All Things Dog Blog

Showing posts with label house training a dog. Show all posts

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Puppy Training Part II:
Start with Motivation

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

It should come as no big surprise that most dogs are food motivated. Hold out a particularly yummy smelling treat and you've got Fido's attention until you give it to him. That makes training treats an incredibly powerful training tool--quite possibly the most important one you'll find for most dogs.

You can harness that motivation and use it to train a dog to run an agility course, perform freestyle dance, and yes, even love his crate and potty outside. You simply need to get a treat with a strong aroma and make certain your timing is spot on. When you associate receiving that delicious morsel with the exact moment that your dog runs into his crate or tinkles on the grass, you've got a winning combination that will soon have your pup building the good habits you seek.

In the agility world, many of the trainers refer to a strong-scented treat as a 'high value' treat. These are the ones your dog will overcome fears to earn. So if a crate is new to your rescue dog, try burying a few treats inside his crate, under the bedding and give him a chance to bond with that crate over the yummy goodies it delivers. Build on short visits inside the crate, assuring a very comfortable bed and a location that allows him to see you and your family wherever you spend most of your time at home.

With each visit that gets a little longer and increasingly easier, offer a reward to build that comfort level even more. Make sure you use small bits, so as not to upset your dog's tummy, going especially tiny for your puppy while training her.

One popular choice for your toughest training jobs is Zukes Mini Naturals. These moist miniature dog treats are easily broken up for the tiniest of puppies, but suitable for frequent rewards during daily training with your older dog as well. Available in 4 flavors (peanut butter, chicken, salmon and rabbit), test them all to learn which appeals to your pup's senses the most. You'll want to determine his greatest motivator. This will be the treat of choice for the more challenging training to come.

courtesy Zukes

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Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Training Tips for New Pups: Part I

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

While I'm a staunch believer that you really can teach an old dog new tricks (Xena proved it!), this series is intended for puppies and focused on house training. Whether you have a new puppy or a rescue that needs to bolster his indoor potty manners, this series of articles is meant for you.

Let's start with a few basic assumptions. Most puppies and dogs prefer not to soil their own bedding, and to that end will go as far away from their sleeping spot as possible to leave their deposits, when the time comes. If you're doing your part staying on top of teaching, this will happen. Your part is what we'll be covering in the remaining parts of this series. For now, try to be sure to take your pup out to the same spot frequently, allowing him to spend unsupervised time in his crate.

Crate training has been proven to provide the best results toward this goal and we now know that most dogs can and do learn to enjoy this private space where they can have quiet time and no worries of being stepped on while snoozing in an active household. We'll cover some tips for helping your dog learn to love his crate as much as Oliver does. All I have to do is say "Oliver Go Nite-Nite" and off he runs:

When training a young puppy, realize that you are helping this little one learn to hold it until the appropriate opportunity presents itself. The key word here is appropriate. It's up to you to reinforce what is appropriate, so that your pup gains an understanding of what you deem acceptable.

Keep in mind that if you're house training a rescued dog that has had a prior home or no house training, he'll need the same patience and more to understand the new rules, having run by a different set of rules previously. Don't hold this against him; patience will get you there faster than agitation.

courtesy Amazon

Until Part II, please get prepared. You'll need a collar and leash, treat pouch for your waist, very small training treats with a strong scent, and a crate. Armed with these tools, you'll also need to make a decision where you would like your pup to go each and every time he needs to potty. See ya soon for Part II when I'll begin covering each of the above topics in greater detail.

Happy tails,

Watch Event Barkers, DogTipper and 5 Minutes for Fido for news of an upcoming Twitter Party featuring a key product from this series.

Friday, November 26, 2010

ASK THE DOG TRAINER, with Terry Lynn Cuyler: Crate Training a Puppy Mill Dog

by Terry Lynn Cuyler, APDT, CPDT-KA

Dear PawsProf:

I believe Pip is a puppy mill dog because of the circling he does. He needs to be crate trained because he doesn't really understand what a walk is, nor what the grass is for, so he has lots of accidents in my condo. I am afraid that if I do crate train him he will become even more traumatized, if he was from a puppy mill. Any suggestions?

Thank you, Patti

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Dear Patti:

We dog trainer's love using crates to help house train puppies. Most pups won't eliminate where they sleep so keeping them in a crate until you take them to their elimination spot helps prevent 'accidents'. However, some pups who were raised in a crate didn't "get the memo" that you don't go in your crate because they were never given a chance to go anywhere else.

If Pip doesn't seem to know what to do outside, this may be the case with him. He may not be traumatized in a crate, he may feel safe there, but he also may not hesitate to go potty there. SO, I would suggest you strictly schedule his feedings and his opportunities to go potty.

You can limit where he goes in your condo by purchasing an exercise pen which is like a play pen for dogs without a floor. If you get a very light one, you could even take it outside and plop him in there instead of having him on a leash. He stays in his play pen inside or tethered to you with a leash. This way you limit his chances to go potty in the wrong place.

Most dogs can hold it for about an hour for each month they are old. So say Pip is 4 months old, you want to take him out after he wakes up in am and from naps, within half hour of being fed, and after he has been playing and has gotten excited. The trick to house-training is to have the dog in the RIGHT spot when he has a full bladder/bowel. So YOU have to control his access. He is not allowed freedom in your house unless he has just peed/pooped. And he can gradually be allowed freedom, one room at a time, over a period of months.

Tethering him to you in the house keeps him out of a crate, but means he is always supervised. If he begins to pee and he's right there tethered to you, you notice and say, "No, outside!" and rush him out there - or to his other intended potty area. You didn't say if he is comfortable with puppy pads, but if he is, that is an alternative to going outside.

When Pip does go in the correct spot you must let him know with high praise and a yummy treat - right there where he is outside! It's too late to give him a treat when he's back inside - he won't make the connection with going potty outside as the reason he got the treat. And just praise is not enough if you're still having problems, though it will be in a few weeks.

Right now you want it very clear to the dog: Go inside=get a mild scolding just AS he's going. Go outside=get praise and a treat! Be consistent. If you don't catch him eliminating in the house, hit yourself in the head with the rolled up newspaper and ask yourself why you weren't watching your dog...{grin} Vigilance for ten days will pay off with a dog who understands where to pee and poop. and a house free of accidents.

Terry, the Paws Prof