Which is The Best Dog Training?

Photo: My 2 Little Angel Dogs

I like Clicker Training the best of all the methods. Click on the button for more Information on this easy effective way to train your dogs!

10 Points To Consider When Buying A Pet

When you and your family are making the decision to purchase a pet, a great thing to do is to go through a checklist in order to make sure that it is the right decision for everyone involved. It is a major life event when bringing a pet into a home and the decision should not be taken lightly.
One reason dogs and cats end up in the pound so often is that buying a pet was a spur of the moment decision and no one really thought about what the animal might need over a lifetime. Having family pets can be a wonderful experience; but it does take time and commitment.
Here are some things to consider:

1 ~ Regulations~ Some families who rent are not able to have animals in their homes, while some town homes and condominium associations have stipulations on what size of animal is allowed on the premises. So you should check out all the necessary rules before purchasing your new family member.

2 ~ Room~ Is there space for a pet in your home? Larger animals need space for exercise each day . If you live in an apartment complex, you might be better off to have a smaller pet. You want them to be happy too, right?

3 ~ Previous Pet Experience~ Do you have any experience with owning a pet? If not, are you willing to do the necessary research in order to know how to take care of your pet properly?

4 ~ Other pets ~ Do you have other pets that need to adapt to a new member? If so, this can be a very touchy situation when bringing in other animals into a "1 pet home."

5 ~ Lifestyle~ Does a pet fit your lifestyle? For many busy families a pet will not fit into their schedule. You will need to be sure that there is time for a new companion in your home that may need walking each day, or just a few minutes of simple contact in order to thrive in your home. And if you are a cleanaholic, you might not like having animals. They do come with fur and most of them shed. The horror. I'm joking, but some dogs really do shed a lot. Which leads to ...

6 ~ Allergies~ Do you have anyone in your close circle with pet allergies? This can have a direct result on the type of pet you decide on if you get one at all. Some may find that it is not feasible since their mother visits each year for 2 weeks in the summer and is highly allergic to animals.

7 ~ Activities~ What type of activities do you enjoy doing as a family? Are these activities the type that you will be taking your pet with you? A pet is a member of your family and should not be left at home if you are enjoying time outside where they could be as well.

8 ~ Cost~ How much are you able to spend on a pet? Are you financially able to maintain that pet if such things as vet bills become high? Determining your budget will show if you can really afford the maintenance such as yearly exams, periodic vet bills in the event of illness, etc.
It's not really fair to take in a pet if you can't take care of it properly.

9 ~ Veterinarians~ Do you have a vet close by that you can consult in times of need? If you do not have a licensed animal care provider it may discourage you from choosing an animal that needs regular care.

10 ~ Where are You Going to Get Your Pet?~ Will you be choosing a local breeder for your pet or perhaps looking at a shelter? After all the investigations and the horrifying abuse uncovered, I cannot advocate buying in pet stores. But many wonderful pets are left in shelters, and they will most likely die waiting for a home. I have had wonderful pets from animal shelters.

And the most important thing that should be understood at the beginning is who has responsibility for this pet? Is the responsibility of this new pet yours alone or will it be a shared family task? Be sure to set ground rules with everyone in the family so that it is a decision everyone is happy with. Too often it's the mother who gets left with taking care of a pet after the initial fascination wears off.

If you are still considering a family pet after going through this checklist, then you are probably a good candidate for pet ownership that will be rewarding. One last thing: if you have teenagers and they are part of the decision process, get it in writing. Just a little hint from a Mom who lived through 3 teens at once!

Photo is my Bichon Frise, Queenie at 18 months

There are many different approaches to dog training and many different ways of implementing each of those approaches. Most techniques utilized today however, are premised upon the idea that positive reinforcement is likely to create the best results. Virtually every truly functional dog training system is an outgrowth of positive reinforcement thinking.

Regardless of which specific program a dog owner may choose to adopt, there are common pitfalls that can be avoided. Dog owners are particularly susceptible to making three critical errors, which if avoided will make the training process far more enjoyable and effective. Three of the most common mistakes are inconsistency, impatience and treating the dog as a subject instead of a training partner.

~1~Inconsistency

With respect to dog training, inconsistency is the quickest way to reduce the experience's effectiveness.

Dogs thrive on predictability. In fact, their ability to grasp cause and effect is at the very root of training. Operant conditioning is predicated on the fact that dogs will begin to associate events with consistent outcomes. This notion of consistency's importance must be extended to the overall process of dog training.

A dog is likely to best respond to a system in which regular actions produce regular results. Too often, dog owners are not entirely consistent. In the dog's mind, these lapses in regularity convey a sense of randomness to the process and make it difficult for the pet to associate his specific behaviors with specific results-the key to training. Dogs will excel when they are taught that things happen for specific reasons. When surprises occur it undermines the whole training process.

A successful trainer will retain consistency and will not deviate from an established course.

~2~Impatience

There can be a great deal of frustration in dog training. Concepts we believe dogs should be able to grasp easily often escape them completely for quite some time. Remember, they are a different species, not human!

We live in a world that is so often focused on immediate results. We learn to expect that our actions will be met by prompt, anticipated responses. Dog training runs counter to this societal trend toward speedy, immediate gratification. Training is an extended process that can require a great deal of patience from the trainer.

Impatience can make your training take even longer! A successful trainer will master developing a patient outlook throughout the extended process of dog training.

~3~Treating The Dog As A Subject Instead Of A Partner

Dog training requires two participants: the dog and the owner. Frequently, however, owners tend to perceive the process as being uniquely about them. They fret over their techniques, equipment and strategies without giving real consideration to their training partner, the dog.

When an owner approaches the dog as a project, training becomes a chore, rather than a joint activity. What might have been a pleasurable chance for interaction becomes an un-enjoyable task. Dogs are sufficiently intuitive to be attuned to a trainer's attitude and are less receptive to learning when they are treated merely as a subject instead of as a complete being. Owners who fail to see their pet's identity during training are unable to pick up on subtle clues and possible means to improve their techniques. Their training will take much longer if it ever works.

By avoiding these three common pitfalls, a dog owner is more likely to be able to implement a training strategy that produces results. Additionally, the training experience is likely to be enjoyable for both the dog and owner, giving them a tremendous opportunity to build their relationship. So to turn it around a bit, whichever method you choose, remember to choose consistency, patience, and partnership and your dog training will be easy and effective!

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Photo: My 3 Pets in the Back Yard

One of the major challenges of dog ownership (particularly for first-time owners) is the issue of house training. If you equip yourself with some rudimentary knowledge and a positive attitude, though, it's a lot easier than most people make it out to be. Here are some tips to make it easier.

The New Arrival

As soon as you bring the puppy home, take her outside. The excitement of the car journey coupled with the unfamiliar faces, sights, and sounds will have her needing to go anyway - and if you can orchestrate her first toilet break so that it occurs outside, instead of inside, then so much the better. And not just from the perspective of short-term hygiene, either - the more your puppy relieves herself inside, the more likely she is to do it again.

The homecoming is a great opportunity for you to set a precedent for toilet behavior!

~ Take her to your designated toilet area, and put her down on the grass.

~ Wait while she sniffs around - refrain from petting her or playing with her just yet, because you don't want her to forge an association between this area and games. She has to learn that this part of the yard is for toilet breaks only.

~ When she begins to relieve herself, say the phrase you want her to associate with toilet breaks: "Go pee" or "potty time" or whatever works for you. It's best if that phrase is short and easily recognizable - and use the same voice inflection each time, too (so that your dog can easily memorize the meaning of the phrase.)

~ When she's done, make a big fuss over her: shower her in praise and affection, and give her a little treat.

When you take her inside the house, the house training regime you've decided upon should start immediately.

As far as house training goes, crate training is generally accepted to be the most effective and efficient means of house training a puppy in a short space of time.

What is crate training?

Crate-training is essentially the use of a small indoor kennel (the crate) to confine your young puppy when you're not actively supervising her.

How does it work?

Crate training is based on all dogs' inherent dislike of soiling the area where they sleep. Because you're restricting your puppy's movement to her sleeping space, she'll instinctively "hold it in" until she's let out of the crate (provided you don't leave her in there too long, of course!)

This is why it's important that the crate is sized properly: if it's too big, she'll be able to use one end as a bed and one end as a toilet, which defeats the whole purpose!

How do I choose a crate?

As a general guideline, it's more cost-effective for you to choose a crate that's big enough for her to grow into. It should be big enough for the adult dog to stand up comfortably without crouching, turn around in, and stretch out - but no bigger (so that she doesn't choose one part as her bed, and one part as her toilet!)

Because the adult dog is likely to be considerably larger than the puppy, it'll most likely be necessary for you to use a barrier to reduce the internal size of the crate. A wire grille or board will do just fine. Some crates come with extra partitions so the crate can "grow."

Alternatively, you can use a cheap crate (or even make one yourself) and replace it with a larger model as your puppy grows.

Using the crate for house training

Crate training works like this: your puppy is in that crate at all times unless she's sleeping, eating, outside with you going to the toilet, or being played with (active supervision.)

You'll need to be consistent, or else it won't work: you can't let your puppy wander off through the house unless you're focusing your complete attention on her.

If you allow her access to the house before she's thoroughly house trained, you're basically encouraging her to relieve herself inside - and remember, each time she does this, it'll be easier for her to do it again (and again and again).

Sample schedule of a morning's crate training

7am: Wake up. Puppy comes outside with you for a toilet break.
7.25: Breakfast time.
7.45: Back outside for another toilet break (accompanied by you, of course.)
7.50 - 8.45: Play-time! Puppy is out of the crate being actively played with, cuddled, etc.
8.45: Outside for another toilet break.
8.50 - 11: Puppy goes back in the crate for a nap
11 am: Puppy comes outside with you for a toilet break.
11.05 - 12.30: Playtime! Puppy is out of the crate being played with and petted.
12:30: Lunch time.
12.45: Puppy comes outside with you for a toilet break.
1 - 3.30: Puppy goes back in the crate for a nap.
and so on throughout the day.

Crate training generally takes one to two months (depending on the breed of your dog and how much time you spend on the training process.) As the puppy grows older, you can begin to reduce the amount of time spent in the crate - but beware of doing this too soon!

Other crate training rules

~ Your puppy probably won't be too happy to go in the crate the first couple of times she uses it. She wants to be outside, being showered with affection and attention, and hanging out with you (of course!) But it really is for her own good - in a surprisingly short time, she'll come to accept the crate as her own personal haven where she can go to relax and get a couple hours' uninterrupted sleep. It's important to persevere: do not respond to any whining or crying.

~ The best place for the crate to be is the hub of the household: usually the den or the kitchen, anywhere where people tend to congregate. Just because she's in the crate doesn't mean she can't still feel like part of the household; it's important for her not to feel isolated or excluded.

~ The crate should be a welcoming, inviting place for her to go. Lay a couple of thick blankets or towels on the floor, and place a few toys and a chew or two inside it as well. The door should be invitingly open at all times (unless she's in there, of course, in which case it should be securely shut.)

Some toilet facts about puppies that will come in handy

~ Puppies' bladders and bowels are so small and weak that they have only a very small window of opportunity between knowing that they need to go, and having that need become an immediate reality. Because of this, it's imperative that you take her outside as soon as she wakes up (she'll let you know she needs to go out by pawing the door and whining), and within ten minutes of eating or playing.

~ Behaviors that indicate she needs to go outside include sniffing the ground and circling. Again, because she's only little, she won't exhibit these warning signs for very long ~ so as soon as she starts, take her out straight away. Better an unnecessary trip to the yard than an unnecessary wet patch (or pile) on the carpet!

~ The maximum amount of time that a puppy can be crated at one time is figured out using the following equation: her age in months, plus one. So, a three-month old puppy can be crated for a maximum of four hours. However, this is likely to be physically pretty uncomfortable for her (not to mention hard on her emotionally and psychologically: it's tough being cramped up with nothing to do), so you should really take her out at least once every two hours during the day. If she's sleeping, of course, just let her sleep until she wakes up naturally.

For a more indepth look at house training, as well as a great deal of useful information on canine behavioral problems and the most effective training techniques, check out The Ultimate House Training Guide. It's the complete dog-house-training guide..

You can visit the The Ultimate House Training Guide site by clicking on this link:

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