UNLEASHED ONLINE FOR PUPPIES

The Puppy Starter Kit---Congratulations on your decision to add a puppy to your family. Puppies add a spark to your family dynamic like no other! They are funny, curious, wonderfully energetic and a lot of work! UNLEASHED ONLINE is the “go-to” resource for your needs. The Puppy Starter Kit can help in the process of choosing the right dog for your family. The way a dog looks should be only one of many considerations when choosing your new family member. UNLEASHED ONLINE advises owners on essential information like housetraining, socialization, mouthing and the foundation exercises that owners can start right away.

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Agility for Puppies and Adult Dogs!

The weather conditions are wetter and the winter is upon us. Unfortunately the outdoor agility area that Yogadog offers in the spring summer and fall is slippery and a bit too muddy for classes. In the meantime, indoor agility, levels one, two and three will be held at Pup Culture 6939 Hastings Street in Burnaby. The equipment is smaller but ideal for indoor work. The level one is for beginners and level two is for graduates of puppy agility or for dogs who have had some agility training. Level three is brand new for 2013 and consists of harder sequences and angles as well as better team work and challenges the humans as much as the dogs! I am offering these classes for 50% off as a promotion to get more people out there and get ready for the return of outdoor agility in April when the weather gets better!

To register call Shannon at 604-312-8754 or contact at shannon@yogadog.ca

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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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Children and Puppies Handling Chasing and Biting

I have several clients right now with young puppies and young children.  It can be a precious mix, especially when the kids are just old enough to be helping feed, walk and train their new family member.  It can be an adorable, fun interaction. That is, until those kids are ready to burn off some energy and start racing around the house or yard with the puppy snapping after them like a furry little alligator. 

"How do we handle this?" the parents want to know.  It partly depends on the age and training level of the puppy, but in general, you begin with management and progress to training.  Thats to say, when the puppy is very young your best bet is to manage the situation.  As puppy grows training will play more and more of a role until management is no longer an important part of the picture.

So what is management versus training?  In the case of a puppy chasing, jumping on and biting at children who are playing wildly, management will start with the use of a crate.  When the children are playing quietly they should be taught how to interact properly around the puppy, but all kids have those times where they are over-the-top with energy - this is a time to put the puppy in its crate, along with a stuffed Kong or a safe chew toy.  Its just not fair to expect your children to change their behavior (they are truly being children after all), and its not fair to ask your puppy to ignore everything instinctual (running, chasing, tackling and biting that squealing human puppy).

As the puppy matures a little and gets some training, its time to move onto a new phase of management.  Instead of crating your puppy when the kids are being wild, try putting the puppy on a leash and allowing them to watch, but not join in, the craziness.  Try to keep your puppy busy with some easy obedience training (dont forget your treats and clicker), games or toys.  If puppy finds it too frustrating then he or she may not be quite ready to move beyond quiet time in the crate.

Once your puppy can handle things on leash, the next step is allowing the puppy to remain loose while the children play, closely supervised by you.  Use the time to practice some recalls (coming when called).  Give lots of praise for every successful recall - thats a tough exercise!  This is also a great opportunity to work on down-stay or "settle."

Keep things fun and positive, and remember, be sure to set your puppy up for success.  These first few months are setting the stage for the behavior and relationship you get with your puppy over the next 12 or more years.  Take the time to do it right and you will be rewarded many times over!

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