Enhance the Relationship between You and Your Dog

The holidays are hectic.  There are family gatherings, big events, holiday parties and endless moments to share with the entire family.  I do not recommend adopting a dog during this time. It is a tough time to make a dog feel at ease.  A dog needs structure and a regular schedule.  It is nearly impossible to meet these basic requirements when your own schedule is unbalanced for the duration of the holiday season.  However, I do recognize that some people choose to adopt during this time despite expert advice against it.  Here are a few tips to keep in mind on why dog training is important to building a positive relationship between you and your new pet, and what each training session means.

What is Puppy Preschool?

Puppy preschool is a class designed to teach socialization skills.  It uses confidence- building exercises to ensure your puppy is comfortable meeting other dogs and playing with them.  It also covers basic house manners.  This varies from how to walk on a leash without tugging to discouraging biting.  Additionally, the class teaches puppies the “leave it” command.   This is a great time to start building that incredible, loving, strong relationship between you and your new puppy.  It is the foundation of what is to come.

Who is Suitable for K9 Obedience classes?

A six week K9 obedience course covers a wide array of topics, including how to greet guests politely, the “come” command, “lie down”, and how to walk on a loose leash.  It is open to dogs of all ages.  The only requirement is to be positive throughout the experience.  The more you interact with your new dog, the greater the relationship becomes.  These classes are just as much for you as it is for your pup.

To find out more about how dog training enhances the relationship between dog and dog owner, talk to a Florida dog training expert today!

What to Do When Someone Enters

Does your puppy jump on visitors upon arrival?  It is a common trait amongst puppies, but this habit can be changed.

First, keep treats by the door.  Put these somewhere out of your puppy’s reach.  Then, whenever the doorbell rings or someone knocks implement the “sit” and “stay” commands.  Use the treats to reward your pup for sitting still and listening.  If your pup starts to stir, just give your pup a look.  Your dog will understand what it means.  Remember to never yell at your puppy.   Yelling doesn’t work on dogs.  It just confuses your pet.

What to Do When YOU Enter

How do you enter the house after a long day at work?  Do you call for your puppy in an excited voice?  Your actions have a direct impact on your puppy’s behavior.

For instance, if your pup is jumping when you open the door, and you are petting your pup at the same time, then this translates to your pet that the jumping action is rewarded.  The pup jumps, your puppy gets attention.  Instead, teach your puppy to be calm when you come home.  This will stop the jumping habit from escalating out of control.

For more advice about how to use positive reinforcement methods with puppies, talk to a puppy kindergarten instructor or enroll in puppy preschool today.

When puppies reach three or four weeks old, they start to eat puppy food.  And the first time they see it, do not be surprised if they solely play around with it.  Puppies are not used to getting their food in such a manner.  Do not fret.  It does not take long for a puppy to understand the food is there to eat not to play around with.  Just allow your puppy time to figure it out.  Keep in mind, by the time a puppy reaches around eight weeks old, then dry puppy food should be eaten on a regular basis.

For medium, large and giant breed puppies, the food should be administered in a portion control technique.  It helps keep a puppy’s weight at a healthy number.  For if puppies develop too quickly then there are issues with growth spurts.  Too many calories taken cause a puppy to grow too quickly and develop bone growth issues.  However, if you notice any issues with your puppy be sure to consult with a veterinarian.

To find out more about how, when and what to feed your puppy and other puppy care tips, enroll in a puppy kindergarten or puppy preschool class today.  Florida dog training experts are here to help.

When puppy newborns arrive, it is important to keep the puppy with the mom.  The puppy, for the first four weeks, receives complete nutrition from a mother’s milk.  Thus, you want to keep the two together until the puppy has passed this stage.  And do not make any food substitutions for the mother’s milk.  It is a necessity for the puppy to grow up strong and healthy.  It is the foundation of the puppy’s entire life.

Next thing to pay attention to is that puppies expand much energy.  It takes a lot for the little one to move around.  So you need to feed your puppy lots of protein for this is what allows your puppy to have the energy to move about in a fit manner.  You need to check with a Florida dog obedience professional regarding the requirement for specific breeds, but for the most part, you need to feed your puppy food that contains twenty-five to thirty percent protein.

These are basic feeding tips for your puppy.  To find out more enroll in a puppy preschool or puppy kindergarten class today.

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.

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.

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.

Why do Puppies Bite?

Puppies naturally use their mouth to chew, play, and explore different objects, including your shoes.  But how do you teach a puppy not to bite?  How do dogs learn to control what is called, mouthy behavior?  It is part of the natural process of a puppy growing up to discover not to bite and it starts with learning from socializing with other dogs and people.

Playtime Teaches Puppies Proper Biting Behavior

If you watch two puppies play they wrestle, chase, and nip at one another.  It is endearing to watch, but if you pay close attention there are dog rules to the socializing.  For instance, no pup bites another pup too hard causing harm during play.  If it does occur, a dog will signify to lower the strength of the bite via a yelp.  It is a sign for the other dog to pay attention and decrease the aggressive behavior.  Afterwards, dogs naturally separate.  Take a breather.  Then find their way back to fooling around with one another.  This encounter is a lesson on how a human may teach a pup not to bite.

How to Teach Your Dog Not to Bite

With the pup scenario above, a bitten pup yelps alarming the other dog to stop with the biting practices.  When you are playing with your own dog, utilize the same technique during playtime.

For instance, every time you play with your pup, and the pup bites your skin too hard, yelp.  Make a noise.  Stop play.  Then, resume play after a few moments.  Repeat the exact action until your dog learns this behavior is not acceptable.  The dog will interpret the halt in play as he/she did something wrong.  The method works.  Your dog learns quickly.  It is solely a matter of remaining consistent on your part.

To learn more about how to teach your puppy not to bite with positive reinforcement check out puppy preschool and puppy kindergarten classes today.

Watch Out for Dog Poisons

Many ordinary, household items, if ingested by your dog, may cause your pet to turn fatally ill.  You need to be careful of what you leave laying around the house, and keep things out of your pup’s reach.  Here are a few items to keep stored away and inaccessible to your dog.

Human Food

When the whole family is sitting around the dining room table, and you have not taught your dog to exit the room during dinnertime, you leave your dog at risk.  For you leave your dog available to eat scraps off the dining room floor.  By doing so, your dog may be in danger.  For example, if someone at the table is eating chocolate brownies for dessert and your dog eats up the leftover chocolate left on the floor, then you may be putting your pup’s life in danger.  Chocolate is the number one killer of dogs.   It causes excessive diarrhea, vomiting, abnormal heart palpitations, and seizures.  You should teach your dog how to sit in his/her own spot during human mealtime preventing your dog from ingesting table scraps.

Human Drugs

Human medications may cause your dog to die.  You need to keep all medicines off countertops and away in high shelves unreachable to your pup.  If you do not take these precautions, your dog may ingest whatever liquid, pills, tablets left in plain sight without knowing the risk involved.  You are the responsible, loving pet owner.  Therefore, ensure your actions reflect this and provide your dog with a healthy and happy environment.

Pet owners across the world, would love to keep their pets around as long as possible.  Thus, be responsible and do the right thing.  Keep the human food and medications away from your dog ensuring your dog’s health remains intact, not faltering due to the presence of these harmful elements.

To find out more about what household items may harm your dog; check out Florida dog training classes and puppy preschool today.

Enroll in Puppy Kindergarten

The first key is to enroll your dog into a puppy kindergarten class or k9 obedience training classes.  This class will teach your pup not to bite using a positive reinforcement technique.  Just make sure your pup is current with vaccinations.  Furthermore, the classes are an opportunity for you and your pup to learn how to effectively communicate with one another making the years to come easy on the two of you.

Let the Puppy Mingle

The more your puppy socializes with other puppies, dogs, people, and kids the less frightened the pup will be when he/she grows up.  As a result, the less scared the dog is the decreased odds are that biting shall ensue.  Fearful dogs instinctively turn towards biting.  It is what they know.  It is how they fight with others.  Thus, do not isolate the pup.  When socialization happens appropriately, the pup develops into a well-mannered, friendly, comfortable dog.

If you still have problems with your dog biting, then do not wait to take action.  Find a Sarasota dog training facility that implements positive reinforcement.  Make sure the staff is experienced and knowledgeable in what they do.  Enjoy the time you share with your pup during the close.  It will bring you and your pup closer together.