Crate Training Puppies How Cruel Can Some People Be

When it comes to crate training puppies, some people just dont have a clue. I just finished reading a report about one sad individual who decided it was a good idea to keep his puppy in a crate that was only just big enough for the puppy to fit into. The obvious consequence was that the puppy became very unhappy and cried. On top of that, he wasnt allowed out to urinate of have a bowel movement. The end result was an enraged owner, dirty, unhappy, and abused puppy ending with a visit from the SPCA.

Can you imagine the stupidity of someone who is so clueless that they cant follow some easy rules on how to crate train their puppies. When you train a puppy, you want him to have fun and learn quickly. Compare them to small children. My children learn far faster when they are playing a game than when I make them sit down and sternly tell them what to do.

First off: Have a pair of shoes or slippers handy when potty training a puppy overnight, youll be glad you dont have to look for them when you need to get the puppy outside quickly. Yes he will have accidents, but within a week or so you should have a fully house trained puppy and be getting a peaceful nights sleep. When a puppy needs to go, he really needs to go, so make sure that you act quickly when he wakes up or starts to whine. A good sign that he needs the toilet is when he runs around in a circle with his nose to the ground.

Never leave your puppy in his crate for too long. Make sure that he has sufficient space to move around in and that he has some water nearby. Its cruel to leave a puppy in a confined space all day long when you are at work. Apart from him getting the idea that its OK to wee in his crate (which is defeating the purpose) but he will try to hold his wee in and this can have serious consequences for his health. Come home from work at midday to let him out or have someone do it for you

The crate should be left open when you dont absolutely need him to be in confinement. This allows the puppy to go into his crate whenever he feels like it and is a safe space for him. Never use the crate as a punishment for being naughty. Dogs will generally try their best to please you, so being "naughty" is usually a lapse of concentration or an act of desperation or boredom. Give him the benefit of the doubt. A firmly spoken "No!" is usually all that a young puppy will need to understand he has done something wrong.

By the same token, be sure to lavish praise on him when he gets something right. You will achieve far more with this approach than being negative. There are lots of things you can do to make training your puppy fun and easy. A short article like this cant cover them all.

The author has been breeding and training puppies for years. Visit his blog for more easy-to-use tips on how to train puppies. For the latest news on puppy training methods as well as the best courses on puppy training check out http://www.all-about-dogs.blogspot.com now.

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Polite Dogs and Happy People

Polite Dogs and Happy People...

This is the real reason I am a Dog Trainer. It is my goal to help you teach your dogs to be more polite little guys and girls. Polite dogs lead naturally to happier people. It is stressful to live with a dog who misbehaves constantly and is out of control. It can be embarrassing to have a dog who pulls on the leash and does not behave well on walks. It is downright frustrating to be unable to get your dogs attention when you call his name.

These may sound, to some of you, as superficial problems. They really are not. If your dog is not polite and obedient, it is very frustrating and stressful. In a lot of cases, these frustrated owners eventually give up on the dog and the dogs in some cases wind up in shelters. I dont have to remind any of you that dogs who end up in shelters are often killed.

If you have one of these dogs please do not give up hope! It would be dishonest of me to tell you that it is always easy to train a dog to be a polite little guy. There are some frustrating cases. But, with determination on your part, the proper guidance, and consistent work incredible transformations can occur!

When I am out in the community, I, many times, see people with dogs that are not polite. It is not that the dogs are bad it is just that the people have not been consistent in their training or they are using inappropriate or ineffective methods of training.

I tell people all the time that dogs are not complex. They are not trying to spite you or to be difficult. They just, in many cases, are confused and do not understand what is expected of them. 

Since dogs are not really complex thinkers, they do not really understand even slightly abstract concepts. The dog is pretty much always focused on the present. This is why it does no good to scold a dog for something that they did while you were away. They will be confused and not connect the scolding to the past event. This can be very detrimental because they will likely connect the scolding to something that is occurring in the present and get the wrong message entirely.

In my experience, dogs do much better with positive reinforcement. In very basic terms, you reward the behavior you want to keep and you give the dog no reward or affection for the behaviors that you want to stop. It is a little more complex than those couple of sentences but, that is the basic idea. My advice is to provide a positive alternate behavior for the negative behavior that you are trying to stop.

I am more than happy to guide any of you through this process of training to get a more polite and better behaved dog. 

I have some new brochures that I give to prospective clients that I meet. Many of the local veterinarian offices, groomers and pet stores also have some of my new brochures  The reason I mention them is that the concept of "Polite Dogs and Happy People" is very prominent in this new material. It is my focus and my aim is to help you to achieve the goal of a more polite dog.

I do not take a "cookie cutter" approach to training. Your dog is unique. You are unique. Your family is unique. Your pack is unique.

Each dog has unique needs. Each of my clients have unique goals. Each dog has different and unique behavior issues.

Therefore...... I work with you, my client, to form an action plan to address your specific and unique training needs and goals. 

I also work with your schedule. I can be very flexible on scheduling. We do not have to meet at the same time every session. If your work schedule changes, my schedule can change as well.

These are the things that set me apart from my competition in the Dog Training Business. The big box pet stores (Petco, Petsmart, etc.) offer group classes. These are not bad dog trainers and I am not bashing their methods. But, they all work from a curriculum.  I worked from the same type of curriculum when I was employed as a Dog Trainer at Petco in Peachtree City, GA.  It is not a bad curriculum.... but, even though I had some flexibility,  there were certain things that I was forced to teach in every class that were not really applicable or helpful to every student. And there were some things that I could not teach because of the structure of the classes and the store environment. As an independent, in-home trainer, I no longer have those limitations.

I work with you in your home. This is where the dog lives and this is where I can best observe and get a much better handle on your dogs unique situation.

So, please contact me at any time. I would love to help you achieve your goal of a polite dog......and ultimately make you and your family happier people!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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Will Feeding People Food Make Your Dog Beg

Heres the thing about "people food."  It doesnt exist.  Theres no such thing.  Okay, well, obviously there is food that people eat.  But when it comes down to it, food is food.  Chicken is chicken whether it is eaten by a person or a dog.

Therefore, this concept of "If I feed my dog people food shell learn to beg," cant be entirely true.  But if the ingredients arent the problem, is it how they are prepared?  If you feed a dog only chicken that comes out of a bag in the form of kibble, will she never beg?  Well, if that were true it would mean that by only being fed kibble its whole life, a dog would not recognize "people food" as something worth begging for.  Not worth it?  If a whole chicken fell on the floor, would a dog walk away, thinking to herself "hmm... not kibble.  Must not be food."?  Not a chance. ("Gulp, that chicken was good!")

But there is an answer.  Its a simple one, in fact.  A dog learns to beg based on where she is fed, not what she is fed. If you eat popcorn on the couch and always toss the dog a few kernels (guilty), shell sit by the couch and beg every time you eat popcorn.  Youll get those pleading eyes and folded back ears; the "I havent eaten in months and Ive been SO good" look.  If your kids sneak table scraps to the dog, expect some drooling during dinner.

Alright, so why does it matter?  Is people food good for your dog?  Should you change your routine and start offering dinner scraps (or just eliminate the guilt if you already are)?  If "people food" and "dog food" is all just food, are there things that are good for your dog?  Not good for her?  Yes, and you should stay tuned to find out!

 

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