Bethune Shelties
New Sheltie Owner Education
Click the topic you are interested in below.
Bringing Puppy Home
Housebreaking Made Easy
Caring For Your Dogs Teeth
Bark Control
|
|
|
|
With more and more people buying dogs the need for good training is become a necessity. There are tons of people out there who are buying dogs because they are cute and lovable. And yes, that is a great reason to buy a puppy, but if you are going to purchase a dog, you must be ready to take care of it the right way. Below is a list of do’s and don’ts for you new puppy. These training rules can be used as a basic outline for ensuring that your puppy will be well behaved for its entire life. Remember, if you train them when they are puppies, and stick with it, your dog will be well behaved for its entire life (exceptions do apply of course!)
1. Be sure to train your puppy to be comfortable staying in a crate for an extended period of time. This is often overlooked because most people want to play with their new puppy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can work up to a longer period of time by first start with small durations. For example, keep your puppy in its crate for 15 minutes every night. Do not pay any attention to it. After the 15 minutes take the puppy out and reward it for its good behavior. Every night you can extend the duration of time, and soon enough your new puppy will be comfortable in its crate.
2. Teach your puppy early and often that it is not acceptable to jump up on guests when they enter your house, or while they are trying to eat. This is not only a bad habit for the dog, but it is also very disrespectful to your guests. The first couple of times that your new puppy does this be sure to correct it in a positive manner. The most important thing to remember is to not let the puppy ever get away with this. If it happens once, it can happen again. And after a habit is established it will be much tougher to break.
3. Absolutely no chasing or running after other animals, or other people. A lot of puppies get into the habit of chasing after anything that will run from it. This goes for animals that it may see in the yard, or the mailman who visits your house everyday. After breaking this habit you will be glad that you did; just ask your mailman!
4. Train your dog to quit barking when told. This can be one of the tougher habits to break, especially if you get a dog who loves to bark. The most important thing to remember is to stay persistent with this one. If your dog is barking when it should not be, correct it every time. Do not give up on your persistence, and you will have success in the end.
5. A new puppy should never be allowed to be protective of its toys, food, or bed. Try to break your new puppy of this habit as soon as possible. You will be able to tell if this is a problem by a simple test. When your dog gets done playing with a toy attempt to pick it up and take it away. If the puppy snaps at you are growls, then you have this problem. Be sure to remedy it as soon as possible. If you let it go too long this can turn into a serious problem at a later date.
6. Make sure that your new puppy can be left alone without supervision. Also make sure that when left alone, your puppy is not destructive. Again, like the crate exercise discussed above, leave your puppy at home alone for a few minutes at a time. Eventually you will be built up to the point where you can leave your new puppy at home for hours on end without ever having to worry about coming home to a huge mess!
7. Make sure that your puppy is comfortable in places other than its home. Making your puppy feel comfortable outside of its comfort zone will surely make your life easier as the years pass. This is very important because your new puppy will eventually have to spend time at the veterinarian, a kennel, groomer, or at another person’s house. If you miss out on training your dog for this, you will be held down by it for the rest of your life. If you can never leave your dogs side, you will surely feel the effects anytime it needs a haircut, a vaccine, or if you ever decide to take a vacation. Do not miss out on this training step!
Overall, these seven training rules will surely make your relationship with your new puppy a positive experience.
About The Author
© 2006, Gary Allison, This article may be used for reprint so long as the author’s bio and live link is included. Gary Allison is a third generation of professional dog breeders. It all started with his grandparents in 1970 with the Boston Terriers and has expanded to Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pugs and Pomeranians. He is also actively involved with dog rescue and has a website that showcases the puppies he has for sale at http://allmypuppiesonline.com.
Barking is normal for a dog, and a little bit here and there is ok. However a dog barking all day long can be annoying even to the most patient dog lover.
Here are some simple ways to help stop excessive barking:
* Exercise your dog often. Tired dogs spend their time sleeping rather than barking.
* Give your dog some good chew toys. Chewing is a good stress reliever and is a great way to occupy your dog’s time. Your dog will have a hard time barking if his mouth is full.
* Try to mask outdoor noises. This can be as simple as turning on the stereo or TV for your dog. You might even consider investing in a white noise machine.
* Acknowledge your dog’s barking. Sometimes your dog is simply trying to tell you something, and if you acknowledge him, he will often stop barking.
* Teach your dog the “Quiet” command. If your dog keeps on barking after you acknowledge him, say “Quiet” sternly without yelling. If he stops barking, praise him.
* Make a noise shaker. Throw a few coins in an empty water bottle or soda can and tape it shut. If your dog is not responding to your quiet command, shake the can. Dogs really don’t like that sound and will often stop when they hear it.
* Give him a squirt. Give your dog a stern “No,” and give him a quick squirt with a water bottle. Remember to aim for your dog’s body rather than his face.
* Try a trainer collar like the Gentle Leader. This collar is similar to the halters worn by horses. When your dog starts barking, pulling the lead will gently press your dog’s mouth closed for the next few seconds. The nice part is that you don’t have to scold your dog. All you have to do is pull when he barks.
* Know when to switch strategies. If you don’t see any improvement with a particular strategy, try another one.
Winfred Jennings is the owner of www.advancesinhealth.com which has specialized in natural health awareness for the past 5 years. His newest work "How To Keep Your Dog Healthy" can be found at www.advancesinhealth.com/DG/index.html.
Clean teeth and gums are very important of the overall health of your dog. Here are some information on the most common dental problems of dogs and ways in treating them.
Dog's common dental problems
- Periodontitis
It is very common among dogs to have gum disease. At the age of two or three, many dogs have either periodontitis or gingivitis.
The most common dental problem for canines is periodontitis, also known as periodontal disease. The disease is caused by various factors: plaque, food debris, cell mucus, and a mixture of bacteria. This results to a film characterized by milky-white on the dog's teeth as well as the gums. When this film gets combined with saliva, the plaque it causes becomes tartar, and very hard to remove.
- Gingivitis
Gingivitis, also known as gum disease, happens when gum tissue suffers from an inflammation. Without treatment, it can lead to periodontitis, teeth loosening, bone less, and ultimately, loss of teeth.
- Tooth fractures
Tooth fractures occur when dogs chew hard substances, such as hard rocks and cow hooves. The fractures result to infection inside the broken tooth, which is known as the endodontic disease.
How to prevent dental problems
Your dog can fight off these dental problems by removing the plaque before it actually develops as tartar. How to do it? The most effective way is by brushing the teeth of your dog in a mechanical fashion. The brushing would reduce much of the bacteria presence in the mouth, not to mention making your dog's breath smell sweeter. Make it a habit of brushing your teeth on a daily basis.
Toothpaste. There are toothpaste products made especially for dogs. Brush your pet's teeth using dog toothpaste. Human toothpaste is specifically designed for humans to spit the paste washings out. Dogs cannot do that, so pick a dog toothpaste that is safe enough for dogs to swallow.
Toothbrush. Using a toothbrush in its teeth would take some time for the dog to get used to. Let your dog be acquainted and get used to this is by putting some garlic salt, mix the salt with water, and dip the solution in an old toothbrush. Hold the old brush, and let your pet taste and chew it. Your dog will start to realize that chewing a toothbrush is and tastes good. Make it a habit a few times, until it feels comfortable brushing with it.
Finger brush. You could also use a finger brush instead of a toothbrush. A finger brush is a good alternative, although nothing could replace the good ol' toothbrush. The finger brush just fits onto one's fingertip and can let you brush the dog's teeth without the dog knowing it. Well, at least almost. The disadvantage of getting a finger brush to clean your dog's teeth is that its bristles are quite large for the brush to go under the gumline's margin as effectively compared with regular toothbrush.
Professional cleaning. If you don't want to do the cleaning by yourself, you could take your dog to a veterinarian and have its teeth professionally cleaned. A good veterinarian will take additional measures in ensuring your dog's clean teeth by anesthetizing your dog, scraping the buildup of plaque from all over the gumline areas, and polishing the teeth for a sparkling finish.
Home checkup. Try to make it a regular habit of checking the teeth of your dog for any cracked or broken teeth. If you see some problematic teeth, check promptly with the veterinarian.
Home safety. Of course, cleaning your dog's teeth does not mean you should disregard other areas of concern. Tough substances, such as bones, rocks, hard nylon, or cow hooves should be removed from areas where your dog could see. Buy your dog chewing toys that are safer like rubber-made toys. You could also provide bones that are soft enough for your dog to chew.
Mouthwash. There are some products in the market that deal very well in helping to kill the bacteria in your dog's mouth and could actually help heal damaged gum tissues. Do not forget to ask your veterinarian on the best products in the market.
Dental problems do not only happen to humans. Dogs also have dental issues as well. It is up to the owners on how to help their pet dogs overcome their dental problems.
Jack Russell is a a long time dog fancier, visit his Dog Resources Blog and download his Free Dog Owners Handbook - it's Dog Gone Good! http://www.daveshealthbuzz.com/dogcare/.
So you gave yourself the gift of a new puppy or someone else gave it to you. Unfortunately, this little bundle of joy doesn’t understand the specific places designated for going to the bathroom. So what do you do? How do you housebreak your new pet?
Housebreaking really isn’t all that difficult. As with all dog training, it will take consistency and patience but the hardest part will actually be training you and the rest of your family.
Before you start any training, you always want to be certain your pet is healthy. There is nothing worse then continually disciplining your puppy for going in the house and then finding out they have a kidney or bladder dysfunction.
The key to housebreaking your puppy is close supervision. You need to catch your pet right before or in the act of making a mistake so you can immediately say “ah ah” and take them outside or on to their paper. Using a crate can really speed up the whole process because it makes it easier for you and the rest of the family know when your puppy will need to go to the bathroom. General, but this will very with each puppy, about thirty minutes after eating your puppy will need to go. I recommend feeding your puppy at specific times then put them inside their crate for the thirty minutes and then take them directly outside. Walk around for a bit, if they haven’t gone after a few minutes take them back inside and put them in their crate, repeat until they go to the bathroom. Having treats and lots of praise ready for when then do go will also speed up the process of you puppy learning. Some other times your puppy will most likely need to go is right after waking up and after excited play.
Another thing to keep in mind is how long puppies can actually hold their bladder and bowels for:
2 months old - 3 hours
3 months old - 4 hours
5 months old - 6 hours
6 months old - 7 hours
So, if you work a 9-5 job and your planning on leaving your puppy at home by it’s self all day it may not be realistic to expect your puppy to be housebroken until at least 6 months old.
When your pet starts to go to the bathroom outside you want to have a word that you will say. This way your dog with start associating your command with the act of going to the bathroom. Eventually your dog will be able to go on command, this can come in really handy in the winter when it’s really cold and you want your pet to hurry up. “Hurry up” is the command I have chosen to use with my dogs. I think is sounds better then “Go potty” or “toilet”, but it’s your command so you chose what ever word you will feel most comfortable with.
Housebreaking your pet should not take very long, if your finding that your pet is continually having accidences and it’s driving you insane ask yourself two questions. One, could my puppy have a health problem? If not, have I really been consistent in watching my puppy and catching him before or during the mistake. If you haven’t been consistent you can’t really expect the dog to understand. It’s time consuming at first because you really need to pay attention to what your dog is doing and what he looks like when he’s about to go to the bathroom. But remember if your consistent everything goes much smoother and your puppy will be housebroken in no time.
About The Author
Cassandra Stinchcombe - What to learn more? Go to http://www.envisionopportunity.com/dogtraining/dogtrainingmain.html now and learn how to have the well-behaved puppy you've always wanted.