Puppy Education

Dogs bark for a number of reasons.  Sometimes these can be good reasons such as to warn of an intruder or to express fright or pain.  Sometimes these can be “bad” reasons as far as humans are concerned – attempts to sound menacing or simply to get attention fall into this category.  Whatever the reason for a dog’s barking, it can often be considered a nuisance by the dog’s owners and their neighbors alike.  Because of this there are several methods employed to control a barking dog.

Training

By far the best method of controlling incessant barking is to train the dog not to bark or, more specifically, to bark only at the appropriate times.  There are several ways to accomplish this, but dog trainers usually agree that traditional reward and reprimand systems are the most effective and the kindest to use.

Some people opt for an electronic “bark collar” as a shortcut to training the dog themselves.  The collar contains an electronic device which is activated by the action of the dog barking.  The device issues a small electric shock which pains and startles the dog.  Eventually the dog is able to associate the negative stimulus with the barking and stops doing it.

The problems with these systems are multiple, however.  Some dogs simply don’t learn that the barking is the cause of the negative stimulus, and continue to bark despite the discomfort it causes.  Particularly hairy dogs may not even feel the shock or activate the device because its metal points must contact the skin directly in order to deliver the shock.  Also, the collar itself is not enough and must be backed up with training anyway.  It is a bad idea to use the collars for an extended period of time.

Some owners find the concept of delivering an electric shock to the dog to be “cruel.”  While that may be a matter of personal opinion, the collars are proven to provide only minor discomfort for a short time and will not actually harm the dog.  Another type of collar that operates on the same principle delivers a mist of citronella in front of the dog’s nose.  Dogs hate the smell and soon realize that it is caused by the barking.  Success rates for citronella collars are comparable to those of the electronic variety.

Surgery

By far the most extreme method of controlling a dog’s barking is to have it undergo debarking surgery.  In this procedure a small fold of tissue is removed from the larynx of the dog, rendering it unable to bark.  Some find this procedure to be inhumane and, since the dog’s bark may return after a few months anyway, it is certainly a less than perfect method which few vets will recommend.

Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, must not have owned a dog.  If dogs are anything, they are extremely intelligent and can learn many new things given the chance to show you.  When training your dog, keep in mind that yelling, hitting, cursing or punishment is uncalled for, as dogs will retreat backwards the more they are yelled at.  Besides, you wouldn’t treat a child like that and dogs are essentially just little children with tails and four legs!

The first thing to learn when training your dog to do anything new is to never change your verbal expression, tone or volume.  If you say, “come here, boy” then do not change to “Fido, come here”.  By doing this, your dog will become confused and it will cause unneeded frustration for both of you.

A couple of tips to take into consideration when training your dog is to reward him with treats for good behavior, however be sure to also give a lot of praise and patting to ensure he does not rely totally on the treats when being good.  You may also think about enrolling your dog in an obedience class.  Even if training is going good at home, this will give him extra practice with interaction between other animals and people.

When training your dog don’t cram everything into one day and expect him to remember it.  Dogs have short attention spans and will quickly become bored, so try to keep training time down to short sessions throughout the day.  Here are a few of the easier and more popular commands to teach Fido.

• Come- Use a toy or treat to encourage him to come towards you.  Say “Fido, come.”  As he makes his way towards you, praise him.  Once he is in front of you, hold onto his collar for 30 seconds and then let go.
• Sit- Press gently down on his backside and say “sit.”  You can also hold a treat above his head.  When a dog is forced to look upward, he will automatically sit on his hind legs.  Just as he bends to a sitting position, say “Fido, sit.”  Remember to praise and reward.
• Down- Get your dog into a sitting position.  Slowly guide his legs straight down in front of him until he is flat.  As you are doing this, repeat “Fido, down.”  Keep him in this position for 30 seconds and then praise and treat.
• Stay- Have Fido sit.  As you slowly take a couple steps backward, say “Fido, stay.”  Hold your hand out as you do this, palm facing him.  If he moves from position, tell him “no” and return him to the starting point.  If he stays, praise and treat.  Don’t forget to find a ‘release command’ like “ok”, or done.”  This will tell him it is okay to move.

By using persistence, consistency and patience when training your dog, you will almost effortlessly be able to teach new commands and tricks.  The ‘trick’ for you is to always praise and treat.  Start with these easy commands and before long you will have him doing somersaults!

When you get a new puppy—even before “sit!” and “stay!”—training your puppy to go the toilet in the right place is your first priority. Teaching a dog to go to the bathroom correctly is like teaching a child a language – the earlier the (much) better. Housebreaking your puppy doesn’t need to be a stressful event for you or your new family member. Taking a few steps to prepare yourself for your new puppy and following some simple dog training advice can make the transition much smoother for you and your new best friend.

Frequent Outings!

Your new puppy will have a very small bladder in the beginning. The pup will need to be taken out as often as humanly possible. A puppy cannot control his muscles until about 12 weeks of age so you will need to rely on a consistent routine in the beginning. In this early stage it may help to think of the mistakes as your own. You may even want to invest in an indoor dog potty if you live in an apartment or area where you can’t easily take your dog outside as often as he needs to go. This can also be helpful if you ever need to leave the dog inside for long periods.

Be Consistent, but Kind

Consistency is the key to your puppy learning where he is supposed to go quickly. When you catch him making mistakes simply lift him up and put him outside. There’s no need to scold or rub his nose in it. He will get the idea simply by the interruption. It takes some dogs longer than others. Be patient as your puppy matures.

Good Housekeeping

One important tip is to make sure you clean up any mistakes thoroughly. If your puppy smells an old urine spot he may think it is an appropriate place to relieve himself again. Buy some good cleaners meant for lifting pet stains and smells.

Don’t Forget to Praise!

An important aspect of potty training your puppy is giving him lots of praise when he does it right. Every time he goes to the bathroom outside in the right area give him lots of praise and treats. Your puppy will start to associate good things with relieving himself in the right areas. You should also start getting him used to a voice command that goes along with going to the toilet.

Best of luck and congratulations on getting a new puppy!

Having a pet is a great addition to any family. Whether your pet is a dog, cat, fish, or bird they bring joy to family members of all ages. Like people, pets can get stressed when something new is brought into their environment. When pets are uprooted from their familiar surrounds they have a tendency to be stressed and sometimes worried about their future. Often times they will display behaviour that is not normal for them. There are ways to help your pet calm down and relax when they get stressed.

Active Involvement

One of the most effective ways to help your pet to relax is to play with your pet. Dogs love to play catch, they feed on the interaction and expend energy that builds up in their system when they are not able to run and play. For instance, when a family moves or goes on a trip and they take their dog, it is usually kept pinned up in the car for hours on end. Once the door of the car opens the dog runs around expending all the energy he has saved up. Once the dog has ran and played for a while he will be more relaxed and ready for the next part of the trip.

Passive Petting

Pet relaxation can be performed through petting and massaging. Dogs and cats love to have their ears scratched and their tummies rubbed. Like people who get massages to help them relax, pets also have the same reaction. By petting and massaging your pet you allow their body to relax as each muscle is worked and calmed. Most pets will want you to start at the head and work around to the stomach. Each pet will have favourite areas they like to have massaged. Concentrate of the areas that the pet indicates they want petted. Once the petting session is complete both pet and person are found to be relaxed and ready to move on in the day.

Eating and Treats

Have you ever seen a pet jump and run just before feeding time? This reaction is due to hunger and the excitement they have from eating. Food has a natural way of calming people and pets down from a stressful day or circumstance. When your dog gets excited or upset try feeding him a treat and just watch the reaction that unfolds. Treats help train your dog so that they know how to react to certain circumstances.

Voice Tone

Pet relaxation can also come through the way pets are spoken to. Voice volume can either make your pet excited or cause them to calm down. With dogs, the louder the noise the more agitated and excited they can become. Keep the tone or your voice regular and relaxing and they will pick will keep from stressing out. Use phrases that promote good behaviour such as, “good boy” and “good job”. Your pet will learn what phrases are inspiring and which ones are used for correction. It is important to keep the phrases and tones consistent for the moment so as not to confuse your pet.

So you decided to do it; get that puppy you’ve been wanting. You paid for the shots and vaccinations, bought a big bag of dog food and a room full of chew toys. Now comes the hard part; potty training. There are as many myths and misconceptions about potty training as there are different breeds of dog, and it is important to know what to avoid.

Every breed of dog is different, and some are more stubborn than others, and some particular puppies are smarter or more defiant than others. Each puppy will have its own unique personality, which is part of the reason why we love our puppies in the first place. It is important to be patient with your little fuzzy bundle of joy.
If you want to avoid the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid, do your homework and be prepared. Let’s take a look at some of the most common mistakes you can avoid when housebreaking your puppy.

1. Rubbing their noses in it

This is perhaps the most damaging and biggest mistake that people make while potty training. It is an old method that has been proven incorrect for some time now, but people still use it. Rubbing your dog’s nose into his mistake is humiliating and confuses puppies. During the formative months when your puppy is learning what is acceptable and what isn’t, it is important to show what is correct, as opposed to punishment.

2. Spanking

Spanking a puppy that doesn’t know that he has done something wrong or what exactly he has done wrong is a very bad idea. Again, show the puppy the right place to go. Association and conditioning are huge parts of training your puppy, and if after he or she makes a mistake and potties in the house, she is spanked, they start to associate pain with going potty.

3. Crate training

Crates seem like convenient ways to make sure our untrained puppies don’t destroy our shoes while we are at work, and to prevent them from using the bathroom in the house. However, it is no substitute for training, and can be inadvertently abusive. Consider a couple of things happen when a puppy is confined to a cage or crate all day.

One, once they get out of the cage, they will have hours of spent up energy and frustration they will need to let out. They will be very happy to see you, and probably run in circles jumping, and wanting to play. With the excitement of being let out and seeing you, they could urinate from sheer excitement. Combine this with the possibly of getting punishment for urinating, and you have a toxic cocktail of mixed signals.

The second thing is, if your puppy does urinate in the cage, they will be forced to be on top of, or mere inches away from their own waste for an extended period of time. This goes against how dogs are hardwired, which is to leave waste far away from where they sleep and live. It may seem like a good idea to leave your puppy in a crate because they either go to the bathroom in their crate and it is in one location, or because they will be forced to hold it for a long time. Good dogs and dedicated or clean-minded puppies will hold it for hours, and this can cause serious damage and cause urinary tract infections or worse. Leaving your puppy in their cage as punishment or in their crate overnight sends the wrong message as well. Crates aren’t designed for puppies to live in them, but for a safe place, their place where they can be safe and find refuge. It is like their bedroom.

There are great methods for potty training our little loved ones, and a little research and patience goes a long way towards getting your puppy comfortable, and properly trained. Remember that puppies are very much like little people, and many dogs are very intelligent and loyal for life. Many of the rules of respect and treatment for people are applicable to animals as well, so never hit, or yell at your puppy. You’ll find that with time and nurturing, your life, and the puppy’s life, will be much more fulfilling in the long run.