Just About Jacks

Archive for July 11th, 2009

As you know, one of the most exciting things that most dog lovers can imagine is bringing home  a lhaso apso for the first time.

Unfortunately, this excitement often wears off quickly when the new little addition to the family begins using the house as a bathroom area.

Potty TrainingFortunately, with a bit of consideration and understanding of some of the basic principles of potty training a Lhasa Apso, it is easy and simple to teach your Lhasa Apso  this very important behavior.

There are some points to keep in mind when planning or starting your potty training routine. No matter which method you decide to use, there will be accidents. Plan for them, accept them and move on with as little fuss and negative actions or punishment towards the puppy as possible.

Usually with any puppies, accidents are due to very small bladders and bowels and poor control as their bodies develop, very similar to young human infants in fact.

Avoid Punishing Your Lhasa Apso

Avoid punishing or reprimanding your puppy for an accident, as it is likely to be more a fault of the owner for not taking the puppy to the potty area soon enough. Learn from mistakes and keep notes on when the puppy has accidents.

Try to see if there is a pattern developing that can assist you in the training, rather than become frustrated with the Lhasa Apso. Virtually every puppy wants to make his or her owner happy, and this can be used as an effective motivator in potty training even young puppies.

The Older Dog

Older Lhasa Apsos that are being housebroken or potty trained for the first time will also have accidents, until they understand what you want. Again, patience and a positive attitude will help the training process.

Remember that dogs aren’t aware of the value of antique rugs or wall-to-wall carpeting, rather they tend to relieve themselves where they feel they should – usually somewhere out of the way, like behind the couch or in the corner behind the potted palm.

Is There Anything I Can Do To Help?

YES, There are many things that pet owners can do to make the process of potty training easier for their new dog or puppy.

Good planning, an understanding of the potty training method to be used, plus other factors such as high quality food, lots of exercise, attention and love can all have a bearing on the time that it takes to potty train your Lhasa Apso.

Finally, each dog  is somewhat different in personality and temperament. Some puppies and dogs seem to almost potty train themselves where others, even from the same litter, may require additional training but will soon learn what is expected.

What method Should I Use To Potty Training My Lhasa Apso?

Well, there are several different potty training methods that can be used for a Lhasa Apso.

Deciding on the best potty training method is important and depends a lot on the age of the dog, the time that you have to interact with the dog or puppy, your living area, and what method you are most comfortable with.

Some of the potty training methods encourage your Lhasa Apso  to use an outside area to relieve themselves, whereas others focus on containing the area the puppy or dog uses inside of the house – by the use of litter boxes, potty training pads or even newspapers.

Here, we will cover one popular method, Crate Training.

CRATE TRAINING

Crate training is one of the most effective ways to potty train a Lhasa Apso as it uses the natural “denning instinct” of the dog to encourage it to keep the area that it sleeps clean and free from waste materials.

In the wild, the den is kept clean by the mother while the puppies are young. Once they get older and are able to walk, they naturally go outside of the living area or den to relieve themselves.

In houses there are no dens, and the area is simply too large for puppies to feel that this is “their spot”.

By providing a den, in the form of a crate, the puppy will learn to wait until he or she is taken outside before soiling in the crate.

Crate training does require active participation and monitoring on the part of the dog owner.

The following is a brief outline of how to complete a crate training routine:

* Purchase an appropriately sized crate, either plastic or wire, that is large enough for your Lhasa Apso  to stand and stretch out comfortably.

* Make sure the crate is comfortable – use soft, washable liners or dog blankets.

* Sit with your Lhasa Apso at the door of the crate. Place a small treat inside the crate. Praise the puppy for going into the crate and getting the treat. Let the puppy come out when he or she wants, do not close the door at this time.

* Only praise for going in the crate, ignore the puppy when he or she is coming out.

* When your Lhasa Apso walks into the crate say “Crate” or “Den” or whatever word you wish to associate with going into the crate.

* When your  Lhasa Apso is  staying in the crate on their own to eat the treats, close the door for a few seconds, then open it up. Only praise when the dog goes in, not when it is exiting. Soon the dog realizes in is good, out is neutral.

* After the puppy or dog is fine with being in the crate for more than a few minutes, put a chew toy in with them to keep it occupied. Try very slowly and gradually increasing your distance away from the crate, and the time in the crate with the door closed.

* Since the puppy or dog will generally not eliminate when they are in the crate because it is their den, take them outside to eliminate when they come out of the crate.

* After feeding, crate the puppy with a chew toy. In about 10-15 minutes take the puppy out of the crate and to the designated toilet area. Do not play or interact with the puppy at this time, just take them to the spot.

* If the puppy relieves itself, praise the puppy and spend some time interacting. If, after about 3-5 minutes the puppy has not toileted, return it to the crate, again without saying anything, for an additional five minutes. Repeat the process without interacting with the puppy until it goes to the bathroom. Praise and play always follow toileting while crate training.

* At night, keep the crate in the bedroom or somewhere that you can easily hear the puppy. If he or she whines, take them to the toilet area and return them to the crate with as little interaction as possible. Just a simple “good girl” or boy will do when they toilet.

Too much praise will be seen as play, and may encourage the puppy to whine throughout the night. Remember, the crate is only used until Potty Training is under control, not forever!

What Are Some Advantages of Using A Crate?

The advantages to crate training include the fact that it uses the puppies or dogs natural instincts to help with the learning process. It minimizes the dangers of messes and accidents around the house when done correctly. In addition the puppy feels secure, and they can understand what is required in a relatively short time.

What Are Some Disadvantages of Using A Crate?

Disadvantages to crate training for a lhaso apso are few, but the biggest one is that it will only work if the trainer monitors the puppy closely while in the crate, and follows the attention/inattention guidelines.

Some owners may think that crate training is cruel, but this is simply not the case. Once people understand the crate is not used as a punishment but as a safe and secure place for the puppy, they change their opinion quickly.

Need More Help ?

I hope this short outline introduction to Potty Training  and specifically CRATE  Training has been helpful to you.

Dogs are naturally aggressive. This attribute of dogs developed over many centuries ensuring their survival in the wild. Selective breeding and domestication processes have reduced and refined dog aggression. Some tips to help you to understand your dogs aggressive behaviour are below.

Why is my dog aggressive?

The most common causes are a lack of socialisation and experience with other people and the issue of dominance.

Aggression towards strangers:

Dogs are naturally cautious and suspicious. If your dog isn’t used to being in unfamiliar situations it may become quite on edge around strangers and new environments. If you widen your dogs knowledge and consistently provide positive experiences your dog will feel at ease when confronting a new situation. Browse our Review of Charlie Lafave’s Dog Training Zone for inspiration to stop dog aggression.

How can I change my dogs aggressive behaviour?

From a young age your dog needs to be socialised in order to feel comfortable in unusual situations. In your choice of experiences include other people, places and animals. Experience will teach your dog how much fun other places, people and animals can be. Socialising is quite simple thing to do. You might want to start with puppy pre-school. When you and your puppy feel relaxed around new dogs and people you will be able to increase your area of socialisation. Your dog will continue to need socialisation, to stay stranger friendly.

Dogs who are aggressive towards family members:

When dogs feel they need to defend something that is theirs, they can react aggressively towards their family members. This is known as resource guarding. This can appear as overly-possessive behavior, such as growling if you approach your dog when it is eating, or if you reach your hand out to take a toy away. This sort of aggression is a result of a dominance problem. Pack animals such as dogs need to know who is the head of the pack. Dogs are used to structure and are ranked according to a hierarchy of position and power in relation to everyone in their family or pack. Dogs rank themselves against their human family as a substitute for a dog family and their ranking tells them how to behave in any situation. The top ranking dog is expected to behave aggressively and if this how your dog is behaving, then it believes it has a higher ranking than you. A lower ranking member of the pack will behave in a passive, submissive way and would never growl or snarl at a higher ranking member if you approached its food or toys. You need to make it clear to your dog that you are the boss and he is a lower ranking family member.

What can I do about my dogs aggressive behavior?

Regular and consistent obedience training work will rebuild your authority over your dog. Keep your training sessions short for effective behavior modification and control. Make each training session enjoyable: play a game by giving your dog lots of praise, pats and treats when it has worked well with you.

For more detailed information about dog training and other behavioral problems, check out Secrets to Dog Training. Check out a full review of Secrets to Dog Training at DogHelpdesk.com

There are many things that you should know when you are talking about puppies and some general puppy training tips that you should be aware of before you get a puppy.

New Born Puppies

If you are getting new born puppies, there are several general puppy care tips that you need to know. First of all, you need to have an environment where you can have the puppies where you can easily control the temperature, and you have to be sure that the puppies are warm. You also should provide a place that is safe for them so that they don’t get hurt by accident.

Older Puppies

When you bring a puppy home, he or she will usually be around 8 weeks old. At that time, you will find that you need to make sure that you have several supplies ready. The general puppy care tips that are most important will be that you have a soft and safe place for them to sleep. You should have a place that the puppy can be during the day, where he can play, eat, and piddle, without a problem.

One of the best general dog training tips is that you need to remember to socialize your puppy. No matter what kind of puppy you have, you will see that it is important you socialize them all of the time. Your puppy will be fine around anything you want, as long as you expose them to these things when they are young. This means that you have to let them be around children and babies and other animals to make sure that they are socialized. Most of the general puppy care tips revolve around how to get your puppy exposed to other things that you want them to be exposed to.

Safe And Healthy

There are many general dog training tips that involve keeping your dog safe and healthy. You have to make sure that you have taken your puppy to the vet to have all of the proper tips and you have to be sure you are feeding your puppy the proper amount of food and the proper kind of food at all times.

One of the best general puppy care tips that you can get is to make sure that your puppy has the proper amount of love. It might sound silly, but a puppy needs love to thrive on more than anything. You have to be sure that you are always being kind and gentle with your puppy, because that is the best way to have your puppy grow into the dog you want him to be.

To be able to control you dogs barking you must first understand why it is barking. Over time you will learn to understand what your dog is trying to communicate through barking. Sometimes you will want your dog to bark, when something is amiss or your dog needs to go to the toilet, for example. Remember, barking can be good thing!. Neighbours with barking dogs are annoying and it is up to you to train your dog about barking behaviour. You are in control and your dog will look to you for instruction about when to and when not to bark.

For more support with your training take a look at these reviews of the ultimate dog training guides available today. Go to Best Dog Training Guides now.

Perhaps your dog is bored or lonely?

The number 1 cause of uncontrolled barking is a dog who is feeling scared and lonely. Does your dog spend the biggest part of every day alone? Make sure you are providing your dog with plenty of exercise to compensate for that, 1 – 1.5 hours per day depending on size and breed. A good walk before work is recommended. If you find this difficult think about hiring someone to do the walking for you. A big thankyou will be your dogs response to this attention. A host of dog toys are available from pet shops etc, to try when you are away from home. Try buying your dog a bone to chew or a ball to play with. If you rotate your dogs toys you can be sure your dog will not tire of them.

Spending too much time alone is a common cause of barking. Dogs are very social animals requiring lots of attention, interation and communication. Spend a lot of time with your dog playing and showing it affection. Dogs need this to thrive. Find activities that include your dog, when at home. Happiness is the sign of a loved dog. A dog that is well attended to is also less likely to manifest other inappropriate behaviors and you won’t need to Stop Your Dog Whining.

Is your dog letting you know it wants to play?

Do not give in to a demanding, barking dog. Reinforcing a bad habit will be the result, if you do. A relationship built on mutual respect does not tolerate this sort of harassment. Ignore this type of behavior if you want your dog to stop demanding your attention in this way. To effectively do this is by turning your back towards your dog; getting up, moving away and not responding at all. This is likely to confuse your dog to start with. Dogs are persistent and since this has worked before, perhaps if it barks for a little longer you will get the message. Don’t Succumb! Be firm. You will probably have to endure worse barking before the barking improves. When your dog has realized the barking isn’t working remember to praise it. Your dogs wants to please you so you’ll need to use positive reinforcement. Re learning this barking behaviour will only take a short time, if you are consistent.

Being consistent is very important in all aspects of dog training. Dogs respond positively to knowing who the boss is. Your leadership is necessary for your dog to respect you and become well adjusted, well behaved and happy. Remember, quiet does not always mean good. It is your clear direction that will teach your dog when it is appropriate to bark.

To learn more about keeping your barking dog quiet take a look at Quiet Your Barking Dog.

It’s a sure bet that you’re either a ‘dog’ person or a ‘cat’ person; if you’re a dog person and you have a dog, then you love to take it everywhere you go. However did you know if you’re travelling in a car with your pet pooch, then they are at just as much risk in an accident as you are? If you aren’t too concerned about that, then think about this: a dog roaming around loose in a car can cause an accident if the driver is distracted, or if their driving is impeded. If Fido wants a pat and you’re negotiating a tricky intersection, or you decide a tummy rub is necessary at the next set of lights, then you could create an accident, or fail to get out of one. Fido, like a child, should be strapped safely in a seat.

A dog harness is crucial if you want to avoid an accident, and injury to either yourself or your dog. Think of it as a dog safety belt, which will (in the unfortunate event of an accident) stop your beloved canine from being thrown around the vehicle and becoming hurt – or hurting you. Any loose item in a car can become a projectile and again, if you don’t care too much if Bingo is hurt, then consider the fact that you could be.

A dog travel harness is available in different sizes, and it is important that you select the right one in order for it to fit correctly. If it is too loose, the dog may slip through in an impact – too tight and it could cause injury and defeat the purpose for which it was intended. Furthermore, you don’t want a harness that will rub when the car is in motion. This could cause friction burns and blisters. Padding in the right places, and the right kind of padding, is essential. It’s worth spending a little more on a harness that will fit correctly and be snug (but not too much so) and offer protection even while simply driving from point A to point B.

The last point worth noting is that the harness should have a swivel fitting so that the dog can either sit up or lie down in the car. A good harness will allow the dog to turn around and not become entangled, or cause the belt to shorten. Positioned correctly, a harness will also mean your windows stay clean – no more doggy drool coating the insides of your car!

Dog travel safety should be one of the things you consider when you buy a puppy. For many reasons, a dog harness, available from all good pet supplies stores, is a vital piece of equipment in the car of any dog owner.