Archives for February, 2010
When you’re not around you can’t stop your dog from roaming your home freely doing whatever he wants to do however crate training a dog can limit what he can get up to during the day while you’re out at work. So this means less damage to your home and less mess to clean up when you get home. Crate training a dog is a great way to help with the introduction of potty training for dogs and can really accelerate your puppy’s learning curve.
The perception by people is that crate training a dog is cruel and acts as a sort of a confinement for when the dog is in trouble. When you visit one of your friends and their dog is sat inside a crate you immediately feel sorry for the dog and although you don’t say anything to the owner you’re thinking how cruel they are.
I’ve heard of people falling out over this particular topic as one side thought the owners were punishing their dog and they decided that the use of crate training a dog was been inhumane. Little do they, or most people who think like this, know that the dog actually likes to be in the crate even when the door is shut. Dogs are, by nature, known as ‘Den Creatures’ and this means that they like small, dark confined areas. Which means when you’re crate train your dog you are actually helping them with their own natural instincts.
By crate training your dog in their new home offers a number of benefits to both the dog and the owner; firstly for the dog it gives him his very own ‘Den’ or safe haven where he can feel safe and secure and get out of the way of the busy family it lives with whenever it needs any ‘Me Time’ and for the owner it ensures that the dog can’t get up to any mischief when there not around. You should start crate training a dog from the very second he arrives at your house and keep training him so that this is all he knows.
The main reason most people buy a crate for their dog is because they can’t physically supervise their dog every second of the day and when the dog is left alone they mess the house up. The other great benefit from crate training a dog is that you use the crate to help with toilet training them.
People also use them for puppy crate training however a little more supervision is required as a puppy hasn’t fully developed the awareness of owning its own territory yet, they just like to play… all day. When crate training puppies I would advise that you use the crate for shorter periods of time and you give your puppy plenty of opportunity to go outside to the toilet.
When deciding on what to buy when crate training a dog especially very large dogs you need to make sure that your dog can stand up fully inside, can turn fully around and lie down comfortable, with a puppy I’d recommend you think long term and buy a crate which will be big enough for when they are older. Ask at your local pet shop or Vet on how big they think your dog is likely to grow and following the guide above buy a crate to match this size. Any one can start crate training a dog and you can at any time in the dogs life, their never too old to learn.
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Feb 12, 2010 | | Crate Training Dogs
One of the worst dog behavior problems most owners face is having to deal with an aggressive dog. If you’re unlucky enough to find yourself in the situation where your dog’s personality has turned into an aggressive one there is still hope for you and there are ways in which you can still lead a happy life with your dog.
Dog behavior probelms can cause headaches and arguments in any relationship and to deal with this form of bad dog behavior you will need to start to look at your dog ownership from a different perspective and start to look at your why your dogs behavior is like it is. For example what is your dog aggression aimed at; is it the vacuum cleaner, the TV, do they show dog to dog aggression when outside or even aggression towards other people? Try to analyze your dog and look for signs of how his posture and interest changes when different things are around him.
This is the first thing you should do if you find you have dog behavior problems and one of the first things any expert dog behaviorist will do themselves when dealing with dog behavior problems. Analyzing and finding out what the problem could be is the first step to take to help you figure out what strategies to put in place to deal with the aggressive dog behavior.
Here are a few tell tale signs of dog behavior problems before they get out of control you should watch out for these signs in your dog and then try to tie them to what is happening around him:
• Watch the Ears – Does your dogs ears twist inwards or stand on end when something new comes into his environment. This is a sign of your dog been interested in something which means he will start to focus on what that distraction is.
• Does the hairs on his back stand up – Also known as hackles, the hairs along the dogs spine stand up when a dog gets nervous or when their ready to fight.
• Do they show their teeth – This is a sure sign that they will bite, usually accompanied by a growl which turns into a snarl. If this happens watch out as your dog will likely snap.
These are just a few signs that your dog is warning whatever is happening around them that they don’t like it and you should be on the look out for theses signs before you begin with any dog behavior problems training. Once you identify these signs try to tie them into what has just happened that caused your dog to flare up with these warning signs. For example you’re walking down the street and you walk past another dog and its owner on the other side of the street, you think nothing of it and don’t even notice them however your dog has just seen a potential threat and wants to make sure it comes nowhere near them. Dog behavior problems usually come out of your dog when they see and start to show severe dog aggression towards other dogs and they do this by lunging towards them barking, growling, snarling and trying to get off the leash. This all happens in a split second and your dog could potentially become uncontrollable.
Once you start to tie these identifiers to a cause in your dog’s environment you can then try to take action to help avoid any dog behavior problems from these situations. In the example above you could be a little more vigilant and keep a watch out for people coming up with other dogs and then use the parked cars or other obstructions to stand behind so that your dog doesn’t see the other dog and whish would normally trigger the aggressive dog behavior.
This is just one example of the many ways of dealing with really bad dog behavior problems and all I can say to summarize is that if you have an aggressive dog and there seems to be no sign of resolution just try to identify the triggers and try to help your dog avoid the causes. Watch out for these triggers before the reaction and you’ll find you’ll have less dog behavior problems and you’ll own a less stressed out, less aggressive, happier dog.
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Feb 12, 2010 | | Bad Dog Behavior
There are many dog behavior modification strategies you can use to help deal with aggressive dog behavior however I find that the most effective method is simple to praise and reward your dog when they show good behavior and ignore when they are bad.
This underestimated dog behavior training strategy is often overlooked as most owners’ first reaction is to interact with their dog whether they are good or bad. Either way your dog will get the attention from you not matter what they do. However if your dogs behavior is bad it is advised that you don’t reward your dog for this bad dog behavior by giving them the attention they crave, as they will associate this with things been ok and that what they have just done is also ok with their owner. They will probably repeat again in the future as they think it pleases you.
All dog behavior modification problems need to be addressed so applying this strategy will eventually help stop the root cause of the issues within your dog. Although it can be difficult at first as you’ll probably feel you’re been cruel to your dog however stick at it and you’ll reap the rewards as your dog gets older. If you still find this very difficult to do then over reward when your dog is good to make up for the cold shoulder you give them when their bad dog behavior comes to light. This should hopefully offset your ill feeling for ignoring your dog when they are bad.
If you really struggle to apply this dog behavior modification tactic then I’d suggest you consult with a dog behaviorist who will be able to assess your dog and give you specific advice based on their analysis of your dogs behavior. I’d especially do this if your dealing with a severe case of aggressive dog behavior as they will introduce your dog to the trigger of what sets off their aggression and analyze your dog in a controlled environment.
This is a really effective dog behavior modification strategy for correcting dog behavior problems as your dog naturally learns by association. So if they are bad and receive the cold shoulder from you they will associate this with their bad behavior and will eventually stop doing what you don’t like them doing because you’ll be given them lots of praise and attention for when they are good.
Also one last thing to note to really stamp out your problems dog behavior modification training must be applied immediately. For example this won’t work if you’ve been at work all day and your dog has chewed up your slippers, unless you catch the bad dog behavior at the time it happens your dog won’t associate your cold shoulder with something they did hours ago. The same goes for if your dog turns aggressive towards another, I wouldn’t say anything to them I’d just change the direction I’m walking in and correct the dog to follow me without acknowledging their downturn in personality.
This dog behavior modification strategy is not a quick fix; it is something you should do from the day you get your dog home. This doesn’t mean you can’t start now I just mean it makes things a lot easier if you lay these rules down from the first day your dog arrives at your home.
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Feb 12, 2010 | | Bad Dog Behavior
Dog behavior training is really simple once you know how to do it. Also once you know the mechanics behind why all professionally trained dog trainers do what they do you’ll start to see how easy sorting out all your bad dog behavior issues won’t take too long.
Dog behavior training invloves conditioning your dog to obey your commands, let me explain this concept a little further. To control your dogs behavior you need to teach them by association. You associate good things with your dog when they are good and you don’t acknowledge or give them any attention whatsoever when they are bad. You don’t punish them either when they are bad, which is how we as humans are used to been treated.
To successfully use dog behavior training appropriately you must give him lots of positive praise and reward so that they associate receiving this positive reinforcement with how they should conduct themselves. If their bad dog behavior comes to light again you must immediately switch back to ignoring your dog. Over time you will see the results I’ve mentioned here.
So for example with aggressive dog behavior training I would recommend that you are very short and sharp with your dog. Here’s an example to give you a general idea; if you dog barks excessively when they see another dog on your TV don’t try to compete with them by shouting at your dog to ‘Stop’, ‘Leave It’ or even ‘No’. This won’t work because your dog will think you’re joining in with them to warn off the other dog. What I would recommend you do is just get up grab your dog by its collar and without saying anything to them remove them from the room and shut the door behind them. Don’t drag your dog or grab them harshly as you may hurt them.
What you’re doing here with this dog behavior training technique is saying to the dog ‘If you’re going to be like that you’re not staying in this room with me.’ Leave your dog outside of the room with the door closed for roughly a minute per year of age (so if your dog is 5 I’d leave them outside of the room for 5 minutes). This may not work straight away but keep at it and your dog will soon get the message and will start by calming down or showing less aggressive dog behavior which will eventually lead to no barking at all.
Ask any dog behavior training professional and they will tell you exactly this; Praise and reward good behavior and ignore the bad. When your dogs behavior is aggressive it’s difficult to just ignore so you give them the minimum attention possible and remove them from the situation which is causing their bad behavior.
You’ll find that dog behavior training has been covered in a lot of different books, some people have different methods than others however their concepts are pretty much the same. The best dog training books are the ones which teach you to train your dog by using positive reinforcement training. These books can be found anywhere these days however you’ll probably find most are available online. One of the best dog training book resources is Amazon.
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Feb 12, 2010 | | Bad Dog Behavior
You need to start house training your puppy by putting them onto a very strict routine. You will need to keep your eye on your puppy whenever they have the ability to roam freely around your home. This is unless you keep your puppy in a crate which is also a great additional tool to help you begin puppy house training.
Don’t know where to start with house training your puppy:
To start house training your puppy correctly you will need to set up a crate training puppy schedule and let your puppy outside of your house every 30-60 minutes to give them the opportunity to go to the toilet. With crate training your puppy you don’t treat the crate like a prison cell but more of a welcoming den for your puppy, somewhere they will sleep at night and go to when they want a place to feel safe. If you treat the crate like a cell for your puppy when they do something wrong then you will be setting them up to fail and they won’t be successful with their training.
If you don’t learn the proper way when house training your puppy you’ll find that when your puppy gets the urge to go they will stop wherever they are and squat on your floor. This could lead to damaged carpets, smelly odors and once they have marked your home they will go in the same place again and again. Your puppy’s bladder is only small and they haven’t yet developed the strength to hold in their waste.
Once you realize this concept house training your puppy can be very easy because you’re aware that if you let your puppy outside often enough they will not only do their business outside but the will also be learning that outside is where they must go to do their business.
The same concept works for both house training your puppy and dog except this is even easier as your dog won’t need to go out as often. One thing to remember with house training a dog is that a dog knows how to mark his territory and will need to dump more waste so once a dog does his business in your home you could be looking at some very expensive flooring replacement.
Both puppies and dogs need to go to the toilet shortly after they’ve been fed or have had something to drink and also after they’ve had some very rigorous play. One little trick you could try which can help with house training your puppy or dog is to wait for them to begin to go to toilet and then say the command ‘Go Pee’ or ‘Toilet.’ You can use your own variation but make sure you stick to the same command you initially use. By saying this to your puppy or dog at this precise time will help them to associate that word with it’s time to go to the toilet. If your puppy or dog gets really good at this they may even hold it in until you say the command to them. To begin with make sure you do this as they start to go toilet not before or afterwards as it won’t have the desired effect. As your puppy finishes you give them a lot of positive praise and reward which will be the motivator for the puppy to go outside.
So to be a success with house training your puppy and get them into a routine you just make sure you feed them, let them outside, put them into their crate, and try to go to bed yourself at the same time every day. With house training puppies as your puppy gets older, try making the amount of time between each toilet break longer. Follow this guideline and your puppy house training efforts will be worthwhile.
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Feb 12, 2010 | | House Training Your Dog