How To Choose The Best Cage For Your Dog

By Ran Tyler

One of the best ways to help your dog feel comfortable is getting a dog crate. Whether you're trying to housebreak a new puppy or trying to give your large-breed dog a comfortable place to rest, dog cages are great tools. There are a number of different options available. These range greatly in price and can be purchased either at your local pet supply store or online.

Whether you have a large dog or a small dog, there are a lot of different choices available to suite your budget. The one thing you need to pay close attention to is the size of the cage and whether or not your dog will be able to fit comfortably when inside. A good basis would be to opt for a cage that allows your dog plenty of room to stretch, lounge and turn around while inside it. Some dog owner's make the mistake of getting their small dog a crate built for a larger animal, thinking the bigger the better. This is not the case and it is not wise to get a dog crate that is too big.

That's because you want to provide your dog with an area that feels safe and comfortable. When you give your dog too much space, they can actually feel scared and uncomfortable instead. No matter what size cage you need, they are all built from plastics, wood and metals. The biggest consideration is safety. When picking a dog crate you need to ensure that it can support your pet safely.

Something to keep in mind is that plastic can actually become brittle over time, whereas cages made of wood or metal - particularly large ones - will hold up better over time. It is also important to think about your dog's comfort when purchasing a crate. The safety of your dog will be a moot point if you purchase a cage with sharp edges, which can ultimately lead to injury.

Also look over the way the cage locks. Make sure it will not end up hurting your pet in any way. Simply buying a cage isn't going to help your dog feel comfortable. You can make a nice, homey place for your dog by including a soft dog bed or some of his favorite toys.

This helps to encourage and invite your dog to enter the cage and makes it easier for him to feel he has a spot of his own. You can also use treats sparingly to entice your pet to investigate its new cage; this practice should help your dog be more willing to spend time inside. - 31866

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Ways To Housebreak An Older Dog.

By Stanley Duray

If you have a new dog that once belonged to someone else and has not been bought as a puppy it will be important for you to make sure that it is properly housebroken so that it does not start defecating and urinating inside the home. If this situation has been occurring and then it is very important that you find ways to housebreak your animal. There could be a plethora of different reasons why they are doing this and the most common to all simply because they have not been trained for all have gone through some difficult times in their lives. Here are a few ways to housebreak an older dog if you are having this problem.

There are three times of the day that a dog would usually go to the toilet. This will be in the morning when you first get up, in the evening before they go off to sleep, and about 30 minutes to an hour straight after they had eaten. These will therefore be the times when you have to watch out specifically for them going to the toilet.

You need to be doing this and doing it on a regular basis. If you bring your dog outside and they end up doing the right thing and using the toilet in the right place and at the right time then you should make sure that you offer them some praise by giving them a little edible treat and stroking them or patting them on the head.

When the dog is in the house, try to keep it in your sight at all times. Make sure that you also restrict the animal to certain places within the house, preferably near to the doorway you take them out.

Any time that you do bring the dog outside and they have not used the toilet as you might expect them to have after about 15 or 20 minutes, then you should simply bring them back inside and return outside again about 20 minutes afterwards.

You also need to ensure that that you feed the dog at certain times of the day each day. This needs to be able to fit around your own schedule and needs to be at the same time every day of each week. You should make sure that you bring the animal outside half an hour to an hour after each meal.

If the dog does have an accident inside the house then you need to punish it in the correct way. Be firm but do not frighten the animal or go over the top and be physical with it. If you follow these tips correctly your dog should learn about using the toilet in the correct way. - 31866

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Puppy Leash Training - Here's How

By Chris Station

Training your new puppy to accept a collar and lease is the key to successful training. This is called puppy leash training and it can start just as soon as he is settled in his new home.

Training your dog to become accepting of a collar and leash is important because it will set you up to be in control. Once your dog accepts that you are in charge, training has a much better chance of success.

When your puppy learns that he must accept his collar and lead, you will be able to move onto other areas of dog training. Here's what to do to teach him to accept his collar and lead.

It's important that the collar fits properly. Too loose and he'll back his way out of it. Too tight and he won't be comfortable. Try adjusting it so you can slip two fingers easily between his neck and the collar.

When you first put the collar around his neck give him lots of attention to take his mind off the collar. Don't rush this step. Once be gets used to wearing the collar you can move onto the next step in training your puppy. Lease training is so much easier if you have given your puppy enough time to get used to just wearing a collar.

After he has become accustomed to wearing his collar, the next step would be to attach a lightweight, short leash to his collar. The length of the leash should be about three feet or so. Then you are going to allow your puppy to simply drag the leash around for a few minutes at a time. You are trying to have him get used to the feeling of having something fastened to the collar.

Be sure to keep a close eye on him while he is dragging the lead around. He may become frightened and agitated if he gets stuck for any length of time. Your job is to ensure that this doesn't happen. For right now, simply making him aware that the leash restricts him briefly is enough. Remember, you want this to be a positive experience for your puppy.

Within a few days he will have become accustomed to the feel of the leash. Once this happens, attach the other end of the leash to yourself rather than letting it drag loosely. As your puppy explores, he will get stuck as before. The difference is that this time, you will not go to him to free-up the leash.

Instead crouch down and call his name. Reach out your hand and offer him a toy or treat to try to get him to come to you. Praise him lavishly when he comes to you. Do this for a short time each day. Undo the leash after he has successfully come to you a few times, but always leave on his collar.

Once he routinely comes when he reaches the end of the lead and is called back, your puppy leash training will be successful. This success will make the rest of your training so much easier. - 31866

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Positive Experiences With Your Dog Training

By Adriana Noton

Dog training can be a very rewarding experience for both you and your pet when done in a positive manner and with the right attitude. Your dog just wants to please you and when you are both happy everyone has fun, so make it a fun experience. But when your pet starts bad behaviors you have to nip them in the bud. Like chewing for example.

Chewing is a natural behavior for a dog except when it occurs on your new Kenneth Cole boots. Chewing keeps their teeth and gums healthy and you will find a variety of toys and bones in the pet store. Dogs like to exercise their jaws so it is smart to get them a chew toy right away, like with the dog when you bring him home.

When a dog has his own toys to chew on he will be less tempted to chew on your favorite pair of Manolos. If you catch your puppy chewing on something he isn't supposed to tell him "No Chew" very monotone and sternly. Make him sit down and praise him for listening to your command to sit. Then give him a toy he can chew on to show him an example of what is okay.

Constantly praise him and reward him for good actions such as when they urinate in the correct area or when they play with and chew their toys. The reward system encourages good and consistent puppy training.

Keeping your pet off of the furniture is a big part of training him in the house. When he is on the furniture and he is not supposed to be tell him "Off" very sternly. Nudge him off of the furniture quickly by pushing his midsection with your knee or hand. Then make him sit. Praise him for obeying the sit command.

Crate training is a great way to train your puppy. It can be used to potty train your dog pretty quickly. Introduce the crate to your puppy slowly and put it in a place where he will get a lot of attention.

Put a towel or a blanket inside of the crate and play with the dog there. Encourage the dog to go inside by putting treats in there for him and leave his favorite toy just outside of the opening. Them move it to just inside of the crate and put treats inside. Don't force him to go in, let him get used to it and leave the door open during this time. It can take some time for him to get used to it.

The next step is to feed you dog near the crate, then after a few tries put the food inside. When you think he is comfortable close the door when he begins to eat inside of it and open the door when he is finished eating. Each time leave the door closed a little longer. If your dog cries leave him in there for about 10 minutes and don't react to his crying. Let the dog see you when he is inside. - 31866

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Home Dog Training Tips

By Rick Dupont

It's important for all dogs to be properly trained. This is not only going to mean a better, easier life for dog and owner but also prevent the dog from getting in fights or being put down as a result of a situation in which they were disobedient. For anyone who's interested in getting into the dog training business there are a few important steps they'll need to follow to have the best chances of success. First you need to decide how large you want your business to be, whether you want to rent out a space or just run the business from home.

Typically a dog training business can be run from home because in most cases you'll be going to clients' homes to train their dogs. Working at home will not only be more convenient in terms of time and money but also more comfortable for the dog. To begin your dog training business you will need to have the right training because clients need to know that you're going to be skilled and get them the results they're looking for. A psychology major is usually the best place to start and you may also want to get a degree in veterinary services.

One helpful home dog training tip that helps with housetraining is to make it an enjoyable experience for your dog to go outside to the bathroom. People are often in such a rush these days that when they finally do take their dog out to go to the bathroom they're rushing things and trying to get them to hurry up and go back inside. This behavior is going to be confusing to the dog and they won't be as eager to go outside when they feel the need to go to the bathroom. Having a dog that barks when it's late at night and there's noises outside is one thing and can help protect your family and home, but when they're barking incessantly during the day and night it can be downright annoying to not only you but also your neighbors.

There are also clicking devices which are effective dog training aids. It's used when training your dog and with practice this clicking device can be just as useful for positive reinforcement for your dog as a treat. Click it every time your dog does as you tell them and they will start to understand when they've done something right. There are even dog training aids to help a dog with anxiety.

With some dogs there may only be specific areas that their owners want work on, whereas with others you're going to need to start from the ground up. Their dog may be a grown up adult dog and now they want them to learn some tricks. The old adage that an old dog can't learn new tricks is not true but it can certainly be more of a challenge than dealing with puppies who are eager to learn. The dog training business can be a very enjoyable and lucrative one, as long as you go about things in the right way. - 31866

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What You Should Know About House Training A Dog

By Brad Davenport

If you have ever wanted to get a dog, then you should know that there are secrets of house training a dog, too. Some of these are easier than others, but they can be very successful if you are willing to be diligent with the training. All dogs are different and some will inevitably learn faster than others. That is not to say that you should only buy smarter dogs, because if you exercise the right discipline and patience any dog can be trained.

One great method is associating a word, such as "potty" or "outside", with your trips out. If you get the dog used to hearing one particular word and go to the door that you would like for them to use at the same time, they will learn. Every dog loves association and when they can associate a task with a command you're teaching them.

Another popular method for house training a dog is using crate training. This is where the dog is confined to a cage or crate and taken out at particular intervals to put them on a schedule. Most dogs will not eliminate in their sleeping area, so this method can work quite well as the dog learns that their bedding area is "home" and that they should go to the bathroom outdoors.

There are some that rely on paper training to teach their canine. This is when you put paper down and teach the dog to go on the paper. Then you shorten the distance to the door with each trip until the dog is at the door. This is not a very reliable method since it involves catching the dog every time they have to go. If you are not there when they are ready they may not associate going on the paper. This method requires more time and attention that most people are willing to give.

Whichever approach you use, just remember that they respond to positive actions. Each time they do right, you need to commend them so that they know it was right. Dogs are going to have some accidents, but remember that it isn't the end of the world. There are some secrets of house training a dog, but the real secret applies to the humans teaching them. And that is, if you want positive results then be positive towards them, and they will reward you with unconditional love and affection. - 31866

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Reinforcement Techniques Used In Dog Training

By Kurt Dorey

When training a dog, it is important to begin as early as possible in the dog's life. There are many different methods used when dog training and they all work differently depending on the dog. Obedience schools are available for those who do not wish to attempt this on their own. For those that do want to try dog training, here are a few quick tips that may help.

A reward system is widely recognized as one of the most effective ways to train a dog into good behavior. By using positive reinforcement, such as verbal rewards along the lines of "good dog" or the much more effective method of the dog treat, proven results have been achieved. The treat as a reward in the early stages will guarantee continued good behavior later on.

At the other end of the spectrum is negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement can come in the form of a tap on the butt or the obligatory "bad dog," spoken aloud. A more extreme form of negative reinforcement used to curb bad behavior can come by way of the utilization of a shock collar.

There are shock collars available that are widely used in dog training to curb a particular type of bad behavior such as excessive barking. These are commonly known as "bark collars" and will send a mild electric shock into the dog's neck each time he barks. By wearing a collar for an extended period of time, the dog learns to curb her incessant barking.

There is another form of negative reinforcement that utilizes the same basic principle as the bark collar. A shock collar used in conjunction with an invisible fence is used to contain the dog in a particular area such as a yard or piece of property. The dog receives a mild shock each time she attempts to cross the boundary line which in turn lets her know the limitations.

Housebreaking a dog is possibly the most important piece of dog training. Utilizing a bit of both reinforcement methods with the negative reinforcement being kept to a minimum will accomplish this. Reward the dog when he has alerted you to the need to go outside or discipline him when an accident indoors occurs. One should not shout the dog's name by itself when disciplining the dog as the dog will not know the difference between discipline and a simple call.

Training a dog is by no means easy but is well worth the time and effort as a dog can serve as a companion, guardian, or helper. Exercising patience during the dog training assures great results and helps build trust between owner and dog. A well-trained dog is an untiring pleasure that everyone can enjoy. - 31866

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