During puppyhood, a dog must learn to feel secure in his environment. An insecure dog leads to problems with house training, a dog that cowers, digs, chews and barks needlessly. Adult dog behavior is shaped during the early stages of puppyhood. Many dogs are placed in shelters or end up on the streets as a result of poor training on the owner's part. Dogs need proper training and direction. Most problems with dogs can be prevented if proper direction is taken from the beginning. Invest a little of your time now and and it will result in a lifetime of enjoyment for you and your canine companion.

Dogs are pack animals by nature and prefer a dark, small, den-like atmosphere as opposed to a huge open room that we humans would enjoy.

Dog crates are simply a rectangular structure just big enough for the dog to lay down in. They should NOT be large enough for the dog to play in. The natural tendency to stay clean is basic instinct. The crate becomes the den that humans took away when we domesticated dogs thousands of years ago.

Crates are primarily used for house breaking puppies. But may also be used to train/re-train adult dogs as well. Crates are not cruel by any stretch of the imagination. It's like an indoor den for you companion.

Crates should NOT be used for long term confinement. More than 10 hours for any dog is too long to remain in a crate without being able to relieve themself. Once a schedule is set, dogs usually have a admirable ability to "hold it". This must be gradualy worked up to through proper training from puppy hood.

THE FIRST STEP

When you bring your new pupster home, you should already have his/her crate set up with newspapers or a soft rug or towel. If your new pupster is younger than 10 weeks when you bring him home I suggest placing an exercise pen around the crate. This will give him the advantage of not being shut up in the crate at an early stage for long periods of time. Puppies urinate immediately after waking up from a nap and defecate after every meal. This is EVERY time! Once they begin to mature, the length of time between urges "to go" become longer in length. (Usually around 10-14 weeks). At this stage they become ready to stay in their crates all day while you are at work and all night while you sleep. I will keep a toy or two in the crate but I don't keep food or water as this will create a huge mess. As soon as they eat and drink they will need "to go" and if you are not home to let them out you'll be real sorry and they will be real upset. It will also inadvertantly teach them "to go" in the crate.

Puppies learn quickly not to relieve themselves in their den/crate. I keep thick layers of newspapers in the crate for the first month or so. Depending on how young the puppy is, it will more than likely urinate in the crate because he just can't "hold it" as long as an older dog. If the puppy is fed and watered and taken outside before being crated you will have a much cleaner and happier puppy when you return home. Puppies grow very fast and usually within a month you can remove the papers from the crate and replace it with a soft rug or towel.

I usually have two crates per new puppy. One in the family room and one in my bedroom. Puppies should NOT be isolated just because they are in a crate. During the day when you can't watch every move the new puppy makes he can be in the crate in the family room. But at night he will want to be with you for a secure feeling. And when he awakes in the night and needs to go out you will hear him if he's in your bedroom.

When you sleep, your puppy should be in his crate with the door closed. He will wake you when the urge strikes. You need to take him out right then and there to further the crate training purpose. Your puppy will learn what you teach him. If you ignore the persistent crying to go out to relieve himself you will defeat the purpose of crating your puppy altogether. Puppies mature quickly and he will not have to get up in the middle of the night forever.

NEVER scold your pupster for soiling his crate. Shame on you for not getting him out when he asked!! Again, dogs are clean by nature and left to their own devices would leave the den to relieve themselves. Always, Always praise your puppy EVERY time he "goes" outside. IF he does soil the crate, just get the puppy outside to finish his business, give him LOTS of praise, clean the crate, put the puppy back in the crate and go back to sleep.

Once your puppy has matured and is past the house-breaking period you may start to leave him out for longer periods. But you will want to continue the crating when you are away or cannot watch everything your puppy is doing for a while longer. Teething can be dangerous as well as costly if the puppy is allowed to be loose all the time. My new puppies are crated until they are totally trustworthy and understand what is allowed and what is not. This might be 6 months or it might be 2 years. Each dog is an individual and requires individual training. Once I am SURE the dog is trustworthy then I start leaving them out when I am away for short periods at a time. As long as everything is in tact when I return the next time will be a little longer. Eventually your dog will be able to be loose in the house all the time if you so desire.

Dog and Puppy Biting, Mouthing, Teething

Biting and mouthing is common in young puppies and dogs especially in play and while teething. It's up to you to teach your puppy or dog what is acceptable and what is not.
Biting dogs are generally loving, sweet, adorable, affectionate and wonderful 99% of the time. Only 1% of the time does something specific happen that makes the dog bite. This article will discuss the causes of biting and what you can do to prevent your dog from biting.

Inhibit Biting
First of all, dogs must learn to inhibit their bite before they are 4 months old. Normally, they would learn this from their mother, their littermates and other members of the pack. But, because we take them away from this environment before this learning is completed, we must take over the training.
Socialization Prevents Biting
By allowing your puppy to socialize with other puppies and socialized dogs they can pick up where they left off. Puppies need to roll, tumble and play with each other. When they play, they bite each other everywhere and anywhere. This is where they learn to inhibit their biting. This is where they learn to control themselves. If they are too rough or rambunctious, they will find out because of how the other dogs and puppies react and interact with them. This is something that happens naturally and it is something we cannot accomplish. It can only be learned from trial and error. There is nothing you can say or do to educate them in this realm. They must learn from their own experience.
Another major advantage of dog to dog socialization besides the fact that it will help your dog to grow up not being fearful of other dogs is that they can vent their energy in an acceptable manner. Puppies that have other puppies to play with do not need to treat you like littermates. So the amount of play biting on you and your family should dramatically decrease. Puppies that do not play with other puppies are generally much more hyperactive and destructive in the home as well.

Lack of Socialization Causes Biting
A major cause of biting is lack of socialization. Lack of socialization often results in fearful or aggressive behavior. The two major reactions a dog has to something it is afraid of are to avoid it or to act aggressive in an attempt to make it go away. This is the most common cause of children being bitten. Dogs that are not socialized with children often end up biting them. The optimum time to socialize is before the dog reaches 4 months. With large breed dogs, 4 months may be too late, simply because at this age the puppy may already be too large for most mothers of young children to feel comfortable around. For most owners, the larger the dog is, the more difficult it is to control, especially around children. If there is anything you do not want your dog to be afraid of or aggressive towards, you must begin to socialize your puppy with them before it is 4 months old.
Trust and Respect Inhibits Biting
There are many other reasons your dog will bite and you will have to take an active role in teaching them. However, before you can teach your dog anything, there are two prerequisites that are essential. They are trust and respect. If your dog doesn't trust you, there is no reason why he should respect you. If your dog does not respect you, your relationship will be like two 5 year olds bossing each other around. If your dog does not trust and respect you, then when you attempt to teach your dog something, he will regard you as if he were thinking, "Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?"
Use of Reprimands and Biting
Never hit, kick or slap your dog. This is the quickest way to erode the dog's trust in you. Yes, he will still love you. Even abused dogs love their owners. A unique characteristic of dogs is their unconditional love. You don't have to do anything to acquire your dog's love. But you must do a lot to gain your dog's trust and respect. Another area where we destroy our dog's trust in us is when we scold or punish them for housesoiling mistakes and accidents. When housetraining your puppy, there is never an appropriate time to punish or reprimand. If you catch your dog in the act, just head for the towels and cleaner. You have no right to scold him, because if he is going in the wrong place, it is your fault, not his. If you find an accident after the fact, just clean it up.
Summary Tips on Biting
Just a few tips:
1. Reprimand alone will never stop biting.
2. If no respect exists, the biting will get worse. If you act like a littermate, the dog will treat you as one.
3. If trust is not there, the dog may eventually bite out of fear or lack or confidence.
4. Inconsistency sabotages training. If you let the dog bite some of the time, then biting will never be completely eliminated.
5. Don't forget follow up. The dog must understand that it is the biting that you don't like, not the dog itself. Make up afterwards, but on your terms, not the dog's.

House Training a Puppy

What To Expect During the House Training Process
Unless you can monitor your puppy 24 hours a day, don't expect the house training process to be completed until your puppy is at least 6 months old. It's normal for a young puppy to be a little 'input-output' machine. Since puppies are growing and developing rapidly at this stage, they eat more food, burn up more energy and seem to need to eliminate constantly! They also have not yet developed bowel and bladder control, so they can't 'hold it' as long as adult dogs.
House Training When You Are Not Home
Confine your puppy to a small, 'puppy-proofed' room and paper the entire floor. Put his bed, toys and food/water bowls there. At first there will be no rhyme or reason to where your pup eliminates. He will go every where and any where. He will also probably play with the papers, chew on them, and drag them around his little den. Most puppies do this and you just have to live with it. Don't get upset; just accept it as life with a young puppy. The important thing is that when you get home, clean up the mess and lay down fresh papers.
Passive House Training or Paper Training
While your puppy is confined, he is developing a habit of eliminating on paper because no matter where he goes, it will be on paper. As time goes on, he will start to show a preferred place to do his business. When this place is well established and the rest of the papers remain clean all day, then gradually reduce the area that is papered. Start removing the paper that is furthest away from his chosen location. Eventually you will only need to leave a few sheets down in that area only. If he ever misses the paper, then you've reduced the area too soon. Go back to papering a larger area or even the entire room. Once your puppy is reliably going only on the papers you've left, then you can slowly and gradually move his papers to a location of your choice. Move the papers only an inch a day. If puppy misses the paper again, then you're moving too fast. Go back a few steps and start over. Don't be discouraged if your puppy seems to be making remarkable progress and then suddenly you have to return to papering the entire room. This is normal. There will always be minor set-backs. If you stick with this procedure, your puppy will be paper trained.
House Training When You Are Home
When you are home but can't attend to your puppy, follow the same procedures described above. However, the more time you spend with your puppy, the quicker he will be house trained. Your objective is to take your puppy to his toilet area every time he needs to eliminate. This should be about once every 45 minutes; just after a play session; just after eating or drinking; and just upon waking. When he does eliminate in his toilet area, praise and reward him profusely and enthusiastically! Don't use any type of reprimand or punishment for mistakes or accidents. Your puppy is too young to understand and it can set the house training process back drastically. Don't allow your puppy freedom outside of his room unless you know absolutely for sure that his bladder and bowels are completely empty. When you do let him out, don't let him out of your sight. It is a good idea to have him on leash when he is exploring your home. He can't get into trouble if you are attached to the other end of the leash. Every 30 minutes return your pup to his toilet area. As your puppy becomes more reliable about using his toilet area and his bowel and bladder control develops, he can begin to spend more time outside his room with you in the rest of your home. Begin by giving him access to one room at a time. Let him eat, sleep and play in this room but only when he can be supervised. When you cannot supervise him, put him back in his room.
Active House Training
The most important thing you can do to make house training happen as quickly as possible is to reward and praise your puppy every time he goes in the right place. The more times he is rewarded, the quicker he will learn. Therefore it's important that you spend as much time as possible with your pup and give him regular and frequent access to his toilet area.
Key to Successful House Training
Consistency and Patience. Never scold or punish your puppy for mistakes and accidents. The older your pup gets, the more he will be able to control his bladder and bowels. Eventually your pup will have enough control that he will be able to "hold it" for longer and longer periods of time. Let your puppy do this on his own time. When training is rushed, problems usually develop. Don't forget, most puppies are not reliably house trained until they are at least 6 months old.

Obedience Training Your Dog or Puppy: How and Why

Obedience training is one of the best things you can do for your dog or puppy and yourself. Obedience training doesn't solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem. Training opens up a line of communication between you and your dog. Effective communication is necessary to instruct your dog about what you want her to do. You can teach her anything from 'stay' (don't bolt out the door) to 'sit' (don't jump up on the visitors) to 'off' (don't chew the furniture).
Dogs are social animals and without proper training, they will behave like animals. They will soil your house, destroy your belongings, bark excessively, dig holes in your yard, fight other dogs and even bite you. Nearly all behavior problems are perfectly normal canine activities that occur at the wrong time or place or are directed at the wrong thing. For example, the dog will eliminate on the carpet instead of outside; the dog will bark all night long instead of just when a stranger is prowling around outside; or the dog will chew furniture instead of his own toys. The key to preventing or treating behavior problems is learning to teach the dog to redirect his natural behavior to outlets that are acceptable in the domestic setting.

Obedience training is also an easy way to establish the social hierarchy. When your dog obeys a simple request of 'come here, sit,' she is showing compliance and respect for you. It is NOT necessary to establish yourself as top dog or leader of the pack by using extreme measures such as the so-called alpha roll-over. You CAN teach your dog her subordinate role by teaching her to show submission to you in a paw raise (shake hands), roll over or hand lick (give a kiss). Most dogs love performing these tricks (obedience commands) for you which also pleasantly acknowledge that you are in charge.

Obedience training should be fun and rewarding for you and your dog. It can enrich your relationship and make living together more enjoyable. A well-trained dog is more confident and can more safely be allowed a greater amount of freedom than an untrained one. A trained dog will come when called.

Some people debate whether or not it is possible to train puppies, and others ask whether it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks. The answer to both questions is an unequivocal YES. Whatever the age of your dog, the right time to begin training is right now! The most important time in your dog's life is right now. Your dog's behavior is constantly changing. A dog that is well-behaved today will not necessarily remain that way forever. New problems can always develop. Existing problems can always get worse.

Enroll in a local dog obedience training class to learn the basics. Then most teaching and training can and should be done in your home. It is best to begin training in an area that is familiar to your dog and with the least amount of distractions as possible. When you feel both you and your dog are skilled at several obedience commands, then take these commands to different areas. Introducing distractions may seem like starting all over again, but it's worth the effort. In reality, who cares if your dog will sit stay when no one is around? What you need is a dog who will sit-stay when company is at the door. Who cares if your dog heels beautifully in your own back yard? But you need to start there if you eventually want a dog who will heel beautifully when walking down Union Street. If you want your dog to be obedient in your car, guess where you have to practice? If you suddenly want your dog to down-stay while you are trying to move over 3 lanes to make an exit, you had better find time to practice those obedience commands in the car long before you need them. Don't drive and practice at the same time. Practice while the car is parked or while someone else is driving.

Keep the obedience training sessions short and sweet. It is dull and boring to schedule tedious and lengthy training sessions. Instead, integrate training into your daily routine. Make obedience training interesting and meaningful to your dog. If Puppy insists on following you from room to room while you are getting ready for the day, then insist he have something to do too. "Roll over" for your wake-up greeting. "Heel" from the bedroom to the bathroom. "Down-stay" while you're brushing your teeth. "Heel" from the bathroom to the kitchen. "Sit-stay" while grinding the coffee beans. "Go find the ball" while you get dressed. Now "go get the leash" so you can go for a walk. "Sit" when the door is opened, "sit" again when the door is closed. And so on. Be sure that obedience training infiltrates your dog's favorite activities and that your dog's favorite activities infiltrates training. Your dog's favorite activities should become training, so that training becomes the dog's favorite activity.

Rewards While Training
The single most important aspect of training is rewarding your dog for good behavior. The more times the dog is rewarded, the quicker he will learn. Therefore, it's essential that you set up situations repeatedly in order for your dog to get plenty of practice at doing the right thing. It's equally as important that you always praise your dog for good behavior instead of taking it for granted. It's easy to forget to praise good behavior because it goes unnoticed. But the very nature of misbehavior gets our attention. We don't notice when our dog is lying quietly, but excessive barking gets our attention. How many of us take notice and praise our dogs when they chew their own toys? But we all go berserk when we notice our favorite pair of shoes chewed up! Praise and reward are the most important part of maintaining good behavior and preventing problems from arising.
Reprimands While Training
Some dogs feel they are constantly bombarded with, 'NO, Stop that, get off, Bad dog!' They tend to get used to it and so the reprimands become meaningless and are ignored. If most of our interaction with the dog is praise for good behavior, then reprimands will take on much more meaning. Whenever you find the need to reprimand your dog, immediately show him what you want him to do, then reward him for getting it right. If you catch him chewing the furniture, tell him, 'Off!' Then immediately direct him to his own toys, enthusiastically entice him to chew on them and praise him for doing so.
If done correctly, your voice alone is sufficient for reprimand. A correct reprimand is short, sharp and immediate. Don't continue to nag the dog and never reprimand him unless you catch him in the act. Never hit, kick, slap or spank your dog. This type of inappropriate punishment always creates more problems and usually makes existing problems worse. Not only will you have a barking, chewing dog, but one that is leery, hand-shy, fearful or aggressive.

Jumping Up
The reason most dogs and puppies jump up on people is because they are happy and excited to see them! Jumping, leaping and bouncing are ways your dog shows affection and receives attention. The behavior is usually learned while they are puppies. When a puppy is very young, we usually sit on the floor, let them wiggle into our laps and allow them to lick and nuzzle up close to our face. When they come bounding over to greet us, jumping and stretching up to our knees, again we bend down, pick them up and exchange hugs and kisses. All this time we are training and rewarding the puppy for jumping up. Eventually we decide we don't like this behavior anymore. What used to be cute is now obnoxious and even dangerous if the dog is jumping up on children or the elderly.
The Jumping Problem Continues
Our inconsistency perpetuates the problem. Some of the time we tolerate the jumping and ignore it. Other times we reward the behavior by exchanging enthusiastic greetings. But when we're dressed up and the dog's paws are muddy, it's a different story. Reprimanding the dog for jumping up usually does not work. Either the dog misunderstands the reprimand as praise or he gets even more excited and the jumping gets worse. If the reprimand is severe enough, the dog may stop jumping at that moment but it doesn't solve the problem altogether; and it certainly is not a very nice thing to do. It's very similar to a person approaching you with a big smile, arm extended to exchange a hand-shake and you bopping the person in the nose. Even if your dog learns that jumping up on you is not a good idea, he will usually get away with jumping up on everyone else.
The End of the Jumping Problem
A better solution is providing your dog with an alternative method of greeting you and others. Teach your dog to sit-stay. He cannot sit-stay and jump up at the same time. When he is sitting you can then kneel down and give him a warm hug and kiss. Practice is essential. If your dog is excitedly jumping up when you return home from work and this only happens once a day, then he is only getting one practice session a day. If he is jumping up on your company and you only have visitors once a week, then he is only getting one practice session a week. In order to perfect the proper greeting routine, your dog needs much more practice than that. You can speed up the training process by leaving through the back door and returning through the front door over and over again. When your friends come over, have them do the same. Each time, ask your dog to sit-stay before opening the door. At first his excitement will make it difficult for him to concentrate but after you've repeated this process 10 times, he will calm down and be able to concentrate. Before asking your dog to sit-stay in this distracting and exciting situation, be sure he has a reliable sit-stay in normal, non-stressful situations.

How to Handle Dog Barking

Barking is a perfectly natural canine behavior. Birds sing; frogs croak; and a dog barks, whines and howls. If you have a dog, you better expect some barking, whining or howling. It is unrealistic and unfair to think you can train your dog to stop barking altogether. However, you, your neighbors and your dog will all be much happier if the barking is under control.

Dogs who are socially isolated or confined for long periods without supervised exercise need some outlet for their pent-up energy. A dog who is left alone all day is likely to take up barking as a hobby because no one is there to control him. In no time at all, barking becomes an enjoyable habit. And for many dogs, once they start barking, they tend to continue barking for the sheer fun of it.

Your dog may be barking excessively because you unintentionally trained her to do so. Poochie speaks and you obey. "Woof" and you open the door to let puppy out. "Woof" and you open it again to let her in. "Woof" and she gets a treat, "woof" for a tummy-rub . . . you get the picture. Your dog has learned to get attention through barking. It is easy to fall into this trap because the very nature of barking gets your attention. For the same reason, it is easy to forget to praise and reward your dog when she is not barking.

Barking and Walkies!
The first step in obtaining peace and quiet is to realize that lots of barking is caused by the dog being lonely, bored, frustrated or frightened. These are all situations that you can help to alleviate. A well-exercised, happy dog is more likely to sleep all day while you are not home. Spend time playing with, training and exercising your dog.

Obedience training is great mental exercise. Thinking is a tiring activity for dogs, as it is for humans. Most dogs really enjoy a rapid paced, exciting "game" of Come here, sit, heel, sit, heel, down, stay . . . come here for hugs, a massage, a celebration of praise and treats. Don't allow training to be a boring, tedious routine.

If your dog lives in the back yard most of the time, she probably needs "social exercise." She needs walks around the neighborhood, so she can investigate all the sounds and smells that tantalize her while she is in the yard. Bring her into the house when you are home. She needs to feel that she is part of your family. Having a large yard is not equal to having a well exercised dog. You may see your dog dashing madly around your yard, but he is not exercising. He is doing the doggy equivalent of pacing, fidgeting, or other human forms of nervous activity. Provide your dog with fun things with which to occupy himself, such as a digging pit or special chew toys.

Dogs are social animals. They need friends and companionship. Take your dog to the same dog park daily or weekly and let her make doggy friends. Dogs romping around and playing together tire rapidly and will sleep happily while recovering from the good, hardy play session.

Nuisance Barking
Until you have re-trained your dog about her barking habits, she should be confined to a place where she will cause the least disturbance. Closing the drapes will help muffle the noise for the neighbors. In addition, confining the dog to the back of the house (away from the street) will keep disturbances to a minimum. Leave a radio playing to mask noises from the street. You may also want to have disconnect switches on the telephone and doorbell if these set off a barking spree.

"Stop Barking"
It's no wonder people have barking problems with their dogs. Most dogs have no clue as to whether barking is something good or something bad. Sometimes when the dog barks, he is ignored (owner in a jolly mood). Other times, the dog is encouraged (owner sees suspicious stranger outside the house). And yet other times, the dog is yelled at (owner has a headache). Humans are consistently inconsistent.

In order to help your dog know your rules, teach him what they are. Here is a good rule to start with: Barking is OK until the dog is told to "Stop Barking." Think of "Stop Barking" as an obedience command rather that simply an unpredictable reprimand.

Each time your dog barks, after two or three woofs, praise her for sounding the alarm. Then tell her, "Stop Barking." Simultaneously, waggle an especially tasty food treat in front of her nose. Most dogs instantly stop barking because they can't sniff and lick the treat while barking. During this quiet time praise her continuously - - "Good girl, stop barking, what a good quiet dog you are, good dog . . ." After 3 seconds of no barking, let her have the treat. The next time she barks, require her to stop barking for 5 seconds before she gets the treat. Each time she is told to stop barking and succeeds, she will be rewarded.

If she barks even one little wooflet after you've given the command, scold her immediately. Timing is everything. As training proceeds, the required period of silence is increased gradually; at first "Stop Barking" means: No barking for the next 3 seconds, then 5 seconds, then 10 seconds and so on.

Within a single training session, you can teach your dog to stop barking for up to 1 or 2 minutes. This is major progress, because whatever set off her barking in the first place is history, and she is likely to be quiet until the next disturbance.

The Consequences of Barking
When your dog stays quiet for the required period of time after you've asked her to please, "Stop Barking," she is rewarded. When she makes a mistake, your unsuspecting poochie's very next wooflet should be met with a cataclysmic, earthshaking 120 decibel "STOP BARKING!!!" Most dogs are so totally shocked and amazed by this horrendous outburst that they will stare at you in disbelief (and silence). If this outburst makes your dog more excited, then you might try an ice-cold I-mean-business tone of voice. Sometimes a splash of water in the face will do the trick. You must find something that will instantly make your dog stop barking. As soon as your dog stops barking, even for just a tenth of a second, you must immediately and instantly reward her. After enough repetitions your dog will learn the meaning of the command, "Stop Barking," and you will no longer need your training props (water, treats, etc.)

Substituting the Barking Habit
If your dog's excessive barking has already become a habit, don't expect the barking to get under control overnight. It takes weeks of repetition to replace an old habit with a new one. If you keep up with these procedures, you will see a new pattern of barking develop. Instead of barking relentlessly at the insignificant, your dog will be barking appropriately and for a reasonable length of time. It is important that you maintain this new good habit through practice and praise or your dog may revive his old annoying barking habits again.