September 2008

Focus On The Way You Want Your Pet To Behave Not How You Don’t Want Him To Behave

If you’re not sure what you want, how are you going to get it? That’s true of most things in life, and it applies to training our dogs as well.

It’s human nature to think about things that we don’t want to happen to us. This happens a lot with dogs! We definitely don’t want our pet to pee on the carpet, and absolutely not to chew the furniture, or ignore us when we tell him what to do, or start barking incessantly when older members of the family come to the house.

Just think about it for a moment. Assuming you’re looking for new dog or puppy to bring into your family. Would you actually relish the thought of relinquishing the next ten to fifteen years of your life chasing your dog around saying, “No no no”? Do you agree it’s a better approach to channel your dog towards acceptable behavior from the start?

A prime example springs to mind is when we think, “The dog had better not chew my shoes, or furniture,” try, “I want my dog to chew his toys.” Rather than, “I don’t want the dog to embarrass me when I have guests,” how about, “My dog should greet and welcome my guests controlled and quietly.”

By focusing on the positive aspects of your training goals, you’ll better appreciate how to achieve what you want. What better way to start your training program.

Do Rewards Really Work?

One of the best things to happen in house train puppy just recently is a move in focus from highlighting corrective action, or punishment, to emphasizing rewards.

The practice of rewarding your dog’s good behavior is a smart one, especially for dog house training. One of the critical reasons for this is that whenever you scald you dog for making a mistake, the outcome are likely to be quite disheartening for your pet. If your dog is of a particular temperament, he could possibly react to punishment by withdrawing and becoming frightened of you. It’s always possible that he will withdraw completely and become very timid. They seem to lose their sense of adventure. Some may even appear completely broken spirited.

The good thing about reward based training is that it also makes you feel good as the trainer. It’s nice to be a source of praise and treats, instead of a constant disciplinarian.

But the icing on the cake is that rewards based dog behavior training works a treat. It’s due to the fact that this approach to behavior training builds confidence and reassurance. As soon as she discovers that rewards come for a particular action of behavior, your pet will want to repeat he behavior as often as possible. By learning how to apply that simple rule, you can use rewards to reach virtually any training goal.

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All too often, many new puppy owners fail to realize how important of having a crate for the puppy. The crate for your pup is a very essential resource when it comes to training your dog and has many awesome uses. In most cases puppies are rather very small and have no clue on what to do with areas that are large. Keeping the puppies in a crate is a great way to calm him or her down. Furthermore, since small puppies do not typically like to potty where they rest, the dog crate will make a great tool for potty training your little guy.

When your puppy gets over excited for any reason, placing him or her in the crate will help the puppy settle down. If you need to leave your puppy by himself for a couple of hours, the little guy can easily get into mischief and have accidents on the floor. All of this lead to over excitement in the puppy as well as stress which can be remedied through the act of placing the puppy in the crate while you are gone.

Remembering that puppies are easily distracted by other events around him, feeding the puppy can be a difficult task as well as a messy one. By placing the puppy in the crate for feeding time, you will be able to minimize the messes as well as the distractions so that your puppy can focus on eating all of his meal.

1) It is very important that the crate you get for the puppy is the right size. If the crate is too small, the puppy will feel cramped but then again if the crate is too large, then house breaking the puppy using a crate will not work. In a large crate, a puppy will use to potty on one side of the crate and sleep on the other which is the exact opposite of what you want him to do which is not potty anywhere in the house.

2) In the event that you have chosen a puppy that will grow in size rather quickly, you may purchase a larger crate but only if it comes with a divider to make the crate the appropriate size for the puppy. This divider can be moved so that the crate will grow as the puppy grows.

3) Keep in mind that even if you purchase the appropriate sized crate for your puppy, if you choose too thick of a bed, the puppy will still potty in the crate as the bedding will absorb the urine. A simple newspaper bedding is all that a puppy really needs. Once you have properly house broken the puppy then you can get him or her a large beds for dogs.

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If your dog has a yeast infection, it may be that your dog has a weak immune system and will be vulnerable to problems with yeast. When the immune system is weak, it lessens the good bacteria and yeast changes to a full blown yeast infection in dogs. The odor of yeast is noticeable especially in dogs.

You might think it is wax since it is brown in color and thick and it can go untreated.

Yeast infection targets the ears, feet and anal parts of a dog’s body. Anywhere that is moist will attract yeast. Dogs that have this infection usually have an excess of oil on the skin. The yeast loves this kind of oily skin texture. Extreme itching and irritation is also a product of yeast infection in dogs. Learn more at Dog Yeast Treatment.

If your dog has an infection, be sure that you have to do things such as always keeping your dog clean. If the dog is outdoors in the rain or snow, make sure you bring him or her inside and thoroughly dry them especially in between the toes and behind the ears. The dog’s bedding should also be kept dry.

Poor diet and a weak immune system is a serious cause for dogs yeast infection.

Start feeding your dog premium food or a raw diet. Use food that has allergy blend if your dog is allergic to anything including yeast infection.

Use shampoo with less grease when bathing your dog. Yeast thrives on moisture. Antibiotics will only worsen the yeast infection and cause recurring yeast infection. Using natural baby wipes on your dog each day can help. If you can find one that has aloe as part of the ingredient, that would be helpful. You can also try enzyme supplements along with the premium diet.

Here is a homeopathic yeast infection remedy to try:
Use rubbing alcohol – about four ounces and mix it with two tablespoon of boric acid and a tablespoon of glycerine. You can put this in a dropper and administer two drops in each of your dog’s ear. Use this weekly until the dog ear yeast infection clears up.

Learn about how to cure dog yeast infection here at Dog Yeast Treatment.

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When many people think of Dog Training, they may envision showing off their best friend’s playing-dead technique during summer cookouts. If this isn’t something that appeals to them, they may disregard dog training as a frivolous activity custom made for people with too much time on their hands. There are, however, several ways of training your dog and several reasons to do so. Three very important benefits of training your dog are socialization, safety, and bonding.

Socializing your dog is simply the act of making him a pleasure to be around for people and other dogs alike. Who wants to be around a dog - especially a large one - who jumps on everyone with whom he comes in contact? If you have a dog that jumps, you may feel forced to resign him to the backyard when company visits, which may in turn make an annoying barker out of him as he feels left out of social gatherings. But if you treat the problem by training him not to jump, you will enable him to enjoy the company of others when they come for a visit. You will be able to do things with him like go to the park and walk in areas where there are other people and dogs.

A trained dog is a safer dog. One of a pet owner’s biggest fears is that their beloved animal will one day get away from during a walk and be hit by a car. Some very basic training can give you a safety net in just such a situation. For instance, imagine that your dog runs out the front door one morning and you lose track of him. When you find him, he is on the other side of a busy street, and his first impulse may be to bound happily toward you at first sight. But if he is well-trained, you can signal for him to sit and wait for you to come and leash him. Disaster averted.

Aside from those two very practical reasons to train your dog, however, there is a third benefit that busy people sometimes overlook. Time spent training your dog is time the two of you will spend together. If you’ve ever built a model with your kid or fixed a computer or baked a cake with a friend, you know that accomplishing a goal with a loved one can be a valuable bonding experience. Dogs are not immune to this. If you spend just a few minutes each day training your dog, it will give both of you a sense of accomplishment and bring you closer together.

Certainly, a few nifty party tricks aren’t out of the question. Go ahead - see how far you can take the training once you have the basics covered. Let your dog show you and everyone else exactly how smart he is. Remember to use plenty of praise and reward, as well as having lots of patience.

Learn more about Dog Training

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So you have chosen to add a baby Pit Bull to your family.  You have learned about its history as well as its unfair controversies.  You have taken your time, searched high and low, and finally found a number of good breeders who have perfect lovable litters for you to choose from.  Now comes the dilemma; which puppy should you pick?

Both Pit Bull males and females make equally good pets.  Males are a little larger than the females.  Some males mark their territory inside your house by urinating on your walls and furniture, a behavior that can be quite difficult to stop.  And because they are genetically inclined to attack, males tend to fight with other male dogs, especially with another male Pit Bull.  Female Pit Bulls also have the tendency to fight with each other, but are less likely to do so.  Furthermore, female Pit Bulls experience what is called “estrus” or heat cycle, twice a year.  Estrus lasts for three weeks, although neutering usually helps to avoid it. 

When deciding which Pit Bull puppy to pick out of the litter, try to choose the one with the best parents and grandparents you can find.  Keep in mind that although all Pit Bull puppies look extremely cute, their faces do change as they turn into adults.  If looks are important to you, be sure that the breeder has the look that you like.  You can determine how the puppies would look like as adults by looking at their parents and grandparents. 

Consider the basic features of a good Pit Bull.  Pit Bulls are very strong and athletic dogs.  The puppy of your choice should display strength, vigor, speed, and energy.  Watching how the parents act will give you a good idea of the puppy’s potential temperament.  If the parents show signs of curiosity, enthusiasm, and positive energy, their puppies will more likely develop the same traits.  In addition, if the parents and/or grandparents have been living long, healthy lives, the puppies will also have a very good chance of enjoying a long lifespan. 

Observe how each puppy behaves with the rest of the litter.  Bossy Pit Bull puppies are prone to become dominant adults.  On the other hand, puppies that act submissive are likely to grow up into insecure adults.  Choose the one with a temperament that falls somewhere in between the two extremes.  The puppy that curiously comes to greet you with excitement and follows you around is a probable choice.  If the puppy doesn’t resist to being held and stays relaxed while you lift him up should be the perfect puppy for you.  

All Pit Bull puppies look adorable.  You need to spend time with as many puppies as you can so in order to see the differences in their personalities and therefore, pick the best one for you.

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Your Pit Bull is a very strong and powerful dog with a not-so-good reputation.  Since he can be very intimidating to a lot of people, no matter how gentle and well-trained he is, many are still going to be petrified if they see him unleashed and running down the street with a grin on his face.  

Because of your dog’s strength and ability, he would need a strong and sturdy leash to keep him under control.  There are many types of leashes that are strong enough to hold your canine gladiator.  You can either get him a sturdy braided leash, a cotton canvas leash, a nylon leash, or a leather leash.  All dogs are recommended to have a six-foot leash.  A four-foot leash is also ideal when walking your dog in tight places.  However, whatever type of leash you decide to get, do not get one that is made of chain.

Many dog owners believe that a chain leash is the only leash that is tough enough to hold their strong dogs.  A chain leash is not at all a good choice to use on a strong dog, especially on a Pit Bull.  Although the chain part is strong, the part where the chain is attached to the handle is usually just a weak rivet, making the leash weak.  Furthermore, it is hard to get a good grip on the chain part of the leash or wrap it around your hand because it would hurt your skin if pinched.      

Retractable leashes are very popular and effective, but they should be used with great care.  A retractable leash is also not a good idea to use around other people or dogs.  Using a retractable leash on a crowded area can create a very bad tangle.  It is also not wise to use a retractable leash near a street; your Pit Bull is a very adventurous dog and is inclined to hastily run out on the road, catching you off guard, and delaying you from pulling the brakes on time. 

Do not forget too, that your Pit Bull is a very powerful dog that can build up an incredible amount of momentum if he runs at full speed to the end of the leash.  With most dogs, such a charge would cause them to be snapped suddenly back.  But a Pit Bull can easily knock the leash from your hand and snap the line.  Furthermore, if you happen to drop a retractable leash, they tend to retract toward your dog which causes him to think that he is being chased.  He will then tend to panic and run very fast in an attempt to get away.

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Training your Pit Bull is easier than training other dog breeds.  One of the reasons that this is so is because Pit Bulls are among the smartest and the most willing participants when it comes to dog training.  Another reason is that they are very eager to please their owners.  And since dog training techniques of today are easier and more effective than ever, there is no reason why your Pit Bull cannot be the friendliest and the most intelligent dog on the block.

Here are six tips when it comes to Pit Bull dog training:

1. Remember that all dogs live in the present moment.  Every time you reward or punish your Pit Bull, he can only assume that it is for his behavior at the time of the reward or punishment.  For example, if you happen to find a mess that he did a few hours ago, do not drag him to it from his nap and then start scolding him.  He will only think that he is being scolded because of taking a nap.
2. You have to be consistent with your rules.  If he was not allowed to sleep in your bed last night, then he should not be allowed to sleep in it tonight or or any other night for that matter, regardless of how much he begs.  By giving in to his begging, he will only learn that begging sometimes pays off.  This will then create a behavior pattern that is difficult to change.
3. Your Pit Bull will repeat actions that bring him rewards, whether the rewards are intentional or otherwise.  Letting him out of the cage to make him stop whining may temporarily work.  However, in the long run you will end up with a Pit Bull who continuously whines whenever he is placed in a cage.  Be sure to only reward behaviors that you want to see repeated.
4. Keep in mind that your Pit Bull is very eager to please you.  All you have to do is to show him the way.  Forcing your dog can distract and even intimidate him, thus slowing down his learning process.
5. It is not necessary to repeat a command over and over or to yell louder and louder.  Doing so will not make your dog understand what you are trying to get across.  Your Pit Bull is not deaf, and if he behaves like he is, you just need to steer him toward the right direction.  This will probably mean taking a step back in your training.
6. Above all, be patient.  Although things may not go as smoothly as you hoped it would be, it is still possible to train your dog.  You just need to be realistic, firm but gentle, consistent, and always maintain a good sense of humor with your pet.

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