Puppy Dog Training – Made Simple

December 17, 2010 by  
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I am a wife and mother of 3 girls. I have raised Great Pyrenees Mountain Dogs for 10 years and I have a wonderful Shih Tzu puppy! Moved from California to Alaska for adventure! I love constantly diving in and learning new things! I love the internet and all the wonderful people out there who take the time to share what they know! It sure makes life fascinating!

The Easiest Dog Training: Made Plain And Simple

October 12, 2010 by  
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You may think that training your dog is not going to be easy, or that you may not even be able to train your dog at all. Well, I am here to tell you that your dog can be trained!
You just have to know what to do and what not to do when you begin to train your dog. All dog owners know this at first before their dog is trained and this can become quite a real pain.
Peeing all over the floor, jumping on you when you come home, not listening, and anything else that dogs may do can really frustrate their owners. In order to get the respect you think you deserve as the dogs master, you need to learn to respect the dog as well.
The first no-no in dog training or in even owning a dog is never to hit your dog with your hand or any other instrument, such as a stick or rolled up newspaper.
This makes the dog more aggressive. Another thing, if you are trying to teach your dog to sit, stay, lay down or any other command, you should reward the dog with treats or praise him when he does what you commanded.
If you think your dog barks too much while you are out, this means that the dog has separation anxiety. Start leaving for short periods of time and gradually move the time up.
Make sure that you always leave her with some kind of chew toy or treat to keep her busy while you are gone. You can also crate your dog if you have to leave the house without her, but this can lead to having to crate her around every time you leave for the rest of her life.
Did you know that if a dog does not get enough exercise it will cause him to misbehave? Just walking around the yard is not enough to give your dog the exercise it needs. You should take your dog for a walk at least once everyday.
Having mental stimulation is also quite important to the dogs behavior. If a dog is bored he will bark more, but if he is understanding and interested in what is going on around him, he will not misbehave.
Potty training seems to be a big problem for a lot of people when they first get their new puppy. Potty training your dog is a must if she is going to live inside the house! Dogs love schedules, therefore, you need to keep your beloved new pet of a potty schedule.
You also need to have a lot of patience and some doggy treats handy when potty training. Dogs usually need to go outside about 20 to 30 minutes after eating, so make sure that you pay close attention.
Always keep in mind that dogs will never go potty where they sleep. You can confine your dog to a crate or a specific area while you are training him so you can control his food and water intake.
This will help teach the dog that going potty is something that is only done outside. You must be consistent with training your dog to keep it behaving appropriately. That means rewarding good behavior or dishing out discipline as required.
Once you train your dog, you will be able to enjoy him much more and he can really become your best friend. Your dog will obey and respect you more for all the love, care and attention you are giving to her.

Alan Largo is the creator and administrator of Doggie Trainer and strives to assist others identify with their dog’s adverse behavioral problems through informative reviews. You’re invited to visit Doggie Trainer to read his most recent article review.

Simple home grooming techniques that will give you a healthier and happier dog

September 30, 2010 by  
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Regularly grooming your dog not only has the added benefit of making him look and smell good; grooming your dog on a regular basis also gives you the opportunity of deepening the bond you have with your pet and for checking his general health.

If you have a puppy, take the time now to help him become accustomed to being groomed. You can do this by simply spending time with your puppy and gently his entire body; examine his tail, paws, ears, and teeth etc. Talk to your puppy in a gentle and positive tone, and have some food treats with you, so as you can reward your puppy for his positive behaviour. If you have an adult dog who is not totally happy with the grooming experience, then go back to the basics, using the plan outlined here.

Although basic grooming procedures are generally the same for all breeds of dogs, the amount of time you will need to devote to grooming your pet and the tools you will use, will depend on the dogs coat quality and it’s length.

Breeds with smooth coats are quite low maintenance, and need only occasional bathing, and brushing. Short coated dogs who have a top coat and a more dense undercoat, for example German Shepherds, will require brushing at least once per day, so as the undercoat does not become matted. Curly coat breeds, for example, the Kerry Blue Terrier, will need to be brushed regularly, along with a bath and coat clipping very couple of months. Breeds that have wiry coats need regular brushing, at lead once per day to prevent matting. The longer coat breeds, such as the Such as Yorkshire Terriers, and Collies, need daily brushing and combing, along with bathing and clipping when needed, in order to keep their coats in good condition.

The tools you will need for grooming will vary depending on your dogs coat, however your dogs grooming kit should include the following:

Natural/organic dog shampoo

You can buy organic dog shampoo from a host of online vendors or large pet supply stores. Using an organic shampoo is much kinder to your dogs skin and fur, as it has the correct ph-balance, and does not contain chemicals, or atrtificial colours or preservative, that can be harmful.

Tweezers

Tick removal implement

Tick removal implements can be purchased from your local pharmacy, however, tweezers work just as well for removing ticks.

Brush, comb and or grooming glove

The brush and comb you choose should be adequate for your dogs coat. For example, for dense coats, use a comb with wider teeth, for smooth coats choose a comb that has closer teeth, alternatively a grooming glove.

Electronic clippers

Nail clippers

A small pair of blunt nosed scissors for clipping away unwanted hair from between your dogs pads, or around the eyes.

Vitamin E oil for cleaning your dogs ears.

Dog toothpaste and toothbrush

Towels for drying your pet following a bath

Organic wipes, for cleaning around your dogs eyes

Now it’s time to begin grooming your dog, so lets begin with the messy part first, bathing.

Bathing

You can do this outside or indoors, depending on the size of your dog. If using the bath, first put down a rubber non slip mat in the bath, so as your pet does not slip around. Put a large cotton ball in each of your dogs ears and place him in the bath.

Begin by covering your dogs entire body with warm water, if you are using a shower, keep the shower head close to the dogs body. Next, add small amounts of your dog shampoo to your dogs body, paying attention to his rectum and genital area, and between his paws. Once you have done this you can rinse your dog thoroughly with warm water.

Towel dry your dog to begin with, then if you wish, use a dryer, however, don’t put the dryer to close to your dogs skin, and don’t point the dryer directly into the dogs ears.

Next, let us look at the general grooming procedure you can make on a more regular basis. To begin with, check your dogs coat for dirt, and parasites such as fleas and ticks. Also check the condition of your dogs skin. When you are happy his skin appears healthy, you can move on to combing his coat.

Combing your dog

Always comb your dogs coat in the direction the hair grows, combing small section at a time. If you encounter a knot in your pets fur, use the first tooth of the comb to gently tease the knot free. Hold the base of the knot as you do this, so as not to cause your dog any pain.

Brushing your dog

The next step is to brush your dogs fur gently, but not so vigorously as you will cause ‘brush burn’. Brush your dogs fur in the opposite direction hair growth. Attend to all areas of the body, ie, body, tail, chest, legs and behind the ears. When doing this part check your dogs paws and between his pads for any lodged seeds from grass, grit and dirt etc. Clean and trim any excess fur.

Having done the hardest work, brushing and combing. The next part to concentrate upon is nail clipping. Most dog owners avoid clipping their dogs nails, many leaving it to their vet, but with a bit of practice, trimming your dogs nails will become a routine procedure.

Cutting your dogs nails

Check to begin with to see if your dogs nails need trimming. Dogs usually wear down their nails by walking on the pavement, however, they still may need a trim every several weeks or so.

To begin with, identify the quick in each nail; the quick is the blood vessel inside the nail. It can be seen quite easily in light coloured nails as a red coloured line, but impossible to see in dark nails. Care must be taken not to cut into the blood vessel, as this will obviously be painful for your dog, and will also cause some bleeding.

Cut the nail in one stroke below the blood vessel. In darker nails, make several vey small cuts. If your not sure how much nail to cut if you have a dog with black nails, less is better than more.

Cleaning your dogs ears

It’s now time to move on to your dogs ears. Wax, dirt and fungus can build up in a dogs, especially in the case of floppy eared breeds. During the grooming process check your dogs ears for signs of wax and dirt etc. Smell inside your dogs ears, a foul odour, could mean your pet has an infection, especially id he has been scratching his ears, or shaking his head a lot. To clean your dogs ears, use a natural cleanser, such as an essential oil blend. You can use the following blend to clean your dogs ears, and keep them free from wax build up and infection.Put a little of the blend on a cotton ball and clean each ear.

Ear cleaning essential oil blend

2 drops Roman Chamomile

2 drops tee tree

4 drops lavender

Mix with 20 mls of Sweet Almond or Jojoba oil. Pour into a dark bottle and keep out of sunlight or in the refrigerator. This will last several moths. Use the blend to clean your dogs ears each time you groom him.

Cleaning your dogs eyes

Finally, let us look at cleaning your dogs eyes. It is important to clean your pets eyes regularly, in most breeds this can be done during the normal grooming session, however, with breeds who’s tear ducts can become blocked easily, cleaning around the eyes will need to be done more regularly.

Check your pets eyes for signs of discharge, especially in the corner of the eye. Use your blunt nose scissors to gently clip away unwanted hair, especially at the corner of each eye. When this is done, gently clean around each eye with a wet cloth or an organic baby wipe. These type of wipes are especially good for cleaning your dogs sensitive areas, such as around the eyes, as they contain no alcohol, or other ingredient that is harmful to the dog.

Job done. The more often you groom your dog, the quicker it will seem to become. Having said this, your dogs physical and emotional well being depends on being kept clean and healthy, so make grooming an extra special and fun time for you and your dog.

Ivan Ojounru has been training dogs in the UK since the late 1908′s. He now lives in France where he continues to train dogs and write about dog related behaviour care and trainig topics. He is passionate about giving dog owners the skills, knowledge and confidence to enable them to train their own dogs successfully. For further information visit http://www.dogtrainingcareadvice.blogspot.com

Some Simple Tips on Shih Tzu Puppy Training

November 15, 2009 by  
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Shih Tzu Puppy Training

The joys of having a Shih Tzu puppy, which is also called a lion dog and chrysanthemum dog, is incomparable. You will appreciate its cute and cuddly appearance, soft and smooth fur, and adoring eyes that make it one of the most desirable pets around. Its quality as an excellent guard dog despite its small size is a bonus!

Like all dog breeds, however, you must train your lion dog to integrate fully into human society whilst staying true to its natural tendencies and temperaments. You can achieve this through proper puppy training, of which many benefits can be had.

Build Good Relationships

The basis of a good relationship with your Shih Tzu puppy is trust, which should be nurtured from the first contact. When you have mutual trust, your pet will follow your commands without the attendant displeasure, confusion and anxiety present in most untrained puppies. Of course, your pet and the people around you will appreciate your relationship. For one thing, your dog will follow commands that can put it out of harm’s way specifically with dog fights. For another thing, your family members and neighbors will appreciate your happy pet, thanks to good puppy training. Ultimately, your relationships with your dog and with other people will benefit from a well-behaved Shih Tzu, puppy or not.

Fix Behavioral Difficulties

It must be emphasized that dogs, like people, have different temperaments although certain traits can be attributed to lion dogs. In addition to their naturally sweet, trustful and playful nature, lion dogs can be very stubborn and easily distracted as well as snappy. Thus, if you are training your pet, always keep these general personality traits in mind.

When you do succeed in your puppy training, you will delightedly discover that your dog behavioral problems wonderfully vanish. You can say goodbye to poop and pee littering the house and the lawn, to neighbors being annoyed with your Shih Tzu’s bad behavior, and to children being snapped on by a temperamental puppy. In short, you will have a healthy, happy and huggable puppy that will bring plenty of joy to the family. What more can you want in a pet?

Encourage Socialization

Amongst all the dog breeds, the lion dogs are said to be the most sociable, most affectionate and most playful. You will observe that your pet constantly craves human attention and contact, which can lead to behavioral problems with both the dog and the human kinds.

Puppy training, however, minimizes the problems associated with such an attention seeker mentality. Of course, you will train your puppy in the correct ways that he should interact around other dogs and humans. Besides, you can establish who the alpha dog is in the pack, thanks to said training. In a Shih Tzu, you must assert your authority or else you will be taken over by its arrogant and dominant qualities!

So, don’t ever hesitate! As soon as you read this article, you can go ahead to my website to learn more about puppy training.

Ricky Chea is a dog lover and has lived with over 20 dogs and he loves Small Dog Breeds.
For more information on how to effectively train your Shih Tzu, please visit: Shih Tzu Puppy Training.

10 Simple Steps to Potty Train Your Puppy

November 13, 2009 by  
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These are just ten simple ways that many people have found improve and simplify their puppy’s potty training experience.

1. ) Make sure you stay optimistic while undergoing the potty training process. If your not willing to teach, your puppy won’t be willing to learn.

2. ) Start potty training as soon as possible, the longer you procrastinate, the more bad habits your puppy will make.

3. ) Confine your puppy in a workable area. An single room with an easy to clean floor is easier to train in than an entire house with numerous hiding places.

4. ) Make sure to walk your puppy on a regular schedule. A good example is: early in the morning, shortly after meals, and before bed.

5. ) Let your puppy know when it does the right thing. When it eliminates where it’s supposed, reward it with something it likes and recognizes. (for most puppies, play time is an excellent reward)

6. ) Make sure to promptly and thoroughly clean up after your puppy (this includes scrubbing and deodorizing). Otherwise he will eliminate there again.

7. ) Feed and play with your puppy where he previously eliminated. Animals don’t like to eliminate where they eat and play, so this will help prevent future accidents.

8. ) Minimize the puppy’s water and food intake before sleeping. Just like a child, it’s more common for a puppy to have an accident when it has a full bladder.

9. ) Keep your training methods constant. Changes in strategy will confuse your puppy and it will take longer to house break him.

10. ) Keep and eye on your puppy. If you find he’s having too many accidents, it probably means you are leaving him unattended for too long at a time or you’re not giving it enough attention.

 

If you found this article helpful, or are looking for more info about dog training, visit http://cfra85. bezoogle. com/pp/dog-training/

Pitbull Puppy Training- Simple Tips For Creating The Perfect Family Pet

November 11, 2009 by  
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For the longest time I put off Pitbull puppy training. I don’t know, maybe I thought that “Rocco”, our Pitbull puppy, would train himself. At first I was clueless about training Pitbull puppies. However, my wife Laura and I followed the advice of a Pitbull handler, and followed these training tips.

Pitbulls, in general, have TONS of energy! Consequently, it is important that they get plenty of exercise. Make sure that before you bring a Pitbull into your life, that you are able to provide adequate channels for your puppy to release energy. It is sad to see Pitbull owners who keep their puppies tied up or in a confined area. It is very difficult for Pitbull puppy training to be successful with a hyperactive dog.

In fact, whenever it is possible, obtaining a 2nd puppy can accomplish two important objectives. The 2nd puppy can provide a playmate for your Pitbull, which will allow your puppy an outlet for energy. Also, interacting with another dog is a great way for your Pitbull puppy to get used to being around other dogs.

Pitbulls have the reputation for being aggressive toward other dogs. Consequently, your Pitbull puppy training should include introducing your puppy to other dogs at a very early age. Allowing your puppy to be around small children is good training as well. Introducing them to as many new social situations as possible is a great way create a “sociable” pitbull!

Pitbulls are quite intelligent, and training can begin at a very young age. Generally speaking, one word commands such as “down” and “No”, can begin as early as 9-10 weeks. Each family member should be consistant in training Pitbull puppies.

As your dog’s attention span increases, more advanced training can begin. When the more advanced training begins, one family member at a time should initiate the training sessions. They should be no more than 10-12 minutes.

At first, Pitbull puppy training was a nightmare with Rocco. Laura and I had waited until he was almost an adult to start. At that point, he was stubborn and “set in his ways. We almost had to put him up for adoption. We discovered a guide written hy a Pitbull handler that helped us finally understand what makes a Pitbull “tick”. We found it to be the only relaiable source of Pitbull puppy training

Simple Puppy Training Tips For The First Month

November 10, 2009 by  
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Puppy training starts as soon as your new puppy arrives at his new home. Before you bring him home look at puppy names and decide what you are callling him. Below is a list of puppy training tips to guide you during the first month of acquiring your pet.

Week One: During your puppy’s first week home (he should be around 8 weeks old), it is important to take him for a vet check up. Sample of his stool is checked for worms and preventive inoculations are given. As I said puppy training starts on day one by calling him by his new puppy name.

Set up his eating area as well as his crate or sleeping quarters. Begin the process of house training as well as collar and leash training. Watch him while he plays by himself and observe his style and personality. Play gently and enthusiastically but avoid rough housing. Say “Ok” whenever you feed him, hand him a toy or a treat as you walk out the door with him. Use plenty of praise all the time.

Week Two: As you play with your puppy, gradually add simple phrases and words into the games. If he is retrieving, say “Take it “as you throw the object. Praise him when he brings the object back to you. Say “Out” as he drops it and praise him again. Continue with “Ok” during meal, for going out, with playing, housebreaking, leash training, and observing.

Week Three: During the third week of puppy training begin to correct him gently for nipping and for chewing on shoes, cords, and furniture. Provide a toy for him to chew instead. Even if he stays inside the house, be sure to walk him around on his leash everyday. Always use eye contact. Say “Watch me” to draw his attention to your eyes. Praise him for looking at you. This method teaches him to look to you for direction.A great leash training idea is to begin tying his leash to your belt and have him trail around wherever you go; starting for a few minutes at a time, working up to an hour as it becomes easier. This will help him bond to you and will also help with his puppy training.

Start teaching table manners, beginning with “No” and “Ok” for food. Initiate the “Sit” and “Stay”, working for no more than five minutes at a time this week. If you are at home most of the time, make sure that you leave him alone for short periods of time during the day to get him used to being alone. Begin to correct the stealing of food and found objects – keeping in mind that prevention is your best correction. Correct excessive barking, noise, and whining.

Week Four: Carry on with all of the above puppy training, adding more time that he walks properly on leash. Continue practicing “No” and “Ok” with food no more than twice per week. Continue to let him explore the house under supervision, both on and off the leash. Initiate the “Come” and “Down stay” to your puppy training program. Work with your puppy no more than fifteen minutes at a time. If he is going out, you may start teaching him to “Heel” but do it very gently. Get him used to grooming procedures such as brushing, nail clipping, and occasional baths. Always make sure that every puppy training session is run as a game that way your puppy will enjoy himself whilst being trained.

John Mailer has written many articles about dogs and puppies and how to train them. Puppy Training Begin Snowboarding