Fixing The Problem Of The Doberman Who Liked To Urinate In A Crate

Fixing The Problem Of The Doberman Who Liked To Urinate In A Crate
A Doberman Pinscher owner sent me this question:

“Dear Adam: I loved your book, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!” and your web site, Dogproblems.com.

They have been very helpful.

My biggest training problem right now has to do with potty training. My dog is a 5 month-old Doberman female. About 2 months ago she had a bladder infection, so she started not making it through the night. She would pee in her crate and then whine that she had to go out. We have since taken her to the vet and given her the entire dose of antibiotics and the infection is all cleared up. She makes it through the night fine now, but if we have to lock her in her crate during the day she pees in her crate.

She doesn’t seem to have too much separation anxiety, although I remember reading somewhere that Dobermans are prone to this. We let her outside to do her business and then lock her up a few minutes before we leave and she is quiet during that time. When we get home she is asleep or quiet. We wait a few minutes after getting home during which she is quiet, maybe whines a little, before we let her out. The only problem is that there is a puddle of pee at the bottom of her crate. We leave a few toys for her to chew on while she is in there, but nothing else, no bedding just the plastic of the bottom of the crate. She doesn’t seem to mind laying in it and we usually have to give her a bath when we get home. I’m not sure if I should punish her for this cause I know the timing is WAY off, but it’s getting so frustrating I don’t know what else to do.

I should also mention that we don’t have to be gone for this to happen. If she is locked up because while we are home, she does the same thing. She is generally quiet while she is in there, but after an hour or so she will whine loudly and when we get to her, there is already a puddle.

Thank you for your help. I look forward to implementing your advice.

Sincerely,
Tim

Dear Tim:

When you remove her from the crate after she urinates, be sure to clean the area thoroughly with an enzyme cleaner. This will break down the urine at the molecular level so its scent will be completely gone, not just covered up.

You should also limit her time in the crate to lower the chances of this happening. Only leave her confined when absolutely necessary or when she cannot be supervised. Along with this, it would be helpful to limit her water intake to a strict schedule and when she does drink, take her outside and let her relieve herself after a period of time.

Depending on the dog’s condition (hot and panting versus calm and tired), water will go through their system in anywhere from 20-45 minutes. If you put her in the crate immediately after she urinates outside, she might be less inclined (and able) to use the crate as a bathroom.

Adam G. Katz is the author of the book, "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider's Guide To The Most Jealously Guarded Dog Training Secrets In History." Get a free copy of his report "Games To Play With Your Dog" when you sign up for his free weekly dog training tips e-zine at: <a href="http://www.dogproblems.com" target="_blank">http://www.dogproblems.com</a>

Dog Training For Proper Behavior
Training a dog to act properly has many benefits, for the dogs and their human companions alike. Dog behavior training is critical in order to prevent such negative behaviors as aggression. It is important to deal with dog aggression issues by training dogs to interrelate appropriately with other dogs and especially people.

In order to know how to effectively train your dog to be a loyal and eager pet, it is important to know where dogs came from, and how their interaction with each other can affect training.

The first domesticated dogs were likely abandoned wolf puppies taken in by early humans. These wild dogs were taught to perform tasks that the humans needed assistance with, like guardian territory and frightening potential predators. Humans in turn provided sanctuary to the dogs, in addition to food and companionship.

This is a kind of connection that continues today. Many dogs still perform a variety of tasks for their masters, including herding, guarding, and hunting.

Be aware that dogs are instinctively pack creatures before beginning a training program. In wild dog packs, each member of the pack quickly learns his or her place in the ranking. Only when the alpha dog dies does the hierarchy ever change once established. The lower dogs understand that they do not challenge the pack leader, and the alpha dog carries out his duties as pack leader.

The other members of the pack look to the alpha dog for leadership, food, and protection. Keeping this in mind, it is important for you to be the pack leader when you begin training your dog.

A dog that submits to his human pack leader will respect his commands without question. Earning your dog?s respect is the first crucial step in effective dog training, and it will lay the groundwork for all succeeding training.

There are many reasons to train a dog properly. A calm and well-mannered dog is pleasant to be near, both for the dog?s family, and other people he might encounter. Additionally, being around an obedient dog assuages people?s fears, especially when it comes to more controversial breeds like Rottweilers and Pit Bulls.

Knowing why a dog is exhibiting a negative behavior is important in effectively training and modifying bad behaviors. For instance, separation anxiety may be the root cause of many bad behaviors chewing and destructive behaviors. Solving the root cause of the problem will help to eliminate the peripheral behaviors.

Stress and the lack of ability to deal with it can cause a host of unpleasant dog behaviors. One objective of a high-quality dog training program is to help the dog to endure stress without exhibiting negative behaviors.

It is important to differentiate human behavior and dog behavior when training and working through bad behaviors. Dogs and humans have different motivations and reactions, so avoid the temptation to see your dog as human, and react on that impulse.

One thing the humans and dogs have in common is their sociability and the need to form close groups and strong bonds. While the bonding is very important to dogs and humans, it has served very different purposes in the evolution of each species over time.

To learn more about <a href="http://www.dog-training-secrets.info">dog training</a> visit <a href="http://www.dog-training-review.info">http://www.dog-training-review.info</a>

Dog Training Part I
Dog training is the process of teaching a dog to exhibit certain desired behaviors in specific circumstances. Some examples are:

* Teaching a dog basic obedience commands (part of obedience training)
* Teaching a dog to perform tricks casually or for circus acts
* Teaching a guide dog to lead the blind
* Teaching a rescue dog to find victims of a disaster
* Helping a hunting dog learn to perform its instinctive behaviors at appropriate times

The specific behaviors taught in each case are different, but the underlying principles are similar.

In the wild as pack animals, canines have natural instincts that favor training. These instincts are manifested when the dog lives with humans as a desire to please a handler, as a dog would please senior members in a pack in the wild. The handler is simply whoever is working with a dog at the time.

Basic training

Most dogs, no matter their eventual advanced training or intended purpose, live with people and therefore must behave in a way that makes them pleasant to have around and for their own safety and that of other people and pets. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience on their own; it must be trained.

Basic training classes

Professional “dog trainers” usually do not train the dogs, but actually train the owners how to train their own dogs. Although it is also possible to send a dog away to a training school, the owner still must at some point learn what the dog has learned and how to use it and reinforce it. Owners and dogs who attend class together have an opportunity to learn more about each other and how to work together under a trainer’s guidance. Training is most effective if everyone who handles the dog takes part in the training to ensure consistent commands, methods, and enforcement.

Formal training in classes is not always available until the puppy has completed all its vaccinations at around 4 months; however, some trainers offer puppy socialization classes in which puppies can enroll immediately after being placed in their permanent homes as long as disease risk is minimal and puppies have receieved initial vaccinations. In most cases, basic training classes accept only puppies who are at least 3 to 6 months old.

Next article: Dog Training Part II - Age for early training

Hagar lagarto is a long time Pet lover with many articles and websites on the subject.You can get much more info at http://pet.freehostia.com

Dog Behavior Training - Dog Aggression Toward Its Owners
A dog that growls at and/or bites its owner does so for some reason, even if the behavior appears to be “unreasonable” to the owner. If your dog displays aggressive behavior towards you, for the safety and welfare of you, your family and your dog, it’s important to find out why as quickly as possible.

Call your vet right away and schedule an appointment for a complete medical examination. Talk with your vet about testing your dogs hormonal balance, neurophysiologic functions and allergies. The test results may reveal the underlying cause. This has been especially helpful in dogs that have mood swings.

When growling or biting has erupted as a consequence of scolding or punishment for behavior such as chewing, jumping, general unruliness, or overprotection of food, these problems must be dealt with swiftly and firmly to correct the aggression it is initiating.

As the dogs owner, you must understand that your dog growls or bites at you as a result of defensive feelings. Even the dog that growls when ordered off the couch is reacting defensively, as it feels its dominance status has been threatened.

If scolding and punishment provoke aggression, your dog is reacting to a perceived threat to its physical safety. In either of these situations, your own threatening behavior may be producing negative results.

If the results of a medical examination show no signs of a medical condition that would be causing this behavior, you will have to examine your own behavior closely to determine what you are doing to make your dog feel threatened.

If you can’t hire the services of a professional, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Secrets Of A Professional Dog Trainer by Adam Katz for indepth instructions on dog behavior training.
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Heather Colman loves to spend quality time with her dog Gibson. She has worked closely with various professional dog trainers in the past 2 years to work through many of the behavior problems generated by Gibson's previous owner. Visit Heather's blog for more tips on dog behavior training. http://dog-behavior-training.blogspot.com/ This article is Copyright 2006, Heather Colman. Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no changes are made, all links stay live and this entire resource box is included.

Dog Obedience Training - A New Approach
So you’ve got a dog? Great! Science has shown that dog owners live longer, happier lives. But what now?

Obedience training is one of the most important things you can do - for your dog and for yourself. The goal is to lay the obedience groundwork between you and your dog, and be able to use that foundation to overcome any behavior problems.

It’s all about communication. Effective communication with your dog is extremely important. You can teach a dog anything with proper communication. On the other hand, without proper communication, it will be nearly impossible.

Dogs are fun-loving animals, and without any training they will act like… animals! They will keep you awake all night barking, urinate and defecate on your furniture, chew up your belongings and just generally destroy your home. They might even bite you, or harm themselves by attacking another dog or running around in the street. You don’t want your dog bolting for the door anytime freedom is offered him, and you don’t want to spend hours trying to find a dog who doesn’t understand where his home is. All of these things can be cleared up quickly and easily with the right obedience training.

Most “behavior problems,” or things we humans don’t want happening, are completely normal behavior for dogs. The problem lies in that they occur at the wrong time or place. For example, your dog will urinate all over your brand new carpet instead of urinating outside like you want him to; or your dog will bark endlessly, all night long, for seemingly no reason, instead of barking only when there’s a creepy burglar creeping around outside your home, waiting to attack. Dogs are naturally good-natured animals: they want to help protect you and your family and live a happy life. They just need some coaching to direct their instinctive behaviors to work in more modern living spaces, such as your home or apartment.

Dog obedience training also establishes the owner (you) as the pack leader. As pack leader, you lay down clear behaviour guidelines for the pack to follow. This is the social hierarchy of the canine family, and if there is no pack leader established, the dog will assume he is the pack leader. This is why dog obedience training is very important. All dogs have an extremely wide capacity to learn basic and even extremely complicated obedience. They just need someone to teach it to them.

But don’t get ahead of yourself just yet. The first step in obedience training is to have fun with the dog, show him love and compassion. Give your dog a reason to respect you, and a reason to listen to the guidance you have to offer. You should only use commands such as “stay” when you literally want your dog to stay - such as while on a walk or if he has run away from you too far. Do not use “stay” if the dog has no choice BUT to stay - such as leaving your dog in your car for a minute while you run in and cash your paycheck.

Just begin by respecting your dog’s behavior, whatever it may be, and gently lay groundwork as to what is and what is not acceptable. Praise your dog for good behaviour instead of chastising him for bad behavior. This, in turn, lets your dog know the proper way to behave, and the good behavior replaces the inappropriate behavior.

Never abuse your dog in hopes of proper obedience training. Every dog has a different personality, just like people are each different. Learn your dog’s personality, and you will be able to learn how to train them. But also be willing to learn from your dog, and have your dog teach you lessons.

Above all, always remember the reason you got a dog to begin with: companionship, happiness and fun.

John Rapp has spent many years perfecting an amazing new system of <a href="http://www.johnrapp.org/dogtrainingoffer.html"title="dog obedience training">dog obedience training</a>

housetraining tips for puppy owners
How to Housebreak a Puppy By Dr. Maya Bringing home a new puppy, is a very exciting and very challenging time for most folks and families. The average breeder has weaned and begun to let puppies leave for their new homes at about 8 weeks of age. This is very much like tending a baby, as dogs this young not only have very small bladders, they are for the most part unable to have much control over bladder and bowel functions. They require much care, and almost constant supervision at this age. Many folks do not understand how immature a puppy is at this age, and assume when house breaking problems arise, the puppy is stupid, or difficult to train. During the first weeks with the mother, she teaches her pups that the bedroom is off limits, and shows them the appropriate place for elimination. One of the quickest and easiest ways to begin housetraining is to take advantage of these early lessons, and the pups instinct for cleanliness, and keep him in a crate when you are not able to supervise. These come in all different shapes and sizes, and should be big enough for him when he is grown. The full grown dog should be able to stand, and turn around. Although many come with a divider panel, to use for the young pup, if yours doesn t you can use plastic to divide his crate. The theory on this is if he has too much room, he will assume on his own, that half is for sleeping, and the other half is for elimination. So make sure the crate is small enough inside, that he can t make that assumption. How much and how often? A puppy between the ages of 8 weeks until about 4 months, has very little self control. They will be having about 4 bowel movements a day, and will need to urinate approximately every 45 minutes, also after napping, playing, and eating. During this period, housetraining is more of avoiding accidents, by constant supervision, and no puppy under the age of 4 months should be scolded for accidents. It would be like expecting an 8 month old baby to use the toilet, it is completely unrealistic. So, take your puppy to the designated area outside, every 45 minutes, and each time they are successful praise and you can also reward with a dog treat. If you decide to use a reward system, break dog or puppy biscuits into very small pieces, so that you are not over feeding, or jeopardizing her weight. This is the hardest, and the most time consuming part of owning an inside pet. I have on an average, 4 -7 dogs living in my home at any given moment, and most of them came here as young puppies around 8 weeks of age. I rarely have any accidents, not because my dogs are smarter, or I have some magic trick I use, it s because this is the ONLY way to train, you MUST take her out about 15 times during the day, and then say about 10 pm, then around 2am, and then again when she wakes somewhere between 5-7am. At around 4 months of age, your dog should begin to understand what you are asking. I begin to taper off about this age. Most puppies if they are taken outside late enough, can go through the night, meaning last out at 10pm, sleep till around 5 or 6 am. I am now taking them out about every hour and a half, after they wake from a nap, after eating, and after any play or training session. If my dog has an accident, before the age of 4 months, I do not react, I ignore the fact and clean it up. Once the puppy is 4 months, if I catch them in the act I clap my hands loudly run and grab them and head outside immediately. If they are able to finish outside they are praised Rubbing his face in it, smacking with newspaper or hand, any type of physical punishment does not work, in fact, I have worked with many clients who use this approach and it only backfires, the puppy associates the punishment with the act of elimination, not the WHERE of it. At around 6 -8 months of age, your dog should begin to understand, that there are specific places for elimination. You should begin to observe your dog attempting to notify you when they need to go outside. Sniffing around, circling, looking behind, crying, barking, whining, scratching at the door, these are all clues that he needs to relieve himself. All animals are going to make mistakes, if you have been consistent, and your dog has reached a point where HE is consistent, ignore the occasional accident, most times this is caused by our busy schedule, and not taking note of his need. Never, ever punish an animal that is sick. Just like us, they have digestive upsets that cause sometimes a temporary loss of control. So good luck and congratulations on your new friend. Remember to keep your expectations realistic. If you have problems, and you have followed this guide, make sure to consult a vet first to rule out any physical problems or disease. I am available for consultations, and would be happy to work with you and your pet until we achieve the desired goal. And although it can be done, it is much more difficult to re-train an who is consistently having accidents, than to take the time and patience to do it correctly from the beginning. So . Confine the puppy when he can t be supervised Take him out at least every 45 minutes, after naps, after play, and after meals Don t scold or punish for accidents Watch for his signals and respond quickly if he needs to go Take advantage of his mothers first teachings, and his den instinct, and crate him Be willing to get up every night those first several months Reward him with praise or bits of puppy biscuits when he is successful This excerpt is based in part on Dr. Maya s book, The Secret Life Of Dogs all materials copyright protected. Using her system, reward, remove, redirect, restrict.

Maya has been communicating with animals through images and touch for more than twenty years. She has used her gifts to help owners solve countless behaviour issues, and has currently released her latest book, The Secret Life Of Dogs

Why Crate Train My Dog
Why Crate Train My Dog? A few years ago, before I decided to stay home with my kids, I worked as a veterinarian technician in an animal hospital. While at that job I saw so many clients who would bring in their dog and be upset because they had eaten something in the house, other than food, and were now sick. One client brought in her chocolate lab that had gotten into her sewing box and eaten a pincushion, pins and all!!! Off to surgery the dog went and the owner was out about $1,500. Case number two was a giant poodle that, while the owner was away, got into her closet and ate a pair of panty hose. Unfortunately this dog did not make it through surgery. The pantyhose got wrapped around its intestines and the doctor was not able to save the dog. The above stories are a couple of really good reasons why you should crate train your puppy or dog, especially if you have a dog who likes to chew or eat things they should not be eating. By putting your puppy or dog in a crate you are giving them a sense of security and a place they can call their own. Dogs actually like having a den to cuddle up in. By putting the dog in a crate while you are gone it will also give you peace of mind knowing that they are in a safe place, away from harm, and not doing any damage to your belongings or themselves. Crate training will also help with potty training. Make sure you put your pet on a regular schedule for potty breaks and use the crate when you are gone or need your pet to rest. Dogs will typically not go in their home. They like to keep it clean and will hold it until you can take them outside to eliminate. Remember to always praise your pet when he eliminates in the area you want him to outside. Puppies have very small bladders so they cannot physically hold it for very long. I would suggest that you take the puppy out every two hours. As puppies get older, naturally they will gain the bladder control and be able to hold it longer. Eventually this time should increase to 8 hours or more. Another thing to consider when purchasing a crate is to make sure that you buy a crate big enough to accommodate the full growth of your pet. When your pet is a puppy and you are crate training, make sure that the crate has a divider panel. You can adjust the placement of the divider panel so that the puppy does not have full use of the crate thus creating the den feeling that will make your dog feel comfortable and cozy. In this situation the dog will not want to go in its den and will keep the area clean. If you give the puppy the full area of the crate it may be too large and the dog will make one area of the crate his potty area and the other area as his sleeping area. Adjust the divider panel so that the dog has enough area to get up and stretch but not enough room to eliminate. Crate training your puppy or dog is just a smart thing to do for you and your pet. It will give you the sense of security and peace knowing that your pet is not getting in harms way while you are away. Jenny Saylor CratesPlus.com

Jenny Saylor is the owner of <a href="http://www.cratesplus.com"> CratesPlus.com </a>, specializing in quality dog crates, pet carriers, accessories, and more. .

5 Tips For Training Dogs Successfully
Training dogs is not a hard. You just need patience, dedication and some simple tactics and you will teach them successfully.

Here are five top tips on how to train your dogs successfully:

1. To avoid your dog getting confused and so that they can learn to recognize commands easily only one person should be responsible for training the dog initially. If too many people are trying to train the dog at the same time this can stop progress in its tracks.

2. You should use positive reinforcements. If the dog does something good, you should reward this behavior so that he will know that what he did was right. If the dog cannot understand or follow your commands, never push him. Dogs are not as intelligent as humans, they make mistakes. What you should understand is that they won?t easily understand your commands in just one teaching, it takes repetition to train a dog successfully. Do not scold your dog as he might develop fear which will hinder his learning and willingness to be trained. You can use treats in order to encourage your dogs, although don?t overdue it.

3. Teach commands one at a time. Try to teach him one command after the other. If he cannot absorb it, try to stay on that command only because adding additional commands will just confuse the dog. Start with the basics.

4. In executing commands, you should keep your voice cheerful so that the dog will happily follow your commands. Dogs will respond to a low and coaxing voice. If you shout out loud, he may become startled and unresponsive.

5. Train your dog in various places. If you keep your dogs in a certain place like your home, he will not be able to adjust with the environment new people. Take him to the park or through the neighborhood. This will help your dog associate with other dogs and people.

Training your dog can sometime be tough, but it will be worth it. In the end, you will be the one to benefit when your dog is trained. You don?t know he might even save your life one day and pay back everything you taught him.

Simon Oliver has an interest in Recreational Activities & Hobbies. To find out how you can get more information on successfully training your dog please visit this <a href="http://www.boxer-dog-guide.com">Boxer Dog</a> site.

2 Doggy Drooling Dog Treat Recipes
Dog Treat Recipes 1

Delicious Doggy Dip

Ingredients
- 3tbsp Peanut Butter
- 2tbsp Honey
- 1 very ripe banana (or if you want you can use a jar of baby food fruit. Any
flavour your dog likes will be fine)
- 450grams or 16 ounces of vanilla yogurt
- 1tbsp whole wheat flour

Directions
1. Mix the peanut butter, honey and fruit together until well blended.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt and flour and mix well.
3. Add the fruit to the yogurt and blend together.
4. Keep cold in your refrigerator.

You can use this dip to coat or dip
biscuits and treats. Allow treats to chill in refrigerator until this coating
is set and firm. This will help prevent big messes!

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Dog Treat Recipe 2

Brilliant Bacon Bites

Ingredients
- 3cups whole wheat flour
- cup milk
- 1 egg
- cup bacon fat (or vegetable oil)
- 1tsp garlic powder
- 3-4 slices bacon, crumbled up
- cup cold water

Directions
1. Mix ingredients together thoroughly.
2. Roll out on a floured surface to - thickness.
3. Bake for 35-40 mins in a 162 C or 325 F

Remember to let cool.
Justin Bryce is the Proprietor of /www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au> Stop by for over 400 dog treat recipes /www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au> and fantastic dog health and care tips plus way’s to spoil your dog.

Justin Bryce is the Proprietor of http://www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au Stop by for over 400 dog treat recipes and fantastic dog health and care tips plus way's to spoil your dog.

Dog Training Using The Reward Training Method
While reward training is commonly viewed as the most current style of dog training, it is actually a lot older than most other methods of dog training. It is likely that the reward training method has been in use since dogs were domesticated thousands of years ago. Early humans likely used some unofficial type of reward training when refining the wolf pups that ultimately became domesticated dogs.

A lot of the ideas about current methods of reward training go back several decades. But what we know as reward training today has only enjoyed its recognition for the past 10 or so years.

Most reward training proponents are not so eager about other methods of dog training, like the leash and collar style. It is likely, though, that the best approach to training your dog will be a mixture of leash and collar training with reward training.

Additionally, a certain training style might work great for one particular dog, but not for another. Some dogs who are not motivated by reward training but do well with the leash/collar method, and other dogs respond well to reward training while leash/collar training does not work at all. Fortunately, the majority of dogs fall somewhere in between.

One of the more popular methods of reward training currently is clicker training. While clicker training does not work for every dog, it can still be a highly useful method of training dogs. The way clicker training works is by teaching to associate a clicking sound with a positive reinforcement, such as a treat. When the dog does something well, the trainer reacts by clicking the clicker, then immediately offering the dog a treat. In time, the dog learns to react to the clicker only.

In reward training the most common type of treat is a food reward. Almost always, complex tricks or behaviors can only be taught using this type of reinforcement. In fact, trainers who train dogs for movies and television use food-based reward training almost totally.

Reward training is used for all types of dog training, including for police and military work. The majority of training in scent detection and tracking utilize a kind of reward training. You can also use reward training in teaching the basic dog training commands.

In reward training a lure is frequently employed to entice the dog into a desired position or stance. The lure helps to convince the dog to perform the sought after behavior of his own volition.

Getting the dog to carry out a behavior without being handled is important. The point of the training, in fact, is to get the dog to execute a behavior without any handling by the trainer.

Once the dog has carried out the commanded behavior, he is rewarded with a positive reinforcement, such as a food treat. Treats are often used in order to reinforce good behaviors, but other positive reinforcements, such as verbal praise, can also be used for reinforcement.

It is important that a reward-trained dog also be a reliable dog. If a dog is trained to do a job, such as police work or drug detection, outside distractions are to be expected. Therefore it is important to train the dog to work and be focused around diversions, as well as to socialize him with other animals and people.

Sometimes dog trainers only train the dog inside the house or back yard, only when the owner is there, free of distractions. It is important to take the dog outside of his comfort zone and introduced to new people and situations.

It is also important that the dog be trained to pay attention to the handler always. When the owner has the complete attention of the dog, he has complete control of the dog. When executed correctly, reward training is a very effective training method that helps to earn the respect and the attention of the dog.

If you would like to learn more about <a href="http://www.bestdogtraining.info">dog training</a> visit <a href="http://www.dog-training-info.info">http://www.dog-training-info.info</a>

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