Considered man’s best friend, dog training professionals have been disseminating more knowledge on how to make this animal live up to that title.
Here are tips that one should keep in mind in training his dog more easily.
Digging Behavior
Dogs, as social beings, consider digging as their outlet when they are lonely. Nutrient deficiency may also cause this digging. Also known as pica, they sometimes eat the dirt they dig to supplement their health. Spending more time with your dog and giving him a health check will keep his digging behavior at bay.
Potty Training
For dog potty training, a reward-based method will prove to be a very rewarding endeavor. Giving it a bit of dog food when it performs a good potty behavior will make it easier for it to remember the good thing that it did.
Repeat and Repeat
Considerable repetitions will give your dog ample time to grasp the command. Consistency is the name of the game. After doing enough repetitions, not helping him with the routine will test if the dog really got it. Three successful attempts in a row is a fine gauge in defining if it’s just a fluke or if the dog has actually understood the drill.
Direct and Correct
Communicate to the dog how the drill should be. Be clear on what you want the dog to do. Just commanding the dog without correcting him if he did it wrongly is not advisable.
Timing is Gold
Timing means that you should consider the age of the dog when considering how to deal with him. It is best to train dogs while they are still puppies. Always remember that old dogs can’t learn new tricks saying.
Be More Stubborn Than the Dog
Establishing rapport to the dog must always be in this order: you as the alpha dog (authoritative) and him as the submissive being. Show any sign of fear when he snaps back and you damage that rapport. Don’t let the dog not complete the exercise. This will teach the dog to just hold out long enough for you give in to his preferences.
Be A Good Actor
Provide your puppy with an outlet for his chewing urges. Also, you may practice yelping loudly when your pup starts to chew on you. After yelping, fold your arms and for 10 minutes consider ignoring him. That response is the thing that happens when a pup becomes too rough on other puppies. But depending on your puppy’s personality, he may react otherwise, such as biting more. In this case, use a more aggressive approach.
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Feb 26, 2010 | | Dogs
One of the most confusing and anxiety-ridden areas of dog training is house training. Yet, it is one of the most important, especially for the humans involved.
The best way to understand and find success with house training is to use the dogs own nature to help you.
Dogs are, by instinct, very clean animals. They would rather not soil any areas where they normally sleep or eat. Dogs are also creatures of habit — they like to know where theyre supposed to go urinate and defecate. If the dog is taught to eliminate on gravel or concrete, they will tend to look for either of those surfaces to do so. If theyre taught to eliminate on grass or dirt, thats where they will choose. Use these habits to your advantage.
Setting up the training area
This is the first step. Make sure the area you choose is small and confined. A bathroom works for this, or a place in a kitchen or garage also work well. Remember that crate training works well for puppies or small dogs, but for the larger animals, the crate is too confining.
You need to spend some time with this aspect of the training. You need to play with your dog in this area, and this is also where the dog will be taught to sleep and eat. Put together a special bed. This can be something you make up with items around the house, or you can go to the store and purchase a bed. Dont worry of your dog eliminates in this area at first. Once they figure out that this is where the sleep and eat, theyll stop eliminating there.
Once your dog realizes that the bed is for sleeping, you can begin to move it around the house. But, only when youre there. When youre not, put the bed back in the training area.
Setting up the toilet area
Now you need to determine where the toilet area is going to be located. Presumably, this will be outside the house. Wherever it is, it has to a place that the dog can go to whenever it needs to go. You need to go there with your dog so you can give the appropriate rewards for good behavior.
Establish a set feeding schedule for your dog. If the dog is in the habit of being fed at certain times, the natural process of elimination will also begin to occur at certain times. Once you learn when those times relate to the eating times, it will become much easier for you to guide the dog to the established toilet area.
Dont forget to make sure your dog has ready access to the toilet area. That way mistakes arent as likely to occur.
Continuing the house training process
Once your dog is in the habit of eliminating in the toilet area and not in the sleeping/eating area, you can begin to extend the training area to the rest of the house. Do this slowly. Start by expanding to one additional room, and then gradually expand into other areas. Dont expand into new areas until youre sure your dog has control of its bladder and bowels. At first, do this only when youre around. If youre away, then put your dog back in the original training area.
Speeding up the process
If you have to move this process along more quickly, you can do so. Remember to proceed with caution, though. Its better to go slowly than to have to try to retrain a dog later. If youre going to try to speed things up, you will have to be there in order to reward your dog for successful eliminations. It is also important not to punish for mistakes. That will only confuse the dog and slow the process even further.
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Feb 09, 2010 | | Dogs
If the thought of clipping your dog’s nails is frightening to you aren’t alone. Most people prefer to ask their veterinarian to do this fiddly task. There’s no reason why clipping your dogs nails should be a frightening task at all. There’s no need to regard it as any different to giving your dog a bath.
Ideally you should start when your dog is young to get the dog used to having his feet handled regularly. Desensitizing your dog to having his paws handled will have a few other benefits too: it will make it easier for groomers or your vet to handle your dogs feet and will also mean if your dog is injured you will be able to examine his paws easier.
If it’s your first time clipping a dogs nails it might be a good idea to watch someone else do it first. Ask your vet or the groomer if you can watch while they clip your dogs nails.
You will need a special pair of clippers for the purpose. Human clippers of scissors could tear the nail and cause painful torn edges. Make sure you get the right size and type of clippers for your dog. You might find a nail file useful too.
You will also want to have some special clotting powder on hand just in case you accidentally cut the nails too short and it starts bleeding. You can find all these products at your local pet supply store.
You will want to clip the nails in a quiet place with minimal distractions. If your dog has never had his nails clipped or is particularly resistant you might want to ask someone to help you. You are after all poking at your dog with a sharp object and it could be dangerous !
To avoid mishaps its best to slowly desensitize your dog to having his paws handled. this part should be easy. Take your dogs paws and massage them a bit.
It makes the process easier if the dogs nails are softer. You can do this by bathing the dog beforehand, massaging some baby oil into the paws or even just dipping the paw into warm water. This has the dual effect of both softening the paws and cleaning the dirt out from under the nails.
Examine the nails closely and try to locate the cluster of veins. This is called the ‘quick’ and cutting this can cause your dog to bleed. If your dog has dark nails this can be difficult. The best policy here is to trim the nails bit by bit over a longer period of time. The quick will retreat over time.
Try to cut with the right hand and hold the paw firmly. Use a calm soothing voice while you do this. You don’t want your dog to become afraid and make the clipping more difficult. Try to cut at 90 degree angles.
If you do cut too far – don’t worry! You can use some of the powder to stop the bleeding. Just sprinkle the powder over the affected area or dip the paw into the powder. There are some other household items you can use to slow the bleeding. You can use cornflower or normal powder in the same way you use the styptic powder. You can also press the dogs nail into some soap. If the bleeding is not too bad – just simply applying pressure should slow the bleeding.
If you have cut your dogs nails too far and they bleed – this may make the dog scared of the nail clipping all over again. You will need to desensitize your dog again.
If your dog is very afraid of having his nails clipped you should gradually get the dog used to the process and the tools. Start again by praising and treating the dog while you handle his paws. Then get the dog used to the clippers. Step by step desensitization coupled with positive reinforcement should ease your problem.
If you really can’t get your dog to behave long enough for a nail clipping remember – most vets will do it for you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
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Jan 27, 2010 | | Dogs
Dear Adam:
My Springer Spaniel has gotten a little more resistant to the come command when she knows it means “Get in the kennel.” At night, she goes in between nine and ten. And like clock work, she wakes me up at 2:00 am. I am sure I have started a bad habit, but I am afraid the neighbors are being disturbed. She still digs once or twice a week during the day. It’s like she goes into a panic after 4 to 5 hours in the kennel.
Thanks,
Dick
Dear Dick:
1. Go to her and make her come when you call her, if you do not see that she moves to respond within 1/2 a second of your command. But I personally like to use a specific command such as, “Get in the kennel.” If she doesn’t immediately move towards the kennel, I will go and get her and walk her in the kennel. If you wait to see if she’s going to respond, then she will wait to see if you’re going to make her. (That is, until the behavior has become a conditioned response.)
When you say kennel, you mean a crate– for at night, right? If not, then this is where she should be sleeping at night. Put her in the crate and then give her a cookie. This will reinforce that going into the crate is a positive thing.
2. For the outside kennel, buy some hardware mesh or chicken wire and put it under the entire kennel run and then put about an inch of dirt on top of that. Dogs don’t like digging and clawing against this type of material.
3. Increase her exercise regimen. Buy yourself a bike and take her for a 2 mile run each day. It’s good for you, too… and it will work wonders in reducing your dog’s boredom.
That’s all for now, folks!
Adam
Dogproblems.com
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Nov 28, 2009 | | Dogs