Fear Of  Other Dogs

You may find that your puppy is not social toward other dogs. It may be that either your dog was taken too early from his mother and litter-mates, or the litter-mates may have been much larger and stronger than yours, leaving your puppy socially apprehensive. Some very dominant puppies separate themselves from litter-mates and, on their own terms only, solicit play.

Some puppies have manifested their strong defensive drives in this nonsocial behavior pattern. These puppies can be helped by simply not allowing them to run away when approached by other puppies.

On rare occasions, the puppy would actually attempt to bite the other pup. Most often, having the puppy confront the fear has been extremely helpful in resolving the defensive social aggression.

When adult dogs show fear of other dogs, there is a little chance that this fear can be resolved. Once seeded, this fear appears to overwhelm affected dogs. Since resolution is not always possible, management may be the way to go.

Keeping your dog on a leash in public will help. While on a leash, it is helpful to teach your dog how to focus on you in the presence of other dogs. He should not be allowed to run free off a lead in the park because at any minute a dog may show up and cause a fear response that may cause your dog to bolt into the road or simply run away.

In a controlled situation, perhaps a fenced-in yard, you may be comfortable with him having an off-lead exercise. A fenced-in school yard with a gate that you can close will do just fine for short runs or fast walks. Always be aware of what is around you at all times to prevent any accidents.

The use of a head halter is often useful in controlling fearful dogs. A dog can feel secure when he is being controlled by the face. His options disappear, and he proudly follows his owner’s lead. This is how it should be. Training a behavior such as “Down-Stay” provides us with a bit of control around other dogs too. “Down-stay” is incompatible with running away.

Fear Of Being Inside A Car

Often dog owners think that they own a dog that has motion sickness and that will vomit all over the interior of the family car. Sometimes they are right, and it is solved by the dog having an empty stomach and taking frequent short rides. Carsick dogs usually get over it quickly when you practice the short-ride routine.

Car phobic behavior may stem from a previous accident, a chronically nauseated rider, or perhaps something as simple as a noisy muffler or backfire. Bringing the dog to within sight of the car, giving him a treat, and then bringing him back to where he feels comfortable is a good place to begin this conditioning. Eventually, he may actually be eating his meals in the car.

The dog will graduate to eating in the idling car, and soon will be eating in the moving car. The meals are obviously removed from the car once the dog has shown no reluctance to jump in. If your dog has motion sickness, then feeding will not be the way to go. Veterinarians can offer a motion sickness remedy for those who are afflicted.

People and dogs both enjoy to go for walks. When you adequately train your puppy for the leash you can really enjoy your walks. If you don’t properly train your puppy for the leash that same walk can be an exercise in futility.

In order to effectively leash train your puppy, you need to start when he is very young. It will be easier the younger he is. Start out by getting him used to the collar. At first he is probably going to fight it but just keep it on him.

If he starts whining and crying about the collar and you take it off you will have just taught him how he can have his way and you will always have problems. Make him wear the collar; just make sure that you remove it before you crate him to avoid any accidents.

After your puppy has gotten used to the collar you can start getting him used to the leash. Attach it to the collar and just allow him to drag it around the house. Make sure that you are there to supervise him as he could cause some chaos if the leash gets tangled with anything. Pretty soon you can take the leash and practice walking around in the house with him. It may seem strange to walk your puppy around in the house but you will have success sooner if you start out in a place where he is comfortable and as far as that goes there is no place like home.

When he is doing well in the house, you can take him out to the yard. Again you are staying where he is comfortable. As you are walking make sure that you reinforce the behaviors you want and discourage the behaviors you do not want.

For instance, if your puppy is pulling at the leash, just stop. Stop walking. Stop moving. Do not allow him to pull at the leash. It will not be long before he figures out that pulling is unacceptable behavior. Make sure you are talking to him and communicating with him also. This is a good time for him to learn some commands.

Another technique you can use when he starts to pull is to quickly turn around and walk the other way. He will learn that he needs to pay attention. If he starts pulling again repeat either of these techniques and soon he will learn that pulling is not acceptable.

Sometimes your puppy will stop himself. If he stops and won’t go along on the walk you can use treats as encouragement. Don’t call him to you but rather drop the treat by your feet and make him come to it. It may take a few times but soon he will be walking with you instead of sitting behind.

In a short time your dog will be obediently walking next to you with a slack leash. This is what you wanted so make sure that he gets plenty of attention and praise when he does it so you can reinforce the good behavior. Never let your puppy get away with bad behavior and soon you will be enjoying walks with him.

Training your dog is the first step in strengthening the bond between you and your dog and getting full enjoyment out of your relationship with your pup. Obedience training is important regardless of what type of dog you own. Without proper training you run the risk of having your dog display bad behaviors and not act like the “good boy” you are hoping for!

Before starting any dog training program, keep in mind that you want to be a teacher to your dog. You don’t want to be a crazy dictator but you also need to remember that you are the one in charge. You are teaching your pup to be a better behaved dog and be the pooch that everyone admires!

If you have ever debated between training your pooch on your own or hiring a professional dog trainer, it’s an easy answer. There’s no better person than you to train your dog and grow the relationship between the two of you.

You need to enter your dog training with a mapped out plan. We included a link for you at the bottom of this article with full details on a couple programs you can use at home. In the meantime, here are a couple of tips you can use when training your pup.

The first thing to always keep in mind is that you want your dog to be in the right frame of mind before you start any “training session”. Make sure they have gone to the washroom so they aren’t distracted. You also shouldn’t start training right after they have ate – it’s easy to get sleepy after eating.

You are hoping to eliminate any distractions that might get in the way of your training.

We also recommend taking a little time to play with your dog before you start any training session. This lets your dog feel relaxed and comfortable with you.

And as you might have expected, doggie treats are a part of any training program! Your dog loves to be rewarded when he or she does something right. Don’t go overboard and give 3 dozen treats each time – save them for when your pooch has truly earned it so he or she knows what they did right.

If your dog runs off during a training session, don’t chase after it. Simply use an authoritative voice and call him back; then reissue the command you are working on when your dog returns.

There are going to be times where it just looks like your pooch is absolutely clueless about what you are expecting of them. This is normal and you can’t let yourself get annoyed or mad at them. Instead, find ways to better communicate with your dog so you get the most out of your future training sessions.

During your training there are going to be some times where you actually have to show him what you want him to do. It might be a tad on the frustrating side, but over time it will get a whole lot easier – I promise!

Starting a dog training program with your pup is an incredible way to make your dog the best behaved pooch on the block and build an amazing relationship with your dog. Once you get started you will see just how rewarding it can be. All the best!

Puppy barking is totally normal for dogs. It is normal that puppies bark, whine, and at times howl, just like it is normal for birds to sing. If you own a dog, you realize that it is inevitable that there will be times when your dog will bark, whine and howl. Don’t even think to train your puppy not to bark as it will never work. It is best for all, including your dog, if the barking can be controlled.

Here are the reasons for why barking begins:

Socially isolated or confined dogs who have not had supervised exercise for long periods will need some kind of outlet for their pent up energy. A dog who is alone all day is more likely to take up barking as a hobby because there is nobody to control him and make him stop. Pretty soon, barking will become an enjoyable habit for him or her. And for a great number of dogs, once they start barking, they continue to do so just for the sheer fun of doing it.

You may have trained your dog to bark too much by accident. You obey your dog when he speaks. When the dog barks, you let him out. When he barks again, you let him back in. A puppy quickly learns that barking earns him a snack; they bark and they get rewarded. A puppy gets attention from you by barking. For this reason, it is easy for barking to become a habit. After all, the puppy wants your attention, and if he barks, he gets your attention. Of course, if your dog is not barking, you won’t be reminded to give him treats, praises, and other reinforcement.

Puppy Barking and Exercises

To minimize puppy barking and for you to get some peace and quiet, you have to realize that most of the time; puppy barking is really due to the boredom, loneliness, frustration and fright that your puppy feels. These entire situations can be eased and improved when you spend more time with your puppy. A well-exercised, happy, and contented puppy is more likely to spend the whole day sleeping when you are not home. So take some time and play with him, train him and exercise him.

Puppy obedience training is as tiresome a mental exercise for dogs as it is for humans. Most puppies and dogs enjoy, wild rapid paced and exciting games such as “come here”, “sit”, “stay”, “heel”, but you can make it more rewarding by saying come here for a hug, a massage and other praise and treats. Don’t let your puppy get bored with training.

For dogs living in the backyard for the majority of the time, they probably need some “social” exercises. You may need to walk them around your neighborhood to minimize the puppy barking. Daily walks will be an adventure for them to investigate and find out about those sounds and smells that excite them while they are in the yard. Pet dogs and puppies may dash madly around your backyard but this is not a form of puppy exercise. What they are doing is equivalent to the human’s pacing and fidgeting as well as other nervous activities. Give your puppies fun things to play with and occupy themselves with such as chew toys for puppy biting and a digging pit for dogs.

Dogs are very sociable. They are just like us. They need companions and friends. Your dog needs to be taken for walks and exercised every day or every week as well as to let them socialize with other dogs. If they play and romp all day, they will be exhausted. Then they will have no trouble sleeping well and rejuvenating after a good day of play and exercise.

Socializing puppies at an early age can prevent many adult dog behavior problems. Enrolling a puppy in a training school can prevent such future problems as constantly barking, running away, biting, fear of children, destroying items such as furniture, and much more. The best age to enroll your puppy in a training school is 8 weeks. By participating in a training school, your puppy will have the best chance to live a happy and secure life.

During the first sixteen weeks of life, a puppy will learn about the environment around it. A puppy will be exposed to new surroundings and experiences. If not properly socialized, this can be a traumatic time. Early and proper exposure will help a puppy adjust and become confident with new situations. It is important for a puppy to experience new situations and not isolate them so they do not grow up fearful of new places and new people. Fear often results in aggressive behavior such as growling and biting. Without proper socialization a puppy can grow up to be fearful of children, other dogs, crowds, loud noises, and strangers.

From the eighth week and on, a puppy’s brainwaves can be recorded. It is during this period that a lasting bond will develop between owners and their puppies. This is the stage where a puppy will establish confidence, accept gentle correction, learn respect, learn simple responses such as ‘sit’ and ‘stay’, begin housebreaking, and have a desire to explore the world around them. Since 8-week-old puppies have the ability to learn the same behaviours as older dogs, it is essential to teach them proper behaviours at an early age to avoid many years of frustration.

Many pet owners take their puppies to training schools that offer sound training and socialization programs. Some veterinarians advise owners to wait until their puppy is 6 months old and has had all of its vaccinations before taking a training class, however this is not necessary. The chance of contracting a disease from other healthy puppies in a clean environment is very low.

The best training program is one that does not use harsh techniques such as using physical punishment to correct disobedient behavior. A good trainer will use positive reinforcement techniques. The class will be clean and there will be a playtime set aside for puppies. The instructor should also be educated in animal diseases and parasites and should ask for health records before introducing a puppy to the training class. The instructor should also be well informed about such issues as housetraining and puppy biting. When choosing a training class, you should look for qualities that include: a training class that appears fun for the owners and their puppies, the instructor has the ability to meet individual needs, the animals are handled gently, the owners are comfortable with the techniques they are using with their puppies, and the environment is calm, controlled, and safe. The trainer should also be friendly, experienced, and knowledgeable.

When enrolling in a training school, the two most important things to consider are the quality of the training school and the age of your puppy. Do your homework when picking the right school. You can find trainers from a number of sources such as referrals from dog-owner friends, your veterinarian, and dog clubs. Always talk to the instructor before enrolling. You can ask to sit in on a class and watch the trainer.

It is the responsibility of the owner to help a puppy to develop into a kind and well behaved adult dog. If you help your puppy learn and socialize during its critical learning period, you will have helped shape his character and personality. Your reward will be gaining a loyal and loving companion.

To learn “cleanliness” (meaning urinating and defecating outside), you will need a lot of patience.

At three months of age, puppies have not well assimilated the rules of hygiene of the “nest”. It is the mother who takes care of the good maintenance of the place.
He is just starting to discover the world, it is thus necessary to excuse him for not knowing where it is acceptable to let oneself go.

First point to take into account, in spite of all your efforts, your little fellow will leave some “tracks” at the beginning. When it will happen, if you catch him in the act, reprimand him. If you saw nothing, do not scold him, the dog cannot make the connection. Even by rubbing his nose inside. Never clean in front of the dog to avoid stool eating (= the dog eats his feces).

A good advice would be to put some newspaper pages on a place. As soon as you will see the dog ready to urinate or to defecate, put him on top of the newspapers until he does his business. At first, the animal can be surprised and hold himself, let him move even outside the zone and replace him there if needed. Reward (taps, …) once the business is finished.

When it comes to take him outside, the ideal timings would be right after he wakes up, after a long nap and after every meal.
And always a small reward when everything goes well.

Small summary:
•    Punish only when catch in the act
•    Do not clean in front of the dog
•    Go for a walk when he wakes up and after the meal
•    A lot of patience and determination for you