Training a dog is like building a house. If the foundation isn’t solid, every effort made at gaining dog obedience will yield unpredictable and oftentimes short-term results. So, how do you build a strong foundation for effective dog training? You NEED to establish yourself as the alpha dog and gain your dog’s respect.

The theory sounds simple enough. However, a MAJORITY of dog owners will unknowingly flub this crucial component and wind up with a dog that is always fighting them to gain the top spot on the pack hierarchy. It’s by far the most common dog training obstacle that sabotages the entire relationship.

That said, you don’t have to fall victim to the hardships of an unruly dog. There really is a scientific process, based on rules, that will steer you out of the funk of a rebellious pooch. This process for establishing alpha status is tied together by a system of controlling your dog’s 3 environmental outlets – food, rest and socialization.

When you restrict or control all of these three facets to your puppy’s life, he’ll soon understand that he is dependent upon you for his freedom. With this dependency comes a respect and obedience for your command. The method is simple, effective and creates a fast bond between the both of you.

Let’s talk about the first environmental control, food…

1. Food

You’re going to control his food by determining when, where and what your dog eats. This means, feeding at set times in specific amounts. A key to this discipline is NOT responding to begging. There is no and I mean NO feeding from the table or giving human food of any kind.

As much as you love your dog, during the initial phases of dog training, you must enforce a separation in the hierarchy of your status. Don’t level the playing field by making him feel entitled to eat the same food you do. This specific facet of his life (eating) is directly associated with survival. This process is going to solidify his correlation between surviving and depending on your care.

He NEEDS you to eat. This dependency will enforce his instinct to please you through obedience. You are the alpha and YOU decide when the pack eats.

And this is just the first factor. The next two are just as crucial…

2. Rest

Other than being a necessity for living, rest is also a privilege. It’s an outlet for relaxation and enjoyment. Control this variable by deciding WHERE your dog sleeps. That means no allowing him up on the couch or bed. Those are YOUR resting areas. The alpha dog decides where and when the rest of the pack sleeps. You control the pace of the pack and the level of activity. Administer this control by setting limits on where your dog may rest. This principle is something that inspired crate training. If you decide against crate training, that’s fine. However, you absolutely must create limits and rules for your dog’s resting habits.

3. Socialization

This is perhaps the BIGGEST variable that you need to control. It’s also one of the more difficult ones to enforce because it takes a lot of diligence and patience.

When your dog approaches you, you need to force obedience before rewarding him with affection. That means, when your dog nuzzles his head into your hand or lap, before petting him or speaking in a playful pitchy tone, you should issue commands to exercise his submission.

Having him sit, lay down, give paw, stay or heel are essential tricks that you should constantly train him on. The true power of these commands isn’t impressing your friends or visitors. The power lies in exercising your dog’s attention and enforcing your dominance.

When you’re first training your dog, your love should be treated as a reward or it will be taken for granted. Once you have an obedient puppy and you’re confident that this respect will not go astray, you can dispense your affection without thought. In the beginning though, you’ll want to follow this guideline for best results.

These are hard and fast rules. Many people I encounter don’t understand them at first. However, nearly EVERYONE who enforces them experiences almost immediate results (within a week usually).

Keep at it and continue your training knowing that your dog WANTS to be led. Following a pack leader is the most natural instinct your dog has. Facilitate this need by becoming the alpha dog and take the anxiety out of his actions.

The act of chewing seems to be a matter of individual preference among dogs: some have an innate desire to chew as a pleasurable activity in itself, and some seem to have no need to chew whatsoever unless they’re driven to it out of sheer boredom. In any case, when chewing is destructive – it’s a problem that NEEDS to be address quickly.

The phrase “destructive chewing” may sound redundant, because – by its very nature! – all chewing is destructive. Your dog has strong jaws full of sharp, pointy teeth: just about anything she starts to chew on is probably going to show the effects of it inside of a minute. So just to clarify, when I use the phrase “destructive chewing”, I’m referring to inappropriate chewing: the kind of chewing that’s focused on your own possessions and household items, instead of on your dog’s own designated toys and chews.

The 3 Main Reasons Why Dogs Chew:

1. Most dogs have a natural desire to chew. It’s fun, it passes the time, and it’s a self-rewarding, self-reinforcing activity (for example, if she’s chewing on something that tastes good.)

2. Chewing provides a nervous, bored, or lonely dog with an outlet for her emotions. To an anxious dog, the repetitive act of chewing is soothing – it’s the doggie equivalent of comfort food.

3. Under exercised dogs often use chewing as a way of burning up nervous energy and giving themselves something to do.

6 Ways to Prevent Destructive Chewing

Dogs are perfectly capable of learning not to chew your stuff – you just have to put in a little effort first, that’s all.

1. Doggy-Proofing: Take control of the situation: manage your own possessions. Your first step should be to dog-proof your home. Even if you have the best-behaved dog in the world, there’s still no reason to test her self-control – after all, dogs explore the world with their mouths.

Dog-proofing your home means taking whatever you don’t want to end up in her mouth, and making it unavailable. Consider her size and agility when deciding whether something’s out of reach: can she jump? Can she climb, or leap onto something else to reach the desired object? How tall is she when standing on her back legs?

Common targets in the home include books, eyewear, clothing, shoes, garbage, and small crunchy appliances like cameras, cell phones, and remote controls.

It should go without saying that all food needs to be put securely away: don’t leave snacks on low tables (or even countertops – you’d be surprised how acrobatic she can be when there’s food at stake!), put all food into containers or the pantry. Rinse your dirty plates clean of any food scraps before leaving them by the sink.

2. Prevention: Prevent her from learning the joys of illegal chewing. The more times she manages to snatch a jawful of a forbidden substance – a chair-leg, a pillow, a running shoe – the more readily she’ll target those items in future. If you can prevent her from chewing your stuff in the first place, it’s a lot easier for her to understand what you expect of her. Practically speaking, this means confining her in a dog-proofed area until you’re confident of her understanding of the house rules.

3. Rule Setting: Don’t set her up for failure by blurring the boundaries between her stuff (OK to chew) and your stuff (not OK to chew). Don’t offer your dog cast-off clothes, shoes, or towels to chew and play with: realistically, you can’t possibly expect her to be able to tell the difference between your current shoes and the one she’s got in her mouth that you gave her five minutes ago.

4. Provision: Provide her with lots of tasty alternatives to your stuff. If her environment is relatively barren of attractive, appropriate chewing objects, you can hardly blame her for targeting your possessions. Remember, most dogs need to chew; if she’s an adolescent (under three years) or a puppy (under one year), her needs will be even more pronounced. Go on a toy and chew shopping spree, then give her two or three to play with at a time. Rotating the available toys every few days will keep things novel and interesting for her.

5.  Supervision: Spend lots of time in active supervision. Yes, it might be easier for you to just keep her penned up in her crate, run, or the yard – but that’s boring and horrible for her, and hardly much fun for you either (if you wanted a pet that you don’t need to interact with, you’d have got a goldfish, right?) She can’t learn what you expect of her if she’s spending all her time boxed up in the dog-proof zone: she needs the opportunity to explore the boundaries of your expectations, so she can understand what’s appropriate and what’s not.

6. The Switcheroo Technique: When you catch her chewing something inappropriate, interrupt her by making a loud noise: clap your hands or make an “Ah-ah-aaaah!” noise. Then, immediately hand her a tasty and dog-appropriate alternative (a rawhide bone or other chew toy); as soon as her jaws close around it, praise her lavishly. There is no better way to get your dog to understand that chewing “her” toys equals praise from you, but everything else equals trouble.

Maintain a Positive Attitude

Above all, remember to keep your expectations realistic. You’re not perfect, and neither is your dog: there’s likely to be at least one incident where a cherished item is damaged by her curiosity.

Particularly in the early stages of your relationship, she’s still learning the ropes: it’ll take awhile before she’s completely reliable (and even then, if she’s left by herself for too long or feels neglected, she may choose your stuff over hers to occupy her time and jaws with.) Remember to give her time to learn the rules, and plenty of ‘you-time’ to help her learn faster – and don’t forget to take precautions and keep things out of reach until she’s got the hang of the chewing rules!

It’s rude, it’s crude and it is just wrong on SO MANY levels. Maybe your dog humps guests that visit your home. Perhaps he’s humping random passerbys on the street. It’s possible the victims are as innocent as couch pillows, doggy toys or your favorite chair.

Whatever sets off this habit…

Your dog is humping everything and everyone in sight. Finally, enough is enough! This embarrassing problem has grown out of control and it’s time you put it to rest.

This article will show you how to stop your dog’s humping problem with some great tips to get started. So, without further ado…
Let’s discuss stop dog your dog from obnoxiously humping PERMANENTLY!

Why Your Dog is Humping

Believe it or not, 90% of the time dog humping has nothing to do with sex.
I remember the first time my dog was humped by another male dog. I was in my apartment’s elevator at the time with a friendly neighbor who had a cute little Maltese. The dog I was training at the time was a small Yorkie.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, the Maltese mounted my yorkie and started humping like the energizer bunny. He just kept going and going…

My neighbor’s face was priceless. He turned to me and said “I’m so sorry, I had no idea my dog was gay.”

He was actually serious and I had to hold back my laughter at his uninformed remark.

It wasn’t his fault. Really, most people don’t know any better. But the fact is, dog humping, whether it be on a leg, another dog or a piece of furniture, is rarely sexual in nature.

In reality, when your dog humps or mounts, it is establishing its dominance over another.

Dog humping is the result of your dog trying to size up its opponent and apply itself as higher up on the ladder of the pack.

If the humpee surrenders to your dogs humping by laying down or doing nothing, then in your dog’s eyes, it has established leadership in the order of the pack.

It’s just basic instinct so don’t feel like this is something you’ve done wrong in your dog upbringing. I promise you’re still a good, loving dog parent.

The trick to resolving this is knowing the exact training techiques to stop dog humping without making your dog confused or anxious.

3 Ways to Stop Dog Humping Behavior

Below are 3 ways to stop dog humping. You do NOT want to apply all 3 methods at the same time. Try each one separately for 2 weeks at a time. If a strategy appears to be working, don’t try another tactic. Continue with the one that is working. However, you should try a strategy for AT LEAST 2 weeks before moving onto another one.

Strategy #1

The first way is the most obvious. Say “No” with a stern voice. Drive home the point that this is bad by using a loud and disapproving tone.

Try using a spray bottle. Yes, you’ll need to carry a spray bottle with you for a bit until your dog is trained out of the habit. However, using a spray bottle is a gentle way to give your dog the message fast.

When your dog initiates the humping, spray him in the face with cold water from the spray bottle while simultaneously yelling no. Forcefully pull him off the object or uhh…person.

As you know, positive reinforcement is the best kind of training, however, this is one of the few exceptions when scolding your dog during the act of the negative behavior may be required.

Strategy #2

Distraction can work as well. Many dog owners find that dog humping is a temporary habit. Try distracting your dog with a toy, a walk, exercise or a training session.

Dog humping is an instinctual response. Change your dog’s focus and he’ll stop the behavior.

Strategy #3

Ignoring your dog is another alternative. Don’t underestimate the simplicity of this solution. Your dog is well aware of your presence.
If you’ve been following the guidelines in this site, by now your dog looks at you as the Alpha Dog of the house.
He’s performing these mounting and humping displays to either show you his dominance or exercise his prowess for your admiration.
Walk out of the room when you see him humping. Your dog will stop humping and follow you to obtain your attention in some other way. Ignoring your dog’s performance will let him know that his humping is not gaining your approval.

You may not realize it, but your dog begging for food is a HUGE red flag when it comes to your training efforts. That’s because giving in to his constant whining is one of the most dangerous contributors to his overall disobedience.

I’m not blaming you or anything. All dog owners have been there.

You’re enjoying dinner with the family and suddenly the little guy comes wandering up to you with that sad, tender look in his eyes.

Surely one little table scrap can’t hurt right?

Think again. When you give in to these little begging episodes, you’re doing a whole lot more than just encouraging the behavior. Your dog is testing you – but more than that, he’s trying to gain rank within the ladder of command.

If you’ve learned anything from this site, hopefully it’s that in order to establish dominance over your dog, you NEED to be the Alpha dog.

In your dog’s pack mentality, mealtime is incredibly significant as to who dominates the chain of command. When you give in and give him that bite, he’s doing a whole lot more than enjoying that morsel of food. He’s taking pride in the fact that he’s gaining ground towards alpha status.

This can lead to escalating behavior problems when you don’t give in to his requests and may even bring about aggressive resistance. He no longer sees himself at the bottom of the pack, so he may try to fight for his status.

Really, it can turn into a messy scenario.

As a dog owner and dog trainer, it MUST be your objective to establish your dog at the bottom of the pack’s rank.

First and foremost, stop feeding him from the table altogether.

That doesn’t mean, give him a nibble when he’s good. That doesn’t mean give him a taste 1 out of every 150 times. Let me tell you, if you give him a bite every 1 out of 150 times he asks, he’ll remember that one time and he’ll keep coming back for another chance at table food.

Set the rule now to NEVER ever ever feed your dog from the table. Talk with your family and educate them as to why. They must comply with this rule or your dog will simply start begging them instead.

It’s important that you feed your dog AFTER you and your family eat. This is very telling and will broadcast the message loud and clear. He is at the bottom of the pack rank.

After you clear your dishes, then put out his food. Be disciplined with this. Just like all other training methods, you must put your dog on a schedule to send the message loud and clear and avoid any confusion on his part.

Once your dog falls into this routine (it may take about 2-3 months), the begging will stop and he will seem much less anxious at dinner time.

Puppies chew – that’s a fact of life, like gravity, or taxes. This, however, doesn’t necessarily make it acceptable, especially when the puppy in question chews up everything in sight. The problem is, unlike children, dogs will not naturally outgrow this habit as they get older. In fact, when left unchecked, chewing can become a habit that’s almost impossible to break. If you want to stop excessive puppy chewing, you have to start as early as possible. You have to start NOW.

To stop excessive puppy chewing, you can use any of two approaches, or both for even better results. To stop excessive puppy chewing, you have to encourage behavior that’s acceptable, while discouraging the ones that aren’t. It’s not rocket science, I know, but it’s no walk in the park, either. Here are a few tips that could make the task a tad easier for dog owners from one side of the equator to another:

To Encourage:

• Invest in appropriate chew toys to stop excessive puppy chewing. Rawhide is always a safe bet. If not, make sure that the toy isn’t made of harmful materials in case your dog tears it up and ingests it.
• Let’s face it – your puppy has an attention span of a gnat. If you’re going to stop excessive puppy chewing, you have to provide a bit of novelty. Rotate his chew toys every few days or so to keep him interested.
• To keep your dog’s focus on approved toys to stop excessive puppy chewing, stuff little bits of food inside as an added incentive.
• For a teething pooch, take a wet cloth, freeze it, and let him chew on it to his heart’s content.

To Discourage:

• If you catch your pup chewing on something off-limits, interrupt his frenzy with a loud noise and offer an acceptable chew toy. Then, you can praise him to all and sundry to encourage him to stop excessive puppy chewing.
• Stop excessive puppy chewing for good by applying taste deterrents on off-limit items. Nothing can be as unappealing to a dog as the taste of bitter apple.
• Puppies can’t tell the difference between items of the same category, so if you want to stop excessive puppy chewing for good, you have to stop giving him old socks, shoes, and other items to chew on.

By knowing what to encourage and what to discourage, you can stop excessive puppy chewing in no time. Of course, don’t underestimate the power of puppy-proofing your house by picking up after yourself and keeping items that are off-limits exactly that – off-limits and unreachable.

 
Separation anxiety in dogs should NOT be ignored. It’s a major gateway into other dog behavior problems.  If your dog shows signs of resentment or anxiety when you leave him, there are vital actions that should be taken as quickly as possible.

When I first adopted my dog Duncan from an animal shelter, I couldn’t be any happier. He was just the cutest little guy – Only 5 months at the time. I had really lucked out with such a healthy young pup.

Duncan was just the happiest little buddy. He would follow me EVERYWHERE.

He slept at the foot of my bed every night. He ran excitedly to me every time I walk through the door. He was my shadow and a loving one at that.

All the time, I overlooked just how overattached Duncan was getting. He would cry relentlessly whenever I left him to go out.
Additionally, he would display resentful behavior whenever I would leave him for an evening out. I’d come home to chewed up shoes, a ripped up floor rug or an accident on the carpet somewhere.

The fact was, none of Duncan’s behavior was incidental. He was trying to give me a message. He was saying “don’t leave me dude, or you’ll come home to chaos.” Duncan was secretly trying to train me not to abandon him.

I had read about dog separation before but this was my first challenge experiencing it firsthand.

What is Dog Separation Anxiety?

Dog separation anxiety is a behavior shown by dogs where they become panic stricken at the first sign you’re leaving the house or leaving their side for any period of time.

Your dog is so attached to you that the idea of abandonment is thrust into their brain the moment you become out of sight.
Dog separation anxiety is usually exhibited by the following symptoms…

SYMPTOMS OF DOG SEPARATION ANXIETY

• Signals of resentment
  • Chewing up things when you’re out or away
  • Urinates or defecates inside your home when you’re out
  • Barking, whining, crying or howling at your departure

   

• Shows no guilt over the destroyed items from your time away
  • leads to further disobedience
  • changes the pack hierarchy relationship
  • Can create anxiety induced aggression over time

   

• Wild when greeting you at your arrival
  • leads to jumping up on guests
  • Can lead to behaviors like leg humping
  • Your dog is excessively clingy and refuses to be ignored
  • can create hostility with other dogs
  • may create an overall dog anxious behavior with strangers

   

• Cries continuously when not sleeping right next to you
  • sleepless nights
  • leads to longterm health problems
  • interferes with you quality of life

   

CAUSES OF DOG SEPARATION ANXIETY

Don’t feel guilty if your dog is showing signs of separation anxiety. It’s not your fault.

Realistically, most dog owners will experience some degree of dog separation anxiety at some point in their puppy adoption. Most often, puppies will cry at night when they’re first separated from their mother.

A nice cure to this is wrapping a ticking clock in a thin blanket and putting the clock into the puppies bed during sleeptime.
The ticking clock creates a calming sensation of the heartbeat of your puppy’s mother. This can work well if implemented consistently from the moment you adopt your puppy.

Understand that just because your puppy shows symptoms of dog separation anxiety, you don’t necessarily have a big problem on your hands. Suffering from severe separation anxiety in dogs is what has most likely led you here, so don’t assume that your sleepless newborn puppy is a giant red flag.

More likely than not you’re experiencing some of the more troubling signs detailed above.

So what’s causing dog separation anxiety in your pet?

It could be a number of factors. The most common are listed below…

• Boredom: Your dog may be restless. Perhaps he’s not getting enough exercise or dog training during the day. If you’ve been slacking in giving your dog POSITIVE attention, he’ll make sure you give him ANY kind of attention. More often than not, he’ll rebel and you’ll be forced to give him attention for negative behavior.

• Confinement: Before you start crate training your pet, find out if the breed does well will this type of confinement. Some dogs will panic inside the crate, tear up their sleeping quarters and rebel against you the moment they get out. Monitor your dog’s response to your training and adjust accordingly. Some dogs are better trained in a closed off room rather than a crate.

• Not Being Properly Socialized: If you don’t bring your puppy around other pets and people often, he may shy away at the first sign of strangers. Dogs who are not properly socialized don’t understand their place in the pecking order of outside animals and people. This can lead to general anxiety outside the home and confusion when left alone with strangers or other dogs. They may feel protective need to be overbearing around newcomers.

• Trauma: If your dog is from a shelter and abused or mistreated by previous owners, he may have trust issues with you. The first sign of your abandonment will send him into a fury of confusion and panic. Trauma doesn’t have to be as cut and dry as this either. Perhaps your pet is terrified of thunder and lightening. The trauma of being scared in a storm by himself can lead to further fears of being alone.

• Changes to the Usual Routine: I’ve said it again and again. When you start a dog training routine with your pet, consistency is key. Your dog learns through repetitive lessons and rules. When these rules change, your dog will feel confused and anxious. Know your training routine before you adopt a puppy. Routine should include the times of the day when you feed your dog, take him out for a walk, train him, put him to sleep, crate train…everything.

SOLUTIONS TO DOG SEPARATION ANXIETY

The strategies below should help you out quite a bit in eliminating this dog behavior problem…

• Create a Comforting Environment: Ensure that when you leave the house, your dog has plenty of water and warm comfortable bedding. Leave your dog a blanket or article of clothing with your scent on it. Make sure it’s something that your dog can chew up without concern.

• Food for Thought: When possible, try to feed your dog just before you leave the house.

• Relaxing Sounds: If you normally have the tv or radio on when you’re home, try leaving it on when you leave the house. This can be soothing to your pet and give him a sense of normalcy when you’re away.

• Exercise away Anxiety: It’s important that your dog is stimulated with exercise and training regularly. Take your dog out for a long walk, playful exercise or a long training session prior to leaving the house. He’ll be worn out and tired when you leave and won’t suffer from boredom induced separation anxiety. Tucker him out and he’ll rest in your absense.

• Adopt a Buddy: Although it’s not guaranteed to get rid of dog separation anxiety, buying another pet to keep him company will more than likely reduce his boredom.

• Downplay your Departures: NEVER make departures a big deal. Pay very little attention to your dog when you’re about to leave. This tactic is best implemented when you first get your puppy but it can still be very effective if your dog is a little older. It sounds mean, but ignoring your dog for 10 minutes and then slipping out the door creates a better transition for your separation.

• Greeting Etiquette: I know it’s hard but avoid over the top greetings when you come home and see your dog. Try to remain calm and warm. Positive reinforcement or enthusiasm should be saved to praise your dogs good behavior. I’m not telling you to be cold to your dog but if separation anxiety is a problem, these are the steps you’ll need to take.

• Practice Time Apart: Try putting your dog outside, in the backyard, during scheduled times of the day. Prevent him from following you around the house. Force some alone time between the two of you.

One of the biggest problems that dog owners face is when their dogs jump on visiting guests. You know the scenario. The doorbell rings and your dog goes CRAZY, jumping on top of whoever enters. In this article you’ll learn how to combat this problem and stop your dog from jumping on people once and for all.

Your problem is way more common than you may realize. Nearly 85% of dog owners face the obnoxious dog jumping at some point in their dog’s life (usually when they’re young). If the problem goes untreated, jumping puppies grow up into overwhelming, jumping dogs. Hopefully, you’re trying to catch the behavior problem early. Either way, the tips below should help.

The root behavior isn’t so hard to understand. Dogs jump for a few different reasons…

First and foremost, dogs are extremely social animals. Most of the time, they’re jumping to greet the person.

The second reason your dog may jump is to establish social dominance. This is common in dogs that have aggressive tendencies. Hopefully, this isn’t the case for you.

Thirdly, dogs often jump out of conditioned habit. From the time that they’re puppies, owners and visitors can’t help but invite the cute little guys to jump up on their lap for some attention and petting.

How many times have you said to your little puppy:
“Awww…cute little puppy…come here! Come here!”

The puppy jumps up and you pet him and PRAISE him, positively reinforcing the negative behavior trait. In your puppy’s mind he’s thinking “Hey, these humans want us to jump up on them.”

It’s not your fault. Really, most dog owners don’t know they’re creating this pattern at the time. It’s hard to think that sharing affection for your dog can do any harm, right?

Anyway…

Over time, as the puppies get bigger, they don’t understand that the earlier invitations to jump up were based on their smaller size. The habit is already formed and your dog continues to jump up for attention. This scenario is the most common – especially for first time dog owners.

So, what’s the solution?

You need to teach your dog that all greeting needs to be done with all four of his paws on the ground. The most important part of this strategy is having everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) who comes into contact with the dog be consistent with the training. No one can encourage him to jump up. Your dog needs repetitive training in order for this to be effective. Tell everyone who enters the house about your “no jumping” policy. This way they’ll all react the same way when your dog tries to jump up and send him the same message. So here’s the tactic that over time actually stops his jumping…

When your dog jumps up on you, simply take hold of his paws and squeeze them. You don’t have to crush them. Just gently squeeze them with a firm grip. The idea here isn’t to hurt your dog. It’s to make him feel vulnerable.

Dogs don’t enjoy having their paws held for an extended period of time. They’re very sensitive about having their paws exposed, touched or held out of their control. After a few seconds of holding your dog’s paws, he’ll begin to pull away.

IMPORTANT: You need to hold on to your dog’s paws until he begins to struggle away. Don’t just touch his paws and let go (he’ll think you’re playing with him). You need to make sure he’s uncomfortable and struggling to get his paws back.

While he’s struggling, you want to use the command “OFF”. Be stern with your tone. Let him know with your voice that this is disapproved behavior. Do not use the command “Down”. “Down” should be used when you want your dog to lay down. If you use the same command for two different purposes, he’ll just get confused. Say “OFF” when you want your dog to stop jumping up.

After doing this for a couple of weeks, your dog will definitely get the message. I recommend when you enter the house, if your dog is staying calm, give him a treat to positively reinforce his calm behavior. Don’t do it every time. Only positively reinforce the behavior if you can tell that he’s consciously restraining his jumping.

Puppies need to feel safe and by providing a kennel crate for them, you will satisfy their need with a den-like enclosure.

Some of the more popular reasons for crate training are:

• Housebreaking – dogs are less likely to soil their own sleeping place
• Chewing – limits the destructive chewing that puppies will have due to teething
• Lessens Anxiety – puppies feel safer knowing they have a place of retreat
• Safety – you’ll keep you puppy out of harms way when you are unable to supervise
• Mobility – teaching your dog to relax in a confined space makes traveling in a car easier

With so many advantages, it’s hard to imagine anyone would forgoe crate training. However, there are obstacles that can make this kind of training difficult.

It’s common for many puppies to become territorial of their crate. If growling or aggressive behavior begins when you go inside the crate, you’ll want to take action immediately by using tactics detailed on our “Aggressive Behavior” page.

Some dogs are difficult to crate train because they don’t want to be in an enclosed, safe space. They may misinterpret the gesture and think they are being punished for bad behavior.

In certain cases, putting your puppy in a crate before you’re off to bed may bring about a lonely feeling and separation anxiety in your dog. He may moan through the night at first.

A nice way around these problems is to gradually introduce the kennel crate to your dog from the moment he enters your home.

How to Introduce Your Dog to His Crate

1. When you get your puppy, put treats or food in his crate sporatically throughout the day. This will help him associate his crate with comfort and happiness.
2. Use positive reinforcement to praise him when he goes inside his crate. NEVER force your dog into his crate. He will feel like he is being punished.
3. Create a game where you drop a piece of food into the crate. Playfully say to your puppy “Where’s the treat?” “Is it in your room?”. Praise your puppy when he goes into his crate for the food. Let him leave the crate at any time during this game.
4. When you do start to close the crate door with your dog in it, be sure you are there supervising and only keep the door closed for short periods of time. Increase the amount of time he is in there over the course of several days.
5. The key to it all is strengthening your dog’s psychological attachment to his crate being fun and good.

Leave the door open on the kennel crate for the first few days you have your dog and make sure the crate is in your room when you go to sleep. This avoids some separation anxiety for your dog.

Place your dog’s favorite toys and treats at the far end of the crate. Let him have a first impression of his crate as a fun hangout spot.

Putting in a hamster-like water dispenser is also a nice treat for your dog. Don’t let him feel like he is inconvenienced at all while in the crate.

Soft bedding is mandatory. Putting down a soft towel or blanket will also help your dog enjoy his new pad. Make the crate as cozy and unrestrictive as possible at first.

Along with keepin the door off the first few days, you may also want to keep the roof unattached. You can gradually add the roof after a few days and then a few days later add the door.

While you’re in the same room as the dog, begin closing the door while he’s in it for a half hour.

Give him positive reinforcement while he’s in there and make sure you give him a treat when you open the door and let him out.

Gradually increase the time he is in there until he is in the crate with the door closed for two hours.

Once he can stay in the crate for two hours and remain calm, he understands the situation.

Crate training takes a lot of patience from both you and your dog, so be aware it can take up to two weeks to see good results.

Positive reinforcement is the key here. You want your dog to feel like his crate is his castle. Just make sure he knows you’ll be going in there too. You don’t want a dog that becomes overprotective of his crate.

Housebreaking your dog is seemingly the first test of your patience as a dog owner.

Perhaps you’re experiencing the following scenario:

You take him outside multiple times a day and every time, he refuses to make. You assume he just doesn’t have to go, so you bring him back inside and moments later he soils the rug.

Or…

You take him outside and he goes, you praise him with “Good boy” and after bringing him back in, moments later he goes again.

It’s a frustrating cycle not only for you, but for your dog as well. You just can’t seem to make him understand what he’s supposed to do.

Your dog simply doesn’t understand the rules yet. That’s why it’s important to take your dog outside to make at scheduled times of the day.

It will take approximately 14 consecutive days of going outside, watching your dog make and praising him for it before he starts to get it. Housebreaking a dog takes discipline, consistency and patience.

During that period, every accident that happens in the house is counted as negative two days. Remember, you’ll want 14 consecutive days of proper housebroken behavior before you can relax a bit.

After he goes outside, you’ll want to supervise him closely for the next ten minutes he is inside the house. At the first sign of going the the bathroom, take him outside.

If he does have an accident, only use the “No” command if you catch him in the act. Otherwise, it’s useless and will only confuse your dog.

The amount of time that you should take your dog outside to make will vary depending on the breed, size and type of puppy.

It’s generally recommended that you take your dog out every 2-3 hours during the day for the first three weeks. Obviously you won’t be taking your puppy out every 2-3 hours at night before bed. So use the following strategy.

Take away your dog’s water bowl two hours before bed. During that window of time, walk your dog at least twice. If accidents occur in the middle of the night, you may need to get up once in the night to walk your puppy.

As your dog gets older, his bladder size will increase and the nightly accidents will disappear.

After the first month, begin to space out the amount of time you take your dog outside to make. You’ll want to do this until your dog only needs to go out only 3-4 times a day.

In summary, the trick to all of this is using the follwing tactics.

• Set a schedule to take your dog outside
• Praise your dog with the “Good boy” command when he makes
• In case of an accident, only use the “No” command if you catch your dog in the act
• Take away your dog’s water two hours before bedtime
• Walk your puppy twice before bed
• Always supervise your dog when he is inside AFTER making outside

You just finished cleaning the house and in comes your dog tracking mud all over the kitchen. Sound like a familiar scenario?

Believe it or not, keeping muddy paws off your floors is easier than you think.

Nobody wants mud indoors. The trick is getting your dog to understand this.

Whether your dog has dirty paws or is completely covered in mud, here are some things you can do to ensure this problem is minimized as much as possible.

The most obvious precaution is keeping an outdoor mat and an indoor mat at both main doors.

You will teach your dog to “stay” and “sit” when entering the house. Keep a towel nearby, perhaps in an entryway closet. Use the towel to clean off the muddy paws after he obediently follows your commands.

Important: Be sure to praise you dog while he “stays” and you wipe off his paws. Use the “Good Boy” trigger command and reward his patience and obedience with a doggy treat.

From the beginning, it’s a good idea to make your dog sit and stay EVERY time he enters the house even if his paws are not muddy. Get him into the habit early and you’ll make life much easier when you DO need to clean him off.

The best kind of solution is preventative in nature. Always supervise your dog when he is outside. This will avoid muddy situations and it’s also a good habit for you to get into.

When supervising outdoor activities, steer your dog clear from gardens, muddy areas and beds of loose soil. Develop boundaries for him. Let your dog know that just because he is outside, it doesn’t mean he can stop listening to you.

Training a dog is hard work, but you must be diligent in your commands to reinforce his obedience. Outside or inside, your dog must “come” when you call him and “stay” when you command.

Practice, practice, practice.

Finally, never allow your dog to take bones, rawhide or other treats outside. Toys are generally okay as long as you supervise them. But with food, dogs have a “save it for later” mentality. They will often bury their treats with a plan to come back later and enjoy them. Breaking that habit alone will prevent a muddy paws situation.

With a ton of practice and a lot of patience, your dog will no long track mud into your home. Take the time to consistently train him, hold fast to your rules and always say “Good Boy” when he lets you wipe his paws.