How To Teach Your Dog To Eliminate On Command

by
Adam Katz -

Teaching your dog to defecate or urinate on command is actually hust a process of creating an association.

The command I use is, "Get Busy." But you can use any word or phrase that you please.

You're probably wondering why anyone would want to teach their dog an elimination command. And probably the best answer to this question is that it enables you to establish both a time and a place for your dog to eliminate.

For example, if you decide to go to bed early, and you don't want your dog to be uncomfortable for the next 7 or 8 hours, you can very easily take him outside and tell him to "do it now," because, "You won't have a chance to do it later since I'm going to bed."

Having an elimination command also allows you to tell your dog WHERE he should urinate or defecate. For example, if you're taking your pup for a stoll and he indicates that he needs to eliminate... you don't want him to merely stop and do his business in the middle of the sidewalk. What an elimination command allows you to do is to walk the dog over to some bushes, or behind a building and tell him, "Here! Here is where you can 'get busy.'"

How to teach the "Get Busy" command

Just like with any other command, your goal is to associate the phrase, "Get busy," with the action of either defecating or urinating.

Here's what you need to do in 5 easy steps:

1.) Take note of the usual times your dog needs to defecate or urinate.

2.) Take him to the usual spot where he likes to eliminate and walk him back and forth, repeating the phrase, "Get busy, get busy, get busy."

3.) When he begins to eliminate, continue saying, "Get busy." After five or six different occasions, your command will start to link with the behavior.

4.) A half second after he finishes, praise him.

5.) Repeat this process every time your dog needs to eliminate, and you'll soon find that he will begin to understand and at least make an attempt to evacuate the contents of his bladder on command.

That's all for now, folks!
Adam
Dogproblems.com

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Adam G. Katz is the author of the book, "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider's Guide To The Most Jealously Guarded Dog Training Secrets In History." Get a free copy of his report "Games To Play With Your Dog" when you sign up for his free weekly dog training tips e-zine at: www.dogproblems.com



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Tips for Solving Dog Behavior Problems: Ditch the Tantrums

by
Tim Lee

Dogs can sometimes be very unfriendly with the other dogs. They snap in the air, growl and bark a lot. These may sometimes indicate normal acts of defense to protect their owners and territory. Hence, one can surmise that they do not mean any harm.

However, there are times when such behavior becomes excessive and uncontrollable. At this point, your dogs can be very unruly and may even do more harm than good. What was once a pet may become a growling monster if not examined for any behavioural problems immediately.

Here is a list of some tips for solving your dog's behavior problems and make them live a normal, happy life.

1) Following the leader

Show the dog that you are the leader. Try not to confuse your dog. Teach him that you are the master and he has to obey.

When dog behavior problems take place, the dog becomes the master instead. The dog tends to project itself as the main boss of its environment. This has to stop, and your dog should know where he stands.

2) Go out and socialize

Expose your dogs and let them mingle with other dogs and people as this help them get rid of their insecurities, nervousness and make them learn how to socialize.

Like in humans, dog behavior problems indicate some psychological problems. There are some instances that dogs are just bored that is why they are behaving that way.

3) Too many puppy problems

As much as possible raise not more than 3 puppies at a time. They can be jealous. Imagine having a couple of siblings of same age, fighting over the same toy and getting the mother dog's and the owner's attention.

4) Abundant food equals healthy mind and body

This is common with stray dogs. Not having ample water, food and even sex in their environment affect their brains and way of thinking. They might also be eating dirty food and develop rabies. It is best to stay away from street dogs or better report it to the dog pound.

5) Training school

If your dogs are really stubborn and uncontrollable or you just want them professionally trained, you could enroll your dog in training schools.

6) Play and prepare

They should learn to play such as to run, jump, wrestle, chase, nip, be brave, use their mouth, and paw. A canine should learn all these because those are part of their normal behavior and in order to get them ready for the real world battle and hunting if ever they need to. Playing should also be done in moderation because too much of it could also add in the progress of aggression.

7) Fear me not

Dog's life experiences such as being attacked as a puppy or if they have seen two dogs fight also affects their behavior because dogs may develop anger, fear, and even imbalances in their hormones.

Their nerves could also be weak. A program called "slow desensitisation" or systematic reduction of their sensitivity is best performed with these dogs.

Since with this type of behavior the dog is not violent, it would help if they will be given reward and disregard the bad manners instead.

Dogs are always known as man best friend but sometimes, their behavior changes and become violent. In some ways, they are like humans too. They need love and care. Such bad behavior only becomes serious when they reach the age of more than 1 year up to 3 years. Therefore, before it starts to become serious, help them now

For the fastest and healthiest methods that transform your dog's behavior problems, please visit http://www.1st-in-dog-training.info/



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Dog Food Tips For Preventing Fussy Eaters

by
Rebecca Prescott

There is much to recommend feeding your dog homemade dog food if you have the time to prepare it, and make sure you have recipes that give the correct ratio of nutrients, as well as the vitamins and supplements you'll need to add. These can be mixed up in a bag, stored, and sprinkled in every meal.

Dogs should have a minimum of 18% protein for maintenance when they are adults, and 22% for reproduction and growth. Fat should be a minimum of 5% for adult dogs, and 8% for reproduction and growth. But the more fat that is in the diet, the more protein there should be. Fat makes dogs, as well as people, eat less by making them feel fuller. If they eat less, and there are less of other essential nutrients like protein and vitamins and minerals, the dog will not get the nourishment it needs.

Generally, commercial pet food is made according to the appropriate guidelines, but care should be taken if significant amounts of other food is added to the diet, and it is high in fat.

But whether you're feeding your dog commercial dog food, or home made dog food, there are a few things to keep in mind so you don't end up with a fussy dog:

* dogs should be fed once a day once they are no longer puppies, or two small meals, no more. Feeding your dog too frequently when he is older can turn him appear like a fussy eater, when he is actually full.

* feeding your dog too regularly can get him into the routine of expecting to eat at those times, too, and may lead to weight gain. Letting him get hungry, and feeding sensibly, will not harm him. In the wild, dogs would eat for once a day until they were completely full.

* Don't stand and stare at your dog waiting for him to eat. He will likely think something is wrong, or something else is coming, and won't eat.

* Don't give into your dog and give him something else straight away if he refuses his meal, as he's effectively training you and not the other way around!

* There's nothing wrong with feeding your dog a varied diet, but don't keep changing the food because he seems fussy and won't eat it. Make sure nothing is wrong with him physically first, then if he is healthy, take charge of the situation. Put his food down, leave him to it, and then 30 minutes later go and check to see whether it's been eaten. If it hasn't, take it away, then at the end of the day put down some fresh food. Repeat the process, and take it away 30 minutes later if it still isn't eaten. This way you'll train your dog to eat his food, and not reinforce his behaviour.

Brian Kilcommons has a very interesting method for teaching dogs to eat their food. When the above fails, he prepared the dog food in front of the dog, making lots of 'yummy' noises whilst he did it. He made it slowly, and when the dog still wasn't interested, he put it down in front of his face, then took it straight away and threw it out. He did this first at breakfast, then at dinner. At dinner, the dog in question was more interested, but he still threw it out after putting it in front of him. The next morning, the dog was jumping up and down whilst the food was being prepared. He put it down, pulled it away, then looked at him for about a minute, then left it for him to eat. That dog now eats anything put down for him.

* If your dog suddenly goes off his food, it could be because he has dental problems, or a stomach problem. Get him checked out by the vet.

* Some dogs do actually prefer a certain type of food, just as people do. Try your dog with a variety of foods, and if he only eats one type, and will starve himself if he doesn't get it, the best solution can simply be to feed him that type of food.

* Don't feed your dog a high fat diet, or junk food, including chocolate. It's not good for them.

References: Brian Kilcommons, Good Owners, Great Dogs

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com


For more information on feeding your dog a natural dog food diet, see this article. For information on commercial v's non commercial dog food that might shock you, see this article. Rebecca Prescott runs the website, www.thedogsbone.com/



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