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HOW
TO TRAIN A DOG OR PUPPY - THE FUN WAY!!!
- by
J Holland.
These are extracts from my 17000+ word, dog and puppy training/care guide, 'How to train a dog or puppy - The FUN WAY!!!'. These extracts are a 'preview' and have been reduced, and all photos removed. The full version of my popular dog training guide is for sale here.
Contents: (click here to see purchase details)
Caring for your dog or puppy:
1. The most important thing!
2. The first few weeks.
3. What should I feed my dog or puppy?
4. When should I feed my puppy?
5. House training.
6. Crate training.
7. Exercising your dog.
8. Socialising your dog.
9. Dogs and children.
10. General health, fleas, worms, other infections, vaccinations and check ups.
11. Travelling.
12. When you go on holiday.
13. Fun, Fun and more fun!
14. Some common problems:
• “My puppy cries at night, it’s unbearable! What can I do?”
• “My puppy chews my furniture! What can I do?”
• “My puppy keeps biting me. What can I do?
• “My puppy barks all the time, please help!”
• “My dog keeps digging everywhere. What can I do?”
15. General Do’s and Don’ts.Commands, tricks and phrases for your dog or puppy:
Basic Commands, Tricks and phrases:
1) “Come”
2) “Sit”
3) “Lie down”
4) “Stay”
5) “Drop it”
6) “Fetch”
7) “Ouch!!!Advanced commands, tricks and phrases:
1) “Roll over”
2) “Paw”
3) “Up” (“Up you come…”)
4) “Spin”
5) “Stand up”
6) “Beg”
7) Your own tricks, how to do it.
__________________
Caring for your dog or puppy:
1.
The most important thing about having a dog!
Undoubtedly the most important aspect of training and owning a dog is
your relationship with your dog. While your dog is a puppy they will look
up to you and seek for your guidance and notice your reactions to things
that go on around them. It is important to be relaxed and patient. Never
hit or smack your dog, they won’t fully understand why you’ve
hit them, which will leave them thinking that humans are unpredictable
and painful to be around, and nervous dogs are not happy dogs. And unhappy
dogs usually have unhappy owners.
When training a dog or puppy the most important thing is to keep it fun. All puppies love to play, and so keeping training exercises playful is very important. While a puppy is developing, their little puppy ‘minds’ are developing at a ferocious rate, and all the little things you show and teach them (including bad moods and irritability) will leave a lasting impression on their personality. This is why all training should be fun and not a chore or a punishment. If a puppy is forced to do something, most likely, they will be confused and frightened, they will turn to their owner for guidance, if the owner is the cause of their fear, the dog will feel desperate and lost, and so will be nervous and untrusting – not a good thing for future training and your dogs personality.
So please, please keep it fun. You only get your dog as a cute puppy for a short while, so make the most of it and have some fun. It’ll make all the difference in the long run, you’ll end up with a happy dog who’s friendly and eager to please (because they’ll want to make you happy!), and that loves learning new things because it’s fun.
The more you reward good behaviour the quicker your puppy will realised you liked what it just did, and so will behave more and more like that the next time a similar situation occurs.
2.
The first few weeks.
The first few weeks should be about getting your new addition to the family
settled down and feeling safe. Don’t forget they’ve just had
what will probably be the worst upheaval of their lives, the separation
from their mum, siblings and previous routines (assuming they’re
a puppy!).
Let your puppy settle in gently, make a nice safe feeling ‘den’ for them (it could be a cardboard box on its side or a crate with nice soft blanket (or soft dog bed) in it). You should put their new home in a small cordoned off area that’s all theirs, and put lots of newspaper down on the floor to mop up any wee and protect your floor. Near the back door is often a good place and it will give good quick access to the garden for your house training later on. Give them some small toys to play with, the toys will provide lots of fun stimulation for your puppy, and help keep them entertained while your not there.
Always put out plenty of fresh water everyday and a bowl for their food. Clean out your puppy’s home every day (or more often if it’s smelly) and remove old stained newspapers and put down new ones often, so the puppy can keep clean.
Let them explore their new surroundings at their own pace.
When should you start training your puppy? It’s a difficult area, some dog professionals will say ‘do not try to train puppies less than 12 weeks old’. Before this age they are small, confused and still learning what the world looks like. However some gentle, fun training can be started at about 10wks. The routine of the first few weeks and the precedents you set during this time are very important for your dog. I started gently training ‘Olive’ my Jack Russell (notoriously stubborn and difficult to train!) at 10wks and she’s turned out super! But remember keep it fun and let them learn at their own pace.
Once your puppy has reached about 8 weeks old, it is important to get them checked by the vet and ensure all relevant immunizations have been performed or are in the process of being done. It’s usual for the owners of the litter your dog came from, to start the immunisations before any puppies are sold. It’s also a nice way of getting your puppy used to the vet, the vets practice and unusual smells that live there! Ask your vet about dog and puppy food (they can often sell excellent dog and puppy foods), and if you can have a puppy weight chart (some vets practices have the dog weighed every few months) that you can fill in at home.
Depending on where you live the guidelines for immunisation and diseases you need to protect your dog for, differ. Please make sure you check the guidelines for your area by asking your vet.
3.
What should I feed my dog or puppy?
This is entirely up to you, however, I recommend feeding your dog a balanced
dried food that is formulated for the age of your dog. Always ask your
vet or at puppy training classes if you’re not sure. Many supermarkets
sell large packs of good dog and puppy food nowadays. To keep your dog
healthy DO NOT feed human leftovers or feed your dog from your plate,
there is a huge amount of sugar and salt in ‘human food’,
it will not do your dog any good at all, instead they’ll start to
get obsessed about getting tit-bits at dinner time, and they’ll
never leave you to eat in peace. Dogs are dogs, not little people, there
are some things that are very bad you’re your dog, and chocolate
is one. Chocolate for human consumption will make your dog ill and many
consider it poisonous for dogs (because of caffeine induced heart problems).
I occasionally let my dog have human food, but that’s only if she
beats me to cleaning it up off the floor when it’s dropped! Please
don’t feed your dog human food, you’ll be starting on the
road to picky eating, grumpy behaviour, bad teeth/bones, mood swings,
obsessed with begging at meal times etc…
Puppies should be fed specially made puppy food, buy this from your vet or pet shop. Puppies require quite a bit of food to grow well, so it’s worth getting a good brand even if it’s just for the first few weeks. A good one here in the UK is Burns Mini-bites Complete Diet. This is a complete diet which is excellent, nutritionally balanced, made from high quality ingredients to promote healthy growth and is recommended by most vets. As this food is dry, you will need to soak it in warm water for about 5 minutes beforehand so it can turn soft.
Dog Treats
that I recommend:
I do recommend you get ‘dog friendly’ treats from your local
vet or pet shop. You’ll see later on that these are extremely useful
for teaching commands and tricks; I should have called this e-book training
a dog with treats! Anyway, it gets great results, quickly and dogs love
it.
The treats I favour are:
- Chews made of hide – last for hours and keep your dog busy and entertained!
- A stuffed ‘Kong™’ – stuff this very hard rubbery hollow cone with tasty dog food. Your dog will be busy for hours, trying to get it all out!
- ’Dog friendly’ chocolate buttons – My dog Olives’ favourite, she loves them! And they are cheap and small and easily broken into halves or even quarters so you can give just a tiny amount as a treat (as my dog Olive is only small!). Because dogs love them and they don’t last very long in the mouth, they’re perfect for trick and command training, as you can use one for a reward, they eat it quickly and then they’re quickly focused on the next task in order to get another one. For training later, I recommend you get a whole lot of these. Remember not to give too many to your dog each day or they may get diarrhoea, this is another reason I snap them into quarters to make them go further.
- Anything else – If you notice a particular thing your dog likes, use it to your advantage. Just make sure it’s not bad for them, and avoid anything with salt added to it.
4.
When should I feed my puppy?
This is a difficult one; everyone you ask will have a different view on
this question. What I have always done is leave a bowl of food out all
day until my bedtime. Now some people think this is bad – letting
a dog eat when it wants. However I believe that puppies need all the food
they can get whilst growing, and leaving your dog to eat when they want
means they become less obsessed with food and feeding time. And when they’re
hungry they can eat. If you give your dog a good dry biscuit food it’s
very unusual to get a fat dog with this method. Having said that, obviously
keep an eye on your dog’s weight, and alter the feeding programme
accordingly. Also I remove the food bowl when going to bed as it helps
prevent your puppy having a midnight feast and needing a wee or poo in
the middle of the night (as dogs love to wee after a meal!).
If you don’t want to leave dried food out for them all the time, young puppies should be fed 4 times a day. When they reach 4 months of age you should feed them 3 times daily, reducing to twice a day at 6 months. The amount to feed your puppy will depend on their age and size. If your puppy starts to get diarrhoea, cut down the amount you are feeding immediately and give them plain boiled rice and chicken for the day. If your puppy seems unwell or if there is blood in their poo, contact your vet immediately. Always have a fresh supply of water available.
5.
House training.
House training is very important, a well house-trained dog keeps you happy,
and that keeps your dog happy. Dogs do not like to pee or poo in their
homes, but they will if they can’t hold it in any longer, get too
excited, have a bladder infection or have been, by omission, ‘taught’
it’s ok to wee or poo in the house.
So where do you start? Well you’ve already started, with the newspaper in their ‘home area’. When you put newspaper down on the floor of the puppy’s den area, the puppy has to do ‘it’s business’ on the newspaper as it’s the only place to go. Most puppies like to keep clean and will start to go in certain areas of their enclosure, usually the area that’s the furthest distance from their food and bed area. You want to encourage this choosy behaviour by removing poo daily from their enclosure. They will still smell where they poo’d last time and try to do it in the same place as before. This innate cleanliness of your puppy is your first step to having them fully house trained.
Puppies (and dogs) are most likely to wee or poo are after a nice sleep, walks, and playtime, especially after they’ve had something to eat.
Here's how to house train you dog really easily: (click here for purchase details of this ebook) #### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ## ## ### ###### ## ####### #### ######## ## ### ## ### ### #### #### # ######## ####### ### ####### ### ###### ### ## ##### ### ### ##### ####### ## ## ## ## ###### ## ### ## #### ## ## #### #### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ## ## ### ###### ## ####### #### ######## ## ### ## ### ### #### #### # ######## ####### ### ####### ### ###### ### ## ##### ### ### ##### ####### ## ## ## ## ###### ## ### ## #### ## ## #### #### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ## ## ### ###### ## ####### #### ######## ## ### ## ### ### #### #### # ######## ####### ### ####### ### ###### ### ## ##### ### ### ##### ####### ## ## ## ## ###### ## ### ## #### ## ## ####
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Getting your puppy weeing and pooing outside is the last step, of what is probably the most important thing you’ll teach them. It’s nearly the end of having a slightly smelly kitchen! Here’s how you do it:
(click here for purchase details of this ebook)#### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ## ## ### ###### ## ####### #### ######## ## ### ## ### ### #### #### # ######## ####### ###
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A nice intermediate step, if they are still having trouble understanding, is to (click here for purchase details of this ebook)#### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ##### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ## ## ### ###### ## ####### #### ######## ## ### ## ### ### #### #### # ######## ####### ### ####### ### ###### ### ## ##### ### ### ##### ####### ## ## ## ## ###### ## ### ## #### ## ## ####
The moment they ask you to go outside for a wee, signifies a real achievement in training your puppy. You should let them out into the garden and once they’ve finished weeing or pooing reward them with a good play or treat. You’ve done it! Now you’ve got to keep reinforcing this behaviour until it’s second nature to them. It won’t take long. Once you have confidence in them you can remove the newspapers for good. Now you have a house-trained puppy!
Tip: You could make a little area in your garden for them to go to the loo in that is near the back door and puppy proof, you don’t want to loose your puppy in the neighbours garden or play near your garden pond.
Tip: Don’t forget to let them out before you go to bed, and make big fuss of them if they have a wee or poo.
Small puppies (and some older ones too!) have weaker bladders than grown up dogs. And because of this they still may accidentally wee if they get excited (i.e. when someone comes home from work), if you pick them up (the increased abdominal pressure) or if there bladder gets a bit too full. Don’t worry this is normal; once they are older this should stop.
6.
Crate training.
Crate training is useful for many reasons. If your dog ever has to stay
over night at the vets, they will be kept in a closed crate, so it’s
good if they are familiar with crates already. If you go on long car journeys
a crate is an excellent way of keeping control of your dog while you’re
travelling. A crate (open) with a soft blanket and a few toys also makes
and excellent safe ‘home’ for your dog to live in (like a
dog bed but with a door!).
Make sure the crate is always big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lie down in. If your dog is a puppy, either buy a crate big enough for them when they are fully grown, or buy a bigger crate when they outgrow it.
Never use a crate as a punishment, it will panic and stress out your dog and will make them mistrust you in future.
Tip: Make sure the door of the crate can’t close by accident by tying it back. A trapped dog on its own all day is not a good situation.
Tip: Always remove your dog’s collar before you let them in the crate, clasps and buckles have been know to get caught in the crate and this could be fatal for your dog.
Step-by-step guide to crate training your dog:
1) (click here for purchase details of this ebook)#### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ###### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ## ## ### ###### ## ####### #### ######## ## ### ## ### ### #### #### # ######## ####### ### ####### ### ###### ### ## ##### ### ### ##### ####### ## ## ## ## ###### ## ### ## #### ## ## ####
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This 20 minute period is plenty of time for them to become ‘familiar’ with a shut crate. Remember to go at your dogs rate of learning, if they don’t like it, either it’s not ‘fun’ enough or you need to take it slower.
Only shut the door on the crate for training purposes or when you travel with the dog and crate.
Tip: never shut your dog in the crate for punishment purposes, it will really stress them out and will cause them to mistrust you and then you’re much less likely to train them well in the long run
Tip: Always praise your dog for getting anything you want them to do, right. It will help them learn all sorts of things.
7.
Exercising your dog.
All dogs love going for walks and they’ll soon learn the words for
‘walk’, they can even learn to understand spelling ‘W-A-L-K’
if you use it as code! I now have to say ‘W’ to mean ‘walk’
if I don’t want Olive to understand, but she still tilts her head
at me, as if to say ‘I know that letter!’
Exercising really is a dog’s favourite thing. They don’t know it, but it keeps them fit and strong. As far as they’re concerned, it’s a good way of checking out the world outside the home and garden. A dog that’s taken out of the house often is much happier as they know the area around where you live, and understand it to be a nice safe place to live in. If you don’t take them out regularly they are often wary when you have to take them out (to the vets etc) or so excited they can be difficult to keep under control.
It’s a really good idea to start going for at least one good walk every day (manage two a day and your dog will REALLY love you!). Going for a walk everyday, regardless of the weather, will keep your dog from hassling you to go out, as they know they will go for one later, when you’re ready. If exercise is lacking or you forget to walk the dog for a day or two, they understandably get a bit tense, frustrated and so full of untamed energy they’ll be more troublesome.
Good places to walk are the park, the beach (if you’re lucky enough to live near one), local woods, footpaths and even to the shops and back. Any excursion out will be a real treat to your dog and this can be used to good advantage in training. Be aware of any local rules or laws regarding dogs when you’re out with them. Sometimes they have to be on the lead at all times. Some places (e.g. some beaches) are often designated ‘dog friendly’, however dog access to beaches is often seasonal. Breaking the rules and getting caught can mean a stiff fine.
Don’t forget to take a small plastic bag to collect your doggies’
poo, as and when it appears! If you pick it up the dog fairy will smile,
and you’ll keep the place safe for children and you’ll be
a good ambassador for dog lovers everywhere.
If your dog is still a puppy don’t over-exercise them. They only have short legs so even a short walk to them is like a marathon to us! Keep exercise and walks short to start with. Let your dog guide you as to the length of time you walk them. If they are tired, stop and leave it for a while. Once they’re over 9 months old they will need longer walks depending on the breed of dog.
Tip: Try not to use ‘extendable’ leads; although very tempting and convenient, they have led to many tragic accidents when used for walking dogs on roads. You are much less in control of your dog on one of these leads.
8.
Socialising your dog.
Socialising your dog is very important. A well socialised dog keeps calm
under unpredictable conditions. For example, if you’re walking your
dog on the beach and a 4 year old child runs up to your dog and pulls
its tail, you definitely want your dog to be used to people and children
and know how to react. Teaching this type of thing is difficult to do
specifically. It’s all about day to day socialising, and showing
them guidance when they’re with you. Many behavioural problems in
dogs are caused by a lack of socialisation while they are young. A good
start is to let your dog ‘say hello’ to everyone you meet,
for the first few months.
When your puppy is new to the world, everything looks very big and intimidating. So they need lots of reassurance and fun to help them settle. Similarly when your dog or puppy comes across something new they will react in a way that is natural to them. What you don't want is your dog to start becoming aggressive in unusual situations. If your dog gets aggressive, especially with a person, you must shout ‘No’ at the top of your voice and pull them back to you on the lead. The shock of you shouting will usually make the dog realise they must not repeat that behaviour. So socialising is all about getting out in the world with you as their guide as to what is ok to do, and what is not.
Socialising a dog while they are a puppy is always easier, as they are smaller and easier to keep control of. Do take the time to introduce your puppy to any situation or sights and sounds you expect them to come across in later life.
When your puppy is old enough it’s always good to go for walks down busy(ish) high streets and parks. They’ll absorb all the smells and sounds as non-threatening and in future will accept them as normal. Try not to do everything too quickly or your dog may become overwhelmed and panic. Give good praise and reassurance when they behave well and clearly say “no” if they do something you disapprove of followed by no reward or praise.
Good things to introduce to your puppy are:
- Lots of friendly people!
- Children and elderly people. (Always watch children with dogs)
- Other dogs (especially if they are friendly and not too skittish!)
- Traffic – Cars, Lorries and motor-bikes
- Trains (and the station)
- Bicycles
- Rivers and lakes (keep an eye on them!)
- Boats
- Horses
- Wide open fields with rabbits (to try to prevent that focused chasing)
- Parks
- Wild animals (e.g. squirrels, rabbits and ducks etc)
- Bridges
- Thunder and lightening
- Vacuum cleaners, brushes and brooms
- Any other noisy household appliances
- Being on their own
It’s not a good idea to be with your puppy all the time. They have to learn to be on their own sometimes, and starting this while their young is much easier. Try leaving them alone for small periods each day, so they get used to it. However leaving your puppy on their own for too long is even more problematic, often it results in your puppy becoming attention-seeking (noisy), destructive and badly-behaved.
Walking in the park or on the beach are excellent ways of introducing your puppy to other people and dogs - make sure they’ve had the correct vaccinations though. Don’t let them off the lead until you are confidant they’ll come back to you, however once off the lead they will no doubt go shooting off after the nearest dog or person. A good trick in this situation is to call them back with ‘Come’ and as soon as they look at you, quickly turn away from them and ‘pretend’ to run away (like your going to leave without them). This almost always initiates a feeling of being left behind due to them having gone too far from you. They should run straight back to you. If they do come back to you, praise them lots and carry on with your walk. This is a way of learning the ‘Come’ command - it’s not a very safe way though (the best way is mentioned later).
Always praise your dog for behaving well especially out in public, it’s a very busy place for a dog, and to concentrate on getting things right (even half the time!) is a great achievement.
‘Puppy classes at your local vets’ is another great way of your dog meeting new people and other puppies. You’ll start to notice their usual behaviours with other dogs (submissive/inquisitive/aggressive etc) and if necessary slowly change it to your wants but also let your puppy be an individual too. Puppy classes are also excellent ways of swapping knowledge and tips with other owners. And finding out about your local vets practice and all about different feeds and regular treatments your dog will need.
9.
Dogs and children.
It’s important your dog meets children. I’ve made a short
list of things to know about having dogs and children together:
Dogs and Children:
- If you have just got a new dog or puppy, children in the house should let them settle in gently. Ask them not to hit, poke and prod the dog! And not to wake up them up when they’re sleeping.
- A dog is not a plaything like a toy, ask children not to treat them as such.
- Never let young children try to pick up a dog, they may do it roughly or incorrectly, hurting the dog, and the dog may react badly.
- Always supervise your dog with children (especially if they’ve never met before) until you are certain there won’t be problems.
- If there are lots of children visiting your house make sure you give your dog a place it can go to be away from all the noise and partying!
10.
General health, fleas, worms, other infections, vaccinations and check
ups.
It’s always good to examine your dog for general health issues regularly.
It’s also good to keep your dog used to being handled and examined;
a nice treat afterwards usually stops your dog resenting the intrusion!
Areas to examine are:
1) Toes and feet: For thorns and other foot problems. (Between the toes too).2) In the mouth: Check for good teeth growth and keep an eye on dental caries build-up (just like in people). A good diet without ‘human’ style tit-bits will prevent dental problems. Sweets and chocolate are a definite no-no. If your dog has caries, you should use a dog toothbrush with dog toothpaste (the human kind is very bad for dogs) once a week, more if necessary. Dog toothpastes come in lots of different flavours like chicken and beef! Dental chews can be a good way of cleaning the teeth if your dog isn’t too keen on the toothbrush.
3) The dogs’ coat: Check for good condition, and fleas and ticks. Do regularly wash your dogs coat in the bath or outside with the hose, with a good flea shampoo. Do not do it too often, I find once every 3 weeks is good. Make sure you carefully wash the head too (try to avoid the eyes), as this is a prime place for fleas to live, as is the base of the tail and lower back. Also don’t forget to keep
applying your brand of anti-flea/tick medication between the shoulder blades (so they can’t lick it), as often as suggested by your brand. These precautions should keep your dog flea and tick free. It’s also good to brush and comb your dog regularly. Your dog will enjoy it and it will keep their coat in good order.4) The ears: Check for obstructions, good hearing and excessive wax build up.
5) The eyes: Check for brightness, and clarity. If you see persistent redness of the eye get a check up at the vet.
Vaccinations:
Vaccinations are very important for your dogs good health. I believe that
although problems with vaccinations do happen (and thankfully are very
rare), this is totally out-weighed by their benefits.
Early vaccinations against life threatening infections save many dogs lives every year. Puppies are particularly susceptible to disease and should be vaccinated under your vets supervision as early as possible. This will help ensure good health and help boost their normal natural immunity.
Vaccinations can be generally classified into ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’. You should use non-essential vaccinations if you and your dogs’ lifestyle increases the risk of catching one of these diseases. Your vet will know which vaccinations are best for your dog, Contact your vet early to ensure good protection for your dog or puppy. Most vaccinations do NOT give life-long immunity so keep up to date with the various boosters your vet suggests, which us usually about once a year.
Essential
vaccines:
Parvovirus
Infectious Canine Hepatitis
Distemper
Leptospirsosis
Non essential
vaccines:
Kennel Cough: Found in boarding kennels, shows, training classes and any
circumstances in which dogs are in regular contact with other dogs.
Canine Herpes virus: Breeding bitches
Rabies: If your dog lives in or visits a rabies area.
Worms:
Canine worms live in the gut of the infected dog, and can really make
your dog feel ill. They will also stop your dog gaining weight normally
and a dog with worms is often always tired and lack-lustre.
Puppies must be wormed regularly in the first few weeks after they are born, at about 3 weeks of age and then repeated every 2 – 3 weeks until the puppy is about 16 weeks of age. The treatment must then be administered every 3 months for the rest of the dog’s life. It’s always best to buy these tablets from your vet, as the doses vary according to your dog’s weight, your vet will guide you. A good tip for giving these tablets to your dog is to hide it between two bits of cheese, and press it all together in to a cheese ball! Dogs don’t chew food very much so they will usually scoff it all down before they get a chance to protest!
Pet insurance: If you can afford pet insurance, it is always a good idea. Insurance often only costs about as much as a newspaper a week. Many pet insurance companies give a cheaper monthly cost if you insure your dog from the moment you get them. If you wait until they have an expensive illness you may have to pay a lot for the same insurance. If you get insurance for your dog make sure to ask about any free extras you are covered for, like money towards advertising if your dog goes missing or dental care. Information about pet insurance can be found at most vets surgeries.
11.
Travelling.
Puppies usually feel sick when they’re taken on even a short drive.
This will improve by training your puppy in the car for short distances
first and then keep on increasing the trip time and miles. Your puppy
can get adjusted to long journeys in the car. Even if you don’t
intend on taking your dog in the car with you, this is still a very a
valuable exercise. You never know when you or some one ‘house-sitting’
your dog may need to drive them to the vets. Do not just take your dog
on journeys to the vets or kennels; they will soon learn that the car
is bad news! This will make them become anxious and scared of travelling.
Take them out in the car for fun walks or to visit friends. I recommend
you don’t feed your puppy or dog immediately before travelling.
Obviously never keep a dog locked on it’s own in a sealed car. They cannot cope well with heat and even on a mild day the car’s interior will get very hot. Always open all the windows enough that the air is constantly refreshed and cooled. Always regularly check on them if you intend on keeping them in a car. Better still take your dog with you.
12.
When you go on holiday.
We all have to go away, and leaving your dog behind can be difficult sometimes.
If you are going away for a long period I’d recommend a good local
kennels. Make sure you visit the kennels in advance of your holiday, so
you don’t fell pressured to just accept what’s on offer. A
good kennels will have daily exercise for your dog and lots of fun human
contact. Your dog will be fine in a good kennels; in fact they may really
like the extra doggie contact. If your dog is a nervous type, kennels
may not be best solution, however most dogs are a little nervous at the
start, until they know the place. You could always book them in for a
night some time before you go away, so you can see if your dog manages
ok. Also ask friends and neighbours; they may have used a good kennels
in the past, and a good recommendation is worth it’s weight in gold.
If you do plan to leave your dog in a kennels for a stay, ensure they don’t pick up any disease by vaccinating them against ‘Kennel cough’ prior to their stay. Kennel cough is the common name for ‘Infectious tracheo-bronchitis’ (infected windpipe and lung passages). It can be quite serious and even fatal in younger or older dogs. It gives your dog a whooping-type cough and general flu-y illness that can last weeks, and could lead to pneumonia. It is passed from dog to dog by direct nose to nose contact. Ask your kennels whether they’ve had any problems with kennel cough. So remember to get your dog vaccinated well before the stay. You will need to take your dogs vaccination certificate when they stay, to proof they are up-to-date with jabs.
You can find people in your local telephone directory that offer services like dog sitting. These people often offer the service while you’re away on holiday, they will go into your house once or twice a day to feed, walk and play with your dog. Obviously try to discern if they are a reputable person/company and they’ll be nice to your dog! I know someone who does this professionally in London, and the dogs (and cats) she looks after have a super time. References are again invaluable.
If you’re lucky you can find people who will be your substitute while you are away! The dog lives at their home with them, so it’s a home-from-home style boarding kennel. Check out the people who’ll look after your dog, and visit them to see how they’ll look after your dog (bring your dog too!).
Even better is to let some friends or family stay to look after your dog while you’re away, they will probably already know each other, and they will know how you like to do things at home. If you can’t get friends to look after your dog, how about offering your house for the time you’re away? I try to do this if possible, my dog gets to stay in her home situation, your friends get a free holiday home and you get free kennelling – everyone wins!
Which ever way you do it, don’t forget to leave some useful information for the person caring for your dog. The following list is always a good start:
- Your emergency contact details (to get hold of you while you’re away).
- Your usual vets contact number (and directions if it’s difficult).
- Your dogs’ insurance details (if you have it) and any other vets paperwork.
- Any medical issues for your dog and appropriate treatments.
- Quick description of your dog’s normal routine.
- Places you don’t want your dog to go, e.g. the fridge!
- Where the dog food and doggie treats are.
- Any commands and tricks you’d like practiced.
- Local routes/places to walk your dog.
- Local pubs that allow dogs in!
When you return from being away, don’t worry if your dog is a little ‘different’ with you for a few hours. They’ve had to acclimatise to a new ‘owner’, new environment and new routine, and it’s hard to cope with all these changes. Sometimes dogs will be a little shell shocked. Usually though, your dog will be very pleased to see you and all will be forgotten after a good night’s rest at home. Make a big fuss of them and they’ll remember you straight away!
13. Fun, Fun and more fun!
Once your dog knows it’s fun to be around you, they will be up for lots of fun walks and exercises, and the relationship between you and your dog will grow. Throwing balls or toys for your dog to retrieve or chase is great fun for your dog (and you if you’ve got a good ‘fetch’ command). Once you are confidant in the behaviour of your dog in public, you could buy a tennis ball ‘thrower’ for extra long throws. They are great tools for exercising your dog, especially if you can’t throw very far. If your dog is under 3 months they may not see the ball if it’s thrown high and far, as a young doggie’s eyes and brain are still developing, they’ll find it difficult to ‘track’ fast and far objects.
I wouldn’t recommend throwing stones for your dog unless you’re a very accurate shot, you could accidentally hurt them. Also stones may crack or wear you’re your dogs teeth when they are picked up or carried in the mouth.
Hoses can be great fun for your dog, as can sprinklers, most dogs have a great time chasing the water as it come out, and it’s very amusing too! If you let them do this just watch out they don’t get too cold, even on a sunny day a soaking wet coat will really cool down a dog, even if they are trying to catch the spray all day! Give them a good drying off afterwards.
Squeaky toys, you either love them or hate them! I love them, they keep my dog happy and exercised as she tries to destroy them, and they keep her off my furniture legs. There are several different types; I find that dogs prefer the cloth ones filled with fluffy stuff. However they only want to pluck all the threads out (one by one – you should see the concentration!) and pull the fluff everywhere, so we keep these toys to a minimum and throw them away once opened. The best kind is the fairly solid plasticized rubber ones, they have proved almost indestructible, and last a long time. We have one that is over 3 years old and is still going strong! If you’re lucky the shrill annoying squeak mechanism will fail (under constant attack!) and become a lot quieter.
14. Some common problems:
Don’t worry all dogs are different and all have some problems now and then, that’s half the fun! Some dogs just take a little longer to settle down, be patient. Here are some common problems, and what you can do about it:
“My
puppy cries at night, it’s unbearable! What can I do?”
This is very common, and is not really a problem; it’s to be expected
really. Just imagine being separated from your warm mum and brothers and
sisters only to be played with in the day but left on your own at night!
You’d probably cry too. This is a form of separation anxiety.
Don’t worry, what you have to do, is (click here for purchase details of this ebook)#### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ####### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ## ## ### ###### ## ####### #### ######## ## ### ## ### ### #### #### # ######## ####### ### ####### ### ###### ### ## ##### ### ### ##### ####### ## ## ## ## ###### ## ### ## #### ## ## ####
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It’s important to not get into the habit of taking them to bed with you!!!! This is a big mistake and often made. Your new puppy is irresistibly cute, but you must resist! allowing them on your bed when they’re older is fine for a Saturday morning treat, but while very young your puppy will absorb each day like it’s going to be their routine for the rest of their lives, and as such, from then on will make a real fuss if you don’t take them to bed every night. And then you’re on that slippery slope of being trained by your puppy, not the other way around! Another good reason is that at this stage, they’ll probably wee on your favourite sheets and then you’ll be grumpy!
“My
puppy chews my furniture! What can I do?”
Dogs love to chew; the trick is to get them to chew the things you want
them to!
They are chewing your furniture because they are bored, it’s tasty
or they are teething as their new teeth are coming through. Here are some
things that will help stop destructive furniture chewing:
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Most dogs will grow out of wanting to distructivly chew things by the age of two years old.
“My
puppy keeps biting me. What can I do?”
When your puppy is young they have very small sharp teeth. It is natural
for them to chew and ‘mouth’ everything in sight, including
you! It’s their way of learning what the world is made of. Every
now and then every puppy will bite too hard. This is totally normal as
when in a litter, they are all nipping and chewing on each other, it’s
a way of showing dominance and seeing what they can get away with without
being nipped back.
When ever you think your puppy is playing too roughly, immediately (click here for purchase details of this ebook)#### ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ## ## ### ###### ## ####### #### ######## ## ### ## ### ### #### #### # ######## ####### ### ####### ### ###### ### ## ##### ### ### ##### ####### ## ## ## ## ###### ## ### ## #### ## ## ######## ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ## ## ### ###### ## ####### #### ######## ## ### ## ### ### #### #### # ######## ####### ### ######## ### # ## ##### # ## ## ##### ## # ##### ## ### # ## ##### # ########## ####### ### ##### ###### ## # ##### # ##### # ## ## ### ###### ## ####### #### ######## ## ### ## ### ### #### #### # ######## ####### ### ####### ### ###### ### ## ##### ### ### ##### ####### ## ## ## ## ###### ## ### ## #### ## ## ##### That's it, all sorted!.
Dogs and puppies need lots of things around them that they are allowed to bite and chew. The more mentally stimulating and challenging the better. Get lots of bones, raw hide chews and stuffed Kong’s (Kong’s are excellent for bored dogs!).
“My
puppy barks all the time, please help!”
Firstly, barking is normal dog behaviour, and as such it’s unfair
to expect your dog to stop barking altogether, however you can do lots
of things to help reduce the intensity and triggers of barking.
A dog barks because they are communicating (‘look at me’), bored (like the sound of their own voice!), frustrated or they’ve been unintentionally trained by their owners. Often it’s something simple like making a fuss of them when they make a nice doggie ‘woof’ noise when they’re a cute puppy, and before you know it you’ve given them the idea that barking (they think it’s talking!) is fun and it’s what you want them to do.
Exercise is probably the best solution to a barking dog, especially if they have been left on their own all day (poor doggie - you’d be frustrated too). A well exercised, tired and relaxed dog is far less likely to bark unnecessarily. Taking them for a nice long walk will clear your head (and theirs!) and when you get home they’ll curl up in their favourite spot and fall asleep.
You’ll never stop a dog barking for good, they just have to bark sometimes, it’s their form of talking. When a dog barks, often they are trying to warn you, many dogs will hear a noise outside (especially at night) and start growling and barking, then looking at their owner they start over again. They are just saying “look out”, “I heard a noise” and “there could be something scary outside!”. In this case, just pat the dog for being a good ‘guard-dog’ then distract them with some training, exercise or play.
If you can’t stop them barking, don’t tear your hair out! Try something different instead; praise/treat them for not barking, and as soon as they bark, just don’t say a word and ignore them and the noise, and carry on playing on your own. Eventually they learn barking won’t get special attention from you.
If the nuisance barking only happens when you leave your dog on their own, it could be separation anxiety, or they might not like certain triggers (like the telephone ringing, or postman calling while you are out). They may lack confidence on their own or around strange people. To counter this, introduce your dog to everyone that calls at your house (postman included!).
If you shout at, or smack them for barking you’re giving them attention (albeit not very nice attention), and that’s why they’re barking in the first place as they’re trying to get your attention, so you’re positively re-enforcing them to think that barking will get your attention after all. Dogs have been bred over the centuries to be good guard dogs, so we should allow them to bark if they think there is an intruder.
A dog hardly ever
barks if they’re busy thinking about other things. Distract them
and keep their little doggie ‘minds’ busy and they’ll
bark much less often.
My dog keeps digging everywhere. What can I do?
Dogs love to dig, it’s what they do (especially terriers!), but
it can be very annoying if they wreck your garden lawn or dig up your
flowers.
The reasons behind this behaviour are various. It could be for fun, attention, looking for prey, protection, escape or just releasing pent-up energy.
If your dog is left for long periods on their own it is probably for fun (because they’re bored). If so try taking them for an extra walk in the day, this will keep them more content.
If you think it’s
for attention, distract them by teaching them more commands and tricks
to keep them busy, also put some toys outside for your dog to play with.
Try to ignore the digging if attention is the reason for it. Telling your
dog off will give them the attention they wanted and will only mean more
digging in the future.
If you think your dog is looking for prey (e.g. mice & rats), there is not much you can do except try to get rid of the pests involved. Obviously if you use poisons or spring traps make sure your dog cannot get anywhere near them.
The digging could be for protective reasons. On a hot day, dogs like to dig a hole in the dirt to lie in, this new hole will be nice and cool compared to the rest of the ground. Similarly on cold and wet days a freshly dug hole is good to keep warm and dry in. To stop this you could have a shaded/rainproof area in your garden or buy/make an insulated doghouse.
If escape is the reason
then try to think what they are trying to escape from, and remove it.
Maybe your dog wants to play in the neighbours’ garden because it’s
more fun or your dog likes their dog. If your dog is very persistent,
putting chicken wire or large rocks under your boundary fences will help
put them off.
Tip: Keep some favourite toys outside for your dog to
play with.
Tip: If you can’t stop the digging you could make an ‘approved’ digging area in your garden. If you catch your dog digging outside this area say ‘no’ or make a loud noise, then take them to the approved digging area.
Commands,
tricks and phrases for your dog or puppy:
Basic Commands, Tricks and phrases:
1) “Come”
2) “Sit”
3) “Lie down”
4) “Stay”
5) “Drop it”
6) “Fetch”
7) “Ouch!!!
Advanced
commands, tricks and phrases:
1) “Roll over”
2) “Paw”
3) “Up” (“Up you come…”)
4) “Spin”
5) “Stand up”
6) “Beg”
7) Your own tricks, how to do it.
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