Marks Dog Obedience Training Blog

Housetraining My New Puppy - Housetrain A Puppy In Under A Week

Maybe you are brand new to owning a puppy and feel like you have no idea as to how to housetrain your new puppy. It may seem daunting at first but read this article and by the end you will see that housetraining my new puppy is not as hard as you may think. Many new puppy owners make the big mistake of punishing their new puppy when he/she makes a mess. Don’t do that, we all need to learn somehow and your puppy needs you to guide it. I find with all dog training that a positive attitude towards housetraining a new puppy is by far the best way for quick and sustainable results.

Housetraining My New Puppy - The Correct Way

Be positive and encouraging all the time, eliminate any ideas of negative punishment and/or scolding your puppy. Puppies/dogs are creatures of habit and when they have a routine they are at their happiest. Its no different when housetraining my new puppy. You will need to stick to the schedule in order to obtain the quickest and most positive results. I have provided a sample schedule below as to how housetraining my new puppy can be achieved virtually hassle free:

6:30 AM: As soon as you are awake, take your puppy from its crate, leash him up, and take him to his designated potty area in your yard. Allow him to focus by staying quiet as he sniffs and circles the area.

When he starts to go to the toilet, offer praise and start repetitively giving a potty command such as “Go Pee, Go Pee”. As soon as he is done, make sure to give him loads more praise and a treat if you like. Now take your puppy back to his crate.

7:30 AM: Exactly one hour later, feed your dog breakfast and then take him outside to the potty area approximately 20 to 30 minutes later. Immediately return him back to his crate until the next potty break. Don’t forget the praise. This will start to register with your puppy and housetraining will become very easy.

10:30 AM: time to go outside again for another potty break.

12:30 AM (Noon): Take your puppy outside to his potty area and follow the same routine. Afterwards, come back inside, feed your dog lunch and have some wonderful playtime with it.

3:30 PM: It’s time for another potty break. Keep the praise going and don”t forget the command you are going to be using. Remember repetition enforces repeated behavior.

5:30 PM: Take your puppy outside for another potty break and then back inside for some dinner. You do not have place him back in the crate until the next bathroom break.

During this time at night, try to play with your puppy as much as you can. This is a good time to tire him out a bit for his nighttime sleep. But keep a close eye on his behavior in case he starts to sniff and circle an area in the house before using the bathroom. If you cannot keep a close eye on him, simply put him back in his crate.

9:00 PM: If your puppy is sleeping at this time, wake him up for one last bathroom break. Follow the same potty routine and then put him back in his crate until the next morning potty break. Start the entire routine all over again.

Make up your own times to suit your lifestyle but by following this type of schedule with encouragement, lots of praise and remembering the command you can make housetraining my new puppy a doddle and you will have cracked it in under a week.

A great place to obtain further details on housetraining my new puppy is located HERE 

Puppy Training Techniques

Controlling Puppy Nipping & Biting

One thing that you can be sure of when you get a puppy home is that it is going to bite and nip at your fingers over the course of the first few days/weeks. This is normal and you should not be worried or alarmed about it. You have purchased a perfectly normal puppy and not one that is naturally agressive. It can be eradicated quickly using puppy training techniques.However, like any behavior you wish to change about your dog, you need to take a few steps so that he realizes that nipping is not something you as the “pack leader” want him to continue doing.

So how do you change this natural biting behavior that a little puppy has? Well the first thing to do is determine his age.  This is important because puppies under the age of about 15 weeks need to be handled a little differently when it comes to mouthing and nipping than puppies over the age of 15 weeks. If your puppy is brand new and younger than the 15 week period, the following puppy training techniques & tips can help you control his nipping behavior:

1. Start to show your puppy that you prefer licking instead of nipping.  When he changes his behavior and licks at your fingers or hands, be sure to give him alot of praise. Encourage your puppy to lick more often by rubbing a little butter or coconut oil on your fingers. Let him know by that that what he is doing is a good thing with each lick.

2. Another of the puppy training techniques is If your puppy is still biting or nipping at your fingers and has just been fed and really doesn’t need anything in its mouth, set him aside with a nice bone for a little while.  This is where a crate would come in handy.  Place the dog in the crate for a short period of time so that he can divert his mouthing attention to his favorite bone. And it is very important not to yell at or scold your puppy along the way. You must create a positive learning environment.

3. Whenever the puppy bites down hard on your fingers or hand, use a disciplinary tone of voice and give a command such as “No No” while looking sharply into his eyes.  Hold this firm demeanor for a few moments and then immediately change your body language and go back to whatever it is you’re doing before, and with a soothing approach.  Doing this procedure  a few times is enough for your puppy to learn the command and to stop biting down hard when he is commanded.

Puppy Training Techniques – How To Get Your Puppy To Stop Stealing Clothes

Puppies are like children, they need constant discipline and a watchful eye to be sure that learn your rules.  Some puppies have major behavior problems, while others display the typical scenarios, such as stealing clothes and other small items around the house as if it were a game. Puppies are notorious for stealing anything that they can get their mouths on and then run away with it.  At first this little habit is cute and very comical. However, after a while it needs to be seriously addressed because as the puppy matures into an adult dog, he will think that he is allowed to eat anything in the house, including your expensive shoes and nice furniture.

There are several puppy training techniques to handle a puppy that is stealing your cloths and other items from around the house.  One puppy training technique to get your puppy to drop something from his mouth immediately is to simply walk out of the room and shut the door behind you.  For example, let’s say you are in your room and your dog grabs a sock from the corner closet and runs around the room avoiding you at all costs. This is just a game to him, nothing more.  So what you need to do is quickly have him lose interest in the game by just leaving the room with the door closed.  In less than 10 seconds your puppy will drop the sock and start crying for your presence.

Another of the puppy training techniques is to distract your puppy from stealing clothes and other small items is to distract him by running to the door and shaking your keys so that he understands that you are going to take him outside (dogs quickly associate the jingle of keys to someone leaving the house). Now take the dog into the yard or the sidewalk for just a few minutes.  If you do this enough, eventually your puppy will be able to stop playing his little thief game anytime you shake your keys.  It’s all about distraction and training your puppy’s mind to associate something else of importance whenever he attempts to break the rules.

Last but not least, one of the best puppy training techniques is to get yourself a small water bottle that you can use to squirt your puppy. Of course you do not want to torture your dog by squirting them in the eye or anything like that, but a little spritz of water can go a long way when trying to get your dog to stop whatever behavioral problem he keeps getting into. Whenever you see your puppy grabbing something and running around the house with it, give them a quick squirt and a firm “no” command. He will be so surprised and shocked that he will quickly drop anything from his mouth while learning that this is one rule he cannot break. I hope you find these quick puppy training techniques useful and wish you all the best with your training regime.   

The German Shepherd Dog

Out of all the breeds of dog available to the German Shepherd  is ranked as high as third most popular breed registered with the AKC. Out of all the breeds the German Shepherd very closely resembles its ancestor, the wolf, and originally was bred to be an ideal hurding and guard dog. During world war one the German Shepherd went through a number of different name changes, mostly to do with its German heritage. Officially, in 1931, it was renamed the German Shepherd and recognized by the AKC. Whilst popularity has dipped a bit over recent years the German Shepherd stil ranks as a top choice for a family companion. For watchdog status, training adaptability and protection the German Shepherd scores very highly indeed. Affection and being a playful dog does not rank highly as some of the other breeds but the German Shepherd is still an ideal pet for the family to have around. Having owned a beauty called Oscar for ten years, I can very much attest to that.

You will find that a German Shepherd is very protective towards its home environment and also the members that make up part of its family. They can be a bit aloof and suspicious towards strangers and other people but are extremely trainable and very gently about children and other pets you may have around the home.

Upkeep And Maintenance Of A German Shepherd

As for the upkeep of a German Shepherd they do require physical challenges and mental testing on a daily basis to keep them fulfills and calm. Being hyper intelligent they have all the required abilities to learn all sorts of tricks and can be trained to a very high level of obedience. Long walks and running around outside are ideal for this type of dog.

Health Information Of A German Shepherd

Two main health areas you need to know about with a German Shepherd are CHD and elbow dysplasia. Minor health concerns can occasionally hit a German Shepherd are certain types of skin allergies, hemangiosarcoma, malignant neoplasms, cataracts, elbow dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, gastric torsion and hot spots. The average healthly German Shepherd can be expected to live for between 10 and 12 years. This is based on a dog which remains active and healthly through its entire lifetime. Specific health tests suggested by vets for German Shepherds are elbow and hip dysplasia.
To read all about German Shepherds visit click German Shepherd Handbook 

How To Stop A Barking Dog

When a dog starts its life it has no intention on becoming a “problem dog”. Instead us humans cause the majority of problems within a dog because of inadequate training methods and understanding. Bad dog behavior and dog barking is caused by you the owner. Many of the bad dog behaviors develop over the early stages of puppyhood and continue to manifest as the dog grows up.

One of the biggest behavior problems is excessive dog barking. So, if you want to learn more about how to stop a barking dog read on………..

Is You Dog Receiving Enough Socialization?

Many dogs develop an excessive barking problem through no better reason than being left alone for long periods of time. Research has proven that a lonely dog is the main reason why a dog barks alot. One simple solution for how to stop a barking dog is therefore spend more time with it, simple. A dog, like most of us, craves companionship, afterall it is a pack animal, not a cheeter! Left to their own devices they will come up with their own ways to amuse themselves which is the beginning of some rather nasty habits.    

Inside Your Dog’s Mind

If you want to get to the route cause and discover how to stop a barking dog then you need to find out what is going on in its mind. The world of a dog only consists of things within its actual reach. Your house is therefore its entire domain. If you tie up your dog in the yard for long periods of time then this is all it has to live in and when this is not enough, which will be very quick, then it becomes lonely and unstimulated and then the problems occur. Your dog may hear or see something which excites it and frantically tries to explore what it is or what is going on and when it cannot reach it will become frustrated and then the barking will commence.

Once a dog gets into a habit of barking like this it will continue to get longer and longer and louder and louder as it becomes more frustrated and believes that barking will get some attention from somewhere. Eventually the slightest breeze, a bird flying over, a rushling bush will cause your dog to bark. Your dog will begin to believe that as long as it barks long enough and load enough then something or somebody will come and play or it will even settle for a neighbour shouting at it, at least this is some kind of attention.     

How to stop a dog barking starts by taking a look at what exactly you are doing for your dog, are you exercising it enough, both mentally and physically? What sort of breed do you own and are you fulfilling its breed genetics? Does it know you are its pack leader? Or does it believe that it is your pack leader? For you and your dog to enjoy a happy life together your dog needs to be balanced and know what the rules and boundaries are and you need to know what its requirements are. To learn more about how to stop a dog barking and what you can do I strongly recommend you enrol the expertise of a dog trainer to set you on the right path or grab some great information off of the internet. One place you might like to try is shown below: 


 

Housebreaking - Crate Training A Puppy

One of the best ways to succeed in housebreaking, crate training a puppy  from a very young age and quickly is to utilise crate training. Many people believe that by utilising create training as part of housebreaking you are being cruel to your puppy. Absolutely not.

A dog will actually get a lot of satisfaction and benefits from having been crate training and you may be surprised to learn that they will actually like it that you have crate trained them. Another general misconception that people have is that housebreaking by crate training a puppy is difficult. A dog will naturally avoid the temptation to wee or poo in the same area that it sleeps and eats, makes sense really! and this is why crate training is successful in housebreaking.

Crate Training Regime

Make sure that you keep a record of when your puppy most likes to ‘do its business’, eat and sleep as this will help you in assessing and determining when is the best time to tackle its housebreaking by crate training your puppy. Crate Training is not all about locking your dog away is a crate for long periods of time. Crate Training needs to be tackled with the same sort of care that you would expect to give another family member when teaching toilet techniques.

Just remember, housebreaking and crate training a puppy, when done correctly, will go along way to enhancings the life of your dog and you also. You are bound to have little mishaps along the way and your puppy may go to the toilet in its crate but keep up with your housebreaking crate training regime and you will get their in the end. There is probably a good reason why your puppy made the mistake and it will certainly not have been intentional.           

I have found that housebreaking by crate training a puppy is, if not the best, one of the very best ways to ensure that your young dog soon learns where it is expected to relieve itself. You do however have to be consistent with the routine, but then that goes without saying for all types of training obedience and behavior. You may find that your dog does not like using the crate in the beginning, be patient, let it find its own way, leave it little treats or special toys so that it investigates for itself and ensure you give it lots of praise when it ventures into its own crate of its own accord.     

Start off slowly and soon enough you will find for yourself that housebreaking by crate training a puppy works for you as it has done for thousands of happy dog owners already. For more details on how you can find out exactly how to crate train and housebreak your puppy visit Housebreaking A Puppy

How To Start Training A Dog For Agility

Have you ever thought about how you and your dog could enter into agility competitions? If so, then they are a few different things which you will need to think about if you are seriously considering how to start training a dog for agility. It goes without saying that some dogs are more genetically pre-disposed than others at agility but on the other hand generally most dogs can be trained successfully in the art of agility.

How To Start - Training A Dog For Agility

A lot of dog owners think about at what age do they need to start their dog at. Dogs love to be physically active and therefore the sorts of things that you are going to be training a dog for agility purposes will be very natural to them anyway and therefore they will be more inclined to want to participate. As soon as your newest member of the family is brought home you can start to train him/her on the basics needed for agility training. Even if you never think you will take part in actual competition the fact that you are starting to train your dog at agility will help you bond with it which will be of great benefit down the road.      

So - How Do We Actually Begin The Agility Training Regime?

Probably the best way of how to start training a dog for agility is to actually just play with your puppy. All puppies love playing and we all love to play with them. What you want to do when you are playing is to look at ways that you can utilise basic items and incorporate some agility exercises whilst you are playing.   

The Use Of Obtacles - A Must For Training A Dog For Agility 

Use things which you find around the house such as pieces of cardboard which can be rolled into a tunnel. Another good way of starting to train a dog for agility is to gentle begin using materials for your dog to climb over. Although be careful not to push it to far to soon as you can damage a young dog’s legs and back. Try using bamboo canes stuck in your lawn and practice enticing your dog through them one at a time. Think of as many ways as you can as to how to start training a dog for agility and soon you will be having great fun, excercise will be exciting and your dog will definately be learning the agility basics.

If your dog is hesitant at first, dont push him as you do not want to cause it to be scared as this could lead to phobias further down the road which will then need to be rectified by a quality dog trainer/behaviorist. Use items that are a favourite of your dog or even little treats and use them to entice him between the poles or through the tunnel but let him do it at his own pace. Make sure that you give loads of praise once the required manouvre has been completed as this will help stick in the memory.    

These are just a few very basic steps in how to start training a dog for agility. If you want to seriously get into agility training your dog then you will need an obedience dog. There are plenty of places on the internet to find information about dog training and one of the very best is here…Dog Obedience Training  

Dog Obedience Behavior Training

Dogs are like our children they need to be lead and guided by us. A dog is naturally a pack animal and therefore wants to belong to a group, just like the wolf which all dogs descend from. In dog obedience and behavior training it is important to remember that a dog thinks about teamwork and accomplishing things as part of a team (or pack).

Your dog looks toward and your family as its own little “team” and therefore looks up to you and expecting your assistance in surviving. It is therefore up to you to assume its position of pack leader which can easily be accomplished through dog obedience behavior training. Teaching it the rules of your house, the boundaries, limitations and therefore determining its behavior.   

As you will find in any team that achieves anything there are characteristics found amongst the team that each member brings with them and adheres to to bond that team together. Some of these characteristics can be achieved through dog obedience behavior training such as a disciplined structure, respect amongst your pack for each member and ultimately you, the pack leader. Without these your pack will end up in chaos and inevitable problems will ensue as your dog does not know who to look for as its “pack leader”.       

Any kind of dog needs to have the feeling that there is leadership and understanding within its own pack to enable it to feel calm and happy about itself. It is not bothered which person assumes the leader position so long as there is a definately leader. Dog obedience behavior training will help to cement the position of the pack leader or leaders.   
Within a multi member family the dog will know what the “pecking” order is. As long as your dog knows what its position is, even if it is bottom of the pile, it will be happy and contented. Through consistent dog obedience behavior training, giving your dog by all of the family members your dog will soon notice that you are all its pack leaders and be very happy with the situation. It will then understand that all of the human pack members are its leader as they play a more dominant role than itself. Your dog will feel that its sense of security and well-being are secured.           

Most dog obedience behavior training problems stem from lack of rules and discipline in the house. At this point you have learned that your dog needs to have a set of rules and boundaries firmly set in place in the household to enable it to be happy. It is the same way with children. Without mommy or daddy to set the rules and enforce those rules, kids typically end up with with an enormous amount of personal behavior problems.

Living with one or even a pack of dogs which understand the structure of the pack and importantly where they are in that structure is one of lifes precious gifts. I firmly believe that anyone and any dog, through dog obedience behavior training, can achieve a balanced, structured way of life and be truly happy.

If you would like specific details as to how you can achieve these sorts of results with your dog(s) I recommend you go to this dog obedience behavior training site and see what others have achieved. 

In Home Dog Obedience Training

It can certainly be alot of fun taking your dog to obedience classes but it can equally be alot of fun, and rewarding, using in home dog obedience training  as well. Either way a trained and obedient dog is a much happier dog to have about the home.

An obedient, trained dog is not so likely to get into fighting over dogs and will socialize better with other dogs that you meet out in public, which is a fun part of owning a dog. It is especially important to have a well-trained dog if your family consists of young members or there are children close by in your neighbourhood.

Therefore the beauty of utilising in home obedience training is that all the family can be involved in a very relaxed atmosphere unlike the pressure cooker environment of a dog training class!! Just as you like to have your children behave a dog which is trained correctly makes for a much happier home to live in.
The amount of time that you are prepared to put into your dog will be shown at the other end and either way will have an impact on the rest of your life, for better or worse, depending on what you put in to it. Taking time out obedience training your dog will have a positive impact on the bonding that you and your dog have and the amount of respect therefore which it is prepared to give you.

Another benefit of utilising in home obedience training is that you can set the actual rules and boundaries whilst training within the actual place you will be residing rather than a dog class which is a foreign environment. Considering all the time that you will hopefully have with your dog, the actual time that you need to put into obedience training is very small but hugely rewarding for both parties.

A Few Simple Commands To Start Off

Down

You will want to be able to teach your dog to lay down at your command for a number of reasons, safety to the dog being one of them. It will give you instant control over him/her in any given situation.

Heel

Getting your dog to walk beside and slightly behind you will lead to increased control and respect over the dog as well as making for much more relaxing and enjoyable works. You don’t wont to be hanging on for grim death, especially with a bigger breed!!!

“No!”

Master this one on demand and it will save you a lot of hassle having to fight with your dog to get it to stop or leave something alone. If you gain enough respect from your dog you should eventually be able to look at it and it know what you are saying, without even saying it. I am sure your partner or kids would understand this!!

Sit

Very common command to use which again, like down, can be used as a general control command and/or a way that you can safely handle your dog.

All of these commands, and many more, can be easily achieved in your own home dog obedience training regime and will make your relationship that much happier and enjoyable for both of you, as remember your dog likes to please you.

Ultimately, obedience training your dog let’s it know who is the boss in the relationship and therefore goes a huge way in ensuring that the majority of dog behavior problems are eliminated altogether.

I hope you enjoyed the little insight into in home dog obedience traning if you would like to learn more, and I urge you to, then I strongly recommend you visit Dog Obedience Training which will enable you to fully train your dog at home.