Tips For Crate Training Your Dog
by Michael
Filed under Crate Training
Crate training your dog may be the way to go if you want to make sure that your home isn’t torn up when you leave and you don’t have messes all over the house whenever you’re not in. Often, when our dogs are puppies, they are mischievous. Your dog doesn’t know that he isn’t allowed to chew your couch or favorite boots because you aren’t there to tell him not to. That’s why many people choose to put their puppies in crates while they are away for the day.
Now, you may think that this is mean, but consider this, if you keep your dog in a crate you could be saving him from eating something he isn’t supposed to and you’ll give your dog a comfortable place to sleep and feel safe while you’re away. As an added benefit, if you keep his space small, you’ll likely find that you don’t have any extra little surprises to clean up when you get home, either.
There are a few things you can do which will help you to be able to keep your puppy feeling good and safe while you are away, though, that it might help to follow. For instance, when your are crate training your dog, in order to avoid feeling guilty, put a towel or small blanket at the bottom so your puppy has something to snuggle up to while you’re away. Make sure it’s washable, in case of accidents. Include a bone in your dog’s crate so that he has something to chew on. Often, puppies chew because they are teething, when you include a bone in his crate, you’ll be able to make sure that your puppy doesn’t eat his blanket. Note: keep the toys out of the crate as many of them have eyes and squeakers that could be harmful to your dog if swallowed.
Another tip when you’re crate training your dog is to not use the crate as a place for punishment. The crate should be a place where your puppy can go when he is tired or just wants to be in his comfortable space when you’re home and it should also be the place where your puppy feels safe when you’re away. Don’t lock your dog in the crate when you’re home, because he may begin to resent his crate and that’s where you’ll run into problems.
Once your dog gets used to his crate, you will find that crate training him is easy and, in many cases, your dog will likely head to the crate when you have to leave. Remember; don’t treat the crate as a bad thing and your dog will not see it as such. When you’re working to crate train your dog, know that you’re keeping him safe and your home nice so that you and your pooch can live happily together.
Having To Re-Housetrain Your Older Dog
by Michael
Filed under Older Dog House Training
You may be surprised when your adult dog suddenly behaves like a puppy and makes a mess in the house and you feel like you are having to redo all your dog house training. The disbelief is made fact when you actually witness the act, followed by the slam of the back door, as the old family pet is quickly banished out-of-doors like a nine-week old puppy that had just had an accident. Such harsh and fast action in such an instance can have serious and detrimental effects on the older dog. Whenever a completely housebroken dog starts urinating in the house, there is usually a medical or psychological cause involved.
The medical reasons will be covered first, since the majority of cases can be traced to that cause, rather than the psychological. It is important that the reasons for such dog behavior be thoroughly checked before any dog training techniques are re-instituted.
Most dog owners know that the aging process of their dog health will manifest itself in a gradual loss of hearing, followed by diminished vision. Squeezed somewhere in between, signs of arthritis might show up, decrease in appetite, more frequent naps and other tell tale signs which may become evident. What is not widely known is that house training problems is one of the first things to happen.
Because this fact is not widely known, it causes frustration and confusion to the dog owner who suddenly thinks that his/her dog has forgotten, is not as smart as previously thought, is lazy, or has turned into a sneak. Such dog behavior on the part of a perfectly house trained dog could simply be the first signs of the inevitable aging process. In this aging process, the muscles of the bladder gradually lose their control.
In the male, the aging process can also cause the prostate gland to enlarge and this will produce an inflammation, which will cause him to urinate often. Kidney disease occurs in about 76% of dogs over eight years of age. When a dog ages, there is a gradual degeneration of kidney tissue, with a weakening of the kidney function.
The older dog should drink at least twice the amount of water than a younger dog, since the older dog’s kidneys will require it. Naturally, this will involve more frequent urination, thus more trips to the bathroom and a more vigilant watch with their house training.
Where the middle-aged dog would have required being let out in the morning and once at night, the aging process will require more freedom outdoors. In most cases, the older dog will try to make its needs known to its owner. However, the owner, who is used to a regular routine, just isn’t tuned in to the dog’s new requirement. Then, the old dog is left with just one alternative. In such cases, shaming and scolding will only make the situation worse, especially if the dog tried to communicate, only to have his communication fall on deaf or inattentive ears.