Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Crate Training

Crate Training Dogs: The Right Way and the Wrong Way - Part Two
By Kathleen Amaro

Part2: Does your puppy want to be crate trained?

Yes! in fact, he does. Your puppy or dog will soon see his crate as a place of security, IF it's approached correctly.

The crate is NEVER to be used as a punishment. Introduce it gradually and gently; make the crate and your pet’s puppy potty training a positive and happy experience and he will come to view his crate like Linus views his blanket.

Make sure your puppy has a balance of crate time and activity time. He needs ample exercise to be healthy. This is an important part to crate training dogs and puppy potty training.

Being in the crate too much will have a negative effect on his personality and puppy behavior. And being loose all the time will get him into trouble and may also serve to make him feel insecure and overwhelmed.

A Few Crate Training Dogs Tips:

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1. If you can't supervise, your pup needs to be in the crate.

This goes for dogs as well. Until your dog or puppy is reliable with each stage of puppy potty training, freedom should be limited.

This doesn’t mean your pet should be in the crate all the time, but instead watched at all times. And make sure your puppy or dog gets ample exercise during this time. DON’T use the crate TOO much. This can also be detrimental to your puppy’s or dog’s physical and mental well-being.

In Puppy Potty Training I give an example of a step by step schedule for crate training puppies.

2.The crate should be an appropriate size for the weight and size of your puppy.

For crate training puppies you may have to find one that is adjustable, however I’m not a fan of these as they’re not enclosed and don’t promote the feeling of security near as much as the enclosed crates.

If using an enclosed crate during puppy potty training, then you can block off the back portion of the crate with something and allow more room as your puppy grows. Make sure that whatever you use to customize the size of your crate is safe and secure and won’t pose any danger to your puppy.

For crate training dogs all you need to do is make sure it’s an appropriate size for the dog. He needs to be able to turn around comfortably but not be able to go to one end of the crate and do his business and then return to a clean end. With puppies and dogs this is an important thing to remember when choosing a crate size.

3. For every month of the age of your puppy, that is how to get an idea of how long he can be crated at one time, (months to hours +1)

4. Never use the crate as punishment. Never bang on the crate to make your puppy stop whining. This can cause other behavior problems to be exhibited.

The Biggest Contributors to Behavior Problems:

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Yelling, scolding, hitting, swatting, especially rubbing his nose in it (which is the worst), or getting upset at your puppy or dog only causes him to become fearful of you, and to be confused (usually both). And this makes potty training much more difficult for both of you.

These archaic methods are the biggest contributors to problem dog behavior, (not just in their puppy stages, but lasting an entire lifetime). Real Training causes your dog to "learn", and a puppy or dog can't "learn" if they're afraid and/or confused.

The Best News About Appropriate Crate Training:

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The greatest thing about my effective but gentle method of crate training dogs, (or crate training puppies) for puppy potty training is that you will be building the loving relationship you've always wanted with your dog based on positive and rewarding experiences together as opposed to him doing things out of fear, pain or punishment.

Instead of performing because he is "forced", your puppy or dog will come to please you naturally. This makes the dog's behavior much more reliable and consistent and gives him a more confident and cooperative personality.

Successfully crate training dogs, (and crate training puppies) can be done very simply through the natural and gentle methods I explain in Puppy Potty Training.

My gentle and effective methods of puppy potty training, applied in crate training dogs, will build a positive relationship of cooperation between you and your dog during his puppy potty
training stage.

It's very possible to get your puppy potty trained without having to use punishment and without having to clean up messes all the time.

My typical experience with a new puppy is anywhere between 1 and 4 accidents-total. And the results are always a very reliably potty trained, healthy and happy canine companion.

Kathleen Amaro is the owner of http://www.puppy-potty-training.com. Her instantly downloadable ebook "25 Secrets to Raising the Perfect Puppy" not only tells you how to raise the perfect puppy, it presents the exact methods of how to crate train your puppy or dog using only positive and healthy learning techniques.

Crate Training

Crate Training Dogs: The Right Way and the Wrong Way - Part One
By Kathleen Amaro

Part1: There is Actually a "Wrong" Way to Crate Train

Crate training dogs, (or crate training puppies) if approached correctly is by far one of the most effective tools you can use to form good dog behavior.

The most subtle mistakes in crate training are sometimes the worst because they go undetected and are repeated over and over again which can make the whole experience of potty training dogs negative and frustrating.

Using the correct method of crate training you can avoid subtle mistakes and have your puppy or dog’s training move along quite smoothly.

Even though crate training dogs is by far the best way to potty train, it can backfire if not done correctly. This is why there are so many pet owners who attempt crate training and wonder why they’re still having problems; because there is a right way and a wrong way to approach the whole process.

My proven methods of crate training make this stage both a positive and rewarding experience for both you and your puppy (or dog).

A Basic Understanding:

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The first step in puppy training or dog training is to learn how your puppy or dog is viewing things, what actually forms his puppy behavior and what you can do to appropriately shape it.

By understanding the canine mindset better, you can make the process a lot easier and faster, which in turn makes it a lot more fun and rewarding for both you and your puppy.

So in order to be successful in crate training dogs or puppies, a basic understanding of "natural" puppy behavior is needed. Here are a few examples:

1. Dogs cannot view things the way we do; and in fact many times situations are just the opposite of what it looks like from our perspective.

2. Dogs do not make connections between cause and effect when any amount of time has passed.

3. Dogs do not understand the spoken language unless it's paired consistently with something meaningful to them.

4. Dogs are frightened and confused by anger that humans display.

5. When a dog experiences fear and confusion as a result of a human getting angry with him this also slows down the dog's learning process since effective learning cannot take place under these conditions.

What Dogs Do Understand:

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Some of what dogs and puppies do understand is:

* Instinct and self preservation-(neither of which they have conscious control over)

* Immediate consequence to action

* Positive rewards

* Tone of voice

* Some body language

And they are effected by our emotions even when they don‘t understand them.

Dogs and puppies respond more quickly and more reliably to positive incentives than to fear or punishment. And in dealing with puppies, fear and punishment can and will damage their personalities for life.

In many cases, punishment tactics actually cause behavioral problems, can compound existing ones, and can even bring about the opposite behavior than what we are trying to achieve.

Crate training dogs and crate training puppies using positive behavior shaping methods allows you to effectively train your pet without having to use punitive measures at all.

Kathleen Amaro is the owner of http://www.puppy-potty-training.com. Her instantly downloadable ebook "25 Secrets to Raising the Perfect Puppy" not only tells you how to raise the perfect puppy, it presents the exact methods of how to crate train your puppy or dog using only positive and healthy learning techniques.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Puppy Potty Training


Puppy Potty Training: The Basics Explained
By Lisa Pallardy

There are as many ideas on the best way to house train a puppy as there are breeds of dogs. But there is one common school of thought....consistency is key.


Dogs are naturally clean animals. According to Dennis Fetko, Ph.D., an animal behaviorist in San Diego, "if you follow this instinct for cleanliness when your new puppy comes home, your pup can be house-trained within 48 hours." Training your puppy in 48 hours takes some high-intensity training with your puppy, and you might not be able to spend this much time with her. But if you use the same philosophy, working more slowly you can get the same result.


The best defense is a good offense, so start taking the preventative approach with your puppy right from the beginning by taking her outside (or to where you intend for her to relieve herself inside, if you live in an apartment) several times during the day.


The key times that a puppy must relieve herself are first thing in the morning, after each meal, and after waking up from a nap. If you establish a routine with your puppy and keep an eye on her, you'll soon know exactly when she needs to go.


In the house, keep your new puppy in your sight at all times. This will minimize the number of accidents she has and keep her from developing preferences for going in areas that are off-limits. And be sure to clean up any mess as soon as she makes it, so she'll learn it's much nicer to be clean than to be dirty.


If you catch your puppy in the act, try making a lot of noise (clapping your hands, shaking keys, stomping your feet). This should make her stop what she's doing to listen, and you can quickly pick her up and take her to the proper location, then praise her lavishly when she's finished.


Never yell at her or hit her...this will only teach her not to go when you can see her, so she'll find more creative places to relieve herself when you're not looking!


Remember...be consistent, firm--but gentle--, and soon your new puppy will be housetrained.

Lisa Pallardy is the owner of http://www.BarkTalk.com an interactive site for dog lovers to find articles and information on dog training and care, post photos of their pets, and talk with other dog-lovers. She is also the mother of 6 children and lover of 3 dogs. In her spare time, she makes greeting cards from children's artwork at http://www.MyLittleRembrandt.com

For more articles like this one on dog care and dog training, or for links to resources where you can purchase dog supplies, visit http://www.BarkTalk.com

puppy potty training

Puppy Potty Training

Welcome to my blog about puppy potty training, here you will learn how to potty train your puppy through our great puppy potty training articles and resources.