Archive for January, 2010

A Few Tips On Proper Dog Training

When you think about dog training, there is a controversial aspect to it in the form of debarking surgery, which is a procedure that will result in low volume to the dogs barking, and such a procedure is normally used on those dogs that not only have an especially loud barking, but who also bark incessantly. Prime examples of this procedure include debarking done on Shetlands and also collies.

Debarking Is A Contentious Issue

However, debarking does not result in the dog ceasing to bark and it is only the volume that is reduced and thus this is a topic of dog training that has been debated a lot by animal lovers as well as by experts with many considering debarking to be useful on dogs that bark too loud and too much, while others consider it to be a process that is both unnecessary as well as cruel.

Debarking aside, there are other aspects to dog training that dog owners need to look at if they want their dogs to behave properly and also stay happy. Of course, there are many people who dont even think that dog training is at all necessary while others believe that dog training should involve fear and punishment. Thus, you should not be surprised to find a whole lot of different dog training philosophies doing the rounds which can often cause much confusion in the minds of dog owners.

Before jumping into a dog training exercise, you need to realize that your dog is not a hairy version of a human because they are in fact pack animals and their world is a lot more ordered when they are following a pack rather than the dog owner. Next, you should remember that dog training need not mean having to yell and hit the dog every time he misbehaves since such behavior only puts fear as well as anxiety in the dogs mind. Rather than respond well to the training, the dog will actually come to hate it and thus his focus will be poor and he will also not be relaxed. Still, negative reinforcement is recommended which is different to punishment and the best form of it is to withdraw his treats and also not show him any affection.

Another common fault that dog owners commit in dog training is to try and train their dog in a busy place in the mistaken belief that the dog will be able to concentrate better in an environment that is filled with distractions. And, you should also ensure that you dont try and teach your dog too many commands because he can easily loose focus and also become bored with the training.

Dog Potty Training: Get Started At An Early Age For Best Results

Dogs are very cute and irresistible pets thats for sure. However, if they are not properly trained, it could ruin your home and furniture since they would poop as well as urinate all over the place leaving you at your wits end as to how to get your dog potty trained? However, you need not despair since there are a few steps for you to follow that will ensure that you learn all that there is to know about dog potty training, and thus help your pet learn where to go when needing to pass stool, or urinate.

Train Dogs Like You Train Little Children

Dogs must be trained just like little children are trained and thus they should be introduced to correct dog potty training at an early stage when they are most receptive to learning and which will ensure that your dog goes out and does its business where it has been taught to go. After the dog is introduced to dog potty training, it will ensure that your home stays in order and you wont need to spend time cleaning up the mess an untrained animal is sure to create.

The first thing you should do is to crate your dog, since that is an important first step in dog potty training during which time you can keep a close eye on your pet while he is being trained to do his potty in the proper place. You need to ensure that he is not left alone for too long as he may do nasty while you are not about and that would defeat the purpose of dog potty training.

Another important aspect to dog potty training is to feed the dog a diet consisting of proper food, which is important if you wish the dog potty training to succeed. You should be aware that certain dog foods are not so good for your pet, and such foods can adversely affect how it poops. In addition, you should also give the dog the proper portion of food, and remember that if there is more waste in the food, the greater is the likelihood of it wanting to eliminate. For more details, you can consult your veterinarian about which the correct foods for your dog are.

Yet another important aspect to proper dog potty training is to schedule his meal times as well as times when it drinks, and try and not give him treats before it is time for him to go to bed at night, and you should also give limited amounts of water, as it will not encourage the dog to drink out of boredom or because of stress.

No doubt, dog potty training is a time consuming activity and you as the owner needs to be patient, and if you want to succeed, you can even take expert advice to get over whatever teething problems occur during the training period, and using proven strategies will bound to have a positive effect on your dogs eliminating habits.