Dog training books and videos can be an easy way to help teach your pet to be the perfect dog, especially if you don’t have the time or the few hundred dollars for dog training courses.  Amazon is a great source for books and videos, and usually offers great discounts as well.  Best yet, most [...]]]>

Dog training books and videos can be an easy way to help teach your pet to be the perfect dog, especially if you don’t have the time or the few hundred dollars for dog training courses.  Amazon is a great source for books and videos, and usually offers great discounts as well.  Best yet, most books and videos have customer reviews listed so you know if other people got any value out of them.  Try this Amazon tool:

Whether your too busy or inexperienced, taking your pet to dog training courses is a great way to ensure a happy, well behaved and obedient pet.  If you only take one thing from this article, let it be this:

Half, if not more, of the training is for you!  It’s [...]]]>

Whether your too busy or inexperienced, taking your pet to dog training courses is a great way to ensure a happy, well behaved and obedient pet.  If you only take one thing from this article, let it be this:

Dog training courses aren’t just for dogs.

Half, if not more, of the training is for you!  It’s very important that you learn as well during the courses.  If you expect to walk out of a course and do everything exactly how you did things before you got your dog, then save your money and don’t bother attending the course.  Your dog can do great in his/her course but if you aren’t consistent outside of the course then your dog will never behave the way he/she should.  It’s also very confusing for your dog as well.

Consistency is the key to a well mannered and happy dog.

Dogs LOVE consistency.  Anything else is confusing and frustrating.. for both of you!  Worst yet, it can be very upsetting to you, which transfers to the dog when he/she notices how upset you are.  A dog loves knowing exactly what he/she is and is not allowed to do.

“Why coud I jump up on the bed yesterday but not today?”

Another important thing is if you have a partner, bring your partner to the courses as well (or make sure you discuss fully what was done in the course).  If your partner lets the dog on the couch but you yell or smack his/her behind for being there, it’s very confusing to your pet.  Consistency needs to be maintained by the entire family.

If you feed the dog scraps from the dinner table but your partner doesn’t allow it… your dog will ALWAYS beg for scraps from the table.

Dog Training Courses Near You

If you live in a large city or town, chances are there are at least a few different dog schools to choose from.  If you are unsure where to look, try going to your local pet store and asking there.  There is a good chance that a class is being taught out of the store, or at least one employee knows or has attended one.  From my own experience, most people who work at pet stores have a pet.

Amazon also offers a number of books and videos.  Click on this link to check out Dog Training Books and Videos.

Online courses are becoming more and more popular these days.  Doing a simple Google search will usually result in numerous pages of online courses.  Here are a few Google generated lists:

Dog training treats is one of many methods of motivational training that encourages the dog to perform a task by bribing him/her with something they want.  This is a very effective way to quickly teach your dog to sit, stay, and an assortment of other tricks.

So many choices… but which one do you choose?  Although [...]]]>

Dog training treats is one of many methods of motivational training that encourages the dog to perform a task by bribing him/her with something they want.  This is a very effective way to quickly teach your dog to sit, stay, and an assortment of other tricks.

So many choices… but which one do you choose?  Although most dogs will accept any food you give them, a dog training treat should be different.  Most pet stores have an entire row dedicated to just treats, ranging from the standard milk bone to organic treats.  Let’s face it though, dog training treats can be pricey!  If you find yourself having a limited budget, there are any alternatives you can choose from.  Here are a few suggestions: cheese cut into cubes, sliced apples, frozen berries like blueberries or raspberries, or chopped carrots.  These can be just as effective, if not more since it will most likely not be anything like his/her regular food.

Making your own dog training treats can be simple, easy and inexpensive.  Many health conscious pet owners choose to make their own dog’s treats so they know exactly what is going into their food.  Treats you purchase in pet stores is often filled with chemicals, filler, and coloring.  The best part (aside from how cheap it is to make your own dog treats), is very simple, very quick and most often requires little to no preparation.  Here are a few dog training treats suggestions:

• Cheese Slices: Slicing cheese is a great source of protein but does contain fat so don’t over do it.  You can also freeze the cheese slices for your dog if he’s teething (or just for fun).
• Carrots: Carrots are rich in vitamins and minerals, and better yet.. no fat.  Slicing carrots into small rounds is great for teaching tricks.
• Apple Wedges:  Cutting apples into wedges, or halving wedges are great portion sizes for training.. and dogs LOVE apples.

As your training progresses, you can start to skip a few treats and substitute some excited praising and petting.  Eventually you won’t need any treats, however I’m sure your pet would still like a few from time to time.

An important note:  please read the ingredients!  You would be surprised what some of them contain.  A very common ingredient, and usually one of the first listed is wheat.  For most dogs this isn’t an issue but for some dogs, like mine, it causes incredibly bad gas.  While it doesn’t pose a health risk to your dog, it can be very unpleasant for you and any guests you may have over at the time.

Back to Dog Toilet Training.

By nature, dogs are very clean animals and will not eliminate where he/she eats or sleeps. Dogs are also creatures of habit and naturally develop habits of where and when they like to eliminate. If you repeatedly get your dog to eliminate on grass or dirt, unless they have no other choice or [...]]]>

By nature, dogs are very clean animals and will not eliminate where he/she eats or sleeps. Dogs are also creatures of habit and naturally develop habits of where and when they like to eliminate. If you repeatedly get your dog to eliminate on grass or dirt, unless they have no other choice or they are feeling sick, they will not eliminate on concrete or gravel (or carpet and hardwood flooring). With this in mind, you can quickly develop your dogs natural tendencies into successful dog toilet training (or house training).

Unfortunately dog toilet training isn’t always that easy. Busy lifestyles and work schedules makes it difficult to spend time with your puppy (or dog) and help him/her develop the necessary habits of wanting to be outside to eliminate rather than on your carpet. Another issue is bladder size. If you’re hoping to dog toilet train your puppy, you have to realize that puppy’s have small bladders and can not hold anything for very long. They are also at a critical time in their lives in which everything is new and exciting, and learning to control their bladder is still a challenge.

Establishing The Den

No one said dog toilet training was going to be easy! If you’re dog doesn’t take to going outside naturally (yes, some dogs will do this almost flawlessly from the very beginning), then there are steps you can take to make changes before this bad situation becomes a bad habit.

By nature, dogs are cave dwellers and will never eliminate in their dens. So, it only seems logical to help teach your dog that your home is his/her den. It’s important to start off small. First confine your pet to a small room, such as a bathroom or a kitchen. Try to spend as much time as you can in the den with your dog. It’s important that your dog eat, sleep and play in this area to help establish the area as his/her den. Also give the dog a bed or crate. Accidents will happen and it’s very possible that he/she will eliminate here but once the den has been established, they will want to move away from the area to do their dirty business. Once your dog gets used to sleeping in his/her own bed, you’ll be able to move it around the house to where ever you are.

Establishing The Toilet Area

Once you start to identify signs that your dog needs to eliminate, you’re on your way to achieving successful dog toilet training. It’s easy to set a schedule for everything. If your dog eats on a specific schedule, it will be easier to guess when your dog will need to eliminate since they typically have to go soon after they have eaten. Every time you see the signs that your dog needs to eliminate, quickly take him/her to the toilet area. During the elimination process and afterwards, praise your dog on a job well done. Ultimately your dog wants confirmation from the alpha dog… which is you. By praising your dog, you are giving your dog positive reinforcement of a particular action. If he/she knows that going potty outside is good, then he/she will want to get outside everytime to do so.

Once your dog starts to eliminate consistently within the toilet area and not in his/her den, you can start extending the den to outside of a single room.

Possible Issues

If your dog continues to soil the den:

• You may have left your dog too long in that area or the area is too large. Try increasing the frequency of going to the toilet area and/or reducing the size of the den (a smaller room perhaps).
• You may have given him/her too much water. Most dogs will drink excessive amounts of water out of habit or boredom. Try giving less water or increase the frequency of going to the toilet area.
• If the accidents typically happen at night, remove the water dish after a set time (like 8pm). If your dog looks overly thirsty afterwards, try going him/her an ice cube.

Good luck with your dog toilet training!