All Posts by Sally Gutteridge

Housebreaking a Puppy in Only 1 Month

By Sally Gutteridge | Posts , Puppies

Housebreaking a puppy should be your first priority the moment you take your puppy home from the breeder or the shelter. By using all of the tips listed below, housebreaking your puppy can be pleasant experience, and the skills you acquire as a trainer will last you a lifetime.

To start housebreaking a puppy, you must first make a list of your priorities. Although it’s nice to have a puppy to play with and to teach him basic tricks, your focus should go to setting clear boundaries for your dog as to what is acceptable and what is not, so that you can keep your house clean.

The first step in housebreaking a puppy is to get a crate that is the right size. It’s important that you use a small crate that your puppy can sleep comfortably in, not a crate that is so large that he can run or move around inside. If your puppy has a large crate, he will be likely to use the toilet in one corner and sleep in another corner.

Note: If your puppy is going to significantly grow in size, purchase a crate with a blocked compartment so that he can grow into the crate as he gets older.

Don’t Leave Your Puppy Alone

When housebreaking a puppy for the first time, you can’t trust your puppy to be left alone at any time. You need to observe his every behavior to make sure that he does not wander off and use the toilet in a hidden area of the house.

If you do not constantly keep an eye on your puppy, then he may be using the toilet indoors without your knowledge. This will completely derail your housebreaking efforts since it will appear that your puppy is using the toilet outdoors at scheduled times, when he actually is not.

If you’re going to be gone for any extended period of time, keep your puppy in his crate. But before you do, you must take the time to acclimate your puppy to his crate with a positive association.

Use treats to encourage your puppy to go into his crate freely and willingly. Once your puppy becomes more comfortable with entering his crate on his own, shut him in the crate for small periods of time, starting from 5 minutes and slowly building up to an hour or two at a time.

Always reward your puppy with a treat each time that he enters the crate so that he will start to look forward to the time that he spends there.

Reward for Good Behavior

When your puppy is rewarded for good behavior, it makes housebreaking a puppy much easier because you will reinforce his good actions. Your puppy should be rewarded for the good behavior of willingly going into his crate when he is commanded.

He should also be rewarded with some treats and lots of praise whenever he uses the toilet outside in the designated area – each time that you take him outside.

When you use this consistency in housebreaking a puppy, he will soon start to look forward to using the toilet outdoors because he will expect a treat. This is the best way to reinforce good behavior with rewards.

Catch Him in the Act

When you create a schedule for housebreaking a puppy, keep in mind that your puppy will naturally want to urinate after playing and after taking a nap. Take him outside as often as possible so that he has the opportunity to use the toilet outdoors and get a delicious reward from you.

In the event that you catch your puppy using the toilet indoors – which is likely to happen in the early days of housebreaking a puppy – do not punish him. Come again? Yes, it is important to catch your puppy in the act and startle him. But instead of punishing, redirect his behavior and take him outside. As soon as he eliminates outside, he should be rewarded with a treat and lots of praise to show that he has done something good.

When you use the proper technique, housebreaking a puppy can be easily achieved in 30 days or less.

Mastering this fundamental training will make it easier to teach your dog good behavior and even advanced tricks in the future.

Good luck, if you have any questions please leave a comment below and I will do my best to address your concerns. Thank you for reading this article.

Obedience Training For Dogs in 8 Weeks

By Sally Gutteridge | Posts , Training

Obedience training can sometimes be overwhelming when you get a new dog. Most people think that they can train their dog themselves and some are successful while others struggle. But in reality, everyone can have a well behaved and loving family dog in only 8 short weeks.

The problem I see when people train their dog themselves, is that they unknowingly reward bad behaviors; their timing is off, and they sometimes discipline the dog unfairly.

But at last! Here are some 3 free strategies to get you started on the right path to training your dog.

1. Proper Timing. Reward or discipline your dog at the time of the good or bad behavior, not after long periods. Why? Because dogs learn in the moment. Even a minute after the fact is too late, they will not know why they are getting rewarded or punished. The optimal time for a reward or a punishment must be one second after the behavior.
2. Attend Professional Obedience Training for Dogs Sessions or Classes. This will provide you with a structured training program that will make your training more efficient and rewarding for both you and your dog. I understand that some people may not be able to afford dog training classes, but there are always other options. Look for a local club in your neighborhood who may be training dogs recreationally, or look on Craigslist for a new trainer who is just starting their business.
3. Train Your Dog Daily. Obedience training for dogs is sometimes tricky because most people think that they have to set aside too much time to do this every day; however my experience shows 20 minutes a day is more than sufficient for a well-behaved dog. In fact, I only train my dogs 5 – 10 minutes at a time a few times each day.

Using these strategies will ensure that you have a well-behaved dog while investing minimum amount of time and money. Here at the Dog Trick Academy, our obedience training for dogs program will provide you with proven strategies to help you train your dog to not only obey you, but also connect and build a strong relationship with them that will last a lifetime.

10 Essential Puppy Training Tips

By Sally Gutteridge | Posts , Puppies

If you have just brought a new puppy home for the first time, it may be tempting to cuddle, spoil, and shower your adorable puppy with affection. But just as important as love and affection, is taking the time to train your puppy from a young age so that he can learn good behaviors that will stick with him for the rest of his life.

Early puppy training is one of the best ways to prevent long-term behavioral issues, like using the toilet indoors, barking, and chewing furniture. You can use the top puppy training tips below to help prepare yourself and your home ahead of time.

10 Essential Puppy Training Tips

1. Treats are earned, not given. It can be tempting to give a new puppy treat after treat for being so playful and loving. But a puppy will respond best to treats that are earned for good behavior, such as chewing on chew toys instead of furniture or using the toilet successfully outdoors. This will teach your puppy early on that treats are a reward that can be earned through obedience, not bad behavior.
2. Exchange toys with a treat. Your puppy should only have access to his toys at playtime. Instead of grabbing the toy and taking something away from your dog, give him a treat to exchange it so that he doesn’t become possessive of his toys.
3. Give treats while your puppy is eating. When your puppy is eating, place your hand into his food bowl to give him delicious treats. This will teach your dog to accept your presence when he is eating due to the positive association of receiving extra treats.
4. Stay consistent in training not to nip. Puppies are known to nip and chew on different items as they explore their environment. Make sure that you and all family members teach your puppy that no nipping or biting is acceptable; instead, redirect the puppy to a chew toy and reward to reinforce good behavior.
5. Train at the right time. Puppies are eager and willing to learn, especially with reward-based training. But make sure that you train your puppy in a short 5 minutes sessions before mealtime so that he has enough energy and is hungry enough to earn treats for obedience.
6. Take training slow. A puppy is growing and developing on a day by day basis, so it may take him time to learn a number of basic commands. Start out slowly with 2 to 3 commands at a time and wait until your puppy learns the commands successfully before moving forward. It is better to build upon successes than to try training 10 different things at once.
7. Do not provide negative attention. Use positive reinforcement to train your puppy instead of scolding or yelling to prevent negative associations. Once your puppy understands that he is rewarded for good behavior, he will be likely to repeat it over and over again.
8. Use a crate to house train. One of the most overlooked puppy training tips is using a crate to house train. But when you teach your puppy to enjoy his crate through positive association and rewards, he will be happy to stay in his crate when you are not at home to prevent accidents. Once your puppy is taken out of his crate, he should be taken outdoors to use the toilet immediately. Once he eliminates successfully, reward him with praise and a treat to reinforce the good behavior.
9. Socialize from a young age. You can socialize your puppy through basic leash training on a walk down the street or at a park. This can be used to train your puppy to follow you instead of pulling on the leash and will also acclimate him to new people and other dogs. The key to this is positive socialization, you want your puppy to experience pleasurable things while meeting strangers and other dogs/puppies.
10. Enroll in an obedience class. Taking at least one obedience class will help you to understand how to better communicate with your puppy in a positive way. This will also teach your puppy how to socialize with other dogs/puppies and people at the same time!

Obedience Training For Dogs

By Sally Gutteridge | Posts , Training

Formal obedience training for dogs normally occurs in a class or with a private trainer in a one-on-one setting. Obedience training for dogs begins with very basic obedience training, including teaching the dog to respond to such common commands as “sit”, “come”, “down”, and “stay”.

However, obedience training for dogs can progress to train a dog for higher-level competition with such organizations as the United Kennel Club, the Canadian Kennel Club, and the American Kennel Club.

Obedience training for dogs requires that a dog obeys the direction or command of a handler. In order for a dog to advance in obedience training, he must respond quickly every time that a command is given by his handler.

The process of obedience training for dogs is long and arduous the farther that a dog advances in his skill level. If a dog is being trained for the purpose of competition, formal obedience training may be a prerequisite in order to compete.

Beginner obedience training for dogs will range from 6 to 10 weeks. This will determine if a dog is able to receive basic communication from a handler in a few simple steps. In most training methods, a dog will receive training for one command at a time. One of the most fundamental skills that a dog must learn at the beginning of training is the ability to walk well on a leash with a handler in order to be eligible for further competitions.

Obedience Training for Dogs: The Trials

An obedience trial is a sport that a dog must perform in a series of set tasks that have been directed by his handler. According to the official regulations of the American Kennel Club, “The basic objective of obedience trials, however, is to recognize dogs that have been trained to behave in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs, in a manner that will reflect credit on the sport of obedience at all times and under all conditions.”¹

For this reason, obedience training for dogs can be used to train a dog to participate in obedience trials sponsored by the American Kennel Club. A dog that receives this advanced training will progress beyond basic commands to compete at a higher level; the dog will be evaluated in a public competition and scored by judges.

The dog must not only demonstrate proficiency in basic skills to receive a passing score of 170 out of 200, but a handler will also often train a dog at a higher skill level so that he can earn more points. For a dog to receive a perfect score at an obedience trial, he must:

• Run directly to the handler on command without distraction or sniffing along the way.
• Sit directly in front of the handler without looking to one side or the other.

The dogs that earn the top four scores within a class will receive obedience placement ribbons and additional prizes in some cases. Dogs that earn a passing score in the obedience trial will earn what is called a “leg”. A dog must earn a set number of legs in order to compete for a title in the obedience trials, where he will receive a certificate of accomplishment.

Obedience Training Competitions

In addition to the obedience trials listed above, another popular obedience competition is Rally Obedience. This obedience competition involves several warm-up and freestyle exercises for intermediate placement between basic certification from the American Kennel Club and more advanced obedience competitions.

Within this intermediate competition, dogs will be led by their handlers through different stations in the heel position. The dogs in the competition will compete at three basic levels, Novice, Advanced, and Excellent, in three different legs for the extended championship title.

Sources:

1. “American Kennel Club Obedience Regulations.” www.akc.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2011.

Stop Dog Barking by Using Technology P+

By Sally Gutteridge | Behavior , Posts

Nonstop dog barking is enough to drive any pet owner insane. If you’re at the end of your rope and can’t seem to stop your dog from barking any time that he meets a new person or that the doorbell rings, it may be time to consider how to stop dog barking using technology.

For dogs that do not respond well to basic positive reinforcement training to stop dog barking, several devices can be used to capture the attention of a dog and discourage him from barking when he is surprised or afraid.

These advanced gadgets to stop dog barking include:

• Scent Collar: A simple and humane gadget used to stop dog barking is a scent collar. Often called an anti-bark spray collar, a scent collar is relatively inexpensive at less than $50 and will release a harmless, scentless spray every time that your dog barks. The spray is citronella scented and guaranteed 100% safe for all breeds of dogs and puppies.

The purpose of this device to stop dog barking is that each time the collar releases the spray in front of the snout of the dog, the dog will become distracted and stop barking. He will soon learn to expect this distraction each time he barks; this will cause him to quit barking excessively in order to avoid spray in his face. This is a beneficial gadget to use to stop dog barking since it will not cause pain, fear, or any side effects when training your dog.

• High Frequency Device: Another popular gadget to stop dog barking is an electronic device that emits high-pitched frequencies. This is a powerful and effective way to train to stop dog barking without using crueler methods of shocks or pulses in a collar. The device is equipped with a high-power speaker that can cover a 60 foot radius. It is compatible with any size or breed of dog.

When the dog barks at a stranger or at the doorbell, the device will emit an ultrasonic sound that only a dog can hear. The dog will soon learn to associate this high-pitched frequency with barking and automatically stop. Ideally, this device should be used to stop dog barking in a home with multiple dogs that are difficult to control. If you have one dog that is a constant barker and that excites the other dogs whenever you have a guest, this high-frequency device can be used at home to humanely control and train multiple dogs at one time.

• Training Tone Collar: Another effective and humane way to stop dog barking at home is with a training tone collar. To clarify, this device is not a shock collar, which should not be used as a method to stop dog barking at home since it will instill fear in your pet. This training tone collar produces three positive training tones that are activated through the collar. As the pet owner, you can associate the tones with positive commands like “sit”, “fetch”, and “heel”.

The negative tones on the collar can be used to encourage your dog to stop unpleasant behaviors, like barking, chewing, or digging. This electronic training system is a method that can be used to get the attention of your dog to stop barking and provide positive reinforcement when he learns a new, good behavior. As a word of caution, many training tone collars are also equipped with electric shocks. Take the time to purchase a training tone collar that does not have an electrical shock; it is not recommended to train your dog using this harsh method of punishment.

Last but not least, if you are struggling with neighboring dogs that bark constantly throughout the night or excite your dogs and cause them to bark in your yard, you can try a high-frequency device that is attached to a tree or fence post.

This electronic device comes with a specialized cone to send high-pitched frequencies into a neighboring yard. The speaker will pick up a dog’s bark and send out a correcting signal. This will keep neighborhood dogs from barking constantly throughout the night – without having to confront your neighbors…

What is Clicker Training

By Sally Gutteridge | Posts , Training

What is Clicker Training? Simply put, clicker training is an easy and effective animal training method that has become popular over the past ten years because of its gentle approach. Clicker training is also often referred to by its scientific name: operant conditioning.

At its most basic level, clicker training uses the way that a dog interacts with its environment. It encourages a dog to repeat behaviors that have positive consequences and refrain from behaviors with negative consequences.

However, in order for a dog to connect positive reinforcement with an action, it must be rewarded as good behavior occurs and not a moment afterward. Thus, a clicker becomes beneficial in training because it makes a distinct clicking sound that stands out to the ear of a dog. The clicking is quicker and more effective than praising a dog for good behavior. When a clicker is used with positive reinforcement, it becomes a powerful tool to train and improve the behavior of a dog.

How to Use Clicker Training

Clicker training is first taught by associating a clicking sound from a clicker with one treat. Your dog will quickly learn that one click equals one treat as a reward for good behavior. A dog will associate that whatever behavior they just did earned them one treat, reinforced by the clicking sound.

This proven training method can be used to train complete tricks and behaviors. Remember, in order for clicker training to be successful, you must click at the exact moment that a behavior occurs. When your dog sits, the clicker clicks.

Think of it this way: clicking is like taking a picture of the behavior you want your dog to repeat again and again. After you click to “take the picture”, you will give your dog a treat to train a behavior with positive reinforcement.

Within two or three clicks, a dog will quickly associate a click with a reward. If a dog wants another treat – which he will – he will be encouraged to repeat the good behavior again and again.

At what stage should you give up the rewards and only use the clicker for training? The answer is never! A clicker is not intended to replace a reward; it is used to emphasize that good behavior earns a treat. If you stop giving your dog rewards, the clicker will quickly lose its power as a training tool.

A strong reward after a click will yield the best training results for your dog.

Clicker Training: Put It to Practice

According to clicker training expert Karen Pryor, “101 Things to Do with a Box” is an excellent concept to use to enter into clicker training for the first time. This is a training tool taken from a dolphin research project in 1969, published in the Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior.¹ The approach can be used as a crossover training tool for dogs of all ages and sizes.

1. Use a plain cardboard box of any size. Trim the sides until they are three inches tall and place the box on the floor.
2. Click your dog for anything they do related to the box. Example: if the dog sniffs the box, click and provide a treat.
3. Do not help or encourage the dog to interact with the box. Allow him to play with the box naturally, and click and provide a treat for repeat behavior.

Use this same training method for several sessions until basic behaviors are reinforced. From there, take it to the next level. Click the dog for nudging the box, pawing the box, getting inside of the box, dragging the box, etc.

Click the moment the behavior happens and not a second after. As soon as your dog hears the click in this second level of training, he will stop to receive a treat. The dog will understand that the click is used to mark his behavior, and he will repeat that behavior again and again to get a treat.

Sources:

1. “101 Things to Do with a Box.”www.clickertraining.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.