Dogs Obedience Training

September 15th, 2008 by admin

How can I stop my dog chewing my stuff? Well, to prevent the problem you’ll need to understand the reasons why dogs chew.

Most dogs have a natural desire to chew. It is fun, it is a self-rewarding, self-reinforcing activity and it passes the time. Chewing provides a nerous, bored, or lonely dog with an outlet for his emotions. To an anxious dog, the repetitive act of chewing is soothing - it’s the doggie equivalent of comfort food. Underexercised dog often use chewing as a way of burning up nervous energy and giving themselves something to do!

So now you understand why your dog chews, how do you prevent this chewing problem?

Remember to give your dog time to learn the rules, and plenty of ‘your time’ to help him learning faster.

Stop Dog Chewing Tips

Chewing problem can be easily fix but what it needs is a little effort from you. Here’s the steps on how to solve dog chewing problem:-

1. Set up a dog-proof home - take whatever you don’t want to end up in your dog’s mouth, and making it unavailable. Item such as books, eyewear, clothing, shoes, garbage, small crunchy appliances like cameras, cell phones, remote controls, and food or snacks on low tables or even countertops (if your dog can jump, climb, or leap onto something else to reach the desired object.)
2. Set Prevent your dog from learning the joys of illegal chewing. The more times your dog manages to snatch a jowful of a forbidden substance, the more readily he’ll target those items in future. If you can prevent your dog from chewing your stuff in the first place, it is a lot easier for him to understand what you expect of him.
3. Don’t confuse your dog by blurring the boundaries between his stuff(ok to chew) and your stuff (NOT ok to chew). Don’t offer your dog cast-off clothes, wornned shoes, or old towels to chew and play with. Your dog cannot tell the difference between the cast-off clothes and your new clothes.
4. Provide your dog with lots of tasty alternatives to your stuff. Give your dog two or three to play with at a time. Rotating the available toys every few days will keep things novel and interesting for your dog.
5. Spend lots of time in active supervision. Your dog can’t learn what you expect of him if he’s spending all his time boxed up in the dog-proof zone. He need the opportunity to explore the boundaries of your expectations. So your dog can understand what’s appropriate and what’s not.
6. When you catch your dog chewing something in appropriate, interrupt your dog by making a loud noise such as clap your hands or make an “Ah-ah-aaaah!’ noise. Then immediately hand your dog an alternative chew toy or bone. Once his jaws close around it, praise him generously. There’s no better way to get your dog to understand that chewing his toys equals praise from you, but everything else equals trouble.

September 12th, 2008 by admin

Yes - it can be done!

Many families combine having a dog with going out to work and school, often having to leave their pet alone for several hours at a time. This is not really an ideal situation when getting a young dog, and a question often asked by new dog owners is about how to house train a puppy when you are working full time.

Dogs Training

As I mentioned, it is not ideal to bring a puppy into your home if there is no one around to give it companionship (and boundaries) during such a formative time. My first recommendation would be to THINK HARD about whether the time is right to get a dog in the first place and that you take time to choose the right type of dog. Set aside your own emotions (and perhaps, also, pressure from the kids) and work out if you have the time necessary to give a dog the training needed. Ask yourself these questions:

- Will I really have the patience to not get annoyed if I come home from a hard day at the office and have to clean up dog mess?

- Can I find time during working hours to come home and let the dog out?

- If Not, is there someone who can do it for me?

If you are able to honestly answer yes to them, then you can learn how to house train a puppy and be able to teach your dog other lessons that need to be taught.

Here are my five steps on how to house train a puppy when you are working:

1) Plan everything with military precision, right down to the time of year you get your dog. Bring her home during the summer months, so that you are not inclined to rush the outside toilet time.

2) Bring your new puppy home during a period When your working life be less hectic - ideally when you have a couple of weeks holiday. That would be most ideal, as puppy house training can be completed in just a couple of weeks when done properly.

3) If you cannot get time off, plan it so that your older kids are off school so they can help with the training while you are out at work.

4) Discuss the training regime with other family members so that the training is consistent, even if the trainer is different!

5)Because time will be a major factor, read up on the most effective techniques by signing up for a training course before you get your dog. This will mean you can house train a puppy when you are working with as little stress and hassle as possible. I have created a lens on Squidoo specifically about house training dogs, so you will also be able to get some tips by visiting there.

Potty training your puppy is not that difficult. If you combine the latest techniques with my additional tips on how to house train a puppy when you are working, both you and your dog will have a great life together.