Dog Training – Dealing With House Training Issues

The best house training uses the dogs own instincts to avoid soiling its bed to train the dog where and where not to eliminate. That is the basis behind crate training, in which the dog is confined to its crate in the absence of the owner, and den training, in which the dog is confined to a small area of the home. In essence, the crate, or the room, becomes the dog’s den. Dogs are naturally very clean animals, and they try their best to avoid using their dens as toilets.

This type of training usually works very well, both for puppies and for older dogs. Problems with this type of toilet training are usually the result of not understanding the signals the dog is sending, not being consistent with feeding times, or trying to rush the process.

While the house training process can be sped up somewhat by consistently praising the dog and rewarding it for toileting in the proper place, some dogs cannot be rushed through this important process. It is always best to house train the dog properly the first time than to go back and retrain a problem dog.

If the dog continues to soil the den area after house training, the most likely reason is that the owner has left the dog in the den for too long. Another reason may be that the den area is too large. In this case, the best strategy is to make the den area smaller or to take the dog to the toilet area more frequently.

If the dog soils the bed that has been provided in the den area, it is most likely because the owner has left the dog there for too long, and the dog had an understandable accident. Or it could be that the dog has not yet adopted this area as the bed. In addition, urinary tract infections and other medical conditions can also cause dogs to soil their beds. It is important to have the dog thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian to rule out any medical problems.

One other reason for house training accidents that many people overlook is boredom. Dogs who are bored often drink large amounts of water and therefore must urinate more frequently than you might think. If you notice your dog consuming large amounts of water, be sure to take the dog to the established toilet area more often, and provide the dog with toys and other distractions to eliminate boredom.

Boredom is the root cause of many dog behavior problems, not only house training issues. Chewing and other destructive behaviors are also often caused by boredom and separation anxiety.

Other problems with house training can occur when the dog’s den is not properly introduced. In some cases dogs can react to the den as if it is a prison or a punishment. Those dogs may exhibit signs of anxiety, such as whining, chewing and excessive barking. It is important for the dog to feel secure in its den, and to think of it as a home and not a cage.

The best way to house train a puppy or dog, or to re-house train a problem dog, is to make yourself aware of the dog’s habits and needs. Creating a healthy, safe sleeping and play area for your dog, as well as a well defined toilet area, is important for any house training program.

House training is not always an easy process, but it is certainly an important one. The number one reason that dogs are surrendered to animal shelters is problems with inappropriate elimination, so a well structured house training program can literally be a lifesaver for your dog.

For instant access to more dog training tips and advice, visit here:
http://www.dogtrainingdiscovery.com/

Choosing Your Dog’s Name

By: Dennis Fetko, Ph.D., “Dr. Dog”
www.DrDogsBehaviorSolutions.com

Because dog confusion is a major obstacle to training success, what you name your dog and how you use that name can determine your success in his training and behavior.

Dogs are vocal, not verbal. How words sound is important to them, so consider that then choosing names and commands. To your dog, the words “No,” “Know,” “Beau” and “Joe” are the same sound; the dog will have trouble knowing which you mean. If you name him “Beau” and use “No!” as a reprimand, saying, “Beau, you know what I want!” reprimands him twice although you didn’t intend a single one!

You always want your dog to come to you when you call him, so how much sense does it make to name your dog “Beau” and use “NO!” as your reprimand? He’ll have trouble knowing whether you called him or yelled at him.
I like to have a dog choose his name. There are two ways to do this. First, spend enough time with the dog to really get to know his personality and select a suitable name. For example, when new to us my Husky-mix not only jumped on me, he pinned me to the wall and took stuff out of my shirt pocket! I said to my wife: “Look at this! I’m getting mugged!” Naturally, he became Mugger! A client had a very rambunctious Great Dane pup and I love the name she chose: Chaos! Let the dog earn his name!

Another way is to make a list of your favorite names and–in a playful and animated voice–try them on the dog. The one to which the dog reacts best is IT! And he WILL react differently to different names! Try it!

Contrary to popular belief, a dog’s name should change with every new owner. The old thought was that once a dog recognized hits name, you couldn’t or shouldn’t change it. Wrong! Since many owners make the mistake of using the name with a reprimand, or even AS the reprimand, if you keep the old name you tell the dog you’re one of THEM–the former crew. If the dog is now yours, you can’t presume former owners did everything right. If they did, you probably wouldn’t have him. And you’re trying to tell the dog this is a new start in a new home, right? Then why use the old name–especially when it was likely used negatively in the past?
Be sure to teach the dog his new name by using it only with things the dog likes such as treats, praise, meals and love and affection. And don’t choose a new name that sounds a lot like the old one, like “Bo” and “Noah”.
Use the new name consistently and positively ONLY with things the dog likes and within a week or two he should respond nicely. We changed the names of two of our dogs and now they ignore the old names.

——————————————————————-
The author, Dr. Dennis Fetko, “Dr. Dog” is a world-renowned animal behaviorist who has appeared on the 20/20 television show, managed the reintroduction of captive-bred Arabian Oryx into the Saudi Arabian National Wildlife Research Center, and made a presentation at the South American Veterinary Congress. His ebook, Dr. Dog’s FAST, EASY FUN Behavior Solutions, reveals his proven methods for eliminating barking, jumping, chewing, digging, pulling and his puppy housetraining methods. Click Here for more information.

Welcome to Special Dog Training Tips!

Dogs are Men’s best pal. I cannot agree more. Love yourself, love your pet.

Dogs have been part of our lives for ages. Men discovered that dogs can be trained as working dogs. Although now, most dogs are kept as domestic pets, their owners still want them to be trained, whether for good behaviour or for tricks.

Here at Special Dog Training Tips, you can have the many easy methods to train your dog yourself! Spend quality time with your pooch and you’ll see results in no time!