enjoy, wild rapid paced and exciting games such as “come here”, “sit”, “stay”, “heel”, but you can make it more rewarding by saying come here for a hug, a massage and other praise and treats. Don’t let your puppy get bored with training.

For dogs living in the backyard for the majority of the time, they probably need some “social” exercises. You may need to walk them around your neighborhood to minimize the puppy barking. Daily walks will be an adventure for them to investigate and find out about those sounds and smells that excite them while they are in the yard. Pet dogs and puppies may dash madly around your backyard but this is not a form of puppy exercise. What they are doing is equivalent to the human’s pacing and fidgeting as well as other nervous activities. Give your puppies fun things to play with and occupy themselves with such as chew toys for puppy biting and a digging pit for dogs.

Dogs are very sociable. They are just like us. They need companions and friends. Your dog needs to be taken for walks and exercised every day or every week as well as to let them socialize with other dogs. If they play and romp all day, they will be exhausted. Then they will have no trouble sleeping well and rejuvenating after a good day of play and exercise.

Tips For Training A Puppy The Pros Use

When you are training a dog, you must remember that dogs need more than just love, affection, and effective dog training techniques to become good pets. Training a dog is about understanding who the dog is, which includes their normal behaviors, their physical, emotional, and mental needs. It is a vital piece of dog training to create a happy and fulfilling life with your dog.

Dogs want you to understand that they are not just humans with fur. While they tolerate and often delight in being treated as such, they simply are not human. There’s a lot to be said for being treated like a person - it means you get a cozy spot to sleep, delicious treats, as well as all the attention you crave. You get the picture; dogs have got a better deal than humans, with all the perks and none of the burdens!

Generally speaking, treating dogs the same as humans is all right, just don’t have the expectation that they’ll behave like humans in response. In terms of canine obedience, dogs and puppies are unable to think or behave like humans. This doesn’t mean they are any less delightful just the way they are, however the fact is, whether you are talking about a mighty Great Dane or a miniature Yorkshire terrier, all dogs share traits with their ancestral wolf relatives - so take this into consideration when training your puppy.

You also must bear in mind when you are training your puppy that they learn words through association and repetition. This means they cannot successfully obey a command until there is something they can identify the meaning of the word with. An example of this is teaching a dog to sit, you may say the word sit with a commanding voice but this won’t mean anything to them unless you give them a little help to get into the position and then this will need to be practiced many times. Understanding how your dog learns will help you to succeed in your training.

Puppies need guidance and discipline. Without it, they follow their natural puppy instincts. They will eat anything that smells good. They will chew on anything that feels good. They will roll in anything that smells bad. If you know what to expect from an untrained puppy, you will be better able to help your dog through obedience training. You will be able to give your puppy appropriate outlets for his natural energy and instincts.

It is reasonable to expect regression at times during training, so don’t let yourself get exasperated, your dog will know it and respond accordingly. You may have seen your dog follow the same command successfully many times , so it can be disappointing when failure strikes, but if you arm yourself with knowledge and plan ahead you can successfully work through any set backs your pup may have.

There are a few main theories about learning regression, which can happen to a puppy in training or to a person in any aspect of life. One such theory is that it is due to an error during the brain moving in information between short and long-term memory. Whatever theory you believe, you should take advantage of regression for what it really represents: an opportunity to train your dog better.

Guide to Housebreaking Your Puppy

Keeping your house spic and span with an untrained puppy is virtually impossible. If not properly trained both you and your puppy will not be happy. Housebreaking your puppy is the first training you should do. Start off with a schedule and be consistent. As creatures of habit, it is in their nature to keep schedules as pack animals.

Ideal Housebreaking Age

It is best to start housebreaking your puppy when he/she reaches 8 to 12 weeks of age.

Crate Training

Crate Training is used to help housebreak your puppy. Make your puppy’s crate as comfortable as possible. This will be his sanctuary, his own room, so to speak. It is of vital importance not to keep your puppy in the crate for more than two hours at a time. The crate is not to be used for punishment.

In order to housebreak your puppy, keep in mind that puppy’s 3 to 8 weeks have to relieve themselves every 3 hours so be sure to take them outside within that time period. If you leave your puppy in the crate for longer amounts of time he will not be able to hold it. Never, ever use the crate as punishment you do not want your puppy to associate the crate as a bad thing.

Get Your Puppy Used To Routines

When it is time to take your dog out doors to eliminate be sure to use one door only. This way he will use that door to let you know he needs to go outside.

Be sure to keep the same schedule every day. This will make him learn to hold it in until you can take him outside.

Look For Clues

If your un-housebroken dog is accustomed to roaming freely around the house, search for signs that show you he needs to do it. Be really observant enough of his behavior, i.e., heavy sniffing, circling an area, staring at the door with an intense look on his face, etc. If you catch him WHILE doing it, stop him with a quick grab of his collar and pull it up while saying “No” using your deep, stern tone (don’t forget to use a deep, gruff voice when stating commands). Then, take him outside and let him finish what he is doing. Lastly, pat him on his head while saying “Good (his name)!” It is a must to make your dog get used to being praised whenever he does anything that makes you proud. Giving him food as a reward when he does his business in the appropriate spot can help, too.

Patience is a Big Virtue

Like any training endeavor, housebreaking requires a lot of patience. If you definitely despise cleaning your dog’s waste off your Persian carpets on an hourly basis and having your whole house smell like a public bathroom, you want the housebreaking to be successful in a wink of an eye, if not sooner.

Common Sense Makes a Lot of Sense

Common Sense will help you and your dog while housebreaking. Stick to a routine, do not give him water before bed, to not ignore the clues.

Housebreaking your puppy requires patience, consistency and a big commitment. Stick to it and you will succeed.

Best of luck!

How To Potty Train A Puppy - 6 Tips To Make House Training Easier

Some people call it potty training. Others call it housebreaking. No matter what you call it, housetraining a puppy is something most new dog owners dread. Everyone you talk to will probably give you different advice, which can leave you pretty confused.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be a terrible experience. With the right information, potty training a puppy can be quicker and easier than you might have expected. Here a six tips that will help make housebreaking your new puppy a lot easier.

Tip #1: Feed Your Puppy At The Same Times Each Day

Free feeding as become popular among dog owners. This is where the dog food is left out so your dog can eat whenever he wants to. This might be fine for older, housebroken dogs, but when you are house training a new dog it’s best to feed him at the same times each day.

Most dogs need to go potty after eating. By having a set schedule, you can control when your dog eats and know when he will need to go potty. You’ll have fewer accidents if you follow this important tip.

Tip #2: Follow A Consistent Potty Schedule

Even though your puppy will be going potty after his meals, you will also need to take him outside as often as you can throughout the day. Create a potty schedule above and beyond meal time, and follow it - taking your puppy out at the same time each day.

By following a potty break schedule, you’ll remember to get your new puppy outside during the day. Puppies thrive on schedules because they give them a real sense of security. When they don’t know what to expect from day to day, puppies become anxious. This anxiety can easily lead to digestive problems - and that makes the whole house training process much harder.

Tip #3: Choose A “Potty” Command And Use It Consistently

Pick a command word that you are comfortable using — no matter where you are or who you’re with. Here are a few common commands: “potty” “go potty” “go peepee” and “tinkle.”

Once you decide on a command to use, you should say it every time you want your puppy to go potty. At first, don’t ever say it until you are in the exact spot you want him to go. As he gets older, you’ll be able to open the door and say “go potty” - or whatever command you are using- and he’ll run over to the right place and go potty all by himself.

Tip #4: When Your Dog Has An Accident, Don’t Scold Or Yell At Him

Every puppy is going to make a few mistakes during dog potty training. When your puppy has an accident, just stay calm. Don’t get excited and start yelling. Don’t scold your puppy and, for goodness sake, never rub your puppy’s nose in it. That’s not just old-fashioned, it’s ineffective and downright confusing for your little puppy.

As with all dog training, positive reinforcement is much more effective than negative. Making your puppy feel bad when he makes a mistake doesn’t work. You want to teach him that good things happen when he goes potty in the right place. Which brings us to the next potty training tip

Tip #5: Always Reward Your Puppy When He Gets It Right

You probably haven’t started obedience training, but this is a good time to learn about positive reinforcement. Every time your puppy does what you’ve asked him to do, you should praise and reward him. This includes potty training.

It’s a good habit to combine sincere praise with some kind of reward. Rewards can be showing him love and affection, giving him a tasty treat, or spending a few minutes playing with him. Whatever you choose, it’s vital that your puppy is rewarded immediately so he remembers that going potty means getting a reward.

To start, be sure to praise him verbally while he’s actually going potty. Use a friendly, happy voice and say “Good boy! Good potty!” As soon as he’s finished, immediately give him the reward. You can toss his favorite ball for a game of fetch, or if you’re on a walk, bounce it and let him catch it. You could also give him a treat or belly rub.

Again, be sure to reward him immediately. Praise combined with affection, treats or play will make your puppy happy - and he’ll soon associate going potty at the right time and place with happiness and joy.

Tip #6: Reduce Accidents With Crate Training Your Puppy

It’s beyond the scope of this article to explain crate training in detail, but there are some great reasons to consider it - especially when potty training your new puppy

Crate training lets you put your puppy in his crate when you aren’t able to watch him. Since dogs don’t like to soil their “dens” your puppy will naturally wait until you let him out to go potty.

The key is to never leave your puppy in his crate for long periods of time - and to take him out to go potty immediately when you let him out. What’s great is he will usually have to go potty when you let him out - and by taking him outside, he’ll be doing it when and where you want him to!

Your new puppy will love you as much as you love him - maybe even more. These six potty training tips will help you quickly housebreak your new puppy. By giving him the proper training, he’ll become a dog everyone will love being around.

When Your Dog is A Whiner…

Having a dog that barks and whines incessantly can put strain on even the most loving relationship between a dog and her owner not to mention the complaints and problems that can arise from your neighbors. Now, some barking will happen even woth the best behaved dog, but those who have lived with a dog that barks in excess have a few tips on what to do.

1. Listen to your dog. It is not whining without a reason and instead of trying to get the dog to shut up, you will do well to find out what the problem is. Perhaps someone has attempted to enter the yard and your dog is chomping at the bit to get out and mark its territory. Maybe it spotted an animal, lacks food or water, or maybe a hurtful little spur got tangled in its fur. Check on the animal to make sure all its needs are met and then work outward and see if there is something external that might be causing the whining.

2. Unlike barking, whining is a distinct sign of doggy distress and so you will be wise to clue in to the fact that something is bothering your canine. Many a dog was saved by an alert owner who came to find out what was wrong rather than closing a door, only to realize the dog got tangled up in mini blinds and was close to choking!

3. Dogs whine when they are feeling lonely. Dogs are very social animals, in their natural settings they live together in packs. If you have been gone all day your dog may be whining out of loneliness. Set aside the first 10 minutes when you get home from work to play and socialize with your dog and you will stop the whining in it’s track. It is also a stress relief for you to interact and love your dog after a stressful day at work.

4. A dog locked out in the back yard is a sure recipe for incessant whining. The dog wants to come in and be with YOU. He misses the companionship with you and will persitently whine for hours until let inside. Keep in mind that if you leave your dog in the yard all day while at work, your dog can be a nuisance for the entire neighborhood. Much better to keep the dog inside the house.

5. Should you discipline a dog that is whining? No, whining is always a sign of distress and punishing a dog that is stressed can make the behavior even worse. Hitting your dog or putting him outside as punishment is the wrong course of action.

5 Tips for Lead Training Your Dog

Any dog owner knows how difficult it is to walk a dog that pulls on the leash or simply refuses to walk. While basic dog training for any breed should involve lead training, the larger breeds in particular need to learn this as puppies. There’s nothing more unpleasant than trying to take your Husky or German Shepherd out for an evening stroll and having them fight the lead all the way.

With that in mind, here are five tips to make lead training your dog a little easier . 1.Start young. It’s far easier to start with puppy training in Toronto than it is to teach an older dog not to pull on the leash. While not impossible, it’s best to start out with a young dog that hasn’t yet picked up any bad habits. You can easily accustom a young puppy to the lead and he will be happy to treat it with respect for the rest of his life, but the trick is not to wait too long.

Start your puppy off with a collar and then progress to the leash and you’ll find that the entire process is far easier on both you and your dog. This can be one of the first puppy training methods that you use.

2. Be gentle. This is not a time to be rough. Whether you are working with a puppy or an adult dog, obedience is not going to come about through intimidating your dog. That’s why it’s important not to use a choke chain on your dog while lead training, as this will give it the wrong idea about leads. Dog training should be done gently, with respect for your canine and you’ll find that he responds better.

3. Go slowly. There’s no need to leap into walking down the street with your dog. Training can be done slowly and it will be much smoother for it. For example, start with the collar only at first. Once the puppy is used to this, you can progress to attaching the lead. Try doing this while the puppy is being fed so he’ll associate it with something good. Then, once he’s used to having something attached to the collar, you can start picking it up. Don’t rush and you’ll be fine.

4. Nip bad habits in the bud. It’s important not to let your dog training go the wrong way. If your puppy is starting to pull on the lead, you’ll need to make sure you stop that little problem right away. A firm “no” and a little tug on the leash will usually work when used consistently, but you’ll have far more success with rewarding the right behavior. Which brings us to our next tip . . .

5. Praise and reward. Dogs want to please their humans and yours will be no exception. Even a few words of praise will go a long way toward making your dog want to continue the behavior. The great thing about this method of puppy training is that you can’t go wrong! As long as you are consistent with the reward or praise, your dog will rapidly learn the new behavior . . . in this case, walking on a lead.

There are a lot of advantages to having your dog trained to use a leash and not pull. For one, you’ll be able to enjoy walks out with your dog and so will your canine friend. It’s also safer, as any dog obedience class will teach you, since you don’t need to worry about your dog getting loose and running out into the street when he’s walking happily beside you.

How To Stop Your Dog’s Aggression Towards Strangers

Aggression in dogs is scary. Having a dog that acts aggressively towards strangers is a big problem. There are some things you can do to help correct the problem, but first you should understand why your dog is acting this way.

Dogs are instinctively aggressive by nature. Aggression came in handy when they lived in the wild - dogs needed aggression to hunt, to defend themselves from other animals, and to defend resources like their food, their den, and their mate.

While selective breeding over the last few centuries has definitely minimized this natural trait, all dogs are still capable of causing serious injury.

The good thing is, there is a lot we can do as dog owners to prevent this aggression from surfacing. And if it does surface - for whatever reason - there are things you can do to deal with it.

Although aggression in dogs comes in different forms, aggression towards strangers is one that is quite common. This type of aggression is stems from nervousness. If he becomes nervous around strangers, his instinct is to protect himself (and you) from the percieved threat.

Its pretty easy to tell when a dogs nervous around strange people. He’ll be jumpy and on the alert. You’ll see this in one of two ways… either he can’t sit still (constantly fidgeting, jumping at the smallest sound, and pacing around barking and whining) or he’s completely still, sitting in one place, staring hard at the person he’s suspicious of. This could be anyone - a visitor, the mailman, or someone approaching him on the street.

A dog who acts this way around strangers hasn’t been exposed to new people very often. The only way he’ll learn that strangers aren’t a bad thing is through experience. He relies completely on you to broaden his horizons - to take him to different places where he can meet new people. Until that happens, he’ll be unsure of new people… which is what leads to stranger aggression.

This is what we call “socialization” - and it’s an important part of raising a healthy, stable dog. The best time to start is when he’s a puppy, but it should continue throughout your dog’s life. Giving him a lot of new experiences helps him become comfortable in new situations. It gives him confidence. The only way this happens is by taking him out in the world and exposing him to new people, places and things.

It’s not enough to expose an adult dog to a crowd of new, unfamiliar people and just say, “Settle down, Roxy, it’s OK”… your dog has to learn that it’s okay on his own. That’s what socializing does… it lets your dog learn this by exposing him to all types of people and animals: from babies and toddlers to teens and elderly, from people in uniform to people carrying umbrellas or riding bikes.

By starting as a puppy, these new experiences become “common place” to your dog. He learns that new people are friendly and fun which makes him more relaxed and at ease when he encounters strangers in the future.

A fun way to start socializing your new puppy is to sign him up for puppy preschool. These puppy classes are usually held at vet centers or some other indoor, controlled environment. It’s a series of classes created specifically for puppies and their owners.

The typical puppy class has about a dozen puppies and owners. They are run by a qualified dog trainer who is usually joined by one or two assistants. By having more than one instructor, you and your puppy will have more one-on-one time with one of the trainers. During class, you will learn about your puppy’s developmental stages and even some basic obedience commands.

It’s fun to learn how to teach your puppy to “come” but the biggest benefit of joining a puppy class is the socialization. Until you’ve finished your puppy shots, many vets will discourage you from taking your puppy out in public. The main concern is parvo, which is highly contagous and very dangerous to puppies. Puppy classes provide a safe environment to start socializing your puppy at an earlier age. There are usually several “play sessions” per class to let the puppies run around and play together off-leash. This group play helps them learn how to interact with other dogs. It also gives them a chance to meet new people and start learning that they don’t have to be afraid of strangers.

Just remember… socializing at puppy school is just the start. To raise a friendly, confident dog you need to continue exposing him to new experiences. You’ll want to take him to as many new places as possible - just don’t overwhelm him. Start off slow, and you’ll see his confidence grow. By consistently socializing your dog, he’ll grow up knowing that new people and new places are good things. He’ll have nothing to fear, especially strangers!

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