Pica, or eating nonfood items like rocks, wood, drywall, socks, and coins, usually starts with chewing the items. A dangerous, even deadly habit, pica can cause damage to the mouth and teeth, illness from ingesting toxic substances, and intestinal blockage, just to name a few of the possible ill effects. Why Do They Do That? …
Every dog, like every person, is an individual. They each have their own likes and dislikes and chewing styles. Some are power chewers, and others are more delicate. With the wide array of chewing items available at your local grocery and pet store, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find something suitable for your dog …
To teach your dog good chewing habits when she’s not crated, you need to be there to let her know it’s not okay to chew on some things, like shoes, chairs, and sofas, but that it is okay to chew on other things, like her toys, rawhides, and marrowbones. If you’re not around to direct …
Interruption and Redirection of Your Dog’s Chewing Read More »
Chewing fulfills multiple physical, mental, and emotional needs in your dog. He doesn’t just want to chew; he has to chew, and he will chew virtually anything in his path to satisfy his urge, even though what he chooses to chew on might be completely inexplicable to you. Puppy Chewing When they’re teething, and as …
Submissive urination is a common problem and can be very frustrating for dog owners to deal with. It often appears just before puberty, and usually goes away with a little maturity if it’s dealt with properly. Dos and Don’ts Do keep greetings and departures calm. If she’s hysterical when greeting people, wait for her to …
Housebreaking adult dogs can be more challenging than housebreaking puppies, but it doesn’t have to be. The trick is to treat them just like they are puppies, which means not giving them chances to make mistakes (confinement and supervision are your friends!) and keeping them on a consistent eating and eliminating schedule until they are …
You’re late for work. It’s raining, snowing, or brutally hot. You don’t want to wait half an hour for your dog to potty; you want him to go, and go now. Teaching your dog to eliminate on command is a way for you to make your life with your dog a little easier. Going to …
Your dog is not going to housebreak himself. To prevent accidents, and to help him learn to hold it, diligent supervision and confinement are absolutely essential elements of successful housebreaking. No Freedom to Make Mistakes Supervision means that your dog doesn’t have the opportunity to go in some hidden location — behind the couch, down …
Supervision and Confinement as Housebreaking Aids Read More »
Your first job when housebreaking your new dog is to establish a consistent schedule. Dogs are creatures of routine and habit. A consistent schedule will help your dog become housebroken by providing a predictable routine. Housebreaking the Puppy For the very young (under 3 months) puppy, the schedule is all about observation. Your puppy doesn’t …
While socialization is vital to your dog’s happiness and good behavior, there are some potential pitfalls to be aware of. The benefits of a socialized dog far outweigh the risks, but you do have to be aware of them. Health and Safety Just like when kids socialize at the playground, there is the possibility for …
Your dog doesn’t just need to be exposed to people and animals to be sure of himself. He needs experience with all kinds of sights, sounds, and surfaces. The best breeders start this process when puppies are just a few weeks old. They know that mild stress at an early age improves adaptability and coping …
Even if your dog is your only pet, he’ll encounter a variety of other animals in his life — some routinely, like other dogs, cats, and the local wildlife; and some rarely, if ever, like livestock. Taking the time to expose your dog at an early age to a variety of animals of all sizes …
Making sure that your dog is well socialized to other dogs requires time and effort, but the payoff makes the expenditure well worth it. You won’t have to worry about your dog behaving aggressively when you encounter other dogs on walks, you can let another dog play with and tire your dog out and save …
Making sure your dog is well socialized with people is the single most important thing you’ll do for her in her life. The truth is, she can eat every shoe you own, pee on every carpet, and drag you down the street when you walk her, and while you would be happier if she didn’t …
Although how your dog behaves is serious business, and you are serious about him behaving appropriately, training doesn’t have to be a dull and serious chore. Approach the teaching of your commands as a game. Right away, this fosters a positive attitude in your dog toward learning new things, and creates a desire to work …
Consistency In training, lack of consistency will come back to bite you in several ways. Inconsistency in commands causes confusion, like if you try to make one command have several meanings. For example, don’t try to have the word “Down” mean lie down, get off the couch, and get off you. How is your dog …
Timing is a critical part of successful dog training. There are several intertwined ways that good timing can significantly improve the success of your training program. Timing Reinforcement Your timing in delivering reinforcement is absolutely critical to your dog’s understanding of each exercise. As far as your dog is concerned, what you reward is what …
Corrections, punishments, constructive criticism. Whatever you want to call it, at some point you will have to help your dog understand that he’s made an error and has to correct it. Correcting or Nagging? There is a delicate balance to be achieved between using the least amount of force necessary to get the job done, …
How to Use Corrections Fairly Instead of Nagging Read More »
There is a great deal of controversy regarding the use of treats in the dog-training process. You certainly don’t want to have to carry a bag of treats around for the rest of your dog’s life to get him to listen, but you do want training to be an enjoyable and positive experience for yourself …
There are four things you have to do get your dog to perform a behavior on command reliably: Get the dog to perform the desired behavior. Name the behavior. Reinforce the dog for performing the behavior on command. Help the dog be correct if he doesn’t perform the behavior on command (not necessarily punishment; just …
Reinforcers can be primary, or hard-wired, like food or social contact. Practically anything that your dog likes and will work to get is a primary reinforcer. Secondary, or conditioned reinforcers, are reinforcers that your dog (or you, for that matter) has learned to like because of its association with a primary reinforcer. Your paycheck is …
