Re-Housetraining Your Adult Dog
Do you have an adult dog you need to re-housetrain? If you do, this is one dog problem that can be overcome, but there are a few things to do that are crucial to success. You can do it, but supervision is important. So what do you need to do?
Beginning Your Re-Housetraining For Your Mature Dog
At the first sign that your adult dog is going to eliminate, by excessive sniffing of a particular area, you should immediately take it outside. The reason is obvious. How can you praise a dog for doing something right if you are not there to see it? The owner should go outside with his/her dog. Supervision is crucial at this time!
Good Dog Behavior Deserves Praise
Somebody must place it in the proper place for elimination, so that the action can be followed by praise. Somebody must be there to give praise when the dog exhibits good dog behavior. Dogs learn by associating their actions with pleasing or displeasing results. It is not enough that somebody is there to chastise and verbally admonish the dog for doing wrong; someone must be there to praise the dog for doing the right thing.
The praise will be relatively meaningless unless it comes from the leader of the pack. This is you, its owner. If you fail to live up to your responsibilities, then you cannot justifiably blame your mature dog for failing his housetraining. Someone must show it the way. In the dog’s mind, it only counts when the teacher is the person that it loves and in whom it has confidence.
When you take your dog outside and fifteen minutes have elapsed without him eliminating, bring him back inside the house, but the supervision should not stop. In fact, it should be consistent. When the dog drops his nose to the floor and starts sniffing again, the owner should once again take him outside.
When your dog eliminates outside, you should be right there when it happens and praise it, then bring it back inside the house immediately. It is the same method that should be used when dealing with a puppy. Praise and correction are the keys to successfully communicate with your dog.
It takes four days for the average dog to learn something new. For the mature dog or puppy that has forgotten something, it takes four days for that dog to relearn the good behavior. Supervision is crucial to your success. The dog must be kept under constant watch while indoors so that positive corrective action can be taken.
Dog Housetraining Methods Is The Same For All Dogs
The methods are identical for the dog that has never been housetrained. When a person adopts a mature dog from a pound, the dog is brought home and inside the house where he immediately eliminates on the floor. Training is essential. It is much easier to train a mature dog than it is a puppy. Any dog, whether a year or twelve years old, can be trained to eliminate outdoors, if the four days rule is followed through. The four days required for learning to take place in your dog’s mind, should provide you with all the necessary patience.
Regardless of your dog’s age, praise is the communicating factor. Too many people feel that chastisement is the key. This is not true! Praise is the main ingredient, but in order to praise the dog for doing the right action, one must be nearby so that you can administer the praise.
There are five basic principles that a knowledgeable dog trainer always follows: Patience, knowledge, repetition, praise and correction. By following these principals, you will have your housetrained dog back in less than seven days.
How to Help Your Dog Conquer Arthritis
Dog arthritis is one of the most common dog health problems that dogs are likely to go through once they enter their senior years. But despite being considered generally as an old-age disorder, dog arthritis can also develop in much younger dogs, particular those that are of a larger breed, as well as those who are much too overweight for their size.
The symptoms of dog joint pain are quite similar to that in humans — joint pains, reduced mobility, stiffness and decrease in flexibility. As soon as you are certain that your dog is indeed suffering from arthritis, you should take steps to help them conquer the illness as soon as possible, in order to prevent the symptoms from getting much worse.
Overcoming Dog Arthritis
One of the easiest things you can do to help your pet find dog joint pain relief, is to provide him with a warm and comfortable place for sleeping. The more quality sleep your dog gets, the more time his body will have to repair damages to the bones and the joints. If your dog sleeps outside the house, make sure his sleeping area is kept warm and well-insulated especially during the winter. What’s even better is to consider letting him sleep indoors, at least during the coldest months of the year.
Dog health surveys show that obesity is one of the leading risk factors for dog joint pain. To avoid this problem, make sure you portion your dog’s food properly. Try to reduce giving him leftovers and treats as well, as these can further add to his weight issues.
The Role of Exercise for Reducing Your Dog’s Joint Pain
When a dog suffers from arthritis, he will not be very eager to get up and get moving due to the pain in his joints, as well as his reduced energy levels. But you should still encourage him to do some light exercise because this will actually help alleviate a lot of the pain.
If it is apparent that your dog is in a lot of pain, you might also want to take some extra measures to make sure that he doesn’t suffer even more. For instance, you can build him ramps that will make it easier for him to get to his favorite places around the house. You can also elevate his feeding bowl so that he won’t need to bend so low just to reach it.
Finally, to help reduce the pain even more, you can ask your veterinarian for natural dog arthritis medications that are very effective but are completely safe for your dog’s health. There are also natural dog joint pain relief supplements that are also all natural and healthy for your pet.