House Training Basics for Puppies

When you get your new puppy all you can think about is how cute and cuddly he is. He’s so much fun with his limitless energy, enthusiasm, and clumsiness. In fact, your puppy is nearly perfect except for one small thing… those puddles of pee and piles of poop he keeps leaving in the middle of the carpet!

One of the first things you will want to do with your new puppy is getting started on the house training. It can actually be an easy task if you know how to do it properly. Here are some things to remember in order to make house training less of a challenge for you and your puppy:

1. The first thing you must realize is that your puppy has a very small bladder. He cannot “hold it” for 8 hours or more while you are at work and expecting him to is just setting you both up for disappointment. If you cannot be home to take him outside every 2 to 3 hours, then you must provide him with access to a designated place to go inside.

2. House training your dog can take several weeks, or even months, and requires patience, persistence and consistency. Be prepared to provide all 3 for your puppy.

3. You can start training your puppy as early as 3 weeks old, but remember the younger your dog is the smaller the bladder, therefore the less time between potty breaks.

4. Never punish your dog when he has an accident in the house. Always reward your dog when he goes in the designated area. The reward must immediately follow the action or your dog will have no idea why he is being rewarded.

Like any other type of dog behavior training, house training involves following a certain series of steps to get your puppy to realize what is expected of him. Also like other types of dog training, you have to get your dog to perform the action so that you can reward him. Luckily this is easy with house training since your puppy will need to do his “business” many times a day; therefore you have a lot of opportunity to encourage the wanted behavior of going outside or in the designated area!

Here are some steps to take when house training your dog or puppy:

1. Observe your puppy and take note of his routine. He’ll probably need to go after eating and at certain times of the day. You’ll want to watch him very carefully at all times so you can “catch” him right before he goes. When you see him sniffing his favorite area, squatting or circling, it’s time to take action.

2. When you see your dog is about to do his business say, “outside” or some other word that you want the dog to associate with going potty outside. Say it in a firm and somewhat loud voice. You can use any word you want but it is important that you choose one word and use it every time and make sure it’s not a word you want to use for any other training commands.

3. This should interrupt your dog and you want to swoop in, pick him up and carry him outside.

4. Once you have him in the area that you want him to use as his bathroom say “potty” or some other command you want to use to get him to do his business. Again, be consistent with the word.

5. When he finishes his business, praise him and give him a treat to let him know that he did “good.”

It’s important to note that your dog will probably have accidents in the house and you should never punish him for these. If you do not catch him right before he goes then you’ll need to just clean up and wait until next time. If you stumble across an accident and punish the dog for it after the fact, he will have no idea why and you will not be helping your cause of house breaking. Contrary to what many people will tell you, rubbing his nose in it will not do anything.

Like every other dog training task, house training your puppy will require you to be consistent. Try to be around enough so that you can get him outside to do his business most of the time. Eventually he will get the idea and you will have a mess and odor free home from then on. Even after your dog is house trained he may still have accidents every once in a while. This is normal and should not be punished.

Remember that dog training is a never ending process and no dog will be perfect all the time!

Dog Training Basics You Should Know

Dog training is something that every dog owner should do and is definitely worth the time and effort it takes. However, before you start, there are some things you need to know in order to make training your dog easier and more pleasant for both you and your dog.

The very most important thing you must always remember is that you are the boss! By nature dogs are pack animals and adhere to a strict hierarchy with every pack having a “leader.” In order to train your dog properly and more easily, you need to establish yourself as the pack leader early on in your relationship.

Some dogs may be more aggressive than others, some more dominant, some easier going, but no matter what your dog’s personality, you must be firm in your commands. Don’t let your dog get the upper hand or he will start to think that he is the leader. Now, I don’t mean that you need to be physically abusive to your dog, far from it! You just need to show your leadership through your actions and body language.

Another thing to consider is that while your dog understands you at about the same level as a two year old, he is not a human. In fact, your dog has many differences from humans that cause him to interpret your commands and act much differently than a 2 year old child would. So, do not expect him to behave like your 2 year old during training.

When training your dog, you need to be consistent. Set aside about 30 to 45 minutes every day to work on training. You can start training your dog as young as you want but don’t be discouraged if you have an older dog because training can be done at any age.

You want to start training your dog with the basics. The “sit” command is a good place to start as getting your dog to sit is the basis for many other commands. Work on this one command every day until your dog has it mastered, then move on to the next command.

During training, you want to be firm. Always use the same word for each command and say the word clearly. Never punish your dog when he does not do what you want but, instead, use positive reinforcement when he DOES do what you want. Punishing or scolding will only confuse your dog, so have patience when he is not behaving the way you want. The best thing to do is ignore him and he will soon learn that he only gets the reward when he performs the desired action.

Try to work on dog training every day at first. As your dog learns more and more commands, you can slow down a bit, but training should always be a part of your relationship with your dog. It can be fun and rewarding for both of you to keep learning new behaviors and taking the training to the next level.

Dog training is something that requires consistency, persistence and patience but your efforts will be highly rewarded with a well behaved dog as well as a stronger bond with your best friend. Training your dog properly is good for his safety, health, and happiness as well as the safety of those around him. And dog training can also be a lot of fun for both you and your dog!

Learning How to Train a Guard Dog

Learning how to train a guard dog will require special knowledge and skills that most dog owners do not typically possess. If you are like most dog owners, you probably think of your dog as a companion and a friend, and you assume that your dog would defend you if you were in a situation that required it. However, this is not usually what happens because most dogs are simply not good guard dogs or attack dogs. There are countless stories of people being robbed, beaten, or even killed while their dogs were standing right next to them and the dog did nothing.

The fact of the matter is that most dogs wouldn’t do much more than bark at a stranger who attacked their owner or broke into their home, and many wouldn’t even do that. They might make enough noise or sound threatening enough to succeed in frightening the intruder off, but in most cases they will not attack or bite them.

It’s not because they don’t love you as their owner or they are bad dogs. It’s just that most dogs have not been trained to be a guard dogs and most dog breeds are not cut out for guard or attack work in the first place. As a pet, your dog has been taught to have a healthy respect for human beings and not bite them. So if you want your dog to be a good guard dog, he has to be trained that way from an early age. You have to learn how to train him as a guard dog and you must be prepared to treat him as a guard dog first and a pet second.

Before you even think of guard dog training, you need to consider whether or not your dog has the right temperament for being a guard dog. There are certain dog breeds that are highly suitable for guard work and it is evident in their behavior. I used to have a Rottweiler that was very well trained and great with people, but he would gladly spring to my defense if any stranger came close to me or anyone came at me in a threatening manner. He would also guard the yard and house as if it was what he was born to do. His guarding instinct was superb and he needed very little training to bring it out.

Dog breeds that are bred for guarding, herding, hunting and retrieving are typically called “working breeds” and without a job to do, these breeds can become bored and find things to do which can sometimes be mischievous. If you can learn how to train a guard dog, you can give your dog a job to do. This will keep him happy and out of trouble while keeping you safer and more at ease when he is around. If you have a dog that is suitable for guard work, training him to guard your home can be a big boost to his confidence and happiness. But if you want a truly professional guard dog, you will probably need to consult a professional to either train him or teach you how to train him.

Learning how to train a guard dog and actually doing it requires a lot of work, a great deal of patience, and lots of devotion. It is not so much about teaching the dog to attack or to bark as it is teaching him the difference between “friends” and “enemies” and how to act towards each of them.

Take for example the typical dog’s hatred of the postman or delivery men. What is it about these nice guys that make them enemies in your dog’s eyes? Well, just think what they do. They come up to your house, apparently trying to get in. They may leave something on the porch and go away, or they may knock and have you open the door, but one thing is sure, you don’t ever actually let them in. So they can’t be friends, right? Therefore they must be enemies. This is how a dog’s mind works.

Therefore, if you want a guard dog, you need to train him to know the difference between friends and intruders. This means that you have to introduce the dog to people. Let him see you shake their hands and invite them in. Let him get a good sniff of their scent so that he will recognize them. But don’t have them give him treats. Don’t let your dog start thinking that anybody who feeds him is a friend, or he will be easy for a real enemy to bribe with treats. The dog must only obey commands and accept food from you, his owner and trainer.

Another key factor in learning how to train a guard dog is consistency. You must work with your dog on his training each and every day. Dogs respond well to routines and schedules. Even after he has mastered it you still need to refresh his training periodically. This not only reinforces the training, but keeps their minds working too. In fact, most dogs that are trained as guard dogs attend a training school where they receive intensive professional training and the owners or trainers continue to work with them on training for the rest of the dog’s life.

These are just some tips and information to get you started and help you decide if you really want a guard dog. If you do, and you want to train it yourself without professional help, you will need to investigate the best training systems and techniques so you can learn how to train a guard dog and have a very good understanding of what it takes to do it.

Benefits of Owning a Well Trained Dog

Dog training is very important for many reasons that benefit both you and your dog. Owning a well trained and obedient dog is definitely a lot more fun for you. In addition to that, trained dogs are much happier dogs.

An obedient and well trained dog is far less likely to get into fights with other dogs and will tend to socialize better with dogs that they meet in public. They are also better with people so you can take them in public or have company over without any worries. And it is particularly important to have a well-trained dog if there are young kids in your household or in your neighborhood.

Similar to having well-behaved children, owning a well-trained dog makes for a happier and more stable household. The time that you spend training your puppy initially will have a lasting impact on you and your dog for the rest of its life.

Taking the time to properly train your dog will strengthen the bond between you and will ensure a long and happy friendship that benefits both you and your dog. When you consider the amount of time you spend with your dog the time and effort it takes to properly train him is more than worthwhile.

Here are a few basic dog training commands that are relatively simple to teach your dog and should be mastered…

* Sit: This is one of the most basic of all dog training commands and is one that you’ll want to teach your puppy from the beginning.

* Stay: This is important to ensure that no matter where you are you know that your dog will stay precisely where you want him to.

* Down: Teaching your dog to lay down on command is one of the main aspects of any successful dog training program.

* Heel: This is where you teach your dog to walk beside you at the same pace without pulling on the leash.

* No: Teaching the “No” word to your dog can save you a lot of trouble in the future. If your dog understands and responds to the word no you can keep them out of trouble much easier and save yourself a lot of hassles.

It’s best to train most commands when the dog is still young but not too young. A small puppy won’t be easy to train and neither will an old dog.

You should continue to train your dog beyond the basic commands listed above, but if nothing else these are the ones that should be mastered. There’s no doubt that it will improve the relationship you have with your dog and the enjoyment and happiness that you and your dog will have together.

Training will also let your dog know that you’re the boss and in doing so eliminate many behavior problems. Dogs that are untrained can often get depressed, unhappy and show symptoms of anxiety and confusion. By training your dog you are actually giving him a purpose in life, and he will get pleasure out of the fact that he is pleasing you.

Remember that dog training is an ongoing process that needs to be done periodically. Even after your dog has mastered a command you may need to give him a refresher course every once in a while.

Why Dogs Attack People

Dog attacks are not pretty and they are definitely no laughing matter. When dogs attack people it can lead to serious injury or even death. Fatal dog attacks are rare but they do occur and even a simple dog bite can be very painful and cause injury. It is estimated that 2% of the U.S. population are bitten by dogs each year. These dog attacks are often the result of the close proximity of dogs to people in every day life.

So, why do dogs attack people?

There are really only four main reasons why dogs attack humans:

1) Protecting their owners or property – Most dogs will instinctively protect their territory. This is usually done by simply barking, but some dogs will actually attack someone who invades their territory. Any dog, big or small, may attack to protect their territory. However this is most common with certain breeds that have been bred and used as guard dogs or attack dogs for many years.

2) They are not properly socialized – All dogs need to be socialized and learn how to act around humans. Dogs that have had very little or no human contact are much more likely to attack a person that gets close to them.

3) Trained to attack by bad owners – There are lots of crazy people out there who actually train their dogs to attack any and all people. This is different from a properly trained guard dog. These dogs have been raised to be mean and don’t differentiate from a friend or an intruder.

4) Protecting themselves – Dogs can and will protect themselves if they deem it necessary.

People who are uneducated about dogs often blame dog attacks on certain breeds of dogs but the truth is that most dog attacks are due primarily to the actions or inactions of the dogs’ owners. Or they are because the dog was protecting its home, family, or itself.

Dogs are not inherently mean or prone to attacking humans. Some dog breeds are better for protection and guard work but even those breeds aren’t going to attack humans for no reason. There is no such thing as a “mean” or “bad” breed of dog and no dog is born aggressive. Furthermore, no dog breed is more prone to attack people than any other breed.

Most of the time dog attacks are the result of human behaviors, especially by people who are unfamiliar with dogs (often children). Dogs usually don’t respond to these behaviors with aggression but sometimes they will, and certain dogs will do it more than other dogs of the same or different breed.

These human behaviors include:

* Challenging the dog for food – Removing food from a dog or getting between a dog and its food, even when it’s an accident, may trigger aggressive behavior in some dogs.

* Attacking a dog, its family or companions – Dogs will often instinctively defend themselves from an attack or perceived attack. They may also defend those they consider their pack, which can be their human family or dogs and other animals they live with.

They may also be triggered by behaviors that are perceived as an attack. Examples of this would be a sudden and unexpected approach or touch by a stranger, inadvertently stepping on the dog or part of its body, or startling a sleeping dog unexpectedly.

* Invading its territory – Many dogs will fiercely defend their territory, which usually includes their house or yard and other places belonging to their family or areas that the dog thinks of as being theirs. This is especially true for breeds that are typically used as guard dogs.

It should be noted that the territory a dog recognizes as its own may not be the actual property lines that its owner and the legal authorities recognize, such as the neighbor’s yard or a place that the dog visits often.

* Failure to recognize fear – Dogs that are afraid or fearful of something or someone may turn and defend themselves against perceived threat, just as humans do. People who don’t have much experience with dogs will usually not recognize the signs of fear so they approach and trigger an aggressive reaction.

* Getting between a dog fight – A human stepping in between two dogs that are in a fight may be badly bitten. It is not the intent of the dog to attack the person but in the heat of the moment it often happens.

* Showing threatening body language – Staring directly into a dog’s eyes or a person the dog doesn’t know getting very close to their face may be seen as a challenge or threat. Looking directly into a dog’s eyes is most dangerous when on the same visual level as the dog or when the human is a stranger to the dog.

* Prey behaviors – Dogs have many predatory instincts that are imbedded in them, including the chasing of prey. Running away from a dog or behaving in a way that shows weakness can cause a dog to chase you or get overly excited and attack.

* Intruders – A trained guard dog or attack dog will most likely attack or act aggressively towards an intruder without warning.

Remember that any dog can attack unexpectedly given a certain situation. There is no such thing as a certain breed of dog that will attack or not attack humans. Most dogs will never hurt anyone, but it can happen and knowing some reasons why dogs typically attack and warning signs of it can save you from being injured. Hopefully this post has answered your question as to why dogs attack people and will help prevent you or someone you know from being attacked by a dog out of ignorance or neglect.

One final thing I want to stress… Don’t believe all the crap you hear about Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds (or any other dog breed) being vicious or dangerous. It’s NOT true! There is no such thing as a vicious or dangerous breed of dog. It’s all a bunch of media hype and myths, and any dog expert can attest to that. Any dog, of any breed, at any time, in any place can attack a human for many reasons, and it has nothing to do with what type of breed they are. That is a fact.