Best Dog Potty

House Training Your Dog

The absolute first thing you must train your dog to do is  is housebreaking No, no, you don’t teach your dog how to break into your house when you forget your keys. Housebreaking means he must learn where and when he may do his business. Besides being substantially advantageous to the hygiene of your household, dogs benefit from having rules and a routine – as pack animals, they look for duties issued by the pack leader and naturally enjoy keeping schedules. Here are the steps to housebreaking your dog

Dog House Training 1 – The best age to begin housebreaking your puppy is between 8 and 12 weeks old.

Dog House Training 2 – Experts suggest incorporating a crate in a young dog’s training process. (To housebreak an older dog, skip this section.) A crate usually resembles a cage, with a locking door and see-through bars, and should be big enough for the dog to move around in. While it sounds like a miniature jail cell, crates should not be used to punish your puppy. The idea is to make the crate into a doggy bedroom – someplace where your puppy can play and sleep. He should never be confined in his crate for more than two hours at a time.

Dog House Training 3 – Because dogs, thank goodness, don’t believe in eliminating by their sleeping areas, your puppy will not relieve himself in the crate unless you’ve cruelly locked him in there for longer than he was able to hold it in. Three-month old puppies generally need to eliminate every three hours, so lead your puppy to a designated outdoor bathroom spot often.

Dog House Training 4 – Try to always leave the house through the same door – the door you’d like your dog to scratch at to signal his need to go out in the future.

Dog House Training 5 – Try to take your dog out at around the same times each day. A routine will eventually be established, and your dog will soon know to hold it in until you take him out.

Dog House Training 6 – If your not-yet-housebroken dog is used to roaming freely around the house, look for clues that tell you he needs to go. Your dog may suddenly put his nose down and sniff the ground intently. He may begin to circle an area. Or, he may stare at the door with an intense look on his face. Signs like these tell you to drop what you’re doing and get that dog out of the house. If you catch your dog doing his business inside (and only if you catch him – not after you discover he’s already committed the crime), rush over and stop him by grasping his collar, pulling up on it, and saying, “NO” in a deep, stern voice. Then take him outside to let him finish up and praise him with pats on the head or a pleasantly chirped, “Good Fido!” when he does. (Note Don’t say “Fido” if your dog’s name is “Rex.”)

Moving with dogs requires care and planning. Like humans, our canine companions establish a routine at home and can find moving disruptive. Putting some thought into your pooch’s move will go a long way in creating a new, welcoming home for him.

Before the move, talk to your apartment manager about pet rules and regulations, look for a new vet in the area, and be ready to give your dog some time to adjust to his new environment.

Make the transition easier by having a solid plan. Pack a special doggie bag for moving day with the following in it: a dish, bottled water, food, a can opener if necessary, some treats, a towel, cleanup bags, and a couple of toys. Also be sure to have these items on hand: a leash, a dog bed, microchip information, health records, and any medication your pooch may need.

Most dogs travel well in a car, but if yours doesn’t, consult with your vet for suggestions prior to moving day. They may be able to prescribe something that will help ease stomach upset. If your pet is crate trained, transport him that way for additional safety assurance.

Canines find routine disruptions upsetting, so try to keep everything the same as much as possible on moving day. A long walk before all the hullaballoo begins may help relax your dog as well. Try to maintain normal feeding times, but avoid giving him food prior to a lengthy drive.

When you arrive at your new home, take your pooch out for a walk right away if possible so he can start adjusting to his surroundings. Canines use their nose to “see” the world, so he’ll want to explore. Have a favorite toy or the dog bed ready in a quiet room after the walk as it will help him settle in while you finish unpacking.

Also set up the indoor litter box so your dog can eliminate when needed. If your pooch has never used a litter box before, you might want to consider litter training him. An indoor litter box will keep your apartment mess-free, as well as save you the hassles of going down the stairs or using the elevator whenever your pet has to relieve himself.

The common belief that one can’t teach an old dog new tricks is actually untrue. While they may not learn as quickly as younger dogs, most older canines can still be taught, with time and patience.

Maybe that saying about age and learning wasn’t meant to be taken literally. Dogs’ personalities don’t change a lot after puppyhood. Anxious or fearful canines tend to stay that way; you can’t convince them otherwise. Similarly, you can’t turn a dominant dog into a submissive one.

You can, however, teach such dogs how to behave in certain situations, how to remain calm when faced with a threat, and whom to respect as a leader. If a dog’s personality is a piece of wood, then learning is the veneer on it. You can’t alter the wood but you can change the veneer, and at any age.

Teaching the right response to voice commands or hand signals is as essential to communicating with a dog as the alphabet is to language. It’s also important to be consistent.

First, reward your pooch for performing a desired behavior when that behavior occurs naturally. For instance, give him a food treat for lying down, sitting, or ceasing to bark. Initially, use a reward that is very tempting, not just kibble or a piece of biscuit. If your dog likes the reward, he will be inclined to perform the behavior more often.

The next step is to add a verbal command or sign that must precede the behavior if it is to be rewarded. This is referred to as a conditional stimulus, and it has to be present if a reward for performing the desired behavior is impending. The command should be delivered only once. If your dog is slightly hard of hearing, increase the volume of your voice. Whatever you do, don’t repeat the command. If your pet obeys, reward him right away. If he doesn’t, don’t reward him. The opposite of reward isn’t punishment, it’s no reward.

With the above technique, any behavior can be trained, including fetching the newspaper or closing cupboard doors. More complicated behaviors need to be shaped, or trained in stages. A clicker not only helps your dog appreciate that he is in training mode but also improves the timing of the reward. Methods that involve punishment are not acceptable, especially for older dogs.

Obedient responses to commands may also be used to help correct behavior problems. For example, dogs that bark too much and at the wrong times can be taught to be quiet on cue. Canines that eliminate inside the house can be rewarded for going to a designated spot outdoors, and those with separation anxiety can be trained to spend time away from their owners.

If you make sure your canine senior citizen is always learning and always has something new to keep himself occupied, he will be more likely to remain bright and mentally active for a long time. Being continually subjected to stimulation may improve your dog’s health and extend his lifespan. Forget, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Instead, replace it with, “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” Keep that in mind and keep training your dog right to the end. Neither of you are too old to learn.

Senior Dog Care

Because of better nutrition, owner care and advances in veterinary medicine, our senior canine companions are living healthier and longer lives. Several toy breeds have a life expectancy well into the late teens or early twenties, while many bigger breeds have doubled their life spans in the past few decades.

What’s the definition of old for a dog? It’s probably the last 25 percent of his life. So if a small pooch is expected to live 16 years, he would become a senior at 12 years old, and if a large dog has a life expectancy of 10 years, he would be considered old at 7.5 years of age.

Our aging dogs have been our loving friends for many years and we’ve come to appreciate their predictable behavior and calm demeanor. However, you may have started to notice changes in your pet’s appearance, disposition and activity level. Canines are sensory animals and as they get older, their senses begin to decline.

Your dog’s eyesight can become impaired with age by certain conditions such as cataract, glaucoma and dry eye (reduced tear production). You may also observe symptoms of hearing loss when your pet no longer comes when called or startles easily. You will have to adapt to these changes and train your dog to recognize hand signals.

Your dog may refuse his meals due to dental disease or declining taste sensitivity. You will have to adjust by warming his food to enhance the taste and smell. Your pet’s ability to distinguish scents may diminish with age and he will have to make use of another sense to compensate.

Aside from dulling senses, you may become aware of the fact that your dog isn’t so eager to go for walks anymore. If so, make the walks shorter. Your pet may also have to urinate more often. Reduce his water intake late at night so you won’t be wakened to let your dog out in the middle of the night. If you have a smaller dog you can train him to use an indoor litter box.

If your dog has arthritis, you might want to get a ramp or steps so he can get onto his favorite couch without difficulty. You can also minimize problems by slimming him down through diet and exercise.

Many senior dog health conditions are caused by canine obesity. Being overweight can increase the odds and severity of canine diabetes, arthritis, kidney disease and heart disease. Older dogs need about 25 calories per pound of body weight each day compared to 100 calories per pound for puppies and 60 calories per pound for adult canines. A proper diet combined with exercise can help shed extra weight and improve your dog’s overall well-being.