Archive for the Category »Puppy Kindergarten «

Ways to Build Puppy Confidence

A puppy has a lot to learn about the world and some things may seem scary at first.  But after overcoming different tasks, a puppy’s assurance soars.  Here are a few ways to help your puppy increase self-esteem in a positive manner.

Try Obstacle Courses

Puppies love to play and have lots of energy to expend.  Thus, obstacle courses are a great way to combine both and assemble a strong character along the way.  For when a puppy accomplishes the task of walking up a ramp, going through a tunnel or proceeding downhill then it boosts inner strength. It shows the puppy not to be afraid of something and that the pup can accomplish a task that seems overwhelming at first, but is a cinch to accomplish.  When you go through these little tasks, provide lots of praise.  Make a game out of it.  Provide rewards and keep the mood positive.  Your dog will be running through the obstacle course in no time.

Socialize with Others

The sooner your pup is able to socialize, the better for your dog’s demeanor.  Introduce your canine to other puppies on the same level.  Also, if you have visitors that come on a regular basis, such as a delivery representative or your mother, then have your dog become familiar with that person.  It helps your dog grow to be social and not aggressive.

For more tips on how to build your dog’s confidence at a young age, check out puppy kindergarten or puppy preschool classes today.  The instructor will be able to provide you with additional ideas and positive methods.

Why Enroll in Puppy Kindergarten

Puppy kindergarten is a great place to teach your pup the basics of growing up.  It teaches your pup to be comfortable around other dogs, people and not be afraid during unwarranted situations. It shows a pup how to socialize and behave in a positive manner.  It is an uplifting experience for you and your pup and the benefits are life lasting.  But what exactly does puppy kindergarten do?  What does a class consist of?  Here is a basic outline of what puppy kindergarten is about, and why you should enroll today.

Provides Support for You…and Your Puppy

It is difficult to manage teaching your puppy how to act when you are implementing it solo.  You may become frustrated taking away from the bonding opportunity available.  However, if you are teaching your puppy in a group, then there is instant support on how to handle the situation in a positive manner.  It keeps the lessons light, and there are experts available to help you along the way until you are comfortable to manage the situation on your own.

In addition, your puppy learns from watching and interacting with other puppies.  Therefore, if other puppies are picking up a lesson quickly, then your pup will take note and try to exhibit the same results.  It is a wonderful avenue to utilize when training your pup.

Your pup will receive many benefits from puppy kindergarten classes.  It teaches your pup the necessary socialization skills needed to live a healthy and happy life.  And who better to teach you then a Florida obedience dog trainer.  Contact him/her today and find out more details about puppy classes.

How to Housetrain Your Puppy

House training a puppy is not as difficult as people first believe.  You solely need to be dedicated to helping your puppy learn this transition in a positive manner.  You need to remain calm and see your puppy through the process with lots of praise and positive reinforcement.  Here are a few tricks on how to successfully housetrain your puppy.

Keep a Feeding Schedule

When house training your puppy, keep track of the feeding schedule.  A puppy needs to use the restroom frequently and can’t hold it for long.  Thus, every time after you feed and water your pup, take your pup outside.  It will keep your puppy on track regarding when to go and where.  Your puppy will become accustomed to the location and understand that this is where the pup is expected to release waste.

Choose a Command

Your puppy will be at the stage where a command needs to be linked to the act of going to the bathroom.  This way when your puppy grows up, your canine will remember the command you choose means to go to the bathroom.  Please note, there is no specific command used for this act either.  Just select something and stay consistent with it.  You need your pup to recognize the command and utilize it accordingly.

If you need more tips on how to housetrain your puppy, talk to a Florida dog obedience training professional today.  He/she will be able to help guide you through the proper ways to housetrain your puppy.  You might also want to enroll in puppy preschool classes ensuring you receive the basics before moving on with your puppy.

How to Teach Your Puppy Not to Chase

Dogs have the natural instinct to chase after passing objects and live beings, such as vehicles, people and other animals.  But how do you teach your dog not to engage in such behavior?  Is it possible to teach an animal not to act on intuition?  It is possible and necessary when keeping your dog safe.  You do not want your canine to run across the street to chase after a squirrel and put itself in danger.  Here are a few tips on how to prevent a negative outcome from occurring.

Use a Long Line Leash

Take your puppy out to an area where wildlife frequently visits.  Make sure your dog is on a secure, long line leash without tension.  It needs to provide the sensation of running free without a leash.  Leashes that provide tension will not do.  Next, have treats and your dog’s favorite toys with you.  Currently, when another animal passes by your dog, call to your dog to “come” and show the treat and/or toy while running in the opposite direction as the animal.  This will encourage your dog to follow.   Once your dog reaches your location, play games with your dog.  Engage your dog in physical activity with a positive aspect.  This will distract your puppy from Hela monsters, lizards, snakes and other animals that may come along and harm your puppy.

To find out more about how to teach your puppy not to chase meet with a Florida dog training professional or enroll in a puppy kindergarten class today.

Avoid These Top 3 Puppy Training Mistakes

There is so much material about puppy training on the internet making it difficult to decipher the positive from the ineffective methods.  Thus, I have decided to sift through the material for you and provide the top three puppy training techniques to avoid.  These methods encourage good behavior from your pup, and you.

Do Not Abuse Crate Time

Crate training is designed to teach your dog how, when and where to go to the restroom.  A puppy will not go to the bathroom where the puppy plays, sleeps and lives.  Thus, use the crate in such a manner.  Do not use the crate as a means of punishment for your puppy.  Your puppy will not understand and it will confuse your puppy further.

Never Use Physical Force

There is absolutely no reason to hit your puppy.  Instead, gently correct your puppy’s behavior when the pup does something wrong.  If you implement physical harm upon your pup, then you will end up with a nervous, aggressive, and confused grown dog.  Puppy’s need to be taught in a loving environment with positive reinforcement.

Rid the Old Concept of Rubbing Your Puppy’s Nose in an Accident

The old method of teaching your puppy where to go the bathroom via rubbing your pup’s nose in accidents no longer works.   Instead, concentrate on positive reinforcement by showing the puppy where to go, and provide plenty of praise when done correctly.

If you would like more tips on how to train your puppy, enroll in a puppy kindergarten class or a puppy preschool today.

Top Two Dog Training Tips

Training your dog can take its toll on both you and the pup.  But you have to remember why you are partaking in dog training, which is to bond with your dog and have fun.  If you keep this in mind when going into training sessions, it will keep the experience enjoyable for all parties involved.  Here are some dog training tips to remember during your Florida dog training lessons.

Provide Positive Reinforcement

If I have said one thing throughout this entire dog training blog, it is to implement training with positive reinforcement.  Dogs react well to positive rewards.  They think, “Wow.  If I roll over, I get a tasty treat.”  Thus, the dog will keep rolling over on command.   It is affirmation that the dog’s behavior is desired.  It is what works with canines.

Make it Fun

When you are training with your dog, make it a fun experience for the two of you.  Engage in lots of praise and playtime in-between training techniques.  If you do then it causes your dog to reflect on the situation by thinking if I endure these lessons, I get playtime.  Therefore, your dog will not be resistant to training, but rather looking forward to it for there is playtime when the training is completed.

These Florida dog training tips are the basics of how to engage in effective and successful dog training lessons.  To find out more about how to manage your puppy’s training sessions, enroll in a puppy kindergarten class today.

Tips on How to Train Your New Pup

Some new dog owners tend to forget training a pup takes lots of patience.  Your dog is not a robot.  You cannot control a dog with a remote control.  You need to provide patience, love, understanding and consistency when implementing training techniques.  Here are a few standard rules that apply when teaching your dog new commands.

Be Gentle with New Puppies

A new puppy has not had any training except what was learned from the litter.  Therefore, remind yourself of this fact and be gentle when executing commands.  You don’t want the puppy to react in a negative manner.  Thus, keep the frustration level to zero.  Use treats along the way.  It helps your pup understand what is considered acceptable behavior.  Positive reinforcement is a great way to achieve the results you want in a light atmosphere.

Not All Dogs Get Along

If there are other dogs in the home, introduce them to each other slowly.  Do not be taken aback if the older dogs are not accepting of the new pup in the beginning.  New puppies have more energy and wish to play; whereas, an older dog may be set in his/her ways.  Do not force the two to interact.  The bonding will improve overtime at their leisure.  Try to encourage positive interaction but talk to a Florida dog training professional for tips on how to ensure this occurs correctly.

There are many concepts to keep in mind when training a new dog to your home.  If you are unsure about a certain technique then enroll in a puppy kindergarten class today.

How to Train a Small Breed Dog

It is essential to remember there are different approaches to training a dog when it comes to various breeds, including size.  Smaller dogs have general traits a dog trainer and yourself must adapt to.  Here are a few tips to remember when training a smaller breed dog.

Provide a Calm Setting

Small dogs tend to exhibit high-strung personality traits.  They are aggressive, wound-up and hyperactive.  Thus, you need to be sure the training lesson facility is in a serene environment.   Be certain the instructor is able to remain calm, yet firm, when need-be.  You do not want your pup to feel overwhelmed and act in a negative manner.  An experienced dog professional will be able to successfully reel in your dog’s attention and generate a loving, bonding practice for the both of you.

Offer Training Breaks

Enroll in a puppy kindergarten class designed for smaller breed dogs.  These classes will provide more breaks ensuring to adapt to a short attention span generally found amongst small dogs.  Furthermore, it adds more value to the actual training time.  For you are able to teach your pup commands during moments when the pup is solely paying attention to you.

Being a dog owner of a small breed is convenient.  They are full of energy, easy to travel with, and do not need large spaces to roam making them perfect for a petite size home or apartment.  Just be sure to find a k9 obedience professional able to address small breed training challenges and share with you his/her knowledge.

How to Provide a Healthy Home for Your Pup

When adding a puppy to your home there are a few things you need to keep in mind.  Here is a basic outline of essential tasks needed to provide your dog with a vigorous, happy life.

Implement Training and Socializing Skills

There is nothing more wonderful than bringing home a new puppy.  The puppy is excited and ready to love on every member of the household.  But with a new environment comes fresh ground rules for the pup.  For instance, you do not want your pup to think it is acceptable to chew on anything lying around the house.  Train your pup to use chew toys only.  In addition, if there are other animals in the house, it is wise to introduce the dog through socialization and training skills.

Also, if you are adding an adult dog to the home, then find a dog training class that teaches how to introduce your dog into a his/her new settings with positive reinforcement.  You want the transition to be enjoyable for all parties involved and socialization and training is the way to go.

Choose Nutritious Dog Food

Most dog professionals agree the first five ingredients in dog food are telling regarding the nutritional factor.  Within the first five ingredients, be sure two of them are high quality protein resources.   It will aid your dog into receiving a well-balanced diet.

Exercise Your Dog

Besides eating right, your dog needs to engage in exercise.  Provide your dog with ample playtime and physical activity.  Dogs are susceptible to many health issues caused by obesity.  Keep your dog active.  It is part of supplying your pup with a fit, stable, caring home.

Dogs need food, shelter and appropriate positive training.  These are the main factors to building a constructive, loving home for your pup.  If you are unsure on where or how to start, talk to a Florida dog obedience training professional or a k9 obedience instructor today.

How to Choose a Puppy from a Shelter

Rescue a Puppy, Adopt

Puppies left in shelters have been abandoned, left behind, and sometimes abused by prior owners.  Maybe the puppy was a victim of a puppy mill or left to fend for him/her self on the street.  Thus, why not adopt the puppy into your loving, healthy, happy home ensuring a wonderful experience for you and your family?  Adopting a puppy is a mutually beneficial experience.  You just need to be sure to pick the right puppy.

Think about Dog Size

Puppies are adorable.  There is no question about it.  But you need to think about what type of adult dog are you looking for and able to accommodate into your lovely home.  Are you looking for a jogging companion or a family friendly dog?  This may be tricky if the breed of the dog is unknown. However, look at the puppy’s paws.  The size of the paws tells how big the pup will grow up to be.  Ask the shelter volunteers if they know the breed.  Find out if the pup is friendly around kids and other adults.  Do you already have pets in the home?  Discover if the pup is friendly with other animals in the shelter.  All of these questions will help guide you into finding the right dog for you.

Evaluate Puppy Personality

Take the pup outside of the kennel into a space allowed to visit with the pup at the shelter.  Try different tests to find out the pup’s personality.  For instance, pick up the puppy in your arms, cradle the pup in same manner as you hold a baby and see if the pup relaxes.  Is the pup struggling to jump out of your arms?  If so, then the pup may need additional training, which is simple when working with a Florida dog training professional.  If the dog relaxes in your arms, then the pup is familiar with being held and may be a quick study when it comes to puppy preschool classes.

Talk to a k9 obedience training professional before adopting.  He/she will be able to guide you in the right direction.