Thursday, April 9, 2009

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

How to house train your puppy

In this article I am going to give you some techniques on how to house train your puppy.
In order to successfully house train your puppy you will need to be consistent, vigilant and patient as well!
The first step to house train your puppy is to set up a routine with him. Take him out as frequently as possible (ideally every two hours), especially after having a meal, after playing, and just after waking up from a nap. If your puppy has to be on his own in the house for several hours, put him into an area of the house with enough room for a sleeping area, a playing area, and a separate place to be used as a toilet. In this place you can put some newspapers, a small inflatable swimming pool or a cat's sand tray. You could also purchase dog litter products at a pet shop. Praise him when he does it in the correct place.
You should also schedule a routine with meals. If he eats at the same time on a daily basis, it will be easier for him to have consistent times to eliminate.
When you take out your puppy make sure that he eliminates before returning home. At this point, show him you are happy with his behavior or even give him a prize. This is very important because he will be motivated.
While your puppy is eliminating, you can use a word or phrase like 'go potty', that you will eventually use in order to remind him to eliminate.
Consistency is the key!
If you catch your puppy eliminating inside the house, (except in his 'house toilet' if he has one) do something to stop him, like making a noise (without making him feel scared) and take him outside the house immediately. Use your word or phrase, and if he eliminates outside, praise him.
Don't give him a punishment. Don't rub his nose and don't shout or scare him.This will often do more harm than good and will create a negative energy between both of you.
In order to effectively house train your puppy, consistent positive praise will always works much better than punishment.

Train your dog to stop jumping on people

The majority of dogs jump when they are excited. It is their way to release adrenaline. This usually happens in any situation in which they are excited and happy.

When a puppy jumps on people we do not usually consider it as a problem, because we think they are cute, and they are just being affectionate. The problem is that if the puppy is encouraged to jump on people, he will continue doing it when he grows up!

The easiest and most effective way to train your dog to stop jumping is simply to ignore him.

This is how you do it. Whenever your dog jumps on you, you turn your back, fold your arms and look away. At first, he will probably carry on trying to get your attention, but if you continue ignoring him, he will finally give up. This can be hard at the beginning, especially if you have a very close and affectionate relationship with your dog. If your dogs whines and seems to be suffering, do not worry. He is not really suffering, and this initial uncomfortable feeling will bring much happiness to you and your dog in the long term

It is vital that you tell all the other people that are in contact with your dog, to do the same. It could take some time, but if you consistently apply this technique, he will finally get the message.

You should give attention to your dog only when he is calm. If he starts jumping again, ignore him completely.

This is the formula: Give him attention when he is calm and ignore him when he jumps!

I learned these techniques and many more with this ebook:

Dog Training Program, also in audio format

Other helpful programs are:

Puppy training & Dog Training Online in video format

Dog Food Secrets to discover the truth about commercial dog food

Dog Tricks to teach your dog to fetch the remote, open doors for you and even get your mail!

Veterinary Secrets Revealed to treat your pet at home with over 1000 home health remedies

Choosing Dog breed to learn how to choose the right dog for you

Thursday, March 6, 2008

How to prevent your dog from barking excessively

In this article I am going to show you how to prevent your dog from barking excessively.

First of all, the number-one cause for unwanted barking ( the kind of barking that's repetitive and is directed at nothing) is nervous, agitated energy - the kind he gets from not getting enough exercise. Most dogs function best with one and a half hours' exercise every day, which is a considerable time commitment for you. Of course, this varies from dog to dog, depending on factors like breed, age, and general level of health. You may think that your dog is getting as much exercise as he needs, or at least as much as you can possibly afford to give him - but if his barking is coupled with an agitated demeanor (fidgeting, perhaps acting more aggressively than you'd expect or want, restlessness, destructive behavior) then he almost definitely needs more.

Fortunately, the fix for this problem is pretty simple: you'll just have to exercise him more. Try getting up a half-hour earlier in the morning - it'll make a big difference. If this is absolutely impossible, consider hiring someone to walk him in the mornings and/or evenings.

The second most common cause of excessive vocalization in dogs is too much 'alone time'. Dogs are social animals: they need lots of attention, lots of interaction, and lots of communication.

There is another kind of barking which some dogs use to get what they want from their owners: it is called "manipulative barking". If your dog doesn't have any physical needs, has had exercise and reasonable attention during the day, he should not bark. If he does (for example, because he wants you to stop reading and start playing with him) the best thing is to ignore him. At the beginning it will probably get worse, because he will keep insisting, thinking he will eventually get what he wants. However, if you are consistent, your dog will finally get the message and give up barking, because he will realize that it does not work anymore!