Dog Training

As a dog owner you are responsible to potty train your dog. If you potty train your dog, it will save you the messy job of cleaning up your dog’s poop and pee. It is best to potty train your dogs when they are still young or puppies. Young puppy needs to poop or pee 15-20 minutes after eating or drinking. If you don’t potty train your dog, your life will be miserable cleaning up your dog’s mess around your house.

• The first step to potty train your dog is to take him to the same spot every time he needs to poop or pee. This will train him to recognize the spot or place by smell where he needs to go back to pee or poop.
• Take him outside on scheduled time daily. In the morning when he wakes up, after his meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks), after his naps and before bedtime.
• You need to observe your dog’s behavior before he pee or poop to know the signs when you need to take him outside. Dogs usually sniff the floor and squat before they eliminates. Watch your dog carefully for signs to know if you need to take him outside.
• It’s better for your dog to learn to go outside on his own. Your dog needs to recognize a definite word or phrase each time he needs to pee or poop. You can say “go outside and poop”, by repeating the words your dog will recognize this as a command each time he needs to poop or pee.You need patience to potty train your dog. If he pee or poop inside the house or in your carpet, don’t yell. Just ignore him and clean up.
• Praise your dog when he followed your instructions and training.

You need a lot of patience and time to potty train your dog but bear in mind that if you succeed, your life will be easier. You will raise a well behaved dog that you can be proud of and enjoy.

There are cases that dog owners are unsuccessful in training their own dog due to dog’s behavior problems and aggressiveness. On this case you need help from the experts for your dog’s obedience training.

Did you know that there are dog owners who solved their dog’s behavior problems immediately? Earn your dog’s respect and obedience visit  Dogs’ Corner

To know more pets and dogs visit Dog’s Obedience Training

Gerry Restrivera
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-potty-train-your-dog-746183.html

how long does it take to potty train a puppy dog?! a few months? how do you DO it?!? im new to the whole dog thing and need help! thanks. I might be getting one for my bday in august so help please!!! thanks! 10 points for best answer =)

http://www.tiaspetplace.com/housetraining.html

How long it will take you to house train your dog depends on your dedication to the training process and your puppy’s maturity and learning rate.

Things you will need to housetrain your puppy are a properly fitted crate, a collar and leash, some treats, and time and patience.

You also need to pick a spot for your puppy to go potty. Using the same spot each time will help the puppy recognize that this is where he should go, and the smell from going there other times will help him go potty faster when you take him out.

I don’t recommend using doggie litter boxes or those puppy pads. If you want your dog to always go potty in the house fine, then use this article to teach them to go there. But don’t complain to me when your dog starts going other places in the house. Dogs often times cannot tell the difference between a puppy pad and your expensive rug. All they know is its ok to go potty in the house so any area with a roof is fair game for elimination. Also trying to paper train a dog and then trying to switch the dog to going outside is counterproductive and confusing for the dog. Doing this will only slow the training down. So forget the puppy pads and start teaching your dog to go outside from day one. If you have already been using them throw them out and start all over from the beginning, but keep mind the process may take a little longer the second time around since once your dog has bad habits they are hard to break. Its much easier to prevent them than to correct them later.

When looking for a crate you want one that is big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lay down. You don’t want it so big that he can lay in one end and use the other end as a bathroom. If he can do this trust me he will. There are all kinds of different styles of crates: the two most common are wire and plastic. But they come in mesh, wicker, all sorts of different materials now. I would recommend choosing either a wire or plastic one, especially for puppies that like to chew.
Next you will need to introduce your puppy to its crate. Just sticking the puppy in there without a positive introduction can be very stressful for the pup. I like to bring a new puppy home on a day off, and try to pick it up as soon as possible in the morning. This way I have all day to introduce the puppy to the crate so that by bedtime the puppy will feel pretty comfortable with its crate and shouldn’t fuss to much.

Start by showing the puppy the crate and let him explore it. Next show your puppy a treat and then toss it inside. When your puppy goes in to get the treat praise him excitedly. Repeat this a few times and then end this session. If your pup won’t go all the way in the crate to get the treat try throwing it closer to the door, or even outside the door and then gradually toss it farther back, until the pup goes all the way in.

After an hour or two have another session with crate. If your pup went all the way in the last time start there, if not start at the point you left off. After a couple times of going in the crate and coming right back out you can shut the door. But let the pup out after a second or two. Repeat this gradually increasing the amount of time the pup is in the crate. If you do this several times the first day by the time your ready for bed your pup should be pretty comfortable with the crate. I also like to repeat this process for a day or two after the pup comes home.

Also remember that whenever your dog is crated you need to remove any type of collar, even a buckle collar can catch on a crate and strangle a dog.
Now that you have your crate set up and your pup introduced to it you need to put your puppy on a feeding schedule. Puppies 8 wks to 6 months should be given three meals a day. After six months this can be cut down to 2 meals. Free-feeding (having food available all the time) is not recommended. It can lead to obesity and makes it harder to housetrain your puppy. Another disadvantage to this feeding method is that it will be harder for you tell if your dog is off food which can be a sign of illness. Feeding on a schedule allows you to predict when your puppy will need to go out. If you know when it went in you can predict when it will come out. You will want to divide your dog’s full daily amount into three smaller meals. Give him the food and after twenty minutes take away the bowl whether there is food in it or not. Dogs will generally consume all they want in twenty minutes. Take your puppy to his potty spot about 15-20 minutes after he has finished eating. Repeat the go potty command while you are waiting for him to go. When he starts to go tell him good boy go potty, and when he has finished give him a treat and make a big fuss over him.
In addition to having to go out after meals your puppy will also need to go potty after he wakes up from a nap, after playing, and first thing in the morning and before bed. Signs that your puppy needs to go out: are restlessness and circling an area while sniffing. If your puppy does these things it’s a safe bet to take him out. Remember though that individual dogs have their own signs of needing to go to the bathroom and you will soon pick up on these signals as well.

When you are out for potty breaks you should stand still, if he wants to play ignore him. You want him to know that it is time to go to the bathroom not time to play. If you allow him to play before he goes to the bathroom he may start to hold out on you to extend his playtime. Once he has gone to the bathroom however you can play all you want. Stay outside with your dog for about 10 minutes to wait for him to go, if he doesn’t go in ten minutes just pick him up and carry him back inside matter-of-factly. No treats or playtime on the way in. When you get back into the house he will either need to be crated or watched like a hawk. Try again in ten minutes. Repeat until he goes.

Another mistake a lot of people make when they bring their new puppy home is to allow him free run of the place. This will only hurt your training and will also cause your dog to get into a lot of trouble. Young puppies need to be watched. When your puppy can’t be watched he should be in his crate. This way he can’t make a mistake or get into trouble.
Accidents:

The only time you can punish your puppy for having an accident in the house is if you catch him in the act. Even then it’s less of a punishment and more of a redirection. If you see your puppy going to the bathroom in the house, startle him with a sharp NO and take him outside to finish the job. When he finishes outside, give him a treat and lots of praise. Back inside the house clean up the mess and use an enzymatic cleaner (such as OUT or Nature’s Miracle) to remove all traces of the mess so he won’t be tempted to use the same spot. Most carpet cleaners will leave traces of the mess that you can’t see or smell, but your pet can.

If you find a mess after the fact, well to bad that one is your fault, you should have been watching the puppy. Simply clean it up and try to watch more carefully. If you try to scold your pup after the fact he will have no idea what you are mad about and will be confused and may even become scared of you. NEVER, NEVER rub your dogs nose in urine or feces. It is not only disgusting but it also has no training value what so ever. Hitting your dog with anything including a rolled up newspaper is also unacceptable.

Young puppies may need to use the bathroom during the night, so I advise putting the crate in your bedroom. This way if the puppy sounds restless you can take him to the bathroom. This will also make your puppy feel more secure because he is close to you. If you do need to take your puppy out in the middle of the night make sure you allow him to go to the bathroom only. No playtime for these outings. Still give him a treat and praise, but do so in a quieter manner than you would during the day. This way you won’t get him all riled up the middle of night. Remember if you let him get away with playing in the middle of the night he will begin to expect it, and you don’t want that. How long night time outings will last depends on the age of your puppy, and how fast his bladder matures.

It also helps to have his last meal of the day at least two hours before bed and take away his water an hour before bed. You don’t want to put it in the crate with him, it would be unfair to the puppy to expect him to have a supply of water and then not have to go to the bathroom all night long. The only thing that should be in your dog’s crate are a chew toy and maybe a doggie blanket. Although some pups will urinate on absorbant materials that are in their crate, if yours does remove it. Also if you see that your puppy is chewing on his blanket it should be removed. If the puppy ingests part of the blanket it could cause an intestinal blockage. If that happens emergency surgery is needed to remove the blanket from the intestines.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but that is what puppies are. They are also a lot of fun and that should make up for the work part of having a puppy. And just keep in mind that one day soon you will have a beautiful dog who is housetrained and is a joy to have around.

http://www.tiaspetplace.com/housetrainin…

how long does it take to potty train a puppy dog?! a few months? how do you DO it?!? im new to the whole dog thing and need help! thanks. I might be getting one for my bday in august so help please!!! thanks! 10 points for best answer =)

http://www.tiaspetplace.com/housetraining.html

How long it will take you to house train your dog depends on your dedication to the training process and your puppy’s maturity and learning rate.

Things you will need to housetrain your puppy are a properly fitted crate, a collar and leash, some treats, and time and patience.

You also need to pick a spot for your puppy to go potty. Using the same spot each time will help the puppy recognize that this is where he should go, and the smell from going there other times will help him go potty faster when you take him out.

I don’t recommend using doggie litter boxes or those puppy pads. If you want your dog to always go potty in the house fine, then use this article to teach them to go there. But don’t complain to me when your dog starts going other places in the house. Dogs often times cannot tell the difference between a puppy pad and your expensive rug. All they know is its ok to go potty in the house so any area with a roof is fair game for elimination. Also trying to paper train a dog and then trying to switch the dog to going outside is counterproductive and confusing for the dog. Doing this will only slow the training down. So forget the puppy pads and start teaching your dog to go outside from day one. If you have already been using them throw them out and start all over from the beginning, but keep mind the process may take a little longer the second time around since once your dog has bad habits they are hard to break. Its much easier to prevent them than to correct them later.

When looking for a crate you want one that is big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lay down. You don’t want it so big that he can lay in one end and use the other end as a bathroom. If he can do this trust me he will. There are all kinds of different styles of crates: the two most common are wire and plastic. But they come in mesh, wicker, all sorts of different materials now. I would recommend choosing either a wire or plastic one, especially for puppies that like to chew.
Next you will need to introduce your puppy to its crate. Just sticking the puppy in there without a positive introduction can be very stressful for the pup. I like to bring a new puppy home on a day off, and try to pick it up as soon as possible in the morning. This way I have all day to introduce the puppy to the crate so that by bedtime the puppy will feel pretty comfortable with its crate and shouldn’t fuss to much.

Start by showing the puppy the crate and let him explore it. Next show your puppy a treat and then toss it inside. When your puppy goes in to get the treat praise him excitedly. Repeat this a few times and then end this session. If your pup won’t go all the way in the crate to get the treat try throwing it closer to the door, or even outside the door and then gradually toss it farther back, until the pup goes all the way in.

After an hour or two have another session with crate. If your pup went all the way in the last time start there, if not start at the point you left off. After a couple times of going in the crate and coming right back out you can shut the door. But let the pup out after a second or two. Repeat this gradually increasing the amount of time the pup is in the crate. If you do this several times the first day by the time your ready for bed your pup should be pretty comfortable with the crate. I also like to repeat this process for a day or two after the pup comes home.

Also remember that whenever your dog is crated you need to remove any type of collar, even a buckle collar can catch on a crate and strangle a dog.
Now that you have your crate set up and your pup introduced to it you need to put your puppy on a feeding schedule. Puppies 8 wks to 6 months should be given three meals a day. After six months this can be cut down to 2 meals. Free-feeding (having food available all the time) is not recommended. It can lead to obesity and makes it harder to housetrain your puppy. Another disadvantage to this feeding method is that it will be harder for you tell if your dog is off food which can be a sign of illness. Feeding on a schedule allows you to predict when your puppy will need to go out. If you know when it went in you can predict when it will come out. You will want to divide your dog’s full daily amount into three smaller meals. Give him the food and after twenty minutes take away the bowl whether there is food in it or not. Dogs will generally consume all they want in twenty minutes. Take your puppy to his potty spot about 15-20 minutes after he has finished eating. Repeat the go potty command while you are waiting for him to go. When he starts to go tell him good boy go potty, and when he has finished give him a treat and make a big fuss over him.
In addition to having to go out after meals your puppy will also need to go potty after he wakes up from a nap, after playing, and first thing in the morning and before bed. Signs that your puppy needs to go out: are restlessness and circling an area while sniffing. If your puppy does these things it’s a safe bet to take him out. Remember though that individual dogs have their own signs of needing to go to the bathroom and you will soon pick up on these signals as well.

When you are out for potty breaks you should stand still, if he wants to play ignore him. You want him to know that it is time to go to the bathroom not time to play. If you allow him to play before he goes to the bathroom he may start to hold out on you to extend his playtime. Once he has gone to the bathroom however you can play all you want. Stay outside with your dog for about 10 minutes to wait for him to go, if he doesn’t go in ten minutes just pick him up and carry him back inside matter-of-factly. No treats or playtime on the way in. When you get back into the house he will either need to be crated or watched like a hawk. Try again in ten minutes. Repeat until he goes.

Another mistake a lot of people make when they bring their new puppy home is to allow him free run of the place. This will only hurt your training and will also cause your dog to get into a lot of trouble. Young puppies need to be watched. When your puppy can’t be watched he should be in his crate. This way he can’t make a mistake or get into trouble.
Accidents:

The only time you can punish your puppy for having an accident in the house is if you catch him in the act. Even then it’s less of a punishment and more of a redirection. If you see your puppy going to the bathroom in the house, startle him with a sharp NO and take him outside to finish the job. When he finishes outside, give him a treat and lots of praise. Back inside the house clean up the mess and use an enzymatic cleaner (such as OUT or Nature’s Miracle) to remove all traces of the mess so he won’t be tempted to use the same spot. Most carpet cleaners will leave traces of the mess that you can’t see or smell, but your pet can.

If you find a mess after the fact, well to bad that one is your fault, you should have been watching the puppy. Simply clean it up and try to watch more carefully. If you try to scold your pup after the fact he will have no idea what you are mad about and will be confused and may even become scared of you. NEVER, NEVER rub your dogs nose in urine or feces. It is not only disgusting but it also has no training value what so ever. Hitting your dog with anything including a rolled up newspaper is also unacceptable.

Young puppies may need to use the bathroom during the night, so I advise putting the crate in your bedroom. This way if the puppy sounds restless you can take him to the bathroom. This will also make your puppy feel more secure because he is close to you. If you do need to take your puppy out in the middle of the night make sure you allow him to go to the bathroom only. No playtime for these outings. Still give him a treat and praise, but do so in a quieter manner than you would during the day. This way you won’t get him all riled up the middle of night. Remember if you let him get away with playing in the middle of the night he will begin to expect it, and you don’t want that. How long night time outings will last depends on the age of your puppy, and how fast his bladder matures.

It also helps to have his last meal of the day at least two hours before bed and take away his water an hour before bed. You don’t want to put it in the crate with him, it would be unfair to the puppy to expect him to have a supply of water and then not have to go to the bathroom all night long. The only thing that should be in your dog’s crate are a chew toy and maybe a doggie blanket. Although some pups will urinate on absorbant materials that are in their crate, if yours does remove it. Also if you see that your puppy is chewing on his blanket it should be removed. If the puppy ingests part of the blanket it could cause an intestinal blockage. If that happens emergency surgery is needed to remove the blanket from the intestines.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but that is what puppies are. They are also a lot of fun and that should make up for the work part of having a puppy. And just keep in mind that one day soon you will have a beautiful dog who is housetrained and is a joy to have around.

http://www.tiaspetplace.com/housetrainin…

For most people foxes are madcap animals that are best left deserted in their birth habitants. However there are some people who have discovered the joys of charge a fox as a pet. It may surprise to some, but caring for a fox as an exotic pet may not be as testing as it seems.

Knowing Foxes can be like dogs. They oblige attention and a lot of socialization. They are fully bouncy, active, and strange. These intelligent creatures are also cunning, and flexible. They can clearly elude, and therefore it is important to see that they are sheltered where they possibly to forestall losing them.

Foxes have characteristic odors caused by oil and sweat glands. To stop them from smelling, it is important to keep them cool and well ventilated so that they won’t closet oils excessively. Occasional swim may also be advisable but too much bathing can instigate aridness that exacerbates the secretion of scent-causing oils.

Making a Home for the Fox Foxes can be very much treated like dogs; however they should be put in assured cages when they are not being watched since they can easily outflow. A dog coop is sufficient to guarantee them within, evade-proof pens may be used outside. When walking foxes, it is important to strap them strongly enough so they can’t drip.

Feeding the Fox Foxes are omnivorous animals, they can eat almost anything. Thus it is important for them to have a balanced diet. There are commercial dry foods unfilled on the sell, specifically made for foolish animals. These make great bases for their diet. Foxes may also be fed with premium cat or dog food. To make the fox’s diet different, fruits, vegetables, eggs, mice, mealworms, and crickets may be added.

Potty Training

The fox species can be skilled to use the litter box. It is advisable to use a roofed box because foxes dig in the violent when they ooze. Potty exercise is beautiful much like the same with dogs. Give rewards and praise for each time they use the litter box, but punishments should be avoided when they defecate away. When the fox is on the limit of defecating or urinating, it should merely be enthused to the litter box.

Caring for the Foxes’ Health

It is important to give the fox to the vet steadily. Their vigor precision is cute much like to dogs, and thus can be very simple to cope. Having a fox as an exotic pet can be rewarding. These little critters may confirm to be a great companion and perhaps a best comrade as well.

Judd Snell
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/training-an-exotic-animal-752258.html

My new Christmas puppy was a wonderful surprise, what I didn’t expect were the many unwanted surprises that followed.  I’ve had dogs all my life but always my mom and dad had done the heavy lifting of potty training the dog.  I remember it wasn’t always pleasant to be around as dad tried to make the dog bend to his will.  When he was at work mom usually worked things out with the dog so at the end of a couple of weeks dad could be proud of him self for potty training dog.

Living on my own I had this mixed view of what needed to be done with a new puppy and as I tried to apply it things weren’t going well.  Being an internet child I searched and found some online dog training videos that included a section on potty training dog.  It was great training that not only handled the situation at hand but had other, far reaching, benefits.

As you potty train your dog you will learn positive reinforcement and you will learn to be persistant, patient, and consistant.  Your dog will come to understand that the rules are always the same and she will appreciate that you let her know when she does something right.  if your dog is older you will probably have to reverse some old habits.  You need to become aware of what your dog does before relieveing herself.  You have to do your homework and watch for the patterns and signals.  When you see them let the take the dog out or to the place she should use.  When the dog goes in the new place praise and reward her.  It is that simple.  Of course puppy potty training is a little easier since there is no behavior to unlearn.

As this process was getting the dog potty trianed I found an unexpected benefit.  The positive reinforcement methods being used were becoming a part of my, a part of the way I acted in the world.  Train the trainer as they say, as the dog was trained so was I.  My relationships are working better, I find myself using positive reinforcement and patience with the people around me and they are responding.  Not only are they more cooperative but they tell me of the nice transformation that I am going through. They don’t realize that the dog trainging has become second nature to me and that I am using it with them but that is what is happening.  It’s true, dog potty training has changed me in a most unexpected but wonderful way.

Renee Pullman
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/unexpected-benefits-while-potty-training-dog-750211.html

I have 2 dogs, one is 13 years old and one is 1 1/2 years old. We are moving to a new house which is beautiful and I want them to go outside. Here they pretty much go inside and I keep cleaning it up! How can I train them to go outside when they are older dogs? Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Start from scratch — maybe enlist the help of a trainer at PetSmart

Has the cost of caring for your pet become too much? Exactly how much is too much to spend on a pet? The human society reported last year that there are over 73 million dogs in America, and 90 million cats. And this is only the ones that are known about and documented. A whopping 40 percent of all households have at least one dog, and 35 percent of all households have at least one cat.

Let’s assume for a moment that you bought your pet. For an average purebred dog, you might expect to pay anywhere from $400 – $1200 dollars. This is just for the puppy, and will only likely include your first puppy vaccination shots. Within a few months you will also be looking at the cost of additional veterinary visits, cost of chew toys, food, training, crates, supplies, and any repair costs for chewed furniture. A generally healthy dog will still incur on average $200 per year in veterinary bills and a cat’s average bill will be only slightly lower. But what if your dog or cat is not healthy?

The first step involves training your pets

The first things to keep in mind about your family pet is what things you can do to help lower the cost of maintenance. For starters, the first step would be to have your pets trained. You can either have your pets professionally trained, or you can choose to do this at home. There are many programs out there that will be quite effective for training all but the most aggressive canines. Unfortunately cats are not as trainable as dogs, but they still can be trained for some things like litter box usage. The better your pet is trained, the less likely they will incur potential damage to themselves or your belongings. The type and amount of training will also depend on the breed of dog you own.

Any dog owner who has had a puppy knows that they like to chew. This constant desire to chew things is often the greatest cause of property damage, next to digging, and frequently leads to a vet trip for some items that are accidentally swallowed whole. Some breeds, like golden retrievers are notorious for swallowing almost any item. Mine once swallowed an entire sock. Luckily though, this sock filled with grass was vomited up safely an hour later and did not require surgery to remove it. Make sure your puppy is trained to chew on specific items or toys. Once the puppy has learned that these items are good and others are bad, you can lessen the chance of emergency vet visits

Training your pets will also offer the benefit of pets that listen to their owners. Pets like to go for walks. Larger breed dogs such as Malamutes or German Shepherd can be quite strong and hard to control. There are wonderful training aids available to help curb your dogs of the desire to pull on his leash. One such item is often seen on a horse, and it is called a halter. First of all, when used properly, a halter will not harm your dog in any manner. I used one quite successfully with a large malamute, which is a breed of sledding dogs that are known for pulling.

The halter is designed to be placed over the dog’s muzzle and attached to a leash or collar. When the dog starts to tug on the leash, the halter will provide a slight backwards tug on the dog’s nose forcing the dog to turn his head. This gives the dog a moment of pause to let them know they should not be pulling ahead. Within a few days of using this item the malamute went from constantly strong pulling to gently walking beside the owner. The owner no longer worried about the dog running off and getting hurt.

The top issues that you will need to address for training purposes will include potty training, digging, biting, jumping, and coming when called. Training your pet will make your pet happier, and less likely to get into trouble in some manner. The pets will no longer poop in your home, they won’t jump on strangers, and you will be able to control them when you’re out in public.

Other issues besides training,

A well trained pet will considerably help to lower your overall cost of ownership. But there are also other steps that can be taken as well. One thing that we think about for ourselves is called preventative maintenance. A good number of animal owners do not think about brushing their pet’s teeth, regular pet baths, or general grooming. This is often thought of for the “show dog”, or the “high society” pet. But just like us, they can become infected with a myriad of disease or health issues due to being unclean. Regular bathing will also help control any potential problems with fleas, ticks and other parasites.

With a little time, patience, and practice you will be able to do a professional quality grooming in your own home. This does not need to be done by a vet or some expensive grooming shop. If you do not have the time to do this yourself, then make sure you shop around for a good groomer. Get recommendations from friends, family or your vet.

Pet foods are also a big concern when it comes to cost. Many people do not realize that most store bought brands of dog foods are not good for your pets. Think of this like eating fast food every day. Much of the common dog food consists of filler products. These can be ground up chicken, pork, or beef bones or other parts. Some pets may even develop allergies to commonly found ingredients in these major brand foods.

Pet foods with a high content of filler will not satisfy your dog’s daily meal or nutritional requirements. This will often lead to repeat feedings to satisfy your dogs hunger, and if your dog remains hungry it may resort to chewing other items again. Try to keep your pet on a consistent diet as well. Too many changes from one brand to another can cause problems with their stomach or digestive systems.

We often think buying a 50 pound bag is cheaper. Until years down the line and our pet is losing his fur or becomes unhealthy for no apparent reason. Make sure to ask your vet about healthier alternatives to buying these “cheap” store foods

We own pets because we love them. They have grown to be parts of our families. We take them with us when we go on vacations, we walk them everyday through rain and snow, and we do our best to care for them. Many of us would say that our pets are priceless and that we would pay any price to keep our loving pets with us a little longer. Unfortunately we often think of this when it has become too late, or too expensive, and this does not need to be the case.

If you have a pet that you love, then like any child, get them on the healthy path early on. Feed then good quality foods, take them for regular checkups, and keep your dog clean and well trained. Consider getting things like baseline x-rays for comparison so that you will know if your pet has hip or elbow problems in the future. If you think of your pet as one of the family, then please treat them like one and take care of them with preventative care. Your pet will thank you for this treatment with many more years of additional love and devotion.

Derek Wood
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/determine-how-much-your-pet-is-worth-101038.html

Small breeds of dogs including toys, miniatures and just small dogs are a unique challenge to housetrain. This is largely because as puppies they are so tiny it is hard to tell when they are actually going to the bathroom, their body positioning changes very little compared to larger breed puppies. In addition puppies have very small bladders compared to their overall body size, and miniatures and toys have such small bladders it seems that they are urinating at a high rate of frequency, although the quantity of urine produced will be very small, and often almost undetectable to humans. This leaves constant “markers” around on rugs and furniture that signals to the puppy this is a bathroom area. Another issue with small puppies is that they can easily sneak under furniture, behind furniture or even behind plants and relieve themselves with the owners even being aware.

A few tips for housetraining a small breed puppy are:

1. Use crate training. A crate provides a safe place like a den that the puppy will not mess in. Place the puppy in the crate after eating, then take them out 10-15 minutes later and immediately go to the designated toilet area. Give the puppy a chance to use the bathroom, and then provide lots of praise. If they don’t go after 5 minutes simply return them to the crate and repeat the process every 5 minutes.

2. Watch for signals that they need to go outside when not in the crate. Sniffing, pacing and circling are often signs that the dog needs to go to the bathroom. If the puppy tries to get behind or under furniture this is likely a sign.

3. Take the puppy to the bathroom area frequently, at least once an hour. Praise the puppy when he or she goes in the right place. Avoid playing or interacting with the dog on potty breaks, as this will confuse the puppy as to what they are supposed to do in the area.

4. If you want to monitor the puppy simply attach a short three to four foot least to your wrist and keep the puppy with you at all times. Watch for signs of needing to go outside.

5. Set a feeding schedule. Usually puppies will need to use the bathroom 15 to 20 minutes after eating, but each dog is different. Keep a journal or record of feeding times and bathroom times and you can easily set a routine.

6. Avoid feeding the puppy any scraps, human food, or changing their puppy food. This is likely to cause diarrhea that will complicate the housetraining schedule.

7. Never punish a puppy for mistakes. This will only cause anxiety and a greater desire by the puppy to be sneaky to avoid getting punished. Clean the area with an enzyme based cleaner to remove all odor. Avoid using bleach products as they can actually mimic the chemicals in urine and can actually increase the likelihood that the dog will use the same area again.

Try to have someone in the home for the first few weeks the puppy arrives home to get it completely housetrained before leaving him or her alone for long periods of time. Lastly, remember that housetraining problems are usually a result of lack of attention by the owner, and are almost never a direct problem caused by the puppy.

Kelly Marshall
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/the-challenge-of-housetraining-small-breed-dogs-113100.html

I want to enjoy my tiny backyard this summer but my dogs go potty everywhere. My husband and I want to train them to go only in a certain area so that we don’t have to watch our step. I was thinking about a dog run or exercise pen to enclose the area I want my maltipoos to use and then give them treats for doing it. What do you think? Has anyone ever trained their dog to go in a certain area of the yard? Tips from those who have are appreciated.

Walk the dog to the area that you want it to use, or be like the rest of us, get a shovel, bag and clean it up

You’re the proud owner of a new puppy. Unfortunately, you are also the not so proud owner of a soggy living room carpet. It doesn’t take long to realize this can’t keep happening. So what do you do? It might just be time to housebreak your new pet.

Housebreaking may sound painful but relax. It really isn’t all that difficult. It is your dog’s natural tendency to want to keep its living area clean so once the home is firmly established in your pets mind the problem will be resolved. There are several ways you can assist the process to move faster.

The first thing you want to do is be sure your pet is healthy to start with. If your pet has not been to the vet already, make an appointment.

Your dog should be checked for overall healthiness and for conditions that would make house training difficult, such as cystitis and kidney or bladder dysfunction.

While your pet is visiting the veterinarian, ask to have them checked for worms and parasites also by way of a fecal exam. Also bear in mind the truthfulness behind mothers’ wisdom when she said “You are what you eat.”

A poor quality dog food, in addition to contributing to a poor nutritional state, can cause digestive problems resulting in loose stools, thus contributing to your pup’s inability to control itself.

The most important part of housebreaking your pet is close supervision. This is necessary because your puppy learns by repetition.

If you see your dog showing signs of needing to relieve itself, then immediate action must be taken to get the animal outside to its designated area.

Consistency in training is critical. Do not think being lax because it’s cold or dark outside is acceptable or your pet will adopt these same attitudes.

Close supervision during housebreaking is also necessary because it gives you time to learn your dogs special quirks such as needing to urinate right after eating or a certain action they take prior to soiling the floor so you can watch for these actions and respond in the future.

Also it allows you to correct a situation while it is still fresh in the dogs mind. While being very intelligent creatures, short term memory is not the strong point for most animals of this species and correcting them after more than a few minutes have passed serves no real purpose.

Another key to Housebreaking is giving your dog a limited amount of space. Baby gates across doorways or a pet crate help to make a more confined area and help your pet to recognize this as his living space.

Their natural tendency is to go outside of their own living space to urinate so making this association for your pet will make your job easier. Lining this space with old news papers is a good idea at first as it facilitates a much easier cleanup of any accidents your pet might have.

Also be aware that some surfaces are more pet-friendly than others. Try to confine your new pet to areas of the home with tile or vinyl floors which are much easier to clean. Avoid letting them have access to carpet or hardwood floors which retain odors and can be extensively damaged by an errant pup.

Remember to limit the amount of water your dog has access to at the end of the day as you will otherwise be making a walk with your pet in the middle of the night.

A quick walk outside at regularly timed intervals is advisable to training as this helps your pet to set an internal schedule.

Be certain to use a consistent keyword to tell your pet why you are out in the yard such as “potty” or “toilet” or anything you choose and do not return indoors until they have relieved themselves. Also remember to give praise when your dog relieves itself in appropriate places such as on newspapers or outdoors. Again consistent training is the key.

If your pet does have an accident indoors, correct the animal immediately and then clean the area using non-ammonia based products. Instead use an Enzyme based deodorizer to clean the area and be sure to remove all odor of the accident or the animal will repeat the behavior again.

If you follow these simple rules, your carpets and your new pet should be able to coexist peacefully and relatively free from stress.

Colin Philips
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/secrets-to-housebreaking-and-training-your-new-puppy-119966.html