Total Dog Magazine

Category: Dog Training

  • Housebreaking an Older Dog

    Housebreaking an Older Dog

    There are times when housebreaking an older dog becomes a priority for a new owner. This is particularly true for those people who adopt an older dog and need to get on with the business of housbreaking their new, more mature pet as soon as possible.

    Our free guide to housebreaking an older dog will help you with tips, techniques and methods to achieve the perfect, potty-trained dog. Our guide below discusses the techniques used when re-housbreaking a mature dog – the same methods apply to house training a new, older dog.

    Part 1: Housbreaking an Older Dog (Re-housbreaking)

    There is a certain element of surprise, perhaps even shock, when the owner of a perfectly trained and well-behaved adult dog suddenly steps in a puddle. “No, it can’t be!” He shrieks.

    The possible alternative, such as a defrosting refrigerator, leaky water pipes, or a spilled cup of coffee give way to the awful truth; he actually sees the loyal household dog in the act of soiling inside the house.

    The screaming and disbelief was followed by the slam of the back door as the old family pet is quickly banished out-of-doors like a nine-week old puppy that had just had an accident. Such harsh and fast action in such an instance can have serious and detrimental effects on the older dog. Whenever a completely housebroken dog starts urinating in the house, there is a medical or psychological cause involved.

    The medical reasons will be covered first, since the majority of cases can be traced to that cause, rather than the psychological. It is important that the reasons for such behavior be pointed out and thoroughly checked before any retraining techniques are instituted.

    Most dog owners know that the aging process of their dog will manifest itself in a gradual loss of hearing, followed by diminished vision. Squeezed somewhere in between, signs of arthritis might show up, decreased in appetite, more frequent naps, and other tell-tale signs which may become evident. What is not widely known is that toilet training is one of the first things to go!

    Because this fact is not widely known and realized, it causes frustration and confusion to the dog owner who suddenly thinks that his dog has forgotten, is not as smart as previously thought, is lazy, or has turned into a sneak. Such behavior on the part of a perfectly housetrained dog could simply be the first signs of the inevitable aging process. In this aging process, the muscles of the bladder gradually lose their control.

    In the male, the aging process can also cause the prostate gland to enlarge, and this will produce an inflammation which will cause him to urinate often. Kidney diseases occurs in about 76{d4f4ff813a06e2c77cbb9c6effe011ebffe2f8986e44983e90e08c54deb62f63} of dogs over eight years of age. When a dog ages, there is a gradual degeneration of kidney tissue with a weakening of the kidney function.

    The older dog should drink at least twice the amount of water than a younger dog since the older dog’s kidneys will require it. Naturally, this will involve more frequent urination, thus more trips to the bathroom.

    Where the middle-aged dog would have required being let out in the morning and once at night, the aging process will require more freedom outdoors. In most cases, the older dog will try to make his needs known to his owner. However, the owner, who is used to a regular routine, just isn’t tuned in to the dog’s new requirement. Then, the old dog is left with just one alternative. It’s just as embarrassing to him as it may be to the owner.

    In such cases, shaming and scolding will only make the situation worse, especially if the dog tried to communicate, only to have his communication fall on deaf or inattentive ears.

    Techniques: Housbreaking an Older Dog (again)

    How does a dog owner determine if his dog is getting old? How can he know that the “accident” that just happened is the result of the aging process that the dog is going through?

    These are difficult questions, since a dog five years of age can be considered old, while a six-year old dog may still be, to a certain extent, a puppy. No two dogs are exactly alike. One dog’s metabolism may be old at four years while another may not show signs of the aging process until eight or ten years old.

    The first solution is to go to your vet. The reason is simple – the aging process is not the only medical reason why a perfectly well-housetrained dog may suddenly backslide and forget his toilet training. The reason for the unwanted activity must be discovered and properly dealt with though. Unwanted activity, when not properly corrected, can soon become a learned reaction.

    Your dog’s vet can examine your pet and rule out such possibilities as nephritis, diabetes, or both. These two diseases can cause a dog the inability to hold urine. A urinary tract infection may be the cause, whether your dog is considered old or simply middle-aged. Your vet can check to make sure parasites or infections are not causing the incontinence.

    Whether your dog is young, middle-aged, or old, a thorough medical examination by a vet is the first and most important aspect to consider when a dog that was perfectly housebroken suddenly forgets and has accidents. Only when all possible medical causes are ruled out should you start examining the possible psychological causes.

    To have a better understanding of the many possible psychological causes, we must start with the simple and progress to the complex. If you own a male who quite suddenly forgets that he is housebroken, examine the possibility of a female in heat right next door. The compulsion to lift a leg in such cases is very overpowering and surpasses even the most rigid puppy training.

    The problem here is, once the “mark” is left on the leg of the dining room chair, the scent remains long after the female dog next door completes her heat cycle. The scent instinctively draws the dog back to that same location for repeated leg raises.

    The problem becomes worse if shag carpeting is involved. Wiping it up with water magnifies the problem because of the possibility of mildew. Mildew is notorious for attracting dogs. This type of accident (and it is considered an accident) is quite normal when a female dog is in heat nearby. Even the well-trained dog feels the compulsion to leave his marking. This lets the female dog know (or so the male dog thinks) that there is a perfectly capable and willing stud close by.

    One of the best formulas for removing the urine scent from furniture, drapes, and carpeting is club soda. Removing it is a must if you are to return your dog to the status of the well-trained household pet that you know he is. Scolding and verbal reprimand at the time of the accident is perfectly in order as long as you have ruled out medical causes.

    House Training an Older Dog: What to Do?

    There are some isolated cases where the cause of a breakdown in toilet habits in a mature dog starts as a psychological motivation, but results in a problem becoming medically motivated. An example of this would be the dog that suddenly forgets his housebreaking and urinates out of jealousy and spite.

    A dog of this type could develop a psychosomatic urinary tract infection, therefore giving him a reason to eliminate at will anywhere in the house. Such a condition can be inspired by the arrival of another pet like a cat or a bird, a new baby, or any other attention-stealing tangible. Verbal punishment in such cases will only perpetuate the problem.

    The dog is getting attention which is, after all, what he wanted in the first place. As long as he is getting this extra attention, whether it is shaming or admonishment, he will continue whatever action prompts his attention. Competition can cause a breakdown in toilet habits without the problem evolving into a psychosomatic urinary tract infection. The dog owner should understand that competition alone can be the cause of the problem. And when there is competition, the dog wets!

    The competition can be real or imagined. In either case, a thorough examination into any recent changes in household routine would be in order. Something may be giving the dog a feeling that his position, or your affection for him is in jeopardy. Whether actual or simply imagined, it is very real to the dog. If competition is to blame, extra time spent with your dog, and maybe even exaggerated affection, will normally suffice in removing the motivator of his bad deeds.

    Then there is the sort of dog who indulges in the type of wetting where he lifts his leg against everything; bedding, curtains, furniture, etc. and finds it necessary to try and own or control his environment by wetting on it. This is the type of dog who is self-oriented, selfish, narcissistic animal that he wets on everything to make it more his own territory. This is a dog that needs a master in all the purest and literal sense of the word.

    That type of dog suddenly realizes that he is the leader of the pack, although he really doesn’t want to be. This dog is insecure and wants, in fact needs, strong and confident leadership. These actions usually materialize as a result of soft, permissive, easy-going dog owners who spoil and baby their dog. The ratio of love and discipline are tipped only in the direction of love.

    Love in this instance is not a healthy love, both for the dog owner and his dog. It’s permissiveness by an owner who is afraid that discipline may cause the dog to not like the owner. In reality, mistaken kindness can be a bitter and unneeded cruelty. When these dogs are placed in the pound and put to sleep, there’s nobody to blame but their owners who thought so little of their pets that they failed to bring them up with the proper balance of love, discipline, and control.

    Know Your Older Dog’s Personality Before Re-Housbreaking Them

    The personality and thought process of the dog is an extremely complex mechanism. Training, whether for toilet training or teaching to sit on command, is simply a matter of communication.

    That is, communicating your desires to your pet and requiring that he respond in a certain manner, all the time. But when a normally trained canine suddenly behaves in a manner differently than from the way he has been trained to behave, the owner must search for the cause before trying to find a cure.

    Is it possible for an occasional accident to become a learned behavior in your mature dog? If an occasional accident goes unnoticed by a dog owner for any length of time, the possibility exists that the dog’s actions will become a habit. Consistency in performing a particular act results in that act becoming a learned behavior. Therefore, it is possible for a perfectly housebroken dog to become “trained” to use the bathroom indoors due entirely to lack of proper supervision.

    When this situation happens, there is no alternative except positive retraining methods. Removing the motivator is fine in the early stages, before the bad act become a learned behavior, but when the act has been allowed to become a routine, then it is the owner’s responsibility to retrain the dog.

    Retraining is relatively simple and requires a minimum amount of patience, but a maximum amount of supervision. The training, on the surface, is similar to house training a puppy. The primary difference, and a fact which is in the dog owner’s favor, is that the new puppy doesn’t know he has done wrong when he makes a mistake in the house. A new puppy is not quite sure at first why he’s scolded in the house and praised in the yard. The mature dog is quite tuned in to two of the five basic principles of training – correction and praise.

    The keys to successfully re-housetraining the older dog are supervision and the judicious application of praise and correction. It would be unwise for the dog owner to follow the dog from room to room and, in fact, this tactic just might prevent the dog from making the mistake; thus, it would prevent corrective measures from being established. The dog’s actions must be completely supervised, but he should not feel that he is being watched.

    A typical situation might find the family sitting in the kitchen eating dinner, with the family pet sleeping near the living room. Suddenly, the dog gets up, stretches, yawns, and slowly makes his way down the hallway to another room. The dog owner should then follow, unobtrusively, to keep an eye on the actions of the dog.

    Important Notes on Housebreaking an Older Dog

    Re-housebreaking Your Mature Dog (5)

    At the first sign that your mature dog is going to eliminate (excessive sniffing of a particular area), the owner should immediately take him outside.

    The reason is obvious. How can you praise a dog for doing something right if you are not there to see it? The owner should go outside with his dog. Supervision is crucial at this time!

    This means that somebody has to take the dog outside. Somebody must place him in the proper position and the proper place for elimination, so that the action can be followed by praise. Somebody must be there to praise him. Dogs learn by associating their actions with pleasing or displeasing results. It is not enough that somebody is there to chastise and verbally admonish the dog for doing wrong; someone must be there to praise him for doing right.

    The praise will be relatively meaningless unless it comes from the leader of the pack. This is you, his owner. If you fail to live up to your responsibilities, then you cannot justifiably blame your mature dog for failing to live up to his. Someone must show him the way. In the dog’s mind, it only counts if the teacher is the person the he loves and in whom he has confidence.

    When you take your dog outside and fifteen minutes have elapsed without him eliminating, bring him back inside the house. But the supervision should not stop. In fact, it should be more constant. When the dog drops his nose to the floor and starts sniffing again, the owner should once again take him outside.

    When your dog eliminates outside, you should be right there when it happens and praise him, then bring him back inside the house immediately. It is the same method that should be used if dealing with a puppy. Praise and correction are the keys with which we can successfully communicate with your dog.

    It takes four days for the average dog to learn an average thing. For the mature dog or puppy who has unlearned something, it also takes four days for that dog to unlearn a learned behavior. Supervision is crucial to your success. The dog must be kept under constant watch while indoors so that positive corrective action can be taken.

    The methods are identical for the dog that has never been house trained. When a person adopts a mature dog from a pound, the dog is brought home and inside the house where he immediately eliminates on the floor. Training is therefore, crucial. It is much easier to train a mature dog than it is a puppy. Any dog, whether a year or twelve years old, can be trained to eliminate outdoors if the four day rule is followed through. The four day requirement for learning to take place in your dog’s mind should provide you with all the necessary patience.

    Regardless of your dog’s age, praise is the communicating factor. Too many people feel that chastisement is the key. This is not true! Praise is the main ingredient. But in order to praise the dog for doing the right action, one must be with him nearby so that he can administer the praise.

    There are five basic principles that a knowledgeable dog trainer always follows: Patience, knowledge, repetition, praise, and correction. By following these principals, you will have your house trained dog back in less than a week. Good luck!

    This report on housbreaking an older dog has been prepared for the exclusive benefit of DogTips.co

  • 10 Tips to Stop Dogs Digging

    Wondering how to stop dogs from digging up your garden? Is your dog’s digging causing all your hard gardening graft to go up in mounds of unevenly scattered earth? Here’s our top tips on how to stop dogs from digging in your garden.

    10 Tips To Stop Dogs From Digging

    Your plants, whether indoors or out, may have a special appeal to your dog. Your dog may get a real thrill from digging up your geraniums or depositing fresh soil on your sun flowers. Or, he may find it fun to dig the dirt from your houseplants and then deposit it on the floor for later use. To keep your dog from starting his own landscaping business in your yard, try some of these tips for turning your four-legged dirt devil into lawn lover:

    Stop Dogs From Digging: A Check List

    1. Check at farm or garden stores for chemical products developed to repel animals from choosing your garden as a favorite place to dig or deposit wastes. Such products come in granular forms that last up to three months outside. The odor is designed to stop animals from leaving their droppings around your home.

    2. Sprinkle alum powder around bushes or objects in your garden your dog likes to dig up. This will discourage dogs from digging in the area.

    Stop Your Dog From Digging The Garden

    3. To keep dogs from digging in your garden, sprinkle the garden with moth crystals. If you have kids, cover the moth crystals with dirt.

    4. If your dog likes to dig in a certain spot, you can place objects in that particular area that the dog is not fond of – this can break them of the habit of digging in one spot.

    5. If your gardens are of the container variety or consist entirely of indoor plants, prevent your dog from digging in the pots by inserting pine or other evergreen cones in the dirt. Or, place aluminum foil over the pot.

    6. Bury a cotton ball dipped in oil of cloves just below the surface of the soil in your flowerpots. Be sure it is just barely covered the soil.

    7. If you use a chemical lawn treatment, insecticide, or fertilizer, make sure your dog stays off the lawn for the specified amount time (usually 24 hours), depending on the product you use.

    8. If you’ve used a lawn flea treatment, keep your dog off the lawn until it is safe. Read the product label directions to determine how long your dog should keep off the grass.

    Stop Dogs From Digging Under Fences

    9. The best way to keep a dog from digging in your garden and flower beds is to surround the gardens and beds with fencing. For example, use chicken wire that is high enough to prevent them from jumping over and inserted about I foot (30 cm) under the ground to prevent them from digging under them.

    10. Unwanted digging is, at its heart, just another behavior trait that you will need to correct using tried and tested dog training methods such as diversion, reward based training and habit breaking routine.

    Worth a read: understand why dogs dig in the first place!

  • Cesar Milan’s Top Dog Training Tips

    National Geographic Channel’s Cesar Millan aka The Dog Whisperer, has issued what he considers to be the seven most important dog training tips for owners of new dogs.

    Millan believes in order to prevent problems down the road, it’s important that owners establish routine and boundaries early on. Enjoy these Dog Whisperer dog training tips courtesy of Cesar Millan and National Geographic…

    1. Create a schedule that includes a daily walk in the morning. This is
    critical for your dog’s health, both physical and mental. If you have a
    puppy, talk to your veterinarian about the risk of long-term bone
    development problems, parvovirus, and other health issues before
    implementing an exercise routine.

    2. Set aside time every day to provide mental exercise by maintaining
    rules, boundaries, and limitations. When these needs are met, the
    affection you give to your dog will be channeled as a reward.

    3. Always walk out the door ahead of your dog when leaving the house. This
    will show your dog who is in the leadership role.

    4. On walks, make sure that your dog is not in front of you, pulling you
    down the street. Instead, keep your dog to your side or behind you.
    This will also demonstrate to your dog that you are the alpha figure.

    5. Give your dog something to do before you share food, water, toys, or
    affection. This way the dog earns his treat. For example, have her
    perform the Sit or Down command.

    6. At bedtime, if your puppy tries to leave her bed, begins to whine, or
    tries to use chewing as a way to cope with the anxiety of being alone,
    give her gentle but firm corrections. The puppy’s mother set very
    strict rules for behavior, so she should need very little correction in
    order to get the point.

    7. Create a budget for unexpected circumstances, like medical bills and
    training classes. A healthy, well-trained dog makes a wonderful pet.

  • Do Dogs Get Jealous?

    Do Dogs Get Jealous?

    According to some new research by scientists, they do. Dogs do get jealous? Really?

    Personally, I don’t believe they do and I’ll explain more about that in a moment. But first let us look at the new research done in the name of science.

    The experiment consisted of taking pairs of dogs and getting them to present a paw for a reward. On giving this “handshake” the dogs received a piece of food.

    One of the dogs was then asked to shake hands, but received no food. The other dog continued to get the food when it was asked to perform the task.

    The dog without the reward quickly stopped doing the task, and showed signs of annoyance or stress when its partner was rewarded.

    To make sure that the experiment was really showing the interaction between the dogs rather than just the frustration of not being rewarded, a similar experiment was conducted where the dogs performed the task without the partner. Here they continued to present the paw for much longer.

    Dr Frederike Range from the department of neurobiology and cognition research at the University of Vienna, says this shows that it was the presence of the rewarded partner which was the greater influence on their behaviour.

    “The only difference is one gets food and the other doesn’t, they are responding to being unequally rewarded.” she said.

    The researchers say this kind of behaviour, where one animal gets frustrated with what is happening with another, has only been observed in primates before.

    Studies with various types of monkeys and chimpanzees show they react not only to seeing their partners receiving rewards when they are not, but also to the type of reward.

    The dog study also looked at whether the type of reward made a difference. Dogs were given either bread or sausage, but seemed to react equally to either. Dr Range says this may be because they have been trained.

    “It’s through the fact they have to work for the reward, this confers it with a higher value,” she said.

    Source Here

    Let’s take a look at this in smaller chunks.

    The dog without the reward quickly stopped doing the task, and showed signs of annoyance or stress when its partner was rewarded.

    Well of course. Surely we wouldn’t expect anything different here? The dog wants the food and it sees the other dog with the food and it gravitates toward the treat. This is quite logical, nothing ground breaking yet.

    To make sure that the experiment was really showing the interaction between the dogs rather than just the frustration of not being rewarded, a similar experiment was conducted where the dogs performed the task without the partner. Here they continued to present the paw for much longer.

    Yes, again this surely to be expected? Here we have a dog with no distraction, no food or other dog in the equation and it makes logical sense that most dogs will perform differently in a situation where no distraction – of any kind – is present. This, again, does not prove jealousy as we understand it.

    Dr Frederike Range from the department of neurobiology and cognition research at the University of Vienna, says this shows that it was the presence of the rewarded partner which was the greater influence on their behaviour.

    Now we’re veering in to some strange territory. Let us imagine this experiment but with some different parameters.

    We work with just one dog, no other dog in the area.

    The dog gives its paw. Then a person will come in to the room and puts some food on the floor near to where the other dog would have been positioned positioned.

    Would the dog now be less interested in giving paw and more interested in food?

    In my opinion, yes. Most likely.

    Now repeat the same scenario but don’t have anyone put food down.

    It’s my supposition that the dog would hold paw for longer.

    No other dog present, no jealousy – merely distraction causing reaction.

    The dog study also looked at whether the type of reward made a difference. Dogs were given either bread or sausage, but seemed to react equally to either. Dr Range says this may be because they have been trained.

    Dogs like different foods. And scientists didn’t know this?

    Take my own dog Mia. She loathes banana. My other dog, Chloe, on the other hand loves fruit. So if I’m eating a banana Mia will sit for a while, realise what I’ve got and then go and lie down. Chloe will stay sitting next to me, watching until I’ve finished. I’m not a scientist but I do know this – it’s……wait for it………

    ……because Chloe likes banana and Mia doesn’t!

    Given that Mia is by far the greedier of my two dogs it proves that dogs clearly have different tastes the same as we do, this is – I would guess – pretty universal. Maybe your dog loves a type of food that my dogs don’t. Maybe your dogs go mad for aniseed whereas my dogs love cheese. Just a sec, wait. Not a good comparison – aniseed and cheese are pretty much universal ‘must eats’ on the canine menu (if your dog likes neither, please let me know – in the name of science).

    So, if I set out to train Mia with bananas as my choice of reward for her, I’d achieve less impressive results – quite simply because Mia doesn’t like banana. She places a higher value on food that she likes, similarly toys and similarly different ways of being touched – Mia doesn’t like to be stroked on the head, Chloe will take a good head stroking for several hours. So we’ve still not established jealousy in canines with this research based on the report as presented on the BBC site.

    Studies with various types of monkeys and chimpanzees show they react not only to seeing their partners receiving rewards when they are not, but also to the type of reward.

    OK. Well I’m not a scientist but I do know that monkeys and chimps are NOT dogs. They can and indeed probably do have emotions much more closely aligned to the emotion we recognise in ourselves as jealousy, similarly they have different social structures and are NOT dogs. So the relevance of this is no more apt than saying: “Well humans have jealousy, why can’t dogs?”

    Why do I not believe dogs share the emotion we recognise in ourselves as jealousy?

    If we think about what jealousy is, if we are logical about what we know about this emotion it is incredibly complex and based on a whole level of social elements.

    There are humans who feel jealousy based on widely different factors – is that an innate personality trait in them or is it nurtured? – we don’t really know.

    We have humans within the autistic spectrum who simply do not and can not feel jealous and others within that same spectrum who can be wildly jealous. It’s true that even scientists themselves still haven’t universally agreed a definition for what jealously is! That’s how complex this particular emotion is. What does it take to be jealous? It takes two people very, very different reasons to be jealous, even people within the same family who share almost identical genetics. Yet put two people in a room and mimic the ‘paw test’ and we’d never get close to seeing universal results proving jealous responses in people – we’re too different and jealousy is an emotion that does not run through us all in an identical fashion. So why should it in dogs?

    I absolutely do not doubt for a single, solitary second that they display behaviour which is very easy for us to compare with the emotion of jealousy that we recognise in ourselves. It could be displayed in acts of resource guarding, it could be manifested by dogs who are particularly greedy, territorial, pack motivated, rank motivated – but jealousy it is not. It is quite possible that I want to get my bosses’ job and sit in his chair, in his office and take home his salary but I am not motivated even in the slightest by jealousy, I simply want to do better for myself. Dogs the same. So a dog going to another dog getting rewarded is absolutely not proof positive – in my view – that we’ve cracked the canine jealousy code, we haven’t even cracked ours yet – and we can SPEAK!

    Anthropomorphism is rife. Most of the time it’s harmless but sometimes it’s nothing more than us finding another way to say: “I don’t understand my dog but I’ll bracket a particular behaviour by benchmarking it against my own”. This is, plainly, crazy. And it can lead to problems.

    It will be better for dogs and better for us if we make an effort to better understand them. But always, always, always start that voyage of discovery with one overriding caveat: Dogs are no more human than we are Zebra. They are dogs. They ARE unique and we love them for it. They are masters at making us think what they want us to think. Their understanding of human body language is an art we’re not even close to mastering. Take this example:

    Person comes home. Dog has wrecked the post (again). There it is, all laid out scattered over the floor.

    Owner opens the door.

    “Huuuuhhh!!!! What have you done???”

    “Oh, look at him. Look at that face. Look how guilty he looks.”

    (wait for it)

    “He know what he’s done!”

    Sound familiar?

    Of course he doesn’t ‘know what he’s done’ and he absolutely may ‘look guilty’ but that aint guilt he’s showing, that’s him spotting body langauage and going to fear/survival mode. He’s pretty much saying: “If you want me to look guilty, if that’s the pigeonhole you want to put me in right now, so long as it means I don’t come to any harm, I’ll do a better guilty repertoire than Laurence Olivier if it makes you happy babe!”

    And makes us happy it most certainly does. We might feel guilt for chewing through our family’s latest edition of K9 Magazine (subscribe now) but that’s because we have an understanding of how our actions will have a future negative effect on the mood of our human counterparts. Our dog, however, he was just bored and he wanted something to do. Then we come home and we’re – clearly – pretty mad at him. He’s not feeling guilty, he’s feeling plain old scared. But it makes us happy to think he thinks like us. To quote the chairman of the Kennel Club: “I don’t need no scientists telling me….” that dogs do not, in fact, think like us. They think, surprisingly, like dogs. That’s what makes em’ great!

  • How to Stop a Dog Pulling

    How to Stop a Dog Pulling

    Dogs who pull on the leash tend to make walks a real chore for their long suffering owners. Learning to stop and cure a dog from pulling on the leash can make such a positive impact on the relationship between dog and owner as it creates for a more pleasurable dog walking experience.

    This video quickly outlines exercises to get your dog walking on a loose lead by your side. Put very basically FIRST you will teach the dog what you want them to do! And secondly, stop reinforcing them when they pull!

    If you’re looking for a step by step guide on how to stop your dog from pulling on the lead, we recommend this article.

  • Tips On How to Keep Your Dog Busy

    Tips On How to Keep Your Dog Busy

    Keeping Your Dog Busy: How to keep your dog entertained

    Everybody wants their dog to lead a happy, fulfilled life. So here we’ve put together a list of activities that you can engage in with your dog. They’re not only fun, but they also provide a great way to exercise and to preserve your dog’s natural instincts and abilities.Tracking: Tracking is a great way to get your exercise and wear the dog out. It means exactly what it says: The dog follows a track laid down by another person. An article of the owner’s is placed at the end of the track and the dog must find that article by following the track. It is often said that a tracking test builds real character, as the terrain is often difficult and the weather is sometimes completely undependable; since the owner cannot assist the dog in any way, everything seems to be left to nature and the dog! Training this exercise is more time-consuming than difficult, and it requires a great deal of patience.

    Several different tests are available from different associations, with different degrees of difficulty. Basic tests cover short tracks that have only a few turns and a short lag time between laying and running. More difficult tests include more turns, cross tracks, and several items left on the track to be found, with a longer lag time between laying the track and running it.

    Weight Pulling: Weight pulling has long been a favorite sport for the Alaskan Malamute and Samoyed breeds, but in the past few years this competition has spread to many other breeds, including, of all things, the desert-dwelling Basenji. Pulling divisions are divided by weight and experience. Dogs are put in harness and must pull a sledge loaded with varying amounts of weight for varying distances in order to earn their points.

    Herding: Herding competition has long been recognized in European countries and has been found in many forms in the United States. Many communities have stock dog fancier clubs or associations. Several breed clubs have initiated herding instinct tests, and the AKC has just initiated a Herding Instinct Test. These beginner levels allow you to assess any possible herding instincts in your dog and allow you to see if that type of competition would be of interest to you.

    “Real” herding, which consist of gathering, driving and penning, as performed by the working stock dogs, is an event that will catch your heart. To see these intent animals working stock at great distances all on their own is truly an amazing sight.

    Sled Racing: Sled racing can be anything from a friendly competition between two men and their dogs to a competition as strenuous as the thousand-mile Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race. Here again, the dog’s natural talents are emphasized. While Arctic breeds are most visible, many other breeds (including Poodles and Irish Setters) or mixed breeds can be very competitive.

    Lure Coursing: Lure coursing is somewhat akin to Greyhound racing but is held in fields with twisting courses over uneven ground. Lure coursing is designed to test a dog’s agility, as well as his speed, endurance and prey instinct. The dogs are taught to chase a lure, which is really a plastic bag, and their enthusiasm for the chase is an unforgettable sight. For more information on this sport, contact the American Sight-hound Field Association.

    Therapy Dogs: Therapy dogs are increasing in number by the day. Hospice services, Nursing and convalescent homes, centers for gifted children and even hospitals are opening their doors to visits by therapy dogs. These dogs can be of any age or breed (some organisations request only registered therapy dogs; others welcome any well-behaved and loving pet) and you and your dog may be able to volunteer your services (Google ‘pets as therapy dogs’ to see what’s on offer!)

    Visits with a therapy dog may be just the thing that will bring relief or happiness to an otherwise ill or hard-to-reach person, and your joy at seeing your dog relate to these people is more than worth every minute of your time.

  • 5 Exceptional Dog Training Tips

    It's often hard to circumnavigate the world wide web of knowledge and pinpoint the exact information you need, right when you need it.

    That's why we thought we'd be nice and put up what we think are 5 exceptionally useful dog training articles dealing in 5 topics that we know – for sure – lots of people are regularly hunting for information on.

    5 Dog Training Resources:

  • Tips for Training an Older Dog

    Tips for Training an Older Dog

    What can you expect from your older dog as he enters his senior years?

    Your dog has finally reached his adulthood and this means that the period of training, adjusting, socializing, and more training have come to a stopping point (for the most part, that is).

    This is the period where you can really appreciate his companionship, his friendship, and even his help around the house (depending on his level of training). The point is, is you don’t have to babysit him anymore. It is the stage in your dog’s life where he can walk alongside you off leash, sit and watch you wash your car, maybe even hold the hose for you, or just sit quietly with you in in the backyard while you read a book.

    However, training should not stop just because your dog has reached adulthood. A good formula for keeping your dog’s body healthy and his mind sharp throughout his adult years is to have 3 training sessions a week. The training does not have to be laborious, nor does it have to take long.  All it takes is about 10 to 15 minutes per session, and training can be about practicing and/or improving skills that he has already learned.

    Requirements When Teaching an Older Dog

    There are several benefits to continue training your adult dog on a regular basis.

    1. Regular training keeps his mind alert and active.
    2. It keeps his body strong and in shape.
    3. It serves as refresher courses to different commands and tricks that he had already acquired.
    4. It keeps him aware of the rules that you have enforced for him.
    5. It prevents boredom.
    6. It develops great team work between you and him.
    7. And best of all, it will deepen the bond that the two of you have together. If he remains active throughout the whole aspect of his life (physical, mental, social), then he will continue to play an active role in your life, be a team player, and be able to share wonderful times together.

    Physical Aspects of Training an Older Dog

    The physical needs of your dog peaks during his developmental adolescent stage. But once he passes the adolescent stage and reaches adulthood, his physical needs will arrive at a period where there will be no significant change to the amount of exercise that his body needs to stay healthy.

    As an adult dog, the amount of exercise that his body requires will depend on his size, breed, and personality type. Continue with the regular walks and occasional runs. A game of ball should also be on your list, as well as swimming if your dog likes being in the water. If you have a large and/or energetic dog, you may have to do more than those listed above. If you have a small and/or less active dog, you will still need to give him exercise. You just have to tame it down, depending on his level of endurance.

    Useful resources:

    Senior Dog Food
    Waterproof Dog Beds
    Dog Diet and Weight

  • How Do I Train My Dog To Bark?

    How Do I Train My Dog To Bark?

    Dogs being man’s best friends have not only offered companionship but protection as well. Dogs that are purposely developed for protection work are trained to discriminate dangerous situations and to bark to alert the master. The need to teach the dog to bark is rather puzzling as barking is a natural behavior of these animals. Never think that training the dog to bark would be a breeze as the training entails teaching the dog to bark only when it has perceived potentially dangerous people and situations. As the bark of the dog will alert the owner to potential dangerous situations, the dog must learn discriminatory barking.

    For a dog to be an effective watch dog, it has to learn to bark at situations that would need the master’s attention. This is rather a hard task for dogs as these animals really do have the inclination to bark. Dogs bark at the slightest sound. Dogs are known to bark at the shadows of plants and trees. Training the dog to bark though can be done.

    There are many techniques available to teach a dog to bark but due to individual differences, one technique that was proven effective for one dog may not work for another. Any kind of training method will be more effective if positive reinforcement is used. The training is aimed at restraining the dog’s natural barking behavior. Tie the dog’s leash near the gate where it can see passersby.

    Dogs are expected to bark at anyone passing by thus you will have an opportunity to accustom the dog to the command that will curb its indiscriminate barking. “Quiet” or “No bark” given in a firm authoritative voice will let the dog know that you, the alpha male means business. The dog will eventually understand that barking at the postman or at the passing cars will annoy the master.

    Ask someone to open the gate or to ring the bell. As the person approaches, give the dog the command to bark. Bark or speak must be consistently used. You can praise or reward the dog with a treat as soon as it barks. Consistent training using the same command will eventually make the dog learn discriminatory barking. Always reward or praise the dog every time it obeys your command. Treats and rewards are positive reinforcements that will make the training easier as these will be associated by the to the compliance of the given command.

    Find out more about how to make a dog bark as well as dog first aid at Sarah’s Dogs.

  • How Do I House Train My Dog?

    House training, house breaking, potty training or toilet training refers to teaching the dog when and where to go to the bathroom or to the designated toilet area. Everyone wants to have a dog around but nobody wants to clean the mess created by the pet especially if the accident happened on the carpet, on the bed or in other areas inside the house. The ease or the difficulty of house training the dog will basically depend on the persistence and on the methods used by the dog owner. The task of teaching the dog to eliminate in the designated area will basically depend on the training methods used and on the patience and persistence of the dog owner.

    House breaking the puppy is not the responsibility of the breeder. As with any other kind of training, the task of housebreaking the pet would be easier if started while the dog is still a puppy. Dog owners will notice that these animals are creatures of habit.

    Dogs that have soiled a particular area will return to the same place over and over again to defecate or urinate. It would be your responsibility to guide the dog so that the habit that will be formed is to relieve itself in the designated area. This task would be difficult for pet owners that are not at home most of the time. Don’t be disheartened as dogs being intelligent animals would adapt to the potty training in a very short time.

    You need to designate an area to be the dog’s very own toilet. Suitable areas can be the garage, a corner of the bathroom or in the yard. Dogs have to do their business after waking up, after eating and before sleeping thus you can take the dog to the toilet area during these times to eliminate. A pat or a praise given after the dog has eliminated in the correct place will make the dog repeat the good deed again. Dogs that are allowed to roam inside the house can have accidents thus an owner need to know the telltale signs that the dog is about to do its business so that it can be taken to the designated place right away.

    Dogs make wonderful companions but these animals are entirely dependent on their owners. Getting a dog for a pet entails a huge responsibility as aside from the food and the care that must be provided for the dog, various training will also be necessary to mold the dog into a wonderful individual that will be significant member of the family

    Find out more about how to house train your dog as well as information on dog first aid at Sarah’s Dogs.

  • Why Is My Dog Chewing Everything?

    Scratching, digging, rolling in mud, barking and chewing are common dog behaviors. Dogs are one of the most loved pets. These loyal and loving animals have indeed made of lot of change to human lives. In spite of the dogs loyal and loving nature, an owner may think of abandoning the pet because of its unwanted behaviors. Destructive chewing is one of the most common concerns of pet parents. A pet owner that needs to replace the things destroyed by the dog would certainly be annoyed by the pet’s excessive chewing habit.

    Chewing is a natural behavior of dogs. Three month old puppies are commonly seen starting to exercise the gums and teeth by chewing . Puppies, unlike humans, have no hands thus the mouth and the teeth are used to investigate their environment . Chewing things is the only way by which puppies satisfy their curiosity about their new world . Teething pains entices puppies to chew more. Babies are usually given teethers to ease teething pains and to strengthen the gums. Puppies that are not provided with chew toys would find their own teethers to manage their teething pains. This destructive chewing has other repercussions. A dog that has been chewing can swallow an object that can create a life threatening blockage. The chewing habit of puppies can be managed as it would be an easy matter to confine a small dog and provide it with harmless chew toys. The tendency to chew is generally outgrown by most puppies.

    A well behave dog that has unexpectedly developed an excessive chewing habit would naturally concern a pet owner. There has to be an underlying reason for the dog’s destructive behavior. Boredom, loneliness, inactivity are the most common causes of destructive chewing. Once you know why your dog chews. You must also know what to do when it chews. A dog is a social animal. A dog is not similar to a cat that would be contented to stare into space alone all day. Being a social animal, a dog would need a member of its human family or another dog to play with. As you would expect, dogs would not know the value of things. A shoe with the master’s scent would be a poor substitute but it would do for a dog missing its master. Being energetic, dogs have to be provided with opportunities to let off steam. Dog owners must be aware that it would not be a good idea to confine the pet with no toys or playmate inside the house as with most certainty, the dog will develop into a destructive pet.

  • 6 Great Tips For Getting Your Dog Toilet Trained

    One of the toughest jobs that a family faces when a new puppy comes home is getting the dog housebroken. This means that the dog will eliminate outdoors and not use your home and furnishings as a toilet. Lots of people think that getting doggy toilet trained is a tough task, but it doesn’t need to be. If you arm yourself with plenty of information for the best ways to get your dog house trained, you are on the right path to having a dog that goes to the bathroom where you want him to go.

    When to House Train

    A dog can be toilet trained at any age, but the best age to begin is between eight and twelve weeks old. If you set up a housebreaking routine as soon as you bring your puppy home, before long he will get the right idea of where to do his business. A crate is a great tool for toilet training a puppy. It keeps him confined when there is no supervision and most dogs learn quickly that if they make in their crate they will have to sit in it. Most dogs are fairly hygienic and won’t enjoy having to sit in dog doody or urine.

    The Advantages of Using a Crate

    Be sure there is enough room in the crate for your pup to turn around, but don’t leave so much room that he will be able to eliminate and lie down far away from it. Many dog owners view a crate as a jail cell or to use as punishment, but your dog will love having his own space where he can escape from the hustle and bustle of the household for some quiet time. Make your dogs crate a happy place and don’t use it for punishment. You can feed your dog in the crate, or while he is in there, offer him some treats. Place a favorite chewy or toy in there with him, add blankets and he will have a cozy den to escape to whenever he feels the need. Utilizing a crate for your dog can keep him out of trouble and not only in housebreaking.

    Keep Your Eyes Peeled

    Keeping a close eye on your puppy is a key factor in getting him properly housetrained. Whenever you see that he is sniffing, circling or beginning to squat, immediately take him outside to the place where you want him to go and see if he eliminates. If he does, praise him lavishly. A good idea is to have a cue, such as “hurry up” so that your puppy knows what you want him to do. When he is going to the bathroom repeat the cue and then give your dog lots of praise for a job well done. It is better to take the dog out and nothing happens then take a chance of an accident happening.

    Have a Schedule

    Feeding, watering and walking your dog on a regular schedule will make housebreaking that much easier. Puppies are like children and they thrive on a routine. Try and take the dog out around the same time everyday so they will be able to adjust their bodily functions. The first thing you should do in the morning is take the puppy from the crate and don’t let his feet touch the ground. Bring him to the place where you want him to go, give the cue, and praise upon a successful completion. Take your puppy out at least every two hours, after eating or drinking and especially after play. Before you know it, your puppy will be letting you know it is time to go out and do his business.

    Don’t Let the Puppy Roam

    Letting your puppy roam around the house is a sure fire way to have accidents. If you have decided you don’t want to use a crate, and even if you do use one, confining the dog to certain areas of the house can make housetraining easier for everyone. It is difficult to keep track of a puppy when he has the run of the house, but if you gate him in the kitchen, he will still be able to be part of the action and can be better supervised in case of an accident.

    Don’t Get Discouraged

    There will be times when you first begin housetraining that you feel your pup is just not getting it. He may have accidents in the house as well on occasion. There is no need to be discouraged. If you stick to your routine, keep a good eye on the dog and make frequent outings to his outdoor bathroom, in no time your puppy will be housebroken. Another good idea is to use the same door all the time when you are taking him out so that when he has to go, he will scratch on the door to be let out. Once this happens, you can say hurray and know that your puppy truly is beginning to understand that going to the bathroom in the house is a no-no.

  • Why Do Dogs Yawn?

    Why Do Dogs Yawn?

    Understanding Why Dogs Yawn – Hint…It’s Not ALWAYS Because They’re Tired!

    There is no doubt that a dog is really man’s best friend. These adorable furry creatures are loving, loyal and never cease to provide their human family with endless joy and companionship. The pet will stick with you through thick and thin. Dogs are known to ape what their masters do. It is really quite amusing to see that a dog will empathize with the master even with yawning. A master coming in from the office very tired will yawn; the dog can be seen yawning too.

    (more…)

  • Destructive Chewing In Dogs

    Destructive Chewing In Dogs

    The act of chewing seems to be a matter of individual orientation among dogs: some have an innate desire to chew as a pleasurable activity in itself, and some seem to have no need to chew whatever unless they’re driven to it out of sheer boredom.

    The phrase “destructive chewing” may sound redundant, because – by its very nature! – all chewing is destructive. Your dog has strong jaws full of sharp, pointy teeth: just about anything she starts to chew on is likely going to show the effects of it inside of a minute. So just to clarify, when I use the phrase “destructive chewing”, I’m referring to inappropriate chewing: the kind of chewing that’s focussed on your own possessions and household items, alternatively of on your dog’s own designated toys and chews.

    The three main understandings why dogs chew:

    – Most dogs have a instinctive desire to chew. It’s fun, it passes the time, and it’s a self-rewarding, self-reinforcing activity (for example, if she’s chewing on something that tastes good.)

    – Chewing provides a nervous, bored, or lonely dog with an outlet for her emotions. To an anxious dog, the repetitive act of chewing is soothing – it’s the doggie equivalent of comfort food.

    – Underexercised dogs often use chewing as a way of burning up nervous energy and giving themselves something to do.

    – How to forestall destructive chewing –

    Dogs are perfectly able of learning not to chew your material – you just have to put in a little effort first, that’s all.

    It is aslo possibly that your dog could be suffering from seperation Anxiety  read more here Anxiety Separation Dogs

    1. Take control of the site: manage your own possessions. Your first step should be to dog-proof your home. Even if you have the best-behaved dog in the world, there’s still no reason to test her self-command – after all, dogs explore the world with their mouths.

    Dog-proofing your home means taking whatever you don’t want to end up in her mouth, and making it unavailable. Consider her size and agility when deciding whether something’s out of reach: can she jump? Can she climb, or leap onto something else to reach the desired object? How tall is she when standing on her back legs?

    Common targets in the home include books, eyewear, clothing, shoes, garbage, and small crunchy appliances like cameras, cell phones, and remote controls.

    It should go without saying that all food needs to be put securely away: don’t leave snacks on low tables (or even countertops – you’d be surprised how acrobatic she can be when there’s food at stake!), put all food into containers or the pantry. Rinse your dirty plates clean of any food scraps before leaving them by the sink.

    2. Prevent her from learning the joys of illegal chewing. The more times she manages to bite a jawful of a forbidden substance – a chair-leg, a pillow, a run shoe – the more readily she’ll target those items in future. If you can prevent her from chewing your stuff in the first spot, it’s a lot easier for her to understand what you expect of her. Practically speaking, this means restricting her in a dog-proofed area until you’re confident of her reason? of the house rules.

    3. Don’t set her up for failure by blurring the boundaries between her stuff (OK to chew) and your stuff (not OK to chew). Don’t work your dog cast-off clothes, shoes, or towels to chew and play with: realistically, you can’t perhaps expect her to be able to tell the difference between your current shoes and the one she’s got in her mouth that you gave her five minutes ago.

    4. Provide her with lots of tasty alternatives to your stuff. If her environment is relatively barren of attractive, appropriate chewing objects, you can scarcely blame her for targeting your possessions. Remember, most dogs need to chew; if she’s an adolescent (under three years) or a puppy (under one year), her needs will be even more pronounced. Go on a toy and chew shopping spree, then give her two or three to play with at a time. Rotating the available toys every few days will keep things novel and interesting for her.

    5. Spend lots of time in active supervision. Yes, it might be easier for you to just keep her penned up in her crate, run, or the yard – but that’s boring and horrible for her, and hardly much fun for you either (if you wanted a pet that you don’t need to interact with, you’d have got a goldfish, right?) She can’t learn what you expect of her if she’s spending all her time boxed up in the dog-proof zone: she needs the opportunity to explore the boundaries of your expectations, so she can understand what’s appropriate and what’s not.

    6. When you catch her chewing something inappropriate, interrupt her by making a loud racket: clap your hands or make an “Ah-ah-aaaah!” noise. Then, immediately hand her a tasty and dog-appropriate alternative (a rawhide bone or other chew toy); as soon as her jaws close around it, praise her lavishly. There is no better way to get your dog to understand that chewing “her” toys equals praise from you, but everything else equals fuss.

    – hold a generative attitude –

    Above all, remember to keep your expectations realistic. You’re not perfect, and neither is your dog: there’s likely to be at least one incident where a treasured item is damaged by her curiosity.

    Particularly in the early stages of your relationship, she’s still learning the ropes: it’ll take awhile before she’s completely reliable (and even then, if she’s left by herself for too long or feels neglected, she may choose your stuff over hers to take her time and jaws with.) Remember to give her time to learn the rules, and plenty of ‘you-time’ to help her learn faster – and don’t forget to take precautions and keep things out of reach until she’s got the hang of the chewing rules!

    For more information on dog training techniques and how to deal with problem dog behavior (like chewing), check out Anxiety Separation Dogs. It’s the complete manual for dog ownership and is designed to fast-track your dog’s learning.
    You can visit the Anxiety Separation Dogs site by clicking on the link below:

  • Crate Training Your Dog The Easy Way

    Learn how to tap into your dog’s elementary den instincts, and make her more obedient—naturally.

    Like their ancestors, dogs are born, nurse, and later eat solid foods in a good enclosed area (called a den in the wild), and therefore tend to accept being confined to a crate when necessary. Teaching your dog that her crate is a safe site, and helping her make happy associations with it, can help you and your home survive behavior problems such as housebreaking and adolescent chewing.

    Having said that, a crate should only be used along with proper training, exercise, and socialization. With a few basic guidelines, you can use it as a valuable tool in a variety of situations.

    Crate Expectations

    Whatever the age of your dog, it’s important to present her to the crate gradually. Here’s how to make a good start.

    * Put the crate in an area of your home wherever you or others will be around. You may want to keep the crate in the kitchen during the day and your bedroom at night. To make your dog’s first experiences with the crate as pleasant as imaginable, put a soft blanket or towel (preferable one that smell like you) on the floor of the crate. Then throw a toy and some foods treats inside.

    * Do not use force to make your dog go into the crate. Instead, let her seek and find the goodies. When she enters the cage, praise her, and let   her come and go as she pleases. Play this game for several minutes. If your Boston Terrier takes to this game, close the door for a few seconds after she goes in. Increase the amount of time that the door is closed, but stay close to the crate while you offer praise and treats as this is one way of crate training Boston Terriers effectively.

    * Now that you’ve familiarized her with the crate concept, gradually get her used to being in the cage for longer period of time. Start feeding your dog her meals in the crate with the door closed. Leave the room while your dog is eating and then when she is just resting. When your dog shows no opposition, leave the house: First, go out for only 5 minutes, gradually increase your time away to 30 minutes. If your dog can stay in the crate for half an hour without getting agitated, she should be comfortable for hours.
             
    * Don’t overdo it. Try to use the crate for short times, both when you’re home and when you’re out. You shouldn’t confine your dog for more than 4 hours at a time and for no longer than a sum of 10 hours in any given day. Always give your Boston Terriers a special treat when you crate her. And remember, crated dogs need exercise and playtime too.