Tips for Home Training Your Great Dane Puppy

by Jay Schnebly
So you have a new Great Dane puppy. Puppies are adorable, snuggly, cute, fun to watch, and they have awesome puppy breath. Now its time to housebreak him or her and you arent quite as excited as you were when you first saw him. Here are ten tips that will hopefully make the process easier for both of you. 1. Be Upbeat and Enthusiastic- The dogs mission in life is to make their humans happy. If you want any training to go smoothly, you need to be enthusiastic. Your puppy will succeed much easier if he thinks that housebreaking is a fun adventure for the two of you! If you start out being gloomy and distressed, your dog will naturally think that youre displeased with him. Hell be confused and try to figure out what he did wrong. Since you havent even started yet, youre sending the wrong message. Talk yourself into thinking youre going to have a great time and convey this to your puppy. Each time you take him outside, do it with gusto! 2. Be Patient Lets face it, youre going to have some disappointing moments while youre house training a dog. Try to look at the big picture. For one thing, your dog will bring you far more happiness in life than unhappiness. When hes young, hell make lots of mistakes, but before you know it, hell be trained. So give him time to learn all these new behaviors. Also, if you act impatient with him, youll get into that confusion thing again. Just take a deep breath, smile at how cute he is, and know hell do better next time. 3. Make a Schedule- The smaller your dog, the smaller bladder he or she has. Every puppy needs to be put on a potty training schedule, so take this into consideration as youre setting it up. Take him out first thing in the morning. Feed him, and take him out again. If youre home with him during the day, take him out every hour while hes tiny. You can figure out what adjustments to make as he grows. Always take him out the last thing before bedtime. 4. Be Consistent- Consistency is one of the most important aspects of house training a puppy. There are several methods you can use including putting papers down and confining your dog in the same area as the door hell be using. There is also dog litter box training, and the umbilical leash, where you keep him by your side every minute that you can. Whichever means you use, say the same words and take the same actions. Changes will make him nervous and cause accidents in the house. Crate training is the method we prefer and it gives your puppy a den of safety, too. 5. Reward Behavior- Every time your dog goes potty outside, even before he asks to go out, reward him. This will quickly teach him that hes doing something that pleases you. You can give him food treats or his favorite toy. Whatever you give him for a prize, lavish praise and affection on him at the same time. Tell him what a good boy he is in your most ecstatic voice. 6. Dont Punish and catch him doing something right!!- - The old school of housebreaking a dog held to punishments such as rubbing his nose in his own waste. The new model is much kinder and more sensible. Since he wants to please you, if you dont react, but walk away instead, hell get the message loud and clear that he was a bad boy. Give him a few minutes, and then start speaking to him again. 7. Alpha Dog- Dogs exist in packs. That means there is one alpha dog and the rest are subservient. In your family or even just with you, youre the pack members. The trick is to let him know right away that youre the alpha dog. In other words, you are the leader of his pack. It doesnt mean you have to be mean; you just need to let him know that you call the shots in dog housetraining; and all other training too. 8. Command Word- Every training exercise needs a command word; something simple. For house training your puppy, potty or outside are examples of appropriate words. Whatever you choose, always stick with the same one for the each command. 9. Keep it Simple- Dont make housebreaking your dog any more difficult than it has to be. For example, each time he goes on his papers or makes a mistake in another area, pick him up, gently but firmly, take him out the same door, and set him down on the grass. Hell probably urinate, so reward and praise him, and call him back inside. Dont make side trips on the way out or try to have a conversation with him. The easier you make it for him, the easier hell make it for you. 10. Lots of Love- The last rule, which should be the easiest, is to give that dog all the love in your heart!

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Dog Training Book Online: Learn in home dog training and how to start training a dog for agility

10 Greatest Dog Training Tips of All Time

by Jay Schnebly
The 10 Greatest Dog Training Tips of All Time According to Dog Training Experts 10) When trying to settle a puppy into a new home, providing them with a warm hot water bottle and placing a ticking clock in the room where they sleep will help to replicate the body heat and heartbeat of their litter mates and can really help them to relax in their new environment. 9) When taking your puppy to the Vet for its first inoculations, health checks etc, it is good practice to sit with your puppy on your lap and not have him or her on the floor. Apart from being able to comfort and re-assure the puppy easier in this position you must also consider the fact that there may be a number of sick animals in the surgery and your puppy is vulnerable if they come into direct contact with infectious animals that may also be in attendance at the same time as your pup. Make a very deliberate effort to ensure your puppys trips to the vets are as fun as you can make them. Dont allow your puppy to think you are nervous or concerned, instead make a game and even take a toy to amuse the puppy with whilst they sit on your lap. 8) Always ensure from the earliest possible moment that your puppy is given his or her own, private sleeping place that is not used by anyone else in the family or another pet. Your puppy will benefit from short periods left alone in his or her den with you always returning to reward the pup when he or she is relaxed and quiet. 7) Try to make sure your puppy is entertained adequately for short but regular intervals during the day. Long periods of being left unstimulated may lead to destructive or disruptive behaviour later in life. Little games playing fetch with the pups favourite toy will have the beneficial affect of stimulating the pup, increasing his or her bond with you and allowing the pup to expend short, sharp bursts of energy. 6) Dont over-train your puppy. Remember, a one-year old dog is, effectively, the same as a seven-year old person. It is a good rule of thumb to keep reminding yourself would I expect a three, four, five or six-year old child to accomplish some of the tasks I am asking of my pup? Manners, house-cleanliness and the very basics (including socialisation) are all you should really seek to instil in your puppy until such a time, as they are mature enough to undergo a more formal training regime. Puppies can deceive you into thinking they are ready for training but will ultimately rebel against discipline as they get older. Ensuring you have taught your puppy to respond to his or her name, what is and is not acceptable in terms of house-manners and establishing an uninhibited relationship with your pup is more important than any other discipline in the early stages of any dogs life. 5) OWWWW! Teach your puppy that biting or nipping is not a pleasant experience for you by reacting as if in pain to their playful nips. Rather than scold the dog, let him or her know that nipping is not a pastime that you wish to engage in. Letting out an over-exaggerated expression of pain will more than likely shock the puppy into ceasing this behaviour. You will be glad you put an end to this behaviour early on instead of confronting a playful 2-year-old with a full set of adult teeth! 4) Decide early on what is and is not acceptable in your house. If you dont want your pup to use the living-room sofa as a raised dog bed when they get older then dont encourage him or her to come up for fuss when theyre young just because they look sweetly at you and are small enough to pick up. 3) Jumping up. All puppies love to jump out when greeting anyone. Rather than reprimand the pup, simply ignore the behaviour and wait until he or she settles down and is not jumping up before lavishing any attention on them. Above all else, dont encourage the behaviour by patting or praising the dog when they are in the jump-position or you may run in to problems as the dog gets bigger and views jumping up as an easy way to receive attention. 2) The puppys name will be with them for life, make sure they know it by associating it with all things pleasant and fun. In the same way dogs cotton on in a very positive way to words such as walkies, biscuits or dinner-time they should be given the same association with their own name. Too often the only time the puppy hears his or her name is when they have done something naughty. Jasper, stop doing that! Buster, leave that alone! Its tough but try to ensure that you NEVER use the puppys name in a negative scenario only positive ones. Instead of Jasper, leave that alone! simply, Leave that alone! or better yet No!. And instead of walkies, biscuits or dinner-time try Jasper, biscuits!, Jasper, walkies!, Jasper, dinner-time! Golden rule. Your puppy should associate his or her own name with all that is pleasant and fun and nothing that is negative. The word no is negative and it is enough to cover all undesirable behaviour. 1) From the moment your puppy comes into your life teach him that coming to you when called is nothing short of being the best thing in the world. Puppies cant resist humans who sit down on the floor with legs spread apart so, while theyre easily persuaded to come by this very simple gesture, make the most of it by using their name, sparingly, but making a huge fuss when puppy arrives. Try it at times when pup is pre-occupied with something interesting and make coming back to you the most enjoyable and rewarding experience in the world for him or her. You will really see the benefits as the dog gets older.

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Best dog training tips can be found at dogtrainingbookonline.com

Don't Let Fido Get Sick As A Dog!

By: Stephen Dolan

You love your dog. And like most dog-owners, you likely consider your dog to be a part of your family. That is why your dog's health is so important. Just as you would be concerned about the health of a child, you should be concerned about the health of your dog. Fortunately, if you've already looked after your children, or even if you are concerned about your health, looking after your dog's health should be easy. It requires all the things that you would expect: preventative care, paying attention to warning signs, knowing what to do when your dog is sick, and finding a veterinarian you and your dog can trust. If you follow all these steps, you will help ensure that your dog has a long and healthy life.

The key to keeping your dog healthy is, not surprisingly, a healthy lifestyle right from the start. Most importantly, this means only giving your dog nutritious dog food, throw those scraps away! Look for dog food that has been endorsed by veterinarian groups. While it may be more expensive than generic or even some brand name dog foods, in the long run it will help with your dog's health.

Along with good food, your dog will need a lot of exercise. Although the amount of exercise each dog needs will vary according to the breed, no dog's health will be improved by being stuck inside a cramped apartment everyday. Dogs need walks and time outside to play. Incorporate your dog's exercise routine into your own. This will help your dog's health, and your own health.

Finally, get your dog a veterinarian and have your dog's health checked regularly. Along with spotting problems, your veterinarian will also be able to give you tips and suggestions on preventative dog health.

So you've decided to pick a veterinarian. You open the Yellow Pages and find dozens and dozens of veterinarians to choose from. Where do you start? Right off the bat, you will want to find a veterinarian that has a "small animal" practice, which will include dogs and cats and other common pets. These veterinarians will know the most about dog health. Most veterinarians are similar to a doctor who is a general practitioner. These veterinarians will be able to deal with and identify a wide range of problems related to your dog's health, and are what you should use as your main veterinarian. Once you've found a general "small animal" veterinarian to deal with your dog's health, they will be able to refer you to specialists as required.

If you've identified some possible veterinarians, start asking your friends and colleagues with pets for recommendations. And most importantly, talk to your prospective veterinarian. Ask about prices and availability for emergency care. Finally, before you chose any veterinarian to help you look after your dog's health, be sure that you are comfortable with them and trust them to look after your pet.

After a lot of consideration, you've picked a veterinarian that will keep track of your dog's health, and have started a preventative regime of good food and exercise. No matter how careful you are about your dog's health, however, your dog will get sick. Either from contact with other dogs, or accidents while you are out on your walks, something will likely happen to your dog that will require the attention of a veterinarian. The problem is that it is not always obvious when your dog is sick. Unlike children, your dog can't tell you when it is feeling down.

There are a number of sign you can look for, however. Is your dog more tired than usual lately? Does it seem depressed? Does it have a dry nose? Is it limping? Does your dog's feces look off or runny? These are just some warning signs. In the end, it all comes down to whether you think your dog is sick or not. This requires you to have a close relationship with your dog to know when it is acting differently, and this attention will be the best support for your dog's health.

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Steve Dolan is a dog lover and long time dog owner. For more information about dog health click Dog Health and Dog Grooming and for more about dog trining and keeping your dog happy click Dogs and Puppies Online.

How To Live In Perfect Harmony With Your Dog

By: Stephen Dolan

Dog training is one of the most important things you can do for your pet. It will greatly improve the relationship between you and your dog.

Dog training will give you a means of communicating with your dog. The most obvious way it can help with communication is by teaching your dog to respond to commands. Next time you come across your dog ripping apart your favorite pair of slippers, you will be able to use simple oral commands to stop the destruction. Dog training will also improve communication by allowing your dog to find its place within your household social hierarchy. By teaching your dog to sit and give you its paw, you are telling the dog that you are in charge. When your dog obeys your command, it is recognizing your position.

Dog training can also protect your dog. A dog that has been properly trained won't go chasing after a bouncing ball into traffic. A dog that has been properly trained won't take a nip at other dogs or pedestrians when you are out for walks. A dog that has gone through dog training will be a confident dog. You will also be able to give it more freedom to do things like run off the leash when you know it will return on your command.

Finally, dog training can be a fun activity for you and your dog to do together, a time for you to focus all your attention on your dog. It need not be a chore, and it should never resemble an extended punishment.

The most important concept in dog training is the reward. Rewarding your dog with treats is the fastest and most pleasant way for your dog to learn new commands. While punishing your dog has its place in most dog training regimes, it should be used sparingly. If all your dog ever receives is punishments or reprimands, your dog will quickly learn to ignore or avoid you. This will make it extremely hard to properly train your dog.

Dog training should start as early as possible. While you may not see immediate benefits, and many doubt puppy can actually be trained, it will at the very least set the stage for successful dog training later in life. The methods you use to train your dog will seem familiar and a part of its daily routine. This is not to say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. Just be prepared to put more effort into it than you would with a younger dog, and to always be patient.

While there are many resources available for you to train your dog on your own, the easiest way is to use a dog trainer. You should spend a lot of time picking a dog trainer, however, as bad training techniques could be very damaging to your dog.

Anyone can call himself or herself a dog trainer. It is therefore important to only use a dog trainer that has been glowingly recommended by someone with well-trained dogs, or by a reputable organization such as the ASPCA or other humane societies. And before spending any money, ensure that the dog trainer uses methods you are comfortable with. Visit the facility and see a dog training session in action. If you see any signs of cruelty or hostility by the instructor towards the dogs, find someone else.

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Steve Dolan is a dog lover and long time dog owner. For more information about dog training click Dog Training and Puppy Training, and for more about dog health and keeping your dog happy click Dogs and Puppies Online.

How To Deal With Arthritis In Your Dog

By: Paul P. Duxbury

Arthritis is a health problem that not only humans have to deal with, but so do our pets. In fact, one-fifth of dogs in the US, over the age of seven, suffer with painful DJD (degenerative joint disease) as veterinarians like to say. It is also one of the top recurring pains in dogs that they treat. Arthritis in dogs can affect their back, elbows, shoulders, hip and neck.

If you are not sure if your dog has arthritis, here are a few of the more obvious signs:

Does he tend to favor once side over another (His joints could be too painful on one side, so he will tend to put more pressure on the other to avoid pain. He may even show discomfort while standing or even sitting on a particular side)

Unusual weight gain (Because of the painful joints, he may tend to be more lethargic or even sleep more not getting the exercise a healthy dog would generally get)

Not as active (If you have noticed he is not as playful or unusually hesitant in his movements. This is due to stiff joints)

If you have noticed your dog with any one of the above symptoms for more than a week, do not hesitate to take him to a veterinarian. This way he can be properly diagnosed and treated.

There are home remedies that you might even want to try to ease his pain.

Diet

Your dog's diet is one area that you might want to look into. Dry dog food is made up mostly of grains which cause inflammation of the joints. A better choice would be to try preparing his meals with raw or cooked meat as well as cooked vegetables. They are not only healthier for him but should help alleviate some of the swelling in his joints. (Stay away from anything spicy such as peppers and even onions). Omega 3 fatty acids can be used as a supplement in order to decrease the amount of inflammation in the joints. Try giving him fish capsules. Flax seed is also a great anti-inflammatory.

Exercise

Even thought your dog may be in pain, it is still important that he gets a short amount of exercise. If he is not skittish to water, try having him swim. For smaller dogs, a kiddy pool would work great. This way, there is no pressure on the joints, yet he is still being mobile. Also take him for short 15 minute walks. Do not expect too much from him such as running after a ball or jumping.

Warm and Comfortable rest area

Provide a soft, comfortable area for your dog to rest. In the winter time, when the cool air can stiffen joints, try placing an old sleeping bag or pillow on the floor to help keep his joints warm. If your dog is an outside dog, you may want to bring him into the garage at night, to avoid the temperature drops.

These are just a few ways that we can help make our pets lives more comfortable. Although, visiting a veterinarian should also be considered. Your veterinarian will probably take an x-ray to see the damage to the joints. With the rising amount of animals that are developing arthritis, there are medications that have been developed to alleviate and even help repair the joints.

A popular medication for dogs in alleviating pain is glucosamine. It is a sugar that is generated from shell fish that motivates joint repair and lessens joint pain. Glucosamine is a natural ingredient that is found in animals, but with age, the body has a decrease in production of this essential element. Glucosamine works by stimulating your body to produce Synovial fluid. Synovial fluid is needed for healthy joints. It lubricates the cartilage to aid in mobility.

Never take matters into your own hands by giving your dog human medications. They can be toxic to his body, especially if given in the wrong dosage form.

Animal care has come a long way in meeting the needs of our canines. Taking your dog to regular check ups at a veterinarian is one way to keep up with your dog's health needs. If we want our animals to have happy and healthy lives, taking care of their bodies is important. They cannot do it without us.

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Paul Duxbury writes extensively on Pet Care. You can read more of his articles at Dog Care and Training and Pet Care Centre Download Your www.my-dog.co.uk/dogmasters.htm"> Free Dog Training Report