For the love of large dogs.
Posts tagged train
Train Your Dog to Stay
Sep 4th
Most problems with golden retrievers are a combination of their intelligence, energy, and desire to please. The importance of training your golden to stay comes in part from their energy. If your golden gets loose, he can run off in the blink of an eye.
One of the first steps in training your golden is to establish yourself as the “alpha dog” or “pack leader”. This is especially important when raising a large breed dog, as many people are afraid of large dogs. It doesn’t matter that goldens are not aggressive watch dogs. Good training will make your dog more welcome wherever you go.
Pay attention to your dog, and make eye contact often. When your dog does something right, look him in the eye, give verbal praise, and offer a treat, in that order. For example, when your dog sits (whether by command or not), make eye contact, say “good sit” and give him a treat, or “good stay”, etc.
Goldens are sensitive, they do not do well with scolding or punishment. It’s better to identify the good behavior and reward that, rather than use negativity.
Your dog can learn to stay from any position, lying down, sitting or standing. Eventually you will want to train him to stay from any of these.
With your dog on leash, stand to his right, place your hand in front of his face, palm towards him, and say “stay”. Step away from your dog with your right foot first (stepping with the left foot encourages the dog to move too); take two steps, and turn and face him.
Give him the hand signal again, hand right in front of his face with the fingers pointing up, and repeat “stay”. Return to his side, say “ok” and then say “good stay” and give him a treat.
Over time, increase the length of time you hold up your hand, and increase the distance you walk away from him. Eventually, walk away the length of the leash, hold your hand up, and repeat “stay”.
Always return to his side and reward if he continues to do as he is told.
Little baby steps that you can reward with a “good stay” and a treat are much more valuable at first than trying unsuccessfully for a longer time or distance.
Are you worried about spoiling your dog with too many rewards? Are you concerned that he won’t obey without them? As long as you never show the treat to your dog before he exhibits the desired behavior, you don’t need to worry. A rule of thumb with goldens, since they are so sensitive and so eager to please, is pick your battles and bribe shamelessly.
You can overdo training, so if you can alter circumstances (like you would to childproof your home for a toddler) rather than discipline…do it. Keep your counters clean so your dog isn’t tempted to clean them for you, but insist upon sitting and staying instead of jumping on people and licking children’s’ faces. Young children are easily knocked over by happy goldens!
When you feel your dog has learned to stay well, vary the circumstances. Make sure he can stay from a sitting, lying down, or standing position. Practice inside and outside, around other dogs and other people. Try to distract him with a rolling ball or have someone else call him. You aren’t being mean; you aren’t trying to trick him. You are simply helping him to understand better what you mean by “stay”, and he will be deliriously happy when he knows he’s got it right.
Here’s a bonus tip, specific to golden retrievers but you be the judge if it’s appropriate for your dog, retriever or not. Retrievers like carrying things in their mouths; many of them have favorite toys they don’t like to be without. If your dog is having trouble concentrating during a training session, you can try letting him hold his favorite stuffed toy in his mouth. If he thinks it’s playtime, it won’t work; but oftentimes it gives him a focus.
With these few tips and techniques under your belt, your training sessions with your sunny-tempered golden can be quite fun and pleasurable for both of you.
For more Dog Training informationby Ian Williamson please visit http://moredogtraining.com/
How To Train Your Cat
Aug 31st
eBook containing valuable information on training your cat and having a rewarding relationship with feline pets.
How To Train Your Cat
How to Train Your Dog the Crate Method Way
Aug 27th
Widely recognized as the most popular and effective way to housetrain puppies the crate method utilizes your dog’s natural instincts. Dogs are naturally clean animals and will not by nature relieve themselves in the area where they sleep.
Knowing how to communicate properly with your dog lies at the heart of the housetraining process. Lecturing, yelling or other forms of punishment will not achieve the desired result. The key is to reward good behavior. Puppies are like babies, much too young to be held responsible for their bowel movements. Punishments are not the way to get through to your puppy. If you are going to use the crate method it’s vital that you learn about the proper, humane method to housetrain your dog.
Choosing the right crate
This is very important when it comes to the humane treatment of your puppy. A crate that is too small is very cruel. The puppy should have enough room to maneuver around and be comfortable inside. If the crate is much too large – the puppy might even relieve himself inside the crate.
The plastic varieties of crates are much easier to clean, durable and easier to carry around than the metal varieties.
It is also cruel to leave your puppy inside the crate for too long. Night time is crate time and often even very young puppies can go the entire night without soiling their crates.
You will want to slowly get the puppy used to the crate. The idea here is to create a positive feeling about the crate. Put a nice soft blanket inside and your puppy’s favorite toys too. You can also put some yummy treats inside to entice your dog.
Never, ever force your dog inside the crate. It is his sanctuary within your home.
Tips for housetraining
- Prepare the area that your puppy will spend most of its time in with a layer of newspaper.
- Designate an official toilet area for your puppy
- Supervise (or have the children do it) until the puppy has relieved himself.
- If your puppy starts sniffing or circling pick him up and get him outside fast!
Golden rules for housetraining your dog using the crate method:
- Take your puppy out first thing in the morning
- Take your puppy out directly after meals
- If your puppy has had an accident be sure to clean the area thoroughly. Use a product that will remove the odor.
- Never punish your puppy for accidents. You would never yell at your baby and put her nose in her mess. Rather use positive reinforcement when your puppy does her business outside.
- Take your puppy out just before bedtime and make sure he does his business.
- Give praise freely where it is due. Treats, walks and positive reinforcement will go a long way toward getting your puppy to understand that eliminating outside is the goal.
Housetraining your puppy will take time and patience. The kind of dog and your methods will greatly influence how long it takes for your puppy to be fully housetrained.
There is a reason that the crate method is the most widely used housetraining method. It works well. Of course housetraining your puppy isn’t your only concern when it comes to raising a well behaved dog. You will also want to set some distinct boundaries. Puppies should not be allowed free reign of the house; at least not until they are fully housetrained. Your puppy is a sponge and above all – keen to please you. You are the pack leader and the puppy will look to you to figure out what is and isn’t acceptable in your home.
By deciding early what your puppy may chew on and what furniture he is allowed on you can eliminate confusion and behavioral problems later in life.
For tips on teddy bear hamsters and siberian hamster, visit the Types Of Hamsters website.
How to Crate Train Your Pit Bull Terrier
Aug 27th
Before crate training your Pit Bull puppy, you’ll need to acquire a crate. There are many types and variations of crates available for purchase. It is important to pick the type of crate that will best suit the needs of both you and your puppy.
You should also take into consideration the size of your dog now, and how large he may be when fully grown to avoid having to purchase more than one crate. It is also important to remember that the crate will be his own individual space, and you want to make it as comfortable as possible so that your Pit Bull will enjoy his time there.
Since the puppy will be spending a lot of time in his crate, you should put several of his favorite toys and treats in the crate for him. Keep in mind that any toy you purchase should be large enough for the dog not to be able to swallow it, to avoid any injury to your pet. Having toys to chew own will not only give the dog something to chew that he can’t destroy, but it will help to prevent boredom while he is in the crate.
Due to the strength of the Pit Bull, it is important to purchase tough toys that are made to last. They tend to really like Kong toys, and they can be stuffed with treats, which will usually keep him interested at least for a couple of hours, or until he gets all the treats. You can also purchase bones and toys that are especially made for Pit Bulls, they are tougher and usually safer for them to have than regular toys and bones. Regular bones, such as rawhide bones, can be dangerous for Pit Bulls, because they are strong enough to chew off bits of bone and get them lodged in their digestive tract.
If your Pit Bull will be spending more than two hours in the crate, it is a good idea to equip it with a water bottle in case he gets thirsty. Many pet stores sell the same type of water bottles that are used for hamsters or gerbils, just in larger sizes. These tend to work well in the Pit Bull’s crate.
You should also put some kind of bedding in the crate to help your Pit Bull puppy be more comfortable. Old towels or soft blankets usually suit this purpose very well. Occasionally Pit Bull puppies will chew their bedding, if this happens, be sure to remove all the pieces so that the puppy doesn’t swallow them. If the puppy wets his bedding, just remove it until the puppy stops using his crate as a bathroom, then put it back in.
Since the crate is your Pit Bull’s own private space, it is important not to let children or visitors play with him while he is in his crate. He should be left alone to play or rest as he likes. If someone wants to play with him, he should be taken out of his crate first. You want your Pit to like being in his crate, and feel comfortable spending time there.
Want to find out about catfish food and catfish lures? Get tips from the Types Of Catfish website.
How and Why to Crate Train Your Puppy
Aug 21st
For many new dog owners, housetraining is one of the most challenging parts of introducing a new canine into the family. Until that puppy learns how to go outside, chances are that you’ll be spending quite a bit of time cleaning up messes and dreading the smell when you open your front door.
But many people struggle with understanding the best way to teach their puppy how to go not only where you want but also when you want. After all, having your puppy on a schedule for using the bathroom is almost as important.
The solution in most cases is crate training. This is a relatively easy approach to house training that also provides some other useful benefits puppy owners should appreciate.
Why Crate Train?
First, crate training is intended to take advantage of your dog’s natural impulses. Although dogs have been domesticated, they still have some of those old instincts that helped their ancestors survive and thrive for millions of years. Some of those instincts relate to the concept of having a den.
A den is a safe haven for the animal where he or she can retreat without fear of being harmed. The den was the preferred location for sleeping, rearing young, and other activities. But to keep the den protected, dogs also had to keep it from being too easy to find. Since most predators use their sense of smell pretty well to find prey, the den was not a place for dogs to go to the bathroom. Their urine and feces would attract other animals and would endanger the safety of the den.
Dogs simply don’t go to the bathroom in their den unless out of absolute necessity.
The purpose of the crate is to give your dog a den in the home. This crate becomes his or her sanctuary.
But it also provides you with peace of mind. As long as your puppy is confined to the crate, he or she can’t be out doing damage to the rest of your house or getting into trouble by chewing on electrical cords or eating things that could get lodged in the intestines, for example.
Basically, crate training provides your dog with a safe place to call his or her own. Plus, it keeps him or her safe during the day while also working as an invaluable tool for housebreaking. Now let’s see how you can get started.
Picking the Crate
The first step is to choose the crate you want to use for your pet. Two types are available: the hard plastic models used for airplane travel and the wire types. If you have a big dog, you’ll probably be stuck with the wire type. Otherwise, you can choose whichever you think will be the best choice for your dog.
Keep in mind that the crate should only be big enough for your dog to stand up comfortably, lie down, and turn around. If you give the dog too much room, he or she could use part of the crate for a den and part for a bathroom spot which would defeat the purpose.
To keep costs reasonable, purchase a crate that will be large enough for your full-size dog but use dividers which can also be purchased to restrict the space available to your puppy.
Getting the Puppy Comfortable with the Crate
Next, you have to help your puppy get comfortable inside the crate. Most dogs are not going to immediately love the crate. They won’t like being confined and away from you. But you can make the situation easier by going slowly, using treats and praise to reinforce the desired behavior, and letting the puppy explore the crate on his own.
When you bring home the crate, leave it open so the dog can go into it and sniff it at his leisure. Then you can begin luring your puppy into the crate with treats and praising him for going inside.
After he is doing that well, you can lure him into the crate and close the door. This might cause some crying and whining from your puppy. Let him stay inside the crate for a minute or two then let him out. Do not let him out while he is still crying, however. Otherwise, he will cry every time you try to put him in the crate because he’ll know this behavior will get him released.
Keep expanding the time the puppy is in the crate with the door closed until he begins to feel comfortable. Then you can practice leaving the room, leaving the house, and staying away for longer periods of time. Each time remember to praise your puppy when you release him from the crate but never release him until he has calmed down.
House Breaking & the Crate
To use the crate for house breaking, be sure to give your dog food and water at least an hour before putting her in the crate. Take the puppy to the bathroom, preferably for a walk with a potty break, before she is placed in the crate.
Do not give your puppy food or water in the crate. These things will only make a mess and will cause the puppy to need to urinate or defecate badly.
Keep in mind that young puppies may not be able to “hold it” as long as you would like. For this reason, it’s a good idea to come home at least once during the day to take your puppy to the bathroom. If you can’t, you may want to hire someone to do this for you. Even adult dogs should not be left in crates for longer than 6 to 8 hours a day.
As soon as you let your puppy out of the crate, take him or her to the bathroom immediately. Praise him or her when they do what you want and quickly they will learn the routine.
If an accident does occur in the crate, clean it thoroughly with an enzyme-destroying cleaner so the dog won’t be able to smell the accident and assume that is an appropriate place to use the bathroom. Otherwise you’ll just keep repeating the problem.
Finally, don’t punish your dog for having an accident. You could end up causing them to fear the crate, as well as you.
David Beart is the owner of the the PetYak. Our pet site covers everything from quotations about dogs to training and dealing with behavior problems.
How and Why to Crate Train a Puppy
Aug 21st
For many new dog owners, housetraining is one of the most challenging parts of introducing a new canine into the family. Until that puppy learns how to go outside, chances are that you’ll be spending quite a bit of time cleaning up messes and dreading the smell when you open your front door.
But many people struggle with understanding the best way to teach their puppy how to go not only where you want but also when you want. After all, having your puppy on a schedule for using the bathroom is almost as important.
The solution in most cases is crate training. This is a relatively easy approach to house training that also provides some other useful benefits puppy owners should appreciate.
Why Crate Train?
First, crate training is intended to take advantage of your dog’s natural impulses. Although dogs have been domesticated, they still have some of those old instincts that helped their ancestors survive and thrive for millions of years. Some of those instincts relate to the concept of having a den.
A den is a safe haven for the animal where he or she can retreat without fear of being harmed. The den was the preferred location for sleeping, rearing young, and other activities. But to keep the den protected, dogs also had to keep it from being too easy to find. Since most predators use their sense of smell pretty well to find prey, the den was not a place for dogs to go to the bathroom. Their urine and feces would attract other animals and would endanger the safety of the den.
Dogs simply don’t go to the bathroom in their den unless out of absolute necessity.
The purpose of the crate is to give your dog a den in the home. This crate becomes his or her sanctuary.
But it also provides you with peace of mind. As long as your puppy is confined to the crate, he or she can’t be out doing damage to the rest of your house or getting into trouble by chewing on electrical cords or eating things that could get lodged in the intestines, for example.
Basically, crate training provides your dog with a safe place to call his or her own. Plus, it keeps him or her safe during the day while also working as an invaluable tool for housebreaking. Now let’s see how you can get started.
Picking the Crate
The first step is to choose the crate you want to use for your pet. Two types are available: the hard plastic models used for airplane travel and the wire types. If you have a big dog, you’ll probably be stuck with the wire type. Otherwise, you can choose whichever you think will be the best choice for your dog.
Keep in mind that the crate should only be big enough for your dog to stand up comfortably, lie down, and turn around. If you give the dog too much room, he or she could use part of the crate for a den and part for a bathroom spot which would defeat the purpose.
To keep costs reasonable, purchase a crate that will be large enough for your full-size dog but use dividers which can also be purchased to restrict the space available to your puppy.
Getting the Puppy Comfortable with the Crate
Next, you have to help your puppy get comfortable inside the crate. Most dogs are not going to immediately love the crate. They won’t like being confined and away from you. But you can make the situation easier by going slowly, using treats and praise to reinforce the desired behavior, and letting the puppy explore the crate on his own.
When you bring home the crate, leave it open so the dog can go into it and sniff it at his leisure. Then you can begin luring your puppy into the crate with treats and praising him for going inside.
After he is doing that well, you can lure him into the crate and close the door. This might cause some crying and whining from your puppy. Let him stay inside the crate for a minute or two then let him out. Do not let him out while he is still crying, however. Otherwise, he will cry every time you try to put him in the crate because he’ll know this behavior will get him released.
Keep expanding the time the puppy is in the crate with the door closed until he begins to feel comfortable. Then you can practice leaving the room, leaving the house, and staying away for longer periods of time. Each time remember to praise your puppy when you release him from the crate but never release him until he has calmed down.
House Breaking & the Crate
To use the crate for house breaking, be sure to give your dog food and water at least an hour before putting her in the crate. Take the puppy to the bathroom, preferably for a walk with a potty break, before she is placed in the crate.
Do not give your puppy food or water in the crate. These things will only make a mess and will cause the puppy to need to urinate or defecate badly.
Keep in mind that young puppies may not be able to “hold it” as long as you would like. For this reason, it’s a good idea to come home at least once during the day to take your puppy to the bathroom. If you can’t, you may want to hire someone to do this for you. Even adult dogs should not be left in crates for longer than 6 to 8 hours a day.
As soon as you let your puppy out of the crate, take him or her to the bathroom immediately. Praise him or her when they do what you want and quickly they will learn the routine.
If an accident does occur in the crate, clean it thoroughly with an enzyme-destroying cleaner so the dog won’t be able to smell the accident and assume that is an appropriate place to use the bathroom. Otherwise you’ll just keep repeating the problem.
Finally, don’t punish your dog for having an accident. You could end up causing them to fear the crate, as well as you.
David Beart is the owner of the PetYak. Our site covers everything from puppy training to feeding and health and wellness.
How To Litter Box Train Your Dog.
Aug 20th
Excellent Seller!! This is an extremely popular item, sells every day!
How To Litter Box Train Your Dog.
How to Train & Care for your Rabbit
Aug 12th
Essential Guide for Rabbit Owners: How to Train, Care and Build Trust with your Pet Rabbit in 30 days or less
How to Train & Care for your Rabbit
How to House Train Your Dog
Aug 9th
House training is undoubtedly the one aspect of dog training that is essential to ensure that your dog becomes a valued member of your family. As with many other aspects of dog training, the best method of achieving a successfully house trained dog is to use your dog’s own nature to your advantage.
A wonderful thing about dogs that can make house training much easier, is that dogs are instinctively very clean animals. The majority of dogs would rather not soil the areas where they sleep and eat. In addition, dogs are very good at developing habits. This can be used to your benefit in relation to establishing a set place for your dog to urinate and defecate. For example, dogs that are used to eliminating on concrete or gravel will prefer to eliminate there rather than on grass or dirt. It is possible, and desirable, to use these natural canine tendencies when house training your dog.
The first step in house training your dog is to set up your training area. A small, confined space such as a bathroom, or part of a kitchen or garage, works best as a training area. This method of training differs from crate training. Crate training is great for puppies and small dogs, but many larger adult dogs find a crate too confining if they haven’t been used to it from an early stage.
It is important that you spend as much time in the training area with your dog as possible. Use this area to play with your dog, and let your dog eat and sleep in the training area. Provide your dog with a special bed in the training area – this can be anything from a store bought custom dog bed to a large towel in an appropriately sized box. At first, you will probably find that your dog will want to eliminate in this area, but once your dog has recognized the training area as his or her own space, he or she will be much more reluctant to soil it.
The next step in house training is to set up a toilet area for your dog. Your dog must have ready access to this place every time he or she needs to eliminate. It is also important for you to accompany your dog into the toilet area until he or she gets into the habit of eliminating in that area. This will help reinforce to your dog that there is one area for toileting, and no other.
Regular meals for your dog assists in making the house training process easier for both you and your dog. Feeding your dog on a regular basis will also have the added benefit of creating a regular schedule for your dog’s toilet habits. Once you know when your dog is likely to need to eliminate, it will be simple to guide your dog to the established toilet area.
Once you have your dog using the toilet area on a regular and systematic basis, it is very important to not confine your dog without access to the toilet area for long periods of time. If your dog is unable to hold it, he will have no option but to eliminate in the training area. And this occurrence will confuse your dog. He will no longer associate the toilet area with being the ONLY area in which he can eliminate. You will thus be making your job of house training your dog more difficult for yourself.
When your dog is consistently eliminating in the toilet area and not soiling the training area, it is time to extend that training area to the rest of the home. This process should be done slowly, starting with one room and slowly expanding to the rest of the house. The area should only be extended only once you are sure of the dog’s ability to control its bladder and bowels.
First expand the training area to another single room, and allow your dog to eat, play and sleep in that room, but only when supervised. When it is not possible to supervise the dog, place it back in the original training area. Then, after the dog has accepted the room as an extension of the original training area, the area can be extended.
Once your dog has become used to sleeping in the bed within the training area, you can move the bed around the house, relocating it from room to room. But when you are not with your dog, he or she should be confined to the training area.
You can speed up the house training process, but it is important to proceed cautiously. It will be much easier to take your time in the beginning than to have to retrain a problem dog later. You should always praise and reward your dog each and every time it uses the established toilet area. It is equally important not to punish your dog for mistakes. Punishment will only confuse the dog and slow down the house training process. You wouldn’t consider punishing a baby for soiling its diaper, would you? Or even a toddler for soiling his or her pants from time to time? Your dog is the same as a human child in this respect – he needs time to learn both to control his toileting, and what you require of him.
Brigitte Smith runs two websites dedicated to dog training, dog care and dog health:
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Dog Training and Wellness
Train the Dog Trainer
Aug 6th
Dogs are often considered the equivalent of children. As you know, raising a child is never an easy task. The same holds true for our furry friends. Training your dog properly is important, not only for good behavior IN the home but also also outside the home. Untrained dogs can wreak havoc on on your life so, it’s important to begin your dog’s training at an early age for optimal results. Remember! How you treat and train your dog as a puppy will shape what kind of dog she becomes as an adult.
As with any large task, it’s best to start with baby steps. Before you begin, have lots of treats handy as your pooch will need instant gratification to know he did the right thing at the right time. Using a calm, steady voice, clearly state the command and use light physical force to show the dog the required command. Repetition is key here so practicing the same command for several weeks is not uncommon, depending on the breed. Refrain from “correcting” the behavior by using techniques such as spanking or swatting her with a newspaper; this will only serve to instill fear in your dog or at a worse case scenario, provoke violent tendencies in your dog.
Because you love a clean, fresh smelling house just as much as you love your pup, you’ll also want to begin housebreaking him immediately! One of the more popular methods – and arguably, the most effective – is crate training. With crate training, you place the dog in her crate/kennel for several hours (usually done while you’re away from home or when you’re not in direct contact with the pup).
Generally, dogs will not defecate in their own space. Upon removing the dog from the crate, immediately take him outside and reward him with a treat and praises once he does his business. This reinforces that the pup did the right thing at the right place. Crate training a pup also has other advantages such as providing the dog with a quiet and safe place to be, well into adulthood.
Kenji Sakamoto’s ebook information directory offers variety of ebook strategies. Visit his website at Ebooks for dog training or Articles.
