DOG TRAINING TIPS

Tips for Adult Dogs

• Enclose an outside potty area for your dog to relieve himself.  If it is possible, create an area outside where your dog can relieve himself. Once your dog is conditioned to go to this designated area, clean up will be easier, and in bad weather your dog won’t waste any time looking for the perfect spot . . . ‘cause he’ll already know where to go.

• Don’t over-stimulate your dog in your home. Most pet owners allow their young dogs too much freedom before they earn the privilege. All dogs should go through a step-by-step process on how to properly behave in your home before they are allowed the freedom that you want them to eventually have.

• Learn how to use different dog training tools with Mr. Bob. There are many wonderful training tools in the pet industry to help each family be as consistent with their training as possible. The advantages of finding an experienced professional who is well-versed in utilizing different tools to help teach you the benefits, when used properly, will aid in the consistency of your total training program. Unfortunately, it’s the misuse of training aids that discourage the consumer from using these devices.

• Keep your dog’s training cage totally covered. Keep a cover over your dog’s cage when you are busy around the house, asleep, or at work, so your dog will remain relaxed and quiet. (A bed sheet will do nicely.)

• Dogs do not have a sense of time. All dogs learn through the associations of daily patterns in their lives. A dog cannot discern the difference between an hour and three hours. You need not feel guilty if you find yourself away for a longer than normal period of time.

It’s never too late to change your dog’s behavior!

Tips for Puppies

• Temporarily, keep a short leash on your puppy. If you keep a short leash on your puppy in your home, you will be able to direct him. One of the basic principles in your puppy’s developmental stages of learning is to understand that you are the one in control. “No leash” means no control or guidance. By keeping a short leash on your pup when out of the training crate, you can communicate and guide your message easily.

• Don’t leave your puppy unattended. As a rule, it is never safe for you to leave your puppy alone. Puppies can hurt themselves, damage your home, and develop bad habits when not under your watchful eye. And without proper guidance, they will not learn what is good and bad behavior.

• Temporarily, feed your puppy in the crate.  Think of your dog’s crate as a ‘den’ - a dog’s natural feeding area. This is where the mother dog would develop a feeding pattern for her pups. These natural feeding instincts are very strong. If you continue to mimic this technique, this will teach your pup where to eat, when to eat, and what it should eat.

• Limit your pup’s time out of the cage. Dogs do not have a sense of time. Their perception of time is based on learning associations. An example of this would be, when you leave the house for a short time, a dog is just as happy to see you when you return as if you were gone the whole day.

• Keep your puppy’s crate fully covered. When dogs are visually stimulated in their crate when they are expected to rest, they can develop obsessive barking and wild behavior. By covering their crate, you mimic the den environment, which is their natural shelter, which they find safe and visually peaceful. (I place my crate against a wall, and then I place a larger board on top of the cage, and then drape a flat bed sheet over the uncovered area.)

Behavior training is the “core or foundation” to all dog training. Without a solid foundation, behavior problems develop.

Serving: Bucks County and Montgomery County, PA