Why Isn't Punishment An Effective Training Method For Puppies

Have you recently received a new puppy? For many people, this is a very joyous time in their life. Unfortunately, it's not always fun when you are raising a puppy simply because they can become very unruly and are also hard to train. It could be simple things like teaching them not to chew on literally everything that is in your household, or teaching them how to not go to the bathroom on your carpet or floor. It can push you to your emotional limits, causing you to want to punish them every time that they make a bad choice, but this might not be the best way to train your puppy. Here are a few reasons why punishment is not an effective training method for puppies, and what alternatives exist that may prove to be much more beneficial.

Why Punishing Your Puppy Is Not The Best Choice

Starting with a simple example of a puppy that is chewing on a piece of furniture in your home, your first inclination would be to use a rolled up newspaper, smacked them on the nose, and tell them in a very affirmative tone that they have done something wrong. Obviously, the dog is not going to understand the words that you are using, but your tone will speak volumes. However, is smacking them on the nose, or swatting them with your hand, actually the best choice that you can make?

Alternatives To Punishment

There are a couple different alternatives to actually physically striking the dog in order to get your point across. We have already mentioned that the tone that you use is very important when you are trying to train your puppy. This applies to any problem that they may be having which could be biting, scratching, digging, or not waiting to go outside in order to relieve themselves. In conjunction with your negative tone, the alternatives that you will want to use will include removing them from the situation, all the while telling them in a strong condescending tone that they have made the wrong choice. It doesn't matter what words you use, but your actions need to be fast, quickly addressing the issue and removing them from the situation. You could take them to a different area of the home, or if it is a problem with potty training, take them outside and then begin the second stage of the process.

Rewards For Improving Behavior

Once you have removed them from the situation, you will want to immediately reinforce the bad behavior with presenting them with the option to do something good. Once they are in the new location, you can ask them to set, or lie down, something that they already know how to do, and when this is accomplished, you can reward them with a positive tone and some form of treat. By doing this quickly, transitioning them from the bad situation to a good one, and then following that up with a reward, they will become aware that making good decisions leads to rewards and praise from their owner, and theoretically through this process, the need to be praised and receive rewards will carry over to the problematic area. This can inspire them to avoid doing the bad things, hoping to do good things in order to receive positive input from you. Once done several times, and done on a consistent basis, you should start to notice a definite change in their bad behavior, transitioning them into something good.

The reason that this particular strategy does not work all of the time has to do with the lack of consistency on the part of the owner. The transition needs to be immediate, which is why in the early stages of raising your puppy, you need to be there as much as possible. By giving them an appropriate toy to chew on, or placing them outside where they can actually relieve themselves, and rewarding them once the good behavior has been accomplished, they will begin to understand. As long as this form of positive conditioning is used on a consistent basis, you can avoid the need for punishing your puppy in order to train them, it's a philosophy that many dog owners are adopting today.

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Details About The Norwegian Elkhound

Norwegian Elkhounds are a breed of dog that go all the way back to the Viking times. Most people do not know much about these dogs, even those who own one. The following will provide you with some of the details on these beautiful pooches.

As far as size, Norwegian Elkhounds fall into the medium range. Usually, they measure at about 20.5 inches in height. Males have an average weight of 55 pounds while females average 48 pounds.

Generally, Norwegian Elkhound's are healthy dogs, though like most breeds, they are prone to particular health problems. These include hypothyroidism, sebaceous cysts, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), and Fanconi Syndrome. While not every dog of this breed gets one of the conditions above, it is important to keep them in mind if you are considering buying one.

It is hard to find a dog as independent as the Norwegian Elkhound. Most dogs realize their owner is higher up on the chain of the command; that is not the case with this breed. In fact, they believe they are your equal, making training them a bit difficult. However, as long as you are firm and stick to your guns, it is possible to train them.

Personality is abundant with this kind of canine. Not only are they good with children, but they will protect them (and you) at all costs. Though not an aggressive breed, they are very loyal and protective of their owners and their families. Beware that they do crave a lot of attention, so this is not the dog for you if you are out of town frequently or are very rarely home.

When it comes to grooming, you are in luck with the Norwegian Elkhound. For most of the year, these dogs very rarely shed. But, two or three times a year, they do go through a "blow coat" phase. Basically, what this means is that they will shed like crazy for a couple of days. Just be sure to keep up with brushing during this period, even more than you would at other times of the year. On the positive side, they tend not to develop a smell typical many other breeds. Bathing is usually not necessary, but when you do feel as though he needs a bath, be sure to use a high-quality shampoo.

You have just read all about the Norwegian Elkhound. As you can see, they make a great pet and will always be loyal to you!

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Details-About-The-Norwegian-Elkhound&id=9030310

Dog Training Like The Pros, Easy & Effective Puppy Training Tips...

Basics of Dog Training

It's essential for Dog parents like you to know certain basic factors that determine your relationship with your Dog and can go a long way in training him effectively.

Before you begin training your Dog, it is absolutely essential that you build a loving bond with him. This is important as it helps you to understand his needs and instincts and also allows your Dog to have complete trust in you.

Know more about Dog care from this free mini course

Let us see how.......

How To Bond With Your Dog

Building a bond with your Dog is the first and the most crucial step involved in training him successfully. As soon as you bring your Dog home, you must first try to develop a caring and loving relationship with him in order to win his trust and confidence.

When Dogs are secure in the knowledge that they belong to the family, they are more likely to respond better to their owners' training commands. Just like with any relationship, there must be mutual trust and respect between you and your Dog.

Trust takes time to develop and respect comes from defining boundaries and treating any breach of those boundaries with firmness and fairness.

Without enforceable limitations, respect can’t be developed. And when there is no respect, building a bond with your Dog is almost impossible.

4 Golden Rules To Building A Relationship With Your Dog :

• Spend quality time together;

• Take him out into the world and experience life together;

• Establish and promote a level of mutual respect; and

• Develop a way of communicating to understand each other's needs.

Building a bond with your Dog will not only help you manage him better but will also make your Dog calm, quiet and an extremely well-adjusted pet.

Love Your Dog and He Will Love You back

Once you're successful in building a bond with your Dog, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.

Learn how to bond with your Dog with this free mini course.

How Your Dog Learns...

Your Dog's learning period can be divided into five phases:

The Teaching Phase - This is the phase where you must physically demonstrate to your Dog exactly what you want him to do.

The Practicing Phase - Practice makes Perfect. Once a lesson is learnt, practice with your Dog what you have just taught him.

The Generalizing Phase - Here you must continue practicing with your Dog in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your Dog out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever you've taught him.

Practicing the learned lessons in multiple locations and in the presence of small distractions will help him learn and retain lessons better.

The Testing Phase - Once you're sure that your Dog has achieved almost 90% success....he responds correctly almost every time you give a command, you must start testing his accuracy in newer locations with a lot of distractions.

Example: Take him to the local shopping mall and ask him to obey your command. He may not come up with the correct response the very first time you do this, but you must not lose hope.

The idea is to test your Dog to see how he responds in an environment which is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your Dog.

There are only 2 possibilities:

• Your Dog succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)

• In case your Dog fails, re-examine the situation. Review and/or change your training. Then try testing again.

Keep on testing until he succeeds. Follow the rule of the 3 Ps – patience, persistence, praise.

Internalizing Phase - Finally, comes the extremely rewarding phase where your Dog does everything he is taught to do even without your commands.

Remember:

• Never scold your Dog if he fails. It's not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!

• You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.

• Appreciate and love your Dog when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your Dog.

• Dog Training is easy when you do it right.

Learn how to train your Dog better with this free mini course.

What You Should Know About The Bernese Mountain Dog

Do you have a Bernese mountain dog? If so, you likely love your large dog and would like to know more about its breed. These particular dogs often weigh as much as 110 pounds, although weight will depend on several factors.

Some of these dogs are slightly bigger than others, but the entire breed is considered a large breed. There are many wonderful traits about Bernese mountain dogs. They are known for being extremely loyal to their owners, showing affection to loved ones and learning new things easily.

You may notice that your Bernese gets the hang of new tricks and training techniques quite fast. If you have yet to try to get your pet to do some tricks for you, it would be worth a try, especially since this breed is known for its intelligence.

These adorable pups often do not realize that they are so big. In fact, because they are so affectionate, they often attempt to sit on laps despite their size. You cannot help but laugh and smile when such a large animal wants to act like a lapdog.

The Bernese mountain dog has a long, shiny coat. The colors of the coat are white, brown and black with black being the primary color for most of the body. You may find yourself brushing fur and picking it up on a daily basis because these pups do shed a lot.

It is easy for this dog breed to gain weight, which is why it is important to follow a healthy eating schedule for your pup. Allowing him or her to have too much food could contribute to obesity, which could then lead to numerous healthy problems that could have been avoided.

Dogs of this breed like to have fun. They are energetic and want to move around as much as possible. It is important that you give them this time to run around, especially if you have a backyard or front lawn.

If you do not have anywhere for your pup to roam free, make sure you take him or her on walks throughout the day. Not only is it necessary to help Bernese pups burn off some energy, it is important for keeping him or her in shape.

Now that you have learned some new facts about the Bernese mountain dog, you may consider adopting one. And, if you are already the proud owner of one of these affection pups, you now know a bit more about him or her.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?What-You-Should-Know-About-The-Bernese-Mountain-Dog&id=9055459

Separation Anxiety and How to Fix It

Separation anxiety affects dogs and makes them appear stressed when the owner leaves home for some time. The phrase describes how the dog behaves when the owner is not around. The dog will exhibit symptoms such as excessive salivation, winning, barking and destroying items including scratching the walls, floors, doors and attempting to escape from the room.

Stimulated separation anxiety - The dog may exhibit and show a lack of self-control due to insufficient leadership. This dog may experience stress due to lack of attention from the owner. The dog becomes aware of the fact that it will attract attention if it behaves badly. When such a dog is reprimanded, it gets motivated because it knows that at least there is some form of attention. Negative attention can also be a reward if the owner is not aware of the needs of the dog. This kind of stress is easy to overcome especially where the owner increases the amount of time he spends with the dog by giving the dog proper exercise and leadership.

Fixing Anxiety

Take the Dog for a Walk

To reduce the anxiety, you can start by taking the dog for a walk. If you make the walk more rigorous, and give the dog enough food and water, the dog will spend enough time eating and resting. This leaves him in a quite or resting mode when you are away from home.

Avoid Touch or Eye Contact

Do not let the dog know when you are leaving or when you return. It makes the dog understand that there is nothing wrong when you disappear for some time. Disappearing for an hour before you leave or after your appear will effectively communicate this to the dog.

Say Goodbye Long Before Leaving

Before you leave the house, show the dog some affection. The dog will learn to associate the affection with leaving.

Remain Calm And Assertive

If you are ready to go to work, let the dog be aware of the fact that everything will be OK. This can be achieved if you project some level of confidence. Be assertive and reduce the separation anxiety.

Practice Leaving the Dog for Some Time

You can do this in a small manner. Leave the dog for some time then come back and leave again for a longer period of time. This should be practiced regularly until the dog learns that your absence does not mean anything.

Separation anxiety can be a huge problem however with some patients and the help of a professional you will hopefully solve the problem.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Separation-Anxiety-and-How-to-Fix-It&id=9055444

What Are The Benefits Of Crate Training?

Training crates for dogs are typically seen as being cruel by some ill informed people. The fact is, not only are they good for your dog, but they can have many different benefits for both the training and safety of your dogs. In this article, we will be talking about some of the main benefits of crate training for your dog.

Benefits Of Crate Training:

1. Bladder Control

Because dogs have a natural instinct to not want to soil where they sleep, it effectively helps a dog to teach his/herself bladder control. This is because when your dog is in his/her crate, they will ultimately learn not to go to the bathroom anywhere but outdoors. This can help your dog become house trained quickly.

2. Teething

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Dog Crate

The fact is, a puppy is going to begin teething sooner or later. Nothing is more dangerous than having an unsupervised puppy teething. They can get into all kinds of trouble. Not only are there typically wires around the house, but there are a bunch of other things that the puppy can get his/her paws on. Having your puppy confined to his/her own crate will limit their destruction and potential for choking on something because you know exactly what is in his/her crate. By removing anything dangerous, you can be sure that your puppy is going to be safe.

3. Transportation

The fact is, a dog is a lot safer and more likely to survive an accident inside of his/her crate than they would be if they were not in any type of crate to begin with. Not only is it safer for your dog, but it is also going to be much safer for you and the other passengers in the car. This is because your dog cannot cause an accident when he/she is confined to a crate.

As you can see, there are many different benefits of crate training. A crate is something that should be seen as a good thing for your dog. It can serve many purposes and there are a bunch of different benefits of crate training. The fact is, it is going to keep your dog a lot safer in many different situations. Not to mention, your dog needs a place to call his/her own and to be able to feel safe. The best place for this is a crate. If you are purchasing one, make sure it is big enough for your dog.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Are-The-Benefits-Of-Crate-Training?&id=9055288

Choosing The Bouvier Des Flandres As Your New Pet

Originally, the Bouvier Des Flandres was bred to work on a farm. The dog has a rugged look and the strength to back its appearance up. It bears a similar resemblance to a Scottish Terrier, but it has a stockier build and a characteristic beard and mustache. If this tough, gentleman-looking blend of dog sounds appealing to you, be sure it is a breed that makes for a good house pet for your situation.

It was not until 1936, that a Belgian and French committee recognized the breed. The breed standard was not adopted until the mid 1960s. The breed is still a hard-working dog employed on farms as well as in law enforcement. It makes a great guard dog because of its tough demeanor.

The dog is highly trainable. Still, if you are going to bring a dog into a home with elderly individuals or young children, you might use caution. It would be best to bring the dog in as a puppy and train him to be well behaved first. An older dog will have already have his behavioral trends set, and if he is used to guarding people or helping fight crimes, he may not be the most gentle or patient house pet for your situation.

Another factor to keep in mind is the extreme amount of grooming that is required of this dog. His fur is long and is a virtual dirt and mud trap. You cannot expect to take your beloved Bouvier outdoors for a walk and come home without a speck of dirt on him.

If this is not a problem for you or for your carpets, just be aware that as with many breeds with long fur you will need to be vigilant about brushing him and keeping his fur trimmed. If you have the time to care for this dog, he will make the perfect pet for you.

If you travel a lot, and must leave him in someone else's care, perhaps choose a different breed. You want to be aware that the dog can be willful, so anyone who is not good with dogs or is not trained to handle strong-willed dogs would not make a good care taker for your pet. If you have owned dogs before and this breed appeals to you, you can expect to enjoy many years with him as your pet.

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