Good puppy training tips?
I am getting a puppy and of course know sit stay down no come ect…. Any good training tips that have worked for barking biting manners chewing and stuff? I had a dog but am getting a lab puppy this time and want to know what helped you…. Thanks!
Feb 07, 2012 | 4 | Puppy Training Tips
February 7th, 2012 at 6:03 pm
We have had great success with our puppy by spraying him with a very weak vinegar solution. When he barked we grabbed the spray bottle and gave him a squirt. Pretty soon all we had to do was grab the bottle and he’d stop barking.
I think the same would work for chewing, but you have to catch him in the act. You can’t spray him when you find your Chuck Taylor’s spread all over your bedroom.
February 7th, 2012 at 6:03 pm
For chewing I had luck with a product called bitter yuck. Of corse this was after six of our dining room chairs were chewed up. As for barking I went the rout of ignoring him and what he was barking at, showing that what was making him bark wasn’t a real threat. If you make a fuss about it he will think that you, “his pack leader” is also threatened causing him to freak out more. Puppy magazines and puppy books also have a lot of helpful hints, a puppy kindergarden class also taught me a lot. Hope this helped.
February 7th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
I’ve covered a few of these topics on my blog. I’ve included links to a few articles with pretty basic steps that should help you out.
Rough puppy play: http://shespeaksbark.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-deal-with-rough-puppy-play.html
House training: http://shespeaksbark.blogspot.com/2010/05/house-training-your-pup.html
crate training: http://shespeaksbark.blogspot.com/2010/05/tips-for-crate-training.html
For puppy toys/products: http://shespeaksbark.blogspot.com/2011/03/national-puppy-day.html
I hope that helps, direct links always are the most helpful to me! Please comment or email if you have any comments or questions, thanks!
February 7th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Your dog communicates with his bark. But if he barks excessively, it can diminish his effectiveness as a watchdog.
Here are the most common causes of constant barking:
Loneliness — A dog that is home alone for long periods is likely to bark because he feels anxious or sad and is afraid his owner may not return.
Conditioning — Your dog may bark because you have inadvertently trained him to do so. Think about it: He barks and you open the door to let him out. He barks again and you let him back in. He may even bark for a treat-and then you give him one.
Inactivity — Lack of exercise can result in a dog that has pent-up energy and barks out of frustration. A well-exercised dog is more likely to sleep when you’re not there.
How to tame the dog that cries wolf
Take your dog for at least two 20-minute walks each day, or head to the park for a game of fetch. Dogs that spend most of their time in the backyard or in the house need regular exercise.
Visit the same park daily or weekly and let him find doggy friends. Dogs are social creatures. Plus, there’s a lot of truth to the saying “a tired dog is a good dog.”
Give your dog something to do when he is home alone. Instead of barking, your dog can keep himself busy by earning his food. Fill a hollow chew toy with a biscuit or two.
You can also pack it with canned food and freeze it, so it takes a long time for your dog to get the food out.
Attach an unpleasant experience to inappropriate barking. Never strike your dog, but do something that will catch his attention, such as clanking an empty soda can filled with coins, or quickly misting water in his face. As soon as your dog stops barking, instantly reward him.
Teach your dog a “quiet” command.
Each time your dog barks, give him a command of “quiet” or “no bark.” At the same time, hold a treat in front of your dog’s nose. Most dogs get quiet immediately because they can’t sniff the treat and bark at the same time.
Lavish praise on your big dog during his quiet time. After three seconds of no barking, let him have the treat. As you continue with your training, increase the amount of time you require him to be quiet before giving the treat.
Dogs chew, that’s what they do. It is up to use to teach them what they can and cannot chew on. Some people make the mistake of giving their dog too many chew toys. This will cause the dog to think everything in reach is his/hers to chew on. When you are teaching them what is acceptable to chew on stick to one or two good chew toys. You will have to pay attention, be diligent. When the dog picks up the wrong thing simply tell him/her “No”, make the dog drop it, then give the chew toy. When the dog picks up the chew toy, give lots of praise, let the dog know that was the right thing to do. You do that and soon your dog will go for the chew toy every time. That is the way I train my dogs.
Give your dog only a few toys. The toys should be varied in shapes and materials. If you give him too many toys to chew on, he may think that he has free reign on anything else in the house.
Let the dog play with these toys often. You can even buy toys designed to be filled with treats. The more the dog chews on the toys, the more likely she will chew on them instead of other items.
Use the crate training method. Dogs that are crate trained behave better and do not have access to your furniture or shoes when they are unattended.
Tell the dog “no” when you catch him chewing on a forbidden item. Give the dog one of his toys and pet him to let him know that the toy is alright to chew on.
Put a chewing spray on your forbidden items. Anti-chewing sprays containing bitter flavors can be placed on furniture, shoes and toys. Dogs do not like the taste, so they will avoid chewing on the items.
The first thing to remember about house training a puppy is there ability to hold themselves is limited. A rule of thumb is they can hold “it” usually 1 hour for each month of age. 2 months old = 2 hours, 3 months old = 3 hours, etc. When your puppy wakes up (morning, nap, whatever) the pup has to go, right then! Take the pup out. When the pup eats or drinks, it has to go, take the pup out. After exercise (play), take the pup out. When the pup does it’s thing outside praise it. A lot. Tell the pup how good, how smart it is. You have to pay attention to the pups “looking for it’s spot” behavior. When you see that behavior indoors, whisk the pup out. If you catch the pup in the act, simply tell it “NO!” and whisk it outside. If you find a puddle or pile after the fact, clean it up with an enzyme cleaner (pet food store) get a newspaper and hit…. yourself in the head and say “I should have been paying more attention.” Daytime training they get pretty fast. Night time training is easier if you crate train the pup. Also remember the one hour/one month rule. You will have to get up through the night to take the pup out. Good luck