The Do’s and Don’ts of Dog Crate Training

By : rayter
Want to know the do’s and don’ts of crate training your dog? This article will acquaint you with the most effective ways and methods to assist your dog to his new crate.

DO’s
• Slowly get your pup used to his new crate. Don’t push or force him to go inside the crate, instead praise him or give some treats or toys.

• It is fine to get a larger crate if you are not sure which one is the right size. If it is too big for your puppies, you can use divider panel to minimize the space.

• It is advisable to use soft pet bed to cover the surface so your dog will feel more comfortable and your dog will keep coming back to his crate. You may also use crate wear accessories to keep your pet warm and comfy.

• If your pet is out of his cage, find time to supervise him. Supervision will correct your pet’s bad behavior like excessive barking, chewing and eliminating anywhere he wants to.

• Be patient while giving your pet a time to adjust. You must give an enough time for him to get used to the new crate when there is a change to a pet’s habit, At first you may find your pet is nervous in entering but this is normal, day after day you will see some improvements.

DON’Ts
• Leave your dog particularly the puppies in his home all day. No dogs can hold their bowels and bladders over a long period of time. Maintain a regular schedule every few hours for your pet to eliminate. A six week old puppy can hold his bladder about 4 hours.

• Letting your pet go around your house unsupervised. If you see your pet feeling awkward to go inside or outside of the crate, gently guide him.

• Forcefully put your pet inside the crate as a punishment. The crate is made to be your pet’s secured home and not to be associated with punishment.

• Put your pet inside the crate when he has diarrhea and is vomiting. If your pet is sick, the surface of the crate might have some remains of bacteria or worms. Try to adjust on the foods he eats and give him a balance diet. Crate him again when he backs to normal condition.



Author's Resource:

The author is a pet lover connected to a company that provides safe and effective dog crates, dog houses and dog agility equipment at affordable rates.

Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.

How To Housetrain A Yorkshire Terrier

By : Michelle E. Arthur
Housetraining Yorkshire Terriers can be a lot trickier than many people think!

To be successful in housetraining your Yorkshire Terrier, you have to set up a schedule. Your Yorkie isn't going to do that for himself. It takes your effort and monitoring for several weeks to a few months for this to occur, so that your Yorkshire Terrier learns a routine.

You can help your Yorkshire Terrier know when it's the right time to go potty by repeating that routine consistently. When most people wake up, they usually go to the bathroom soon afterwards.

It's no secret that your Yorkie will need the same thing! So do your dog a favor and don't dilly-dally...take your Yorkshire Terrier out as soon as you're up and moving. Just think that she has been holding it all night, and how you might feel if that were you!

This morning potty break should be short. Next, allow your Yorkshire Terrier to eat breakfast as you're getting dressed and ready for the day. Next, take your Yorkie out for a potty break once you've had your breakfast and are ready to go out for the day.

If he's had some time to eat and let the food settle, he'll be ready for elimination before going into the crate or the room where he spends the day. With a puppy, you need to come back for a mid-day potty break and a mid-afternoon break if possible.

If you're at work all day, you need to arrange for a family member or friend to handle those breaks for you. Ensure that whoever does this follows the routine you have created precisely. Ideally, the potty breaks should be short, about 5 to 10 minutes, and should not be confused with play time. You want the Yorkshire Terrier to understand and know the difference between potty and play.

Try to maintain the same housetraining schedule for dinner. So, take your Yorkshire Terrier out the minute you get back. Establish a schedule to feed the Yorkshire Terrier at the same time each day, and try to not go more than thirty minutes off your schedule.

Your goal is to feed your Yorkie early enough in the evening such that he has time for the food to digest and be ready for a potty break before going down for sleep. And you'll want to follow the same pattern and schedule for housetraining the next day, and the following day, and so on.

As you're housetraining your Yorkshire Terrier, keep notes of the times. You can even create a simple checklist to post on the refrigerator. Then anyone who feeds the Yorkie or takes him for potty breaks can make note of the time. This is helpful in noticing what the Yorkshire Terrier's natural elimination patterns are.

When your Yorkshire Terrier completes his potty break, remember to give him praise and affection. You can offer a Yorkie biscuit, but it's not necessary. He's just as happy with your approval. Instead of the old training methods that punish a Yorkshire Terrier for making a mess in the house, you take the more effective positive approach to show him approval for getting the job done during a scheduled potty break.

Since your Yorkshire Terrier wants you to love him, he will be willing to try his best to please you. Just don't make it difficult. If you're running late and miss his potty break, clean it up and get back on track without scolding him. Your Yorkie depends on you for many things, including staying on target for housetraining. He doesn't want to mess in his space - or in yours - so help him do the right thing by sticking to a schedule.



Author's Resource:

Get free videos on housetraining Yorkshire Terriers produced by acclaimed Yorkie training staff at Ultimate-Yorkie.com.

Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.

How to Build a Wood Dog House

By : rayter
Most dogs adapt well to outdoor living as long as they have access to shelter. They also need to have a good place to escape from the weather, and unless you're willing to let him in the house.

Building a doghouse is a great family project, and may be a good opportunity to involve the kids in a construction project.

Here are some of the tools you need in building a wood dog house:

• Hammer
• Table saw or Circular saw
• Pen or pencil
• Plywood
• Paintbrush
• Hearing Protection
• Drill and Safety glasses.
• Carpenter's square
• Tape measure
• 8' 2x4 (to be cut into 2x2's)
• 4'x8' sheet of 5/8" exterior siding
• 10' 2x4, rated for outdoor use
• Shingles (optional)
• Finishing material (paint or nontoxic wood preservative)
• Nails—16d for base, 8d for house, and short roofing nails if using shingles

The first step you will have to take on this project is consider your dog's habits. For example, some dogs like to sit on top of their wood dog house. If you suspect that this may be the case with your dog, don't put any roll roofing or shingles on the top of the house since they can get hot in the summer sun. Just use an exterior plywood panel, treated with a nontoxic preservative like linseed oil.

The next step is to measure the size of your dog, his or her height sitting up, stretched out, length laying down, and measure his or her width at its widest body part which is its shoulders. When your dog is standing up, measure her from the top of her front shoulder to the ground, tell her to sit and measure her from the top of the head to the ground. Then just add about four inches to these measurements and then you are ready to proceed. Figure out how much and what lumber you will need.

Thick plywood is a suitable choice for the floor, roof and side walls. After you have purchased your materials and measured and cut them, you are now ready to build the dog house.
Insulate the doghouse. A wood dog house should protect your animal from the elements and keep him warm. Use weatherproof plywood exterior panels to build the outside walls. Then insulate the ceiling, floor, walls with 1.5 inch Styrofoam sheets.

You may also want to paint your doghouse with black or white color. If you live in a cold climate, paint the doghouse black. Black doghouses absorb heat and stay warmer. But if you live in a warm climate, paint the doghouse white. The color white reflects heat, keeping the doghouse cool.

Outdoor living is not for every dog. If your dog is old and has lived inside your house for a number of years, it will not adjust to living outside, even with a doghouse. Acclimatize your dog to outdoor living when it is young and the weather is warm. And once your dog starts sleeping in a doghouse, she should stay there. Don't bring her into your house on some nights and leave her in the doghouse on others because then she will never fully adjust to outdoor living.



Author's Resource:

The author is a pet lover connected to a company that provides a wide variety of wood dog house products, dog proof fencing and dog pens at affordable rates.

Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.