Love and care for your sweet puppies…
Mar 9 2010
Training your dog to come while its called
Instructing a k9 to come after it’s called can be a fundamental, and likely life saving, component to every successful puppy training course. Any effectively trained dogs must learn how to react quickly to the owner’s voice, and also earlier that lesson is learned the better.
The benefits of training your puppy to come as soon as called are understandable. For starters, coming as soon as called will assist you regain control of your puppy in case of collar break, snapped leash or other related equipment failure. This is particularly important while you are out with your dog, especially in an area with lots of traffic. It can be vital that your canine friend respond to your voice and return to your side, even in your absence of collar and leash, and whether there are lots of other things competing for its attention.
Coming while called just happens to be a crucial talent for every single working puppy. Whether your dog’s job is herding sheep, guarding livestock, or sniffing out bombs and drugs at your airport, your working four-legged friend must be under total control at all times, whether on leash or off.
Even if your dog’s sole job is being a loyal friend, it will be still vital that he learn this important basic obedience exercise. After the first obedience lessons, such as heeling, stopping on command, sitting on command, etc. have been learned, it will be time to start incorporating the come when called lessons into your daily training sessions.
One note about k9 training – it is all too easy for training sessions to become dull and routine for both handler and dog. A bored k9 will not be receptive to learning, just as a bored handler will not be a good teacher. This is important, therefore, to always incorporate fun things and play into each and every training session. Incorporating a few minutes of play time before your lesson begins can do wonders for the attitude of k9 and human alike. Likewise, ending each training session having a few minutes of free play time is a great way to end on a positive note and to help your four-legged friend associate obedience training with fun and not drudgery.
The command to stay and the command to come anytime called are often combined in obedience training lessons, and they do go naturally together. Start with the k9 on a loose leash, ask the pet to sit and then slowly back away. If the four-legged friend begins to get up and follow you, return to the four-legged friend and ask him to sit again. Continue this process until you can reach the end of your leash without your pet getting up.
After you can successfully reach your end of your leash on a consistent basis, try dropping the leash altogether. Of course you will want to do this in a controlled environment like a fenced in yard. After your dog has mastered the stay command, it will be time to add your come while called command.
Take up your leash again, and with the four-legged friend on your end of the leash, say “come” or “come here”. Its often helpful to use a lure anytime training this behavior. The lure provides a visible item for the puppy to focus on. Training your dog to come to the lure is a good first step in training your four-legged friend to come as soon as called.
Repeat this procedure many times until your pet will consistently stay and then come as soon as called. After the k9 has mastered coming anytime called while attached to the leash, slowly start introducing the concept while your leash is removed. As before, these training sessions must only take place in a controlled, safe environment, such as a fenced in front or back yard.
A highly trained, obedient dog should respond to the call to return to its owner no matter where it’s and no matter what distractions may occur. It will be therefore necessary to test the dog with distractions of your own.
If you have a neighbor, if at all possible one with a dog of their own, try having him come over with your dog. Have him, and your dog, stand just outside your fenced in area and repeat your come anytime called exercise with the dog off leash. If he becomes distracted by your other dog, put the leash back on and repeat the process. The goal is to have your puppy consistently pay particular attention to your commands, whatever interruptions may possibly present themselves.
Dec 25 2009
The wicker basket dog bed is one of the better choices for dog beds that have come along in a while. They are a wonderful, environmentally friendly home base for you dog. Wicker is easy to make any color of your choice and easy to keep clean. On top of those wonderful features its durable, an easily renewable source of material, easy to shape into almost any shape you want, and completely biodegradable when you do have to get rid of it. Wicker provides a stiff holder for the bed to stop the bed from becoming misshapen. However, wicker also has many other wonderful properties as we mentioned, and when paired with a good mattress makes a wonderful wicker basket dog bed.
All of the information above is just the basket portion of the bed, the mattress or pillow insert on which the dog sleeps is also amazingly versatile. It can come in many different fapics for the cover, including a fleece dog bed. The choices of fapic colors are also numerous. And then to further add choices, the materials inside the bed are many different types that can accommodate almost any need your dog can have. You can have pillow material, shredded foam, foam, memory foam or cedar shavings. All of these choices provide different benefits and different disadvantages that need to be weighed by each dog owner, to find which one works for them.
The mattress or bed portion of the wicker basket dog bed comes with a cover that allows for quick and easy clean up of the bed. Dog’t love dirt, dirty water, rolling in sand, dirt or grass, and many more activities that guarantee they are going to ping dirt into the house and onto their bed. This make is important to have a bed than can be easily cleaned. The wicker basket dog bed has a detachable mattress portion that has a detachable, easily washable cover. All you have to do is toss it in the washer.
While there are many other choices for beds, the wicker basket dog bed provides the most easily maintainable bed. This is not a small advantage, when you consider that you cannot toss the foam formed beds into the washer, you must use a furniture cleaner to get them clean. That is neither easy, nor convenient.
While the many choices provide you a way to find what makes your dog happy, the wicker basket dog bed increases you options with the many shapes and styles available. One style has the wicker that forms a overhead to allow for the dog to have his only enclosed space. Some dogs prefer that type of shape. My dog loves to sprawl on the bed so an open style is best for me. My friends dog loves to have the top open but sides that allow him to hide in his bed. There are hundreds of choices for people beds to accommodate our different styles and choices and there are finally choices for our dogs also.
About Author: David Hueber is a food packaging expert. He also offers top Dog training and puppy training tips online.
Dec 24 2009
Puppy training is important whether for good behavior or fun. While your puppy is learning the fetch game, it is important that tasty treats be used as well as praise and there is a reason for this. Since the puppy has yet to understand the importance of praise, you will have to give the puppy the positive reward stimulus of food until it does understand. You may be thinking, shouldn’t training always take place in the pup’s head and not their stomach and while this is true, they are learning a game.
Dog and puppy training can be a fun time for both you and your dog. Try to get at least three fetching games of ten minutes each, into each day for three days in a row. The fetching drills should be included with a five or ten minute walk daily on the leash. What we will do is sneak in two commands during the puppy’s ‘game times’ and before it realizes what is going in, the puppy will have been taught to ‘come’ and ’sit’.
During your retrieving games, when your puppy has returned the play toy to you, place your left hand on its rear end and your right underneath its chin. Press down gently with the left hand while administering small pressure upwards with your right as you say the command ’sit’.
Makes For Good Puppy Behavior
As soon as you have placed the puppy in that sitting position, pour on the enthusiastic praise, then toss the play toy out again. When the puppy returns with the toy, withhold any praise until you have commanded, “sit” and have placed it in the sitting position. In the case where the puppy breaks from your grasp and you do not successfully get him seated, refrain from throwing the play toy, withhold praise and please do not give up entirely. This will make for a well trained dog and start good puppy behavior.
Utilize the leash to bring the puppy to you, say ’sit’ and put the puppy in the proper sitting position, ending each round of the fetch-sit game with a special treat.
Around the time you wrap up the third session of the fetch-sit game, you may see that there is not much need for left hand pressure to encourage the puppy to sit. You will have a walk on the leash for 10 minutes on the schedule for the days numbered four through seven. The entire routine will be the same as on the preceeding days and keep four tidbits with you. As you lead the puppy outdoors, be sure to keep them securely in a pocket and out of scent range and also sight.
After you have ventured out on what the dog thinks is a routine walk, take out a treat and kneel to the dogs level, then say his name and follow up with the “come” command. carefully lure the puppy in your direction using the leash. While showering the puppy in priase, give him the tidbit. By following the treat with lavish praise, the puppy will see that this praise coincides with a tasty reward. These dog training and puppy training tips can be utilized in many areas of your training.
Dec 3 2009
Potty training puppies can be a lot of fun with an attitude of healthy helpfulness. Take a look at the mental health of a new puppy. Imagine what it would be like for puppies to be exploring in the world they call home. As far back as they remember may be just a few minutes ago. When training the puppies, remember this when they have an accident. Puppies want to please and when that memory gets around to charging back they will amaze the most skeptical human. Meanwhile, keep shoes up along with anything else that is not a chew toy. Give positive reinforcement and praise in a happy voice they will love. Keep a small treat on hand as a reward for proper potty power.
Accidents seen while the puppy is in the act only need a 'no' and a tap of the shoe on the floor." Any yelling will make potty training a puppy a nervous experience. It does not do any good to correct a puppy after the fact. It's best to just quietly clean up. Be sure to use puppy pads or newspaper in an area indoors where the puppy is allowed to go to the bathroom. This alternative to outdoors is always good to have just if there is a delay in getting home. If a puppy goes potty on the carpet be sure to scrub well to eliminate any lingering scent.
Crate training works for new puppies and a crate provides a sanctuary for your new puppy. Some people keep their new puppies in a crate, while at work. While this might work for some types of dogs, puppies may have a difficult time holding on. It may be better to allow them to be in an area where it is okay to go potty. It is best not to put newspapers or puppy pads next to a crate when doing potty training puppies. This is because of the smell factor, resulting in the fact that they do not want to sleep next to bad smells.
As much as possible, keep puppies on a schedule. When potty training puppies they should go outside after meals and naps. Taking time outside every day also gives puppies and their people much needed exercise. Try to incorporate your trips out with puppy time. One last little bonus tip for the single person is that a puppy can attract people. Why not have a little fun with that?
Nov 20 2009
If you walk into a pet store and take a look around you will likely see a large variety of dog beds. Many people find themselves wondering what type of dog bed will be best for their dog. Some people pick a dog bed based on its appearance while others are mainly looking for a bed that looks comfortable.
One dog bed alternative that you may want to consider purchasing for your pup is a raised outdoor dog bed. This type of dog bed was designed to be left outside without getting ruined by rain or dirt. They are made out of special material that either repels water or does not absorb it.
Great Reasons To Purchase A Raised Outdoor Dog Bed
What makes a raised outdoor dog bed so nice for your dog is that it keeps them off of the ground during their nap. If it has recently rained outside the ground is likely still wet and the dog bed might not be able to dry out because of this. With a raised outdoor dog bed the bed is elevated off of the ground which will allow it to dry quicker giving your dog a more comfortable place to sleep.
If it is colder outside purchasing a raised dog bed is a great way to keep your pup warm. If you put a large outdoor dog bed outside for your pet to sleep on it will likely absorb the cold from the ground and as a result it will not be an appealing place for your dog to sleep. With a raised outdoor dog bed you can avoid this because the bed is kept off of the ground entirely.
Raised outdoor dog beds often have unique designs. Some of these dog beds even look like real furniture that you might be able to blend right in with the other furniture that you have outside. They also make a great conversation piece when family and friends come over for a visit.
Regardless if your dog is big or small there is a large selection of raised outdoor dog beds available. This will allow you to find one that will work best with your dog in your home. Raised outdoor dog beds might carry a higher price tag than a traditional outdoor dog bed but think about the advantages that your dog will enjoy. The extra money just might be worth it in the end.
About Author: David Hueber is a Green Geeks Hosting expert. He also offers top Dog training and puppy training tips online.