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Posts Tagged ‘Housetraining’

So how do you get your dog to respect your yard? For many people, dog obedience digging is a big problem. Lots of people feel that you shouldn't own a dog unless your yard is fenced. While this opinion may be extreme, it's no argument that a backyard makes dog ownership simpler. Housetraining can begin outdoors from the start and space is readily accessible for exercise and exploration – even before leash manners are taught.

In fact, the backyard is so handy, some dog owners even use it in place of proper dog training, although this is not a very wise move. Many think, right, I've got company coming over, no problem, I'll put the dog out into the yard to prevent exuberant greetings and bring him back when all the visitors have settled in – or wait until they've all gone home. Maybe you are thinking of installing a pet door so you don't even need to get up to let the dog in or out. This may be convenient, but it is not a smart thing to do.

Your Backyard and Your Dog

Unfortunately, this relinquishment of supervision and control can lead to backyard mayhem and the creation of an independent thinker – a dog that has little desire to please you. You will definitely wind up with bad dog obedience digging problems.

Dogs are social creations, and so they choose to keep company with their human family and canine friends. When dogs are left alone in the backyard, it makes them lonely and bored. They entertain themselves by digging holes, tearing out plants and shrubbery, and escaping under or over the fence in search of companionship. Some bark their butts off in an attempt to call their clan together or exchange vocalizations with other yard-bound dogs.

While being socially isolated isn't the only reason that dogs will behave badly by digging, and barking, it is a contributing factor. Dogs who are supervised tend not to act up because owners will distract it and keep it behaving well. You can either play with your dog or have it follow some easy dog obedience training. When the dog does the right thing, its owner is able to immediately reward the good dog behavior with play, praise or a tasty treat; and as we know from psychologists, rewarded behavior increases in frequency.

An Isolated Dog Cannot Learn

Think of your backyard as the dog's home gym. It's a great place for exercise and stress reduction, but not meant to be the dog's exclusive home 24/7. A dog isolated in the backyard cannot learn house manners, protect the residents and contents of the home, or build respectful relationships with its people. A dog digging problem will arise when a dog is left alone.

If your teenage dog is too hyper to leave along all day, you should consider having someone walk your dog or take your pooch to a doggy daycare to prevent accidents and problems. Keep in mind that dogs who are bored tend to get themselves into trouble and display bad dog behavior. It's not that your dog is misbehaving on purpose, but they need attention and often, when you give it to them, you'll find that they don't have a dog obedience digging or barking problem after a while.

The key to house training your puppy to make the transition from going to the bathroom on paper indoors to holding it and waiting until it can go outside is a bit of common sense and outdoor manners. Going from the papers to the outside means you need to carry your puppy to the right area. Small puppies are easy to carry outside, but you may need a carrier of sorts for bigger dogs if you are not strong enough. Once you have finally carried your puppy outside without any incident and all you see before you are blocks and blocks of concrete, where should you go?

It is common sense that certain places like play grounds, flower beds, city trees, landscaping and other places people are should be off limits. Letting a male dog lift his leg on somebody’s garbage can or other things that might be touched by humans is not very nice. Just be prepared to spend some time outdoors with your puppy potty training. A fearful puppy won’t be relaxed enough to want to potty and the puppy can be so distracted by all the stimuli that it won’t want to go outside.

Can your pup focus enough amidst all the noise of traffic and people to ever learn to use the concrete? With training, yes. One technique for outdoor potty training sessions is known as ‘curbing’ and entails having your puppy do his business over a curb or into a gutter. Position your puppy’s rear end over the curb and let it eliminate. Praise the pup quietly and calmly while it’s going, and praise exuberantly immediately after the act. Just be aware that if you praise too much during the act, your puppy will get distracted and wriggly – not a good combination in mid-elimination.

When there is a mistake, don’t panic, just work on it next time and smile at people and pick up after your dog. You cannot drag the puppy away and reprimand him while he is still in the middle of going, rather just make certain he is in the correct location the next time. Make it become a habit and always praise your pup and eventually you will have success with your dog potty training. Life will be easier if you teach your pup to potty on cue. When the time comes for the dog to begin his business, gently repeat the cue words and praise the puppy and when he finishes, praise him again.

Other City Potty Training Options

There are plenty of alternative potty areas for pet owners who live in urban settings that they may not even have considered like utilizing a fenced or walled off rooftop which may be more convenient than getting down to the street. Be certain the place is properly secured with a sturdy fence that the dog cannot squeeze through. If it’s walled, keep your dog on a leash to ensure the pup doesn’t decide to explore the drop on the other side. A terrace is another good alternative, especially for bigger dogs. Additionally, some buildings have a basement area or storage room that can double as a potty area, just choose a concrete or tiled area that’s easy to clean and hose off.

A few people have installed graveled pits or grass strips, fake and real, on their patios for dogs to use, however, these tend to get dirty quickly. You have to be very consistent with replacing the grass and cleanup when it is necessary to keep it clean enough so your dog will continue using them. Remember that a foul odor from the potty area can create problems for you and your neighbors, especially during the summer, so keep all areas clean and tidy. Dog house training, inside or out needs a little bit of time and patience, but it is well worth the effort.

There are some isolated older dog housetraining cases, where the cause of a breakdown in toilet habits is a psychological motivation, but results in a problem becoming medically motivated. One example might be the case where the dog seems to forget his housebreaking rules and urinates due to spite and jealously.

Your dog housetraining at this point appears to have been forgotten. Your dog 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.

Your Dog Is Attention Seeking

The dog is getting attention, which is what it wanted in the first place and as long as it is getting this extra attention, whether it is shaming or admonishment, it will continue whatever action prompts the attention. Competition may lead to a regression of housebreaking behavior without it resulting in a psychosomatic urinary tract infection. The dog owner should understand that competition alone could cause of the problem and as such when there is competition, the dog wets.

The competition may be all in his head or reality and a complete exam to find out if any current changes in the family or household may be necessary. Something may be giving the dog a feeling that its position, or your affection for it is in jeopardy. Whether or not it is true or imagined, to the dog it is real. If the problem is the result of competitiveness, you can increase quality time with your dog, possibly even being overly affectionate, and this may work in reversing the motive that results in bad deeds. Spend time with your dog and do a little dog house training.

Bad Dog Behavior

Then there is the sort of dog who indulges in the type of wetting where he lifts his leg against everything, bedding, curtains and furniture and finds it necessary to try and own or control its environment by wetting on it. This particular dog can be described as selfish and narcissistic and will wet anything around as a way to stake a claim on territory. This is a dog that needs a master in all the purest and literal sense of the word.

That particular kind of dog knows it is the boss or leader of the pack, even if he is reluctant to be one. This kind of dog may be insecure and requires confident and strong leadership. These actions usually materialize as a result of easy going dog owners who spoil and baby their dog, where the ratio of love and discipline are tipped only in the direction of love.

Your old friend may just need a little love and kindness and this makes for great dog housetraining.

Having the right dog crate when you start training a new puppy is essential for various reasons. When you take your puppy home, it will be unable to cope with the whole area of your house and it will be calm and happy in the perfect sized dog crate. Dog crates are also a fantastic way to housebreak a puppy. A puppy is easily trained to use the papers in a dog crate and is an invaluable dog training tool.

If you housetrain a puppy with a dog crate it is a perfect solution for puppies that become overexcited. All you have to do is put your puppy inside the crate in order to help it relax. If your dog has to be left in the house unattended for a few hours, then having a crate is a stress-free way for you to be gone from the house and not worry about your puppy getting into trouble around the home, or soiling the carpet.

The crate contains your puppy’s food bowl and it will eat and not be distracted. Your puppy will focus on its food and eat until it has had enough and then you can take it away.

Dog Crate Tips

1. Make sure that you get the appropriate size crate based on your dog’s height and width. Housebreaking your puppy depends on you having the correct sized crate. To train your puppy to use its papers, the crate should not be too big, as if it is, your pup will sleep one side and use the bathroom on the other which will defeat its purpose.

2. If your puppy is going to be a big dog, purchase a crate with a divider, so that you can keep the area small while it is a pup. Your puppy will be able to turn around in this divided area and lie down comfortably. As your puppy grows, you can remove the divider.

3. One last aspect of using a dog crate is the type of bedding that you place on the floor. Some dog owners have noticed that their puppies still use the bathroom inside, even though the crate is the appropriate size for potty training. Often it can be that the puppy will urinate on their bedding if it is a little too thick.

Older dog crate training is not a problem either. There is so much information available for training older dogs and again using a crate is an invaluable dog training tool. Any problems crate training can be rectified when you follow instructions on the house training or potty training of your dog.