housetraining tips for puppy owners
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
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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>
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Trimming Pet's Nails: Take Proper Care Of Your Pet
Most pet owners understand how to take proper care of their pet. Many basic grooming procedures consist of brushing, bathing, and getting their hair cut. Some, however, overlook one of the most important tasks in keeping your pet well groomed. This part involves nothing more than keeping your pet’s nails neatly trimmed. Believe it or not, this is very important for a pet’s health and well being. Several benefits of this process include better mobility, less pain, bonding, and better health. These are all excellent benefits that make this process worth attempting. Granted, trimming a pet’s nails may seem like a difficult job, and it can be because many pets do not necessarily enjoy this and they are not afraid to let their owners know about it. Fortunately, there are some incredible tools available to make the job less painful for both of you. Using them and getting the job done correctly can have many benefits that are too large to ignore. When you keep up with trimming your pet’s nails, you can discover the following benefits: Mobility - When a dog’s claws are allowed to grow too long, basic tasks such as running and walking become painful and more difficult. This may even become a problem for very young dogs with a lot of energy. Dogs in particular, enjoy running and playing and by keeping their nails short, you can increase their comfort level while performing these activities. Keeping your pet’s claws correctly and neatly trimmed can help ensure that he never suffers the unnecessary pain long nails can cause. Better health - When claws are allowed to grow too long over an extended period of time, health problems can arise. An ordinarily healthy dog can become lame from favoring paws while walking. In some cases, broken nails can be an issue and can even cause infections in the paws. Long nails can cause problems for your pet including infections. These infections are caused by the nail cracking or splitting. Increased comfort - If you do not trim a cat’s nails often, they may begin scratching in an attempt to shorten their own nails. They may use a variety of surfaces including your furniture. Unfortunately, this also means that they may scratch you and other objects in your home. Bonding - Nail trimming and other routine health care maintenance can be the perfect time to bond with your cat or dog. Try to make the experience as enjoyable as possible and it can pay off for both of you. When you begin the process by calming your pet and finish by giving your pet a treat, he or she may look forward to a weekly claw inspection and trimming. This is a great experience because you can tell that your pet is happy and you know they are healthy too. Getting the Job Done With Ease If you want to make sure your pet enjoys the benefits of routine claw trimming, you may want to learn how to perform the job yourself. Yes, you can go to a groomer for this, but it can prove costly to keep up with on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. There are several tools and tips for trimming your pet’s nails. To trim a cat or dog’s claws with relative ease, consider the following tips: Getting a nail grinder - There are specialized tools for trimming canine and feline claws. Rather than technically cut, they grind. These devices make it easier for you to handle the job and less intimidating for your dog or cat. A nail grinder is a tool that grinds the nails rather than cut them. This can be less painful for your pet because there is a lower chance of cutting the quick. Using rewards - Do not overlook the value of rewarding your pet for behaving well during a trim. When you reinforce that a treat is coming after a trim, your pet should respond well. Taking it with a grain of salt - If you are new at trimming your pet’s claws and find the job is a little difficult, do not sweat it. Rather than try to trim all four paws in one sitting, do one at a time. If your pet seems distressed, just back off for a bit and come back to the job later. There are many benefits to trimming your pet’s nails. The main benefits include better mobility for your pet, improved overall health, and less pain. These benefits are worth it and even though your pet may be uncomfortable with the process, you should try to find ways to help them get through it. Rewards are important because they show your pet that your care and they were good during the process. This helps them to behave in a similar manner during the next nail trimming.Jeremy Foster is a freelance writer who writes about pet care and pet products, focusing primarily on specific pet care products such as <a href="http://www.taylorgifts.com/prodetail~itemNo~29015.asp">Pedi Paws.</a>
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