Stop A Puppy From Biting

Managing and controlling puppy biting problems can be a major challenge for us dog lovers. Puppy biting or nipping starts out as a bit of fun, but needs to be controlled quickly to avoid ongoing problems.
For most young puppies biting is a perfectly natural and essential phase to go through, especially when they are teething.
Puppies love to sink their sharp little fangs into just about anything during this teething stage, including the hands and feet of their owners. In some cases it's like you've brought a snappy alligator into your home, instead of the cuddly little puppy you had hoped for.
The good news is that most puppies can be trained to regulate and minimize the biting pretty easily. The sooner you start to educate your puppy in bite inhibition (having a soft mouth) the easier it will be - for all concerned.

How To Stop Puppy Biting Problems

There a lots of proven training methods to help correct your puppy's behavioral problems. Before I get into the specific techniques you can use to stop your puppy from biting, always keep these general dog behavior training rules in mind:

1. Puppy socialization and bite inhibition training go hand in hand.
   
2. Never slap or hit your puppy in the face. This does not work! Your puppy will just think you are playing or could become afraid of you. This may even lead to some much bigger problems than simple puppy nipping.
   
3. The general rule to stop puppy biting problems is to always encourage acceptable behavior and always discourage unacceptable behavior. To learn more about this fundamental rule of dog obedience training (including how to stop biting problems) visit Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer.
   
4. While you are trying to stop your puppies from biting, never play tug of war, wrestling or chase type games with them. This only encourages the biting and nipping.
5. Whichever method you choose to train your puppy the golden rule is be consistent. This means that you and anyone else who comes into contact with your puppy must enforce your chosen strategy every time your pup takes a nip.
   
6. If you don't clearly communicate to your dog that the biting is unacceptable, he will not know he is doing anything wrong. It's up to you to show him what is acceptable behavior, don't just expect your puppy to know this! (You are really taking on the role of his littermates for this task).
   
7. Another (extreme) reason puppies can bite is if they are trying to assert their dominance over you. If this is the case with your puppy, it must be stopped immediately. When you have a dominant puppy his biting will only be the beginning of many behavioral problems. To learn how to establish your position as the dominant one or leader in your owner-dog relationship click here.



Stop Your Puppy From Biting - Proven Techniques

Your goal to start with is to teach your puppy how to control the force of his/her biting. Your puppy's littermates will initiate this process and then it is up to you to continue on with it when your new puppy arrives home. This will ensure (not guarantee) that if your dog does bite someone in the future the damage will be minimized. When you have given your puppy sufficient feedback regarding the strength of his bite only then can you begin to reduce the prevalence of the biting behavior.
1. If you catch the biting problem early on it may be easy to rectify. Just try to redirect the biting from your flesh to a toy or chew bone. For very young puppies this method is often all you'll need do. As soon as your pup starts to bite your hands just let out a firm "No!" and replace your fingers with the chew toy (or ice cube if your puppy is teething).
2. This is probably the most popular method and my personal favorite. Make your puppy think he is hurting you each time he has a nip at you. This method replicates the way dogs sort out this biting amongst themselves. When puppies are biting and nipping each other it only stops when one puppy lets out a yelp. We can use this natural way dogs learn by letting out an Ouch! or an Arrr! every time one of our puppy's bite. The trick is to startle your dog with your voice, and then pull away and stop playing with your puppy for a while. Your pup will soon learn that when he starts to bite, his playmate (you) goes away.
   
3. Teach your puppy the obedience training command "Leave It!". This method works great but is more suitable for older puppies.
   
4. In bad biting cases as soon as your puppy latches onto your hand say "No!" and quickly put your thumb inside his mouth under his tongue, and your other finger under his chin. Hold it there for about 10 seconds (not too tightly). This will feel uncomfortable to your puppy plus he won't be able to bite you.

"Always Praise And Reward A Gentle Mouth And Ignore Or Withdraw From Inappropriate Nipping"

Again if your puppy has a severe biting problem you can try this training technique. Put on a pair of gloves and apply a foul tasting substance to them (something your dog doesn't like). Your dog will soon learn that if he bites you, it won't be tasty! This method produces a strong negative association to your dog every time he decides to bite you. Some dogs are smart enough to realize that when you take your foul tasting gloves off, it is fine to sink their fangs into you again!

For older puppies (around 6 months) this is a sure fire technique to stop puppy mouthing. Put a pinch or choke collar on your puppy and each time he bites you give the lead a short sharp tug. This correction will form an unpleasant association to your dog every time he bites you. It won't take him long to stop. Some trainers believe this method to be fairly extreme, and I agree that you would only need to call on it in very rare circumstances - I have never needed to go to this level. I believe it's far more effective to educate your puppy rather than inflicting punishment or trying to extinquish a behavior altogether.

How to stop a puppy from biting - these methods have been recommended to me, but I have never tried them myself:

1. Spray your puppy with water every time he starts nipping.
   
2. Fill up an empty can with rocks or coins. Each time your puppy starts biting say No! and give the can a shake. Apparently puppies hate this rattling noise.

If you're worried that you may have an overly aggressive puppy on your hands, please seek the advice of an experienced animal behaviorist or dog trainer.
Like I mentioned earlier, the most important piece of advice regardless of which training method you choose is to be consistent and provide the clear feedback your puppy needs to learn.

To stop your puppy from biting and also to have proper control over your dog in all circumstances, you may be interested in performing some do-it-yourself dog obedience training. This is the training system I use on my own dogs - Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer.

How to Handle Dog Begging for Food

Dog begging for food is one of the most common discipline issues that dog owners face. An unfortunate side effect of loving our dogs so much is that we would like to give them everything that they want. So when our dogs start begging for food, it's almost too much for us to bear... and we cave!

With a little willpower and discipline on your part, though, begging can be one of the easiest behaviors to correct. Follow these simple tips to turn your hairy panhandler into a productive member of society once more!

·Do not give food to begging dog. This tip may seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised how few people consider it when they're looking into the wide, wet eyes of their beloved canine companion. That high-pitched whine is an effective tool against you, and your dog knows it. Why? Because it's worked before! Giving food is a form of affection, and giving affection reinforces the behavior preceding it. Your dog has learned that if he begs, he gets food! Take a stand and start a new trend. Find the willpower to withhold that food, and your dog will learn that he can't expect rewards for begging behavior.

·Ignore begging dog. Begging is an attention-seeking behavior. Rather than give in to your dog's demands, ignore the behavior and teach your dog that it does not get results! When you talk to your dog, give him affection, or engage in direct eye contact, you are feeding his mental state. Instead, practice no touch, no talk, no eye contact.

·Don't feel sorry for your dog.Your dog is well-fed. You should know; you feed him! He is not in danger of going hungry if you don't give him that scrap off the table, so don't feel sorry for him when he flashes you those doughy eyes and places a single paw forlornly on your leg. If you become concerned about how much your dog should be fed, talk to your veterinarian. This can help ease your concerns and allow you to remain calm and assertive!

·Use discipline consistently. In any kind of training, consistency is the key to success. For your dog to learn that his begging behavior is ineffective, it has to be ineffective 100% of the time. Inconsistent enforcement of the rules leads to an inconsistently obedient dog! Make sure that every pack leader in the household understands and enforces the same rules.

·Be patient. Few dogs change overnight. If you have followed these tips to the letter and your dog continues to beg, don't despair! See the last tip: use discipline consistently. Stay consistent and don't give up. Your reward will be a better behaved dog!

Best Way To House Train A Puppy: How To House Train Your Puppy

House training is one of the most important things that a new puppy will learn when you bring him home. There are several different ways you can go about training your puppy. You can teach your puppy to use papers or a training pad in the house. You can move the papers or pad outdoors and teach your puppy to go outdoors to potty. This is usually easy to do. However, most people prefer to train their dogs to let them know when they need to go outside. Training your dog to let you know when he needs to go outside is not difficult if you put your puppy on a good schedule and use a crate for your puppy at night.

• Step 1: Start by putting your puppy on a good schedule. This mean that you should take your puppy outside at regular times so your puppy can become accustomed to pottying at the same times each day. This will help him with his training. You should take your puppy outside as soon as you wake up in the morning, after every meal, after play times, after naps, and before bed time at night.

• Step 2: Watch for other times when your puppy needs to go out. At first, your puppy will need to go out frequently. He has a tiny bladder and he can’t wait to go out very long. You will need to take him out even if it just looks like he might need to go. Better safe than sorry! So, take your puppy outside to potty if he is sniffing the floor, looking for a quiet spot behind some furniture, if he looks at you funny, if he looks at the door, or if he goes back to a spot where he’s had an accident. These are all signs that he may need to potty.

• Step 3: Use a crate at night to help your puppy with his potty training. Dogs don’t like to potty where they sleep so you can help your puppy make it through the night by teaching him to sleep in a crate. Make it comfortable for him but remove any water a couple of hours before bedtime and take your puppy for a walk before he goes in the crate. Feed your puppy his dinner no later than about 8 pm so he won’t have any accidents in the crate. Remember to take your puppy out to potty as soon as you wake up in the morning so he won’t have to wait.

• Step 4: Don’t get mad at your puppy. Your puppy is a youngster. He is just learning about house training. He is not having accidents to get back at you or make you mad. They are really accidents that happen because he hasn’t figured things out or he can’t hold it. So, don’t punish your puppy unless you catch him in the act. If that happens, it’s best to scoop him up and take him outside. Then praise him for going where he is supposed to go. You will get a lot farther with praise and rewards than with punishment. Do give your puppy treats and praise him when you take him out to potty. Your puppy will learn fast if you do.

Conclusion

Most puppies can learn their house training in just a few weeks. Be patient and remember to praise and reward your puppy when he goes outside where you want him to go. The best way to house train your puppy is by putting him on a good schedule and using crate training to help him learn to potty outside.

Dog Training- How to House Train a Puppy in 3 Days

As easy as 1, 2, 3!

Okay, so it may not be that easy. But potty training puppies is possible if you follow this 3 day schedule. House training doesn’t mean that your newest family member won’t still have accidents in the house. We all make mistakes while we’re learning. However, it does establish a schedule for bathroom breaks, meals and playtime which will create structure and prevent accidents in the house.

Potty training at a young age instills the rules which will eventually become habit for your puppy as it learns and grows. So like any behavior altering program, the most important aspect is to be strict and stick with the program. The 3 day schedule is as important for new puppy owners as it is for the puppy and how successful your puppy is with the training is directly proportionate to how firm you are with the schedule.

Puppy Potty Times

There are three specific times that puppies need to relieve themselves:

• Right after they eat
• Right after they sleep
• Right after they play

It is around these times that we establish the schedule laid out in the following sections.

Invest in a Wire Crate

Once you’ve purchased a wire crate, introduce your puppy to their new home for the next 3 days. This will be where they return immediately after eating, going potty and after scheduled play (which, noted above, should also be followed by a bathroom break). When you are unable to supervise your puppy, place them in the crate and make sure to always give a bathroom break before doing so.

Never exceed more than 8 hours in the kennel without giving your puppy a break to relieve themselves. Once they get older you may increase the length of kennel stay at bedtime but make sure breaks are frequent at a young age.

Potty Routine

Now that you have your puppy’s home base, it’s time to set the schedule:

• First thing in the morning take your puppy out to go potty, then play, then potty again and finally return them to their kennel.
• At 2 hour intervals (closer together for younger puppies) take your puppy out to potty, then play, then potty and finally return to the kennel once again.
• Be sure that your puppy has had a final bedtime bathroom break 3 hours after their dinner before returning to the crate for the night.

Incorporating Mealtime

Mealtime is important in differentiating eating, playtime, rest and potty as separate actions in distinct locations. For every meal of the day food should be left on the floor for 20 minutes and taken away once that time slot has passed. Puppies should be fed in the morning after going potty and playing and a second meal should be offered in the middle of the day under the same structure. Your puppy should have its last meal of the day no later than 7pm.

Unless you live in a warm climate and your home is not controlled by an air conditioner, there’s no need to leave water down at all times. Only offer water with meals and right after play which will help prevent accidents in between scheduled potty breaks.

The Great Outdoors

It’s counterproductive to leave your puppy outside unsupervised for the bulk of the day. It will give them the belief that they can potty wherever and whenever they please which will subsequently carry into their house training efforts. So when you take puppy outside make it clear that you are there specifically to potty by using a leash, standing in one spot and verbally commanding them to “go potty”. It’s a good idea to return to the same spot each time, as superstar trainer Cesar Milan notes, “the scent acts like a trigger.”

When your puppy starts doing his or her business, make sure to say “good potty” or a similar phrase while they are going, not once they have stopped. This way they will equate being “good” with the action, not the end result.

Damage Control

Though the 3 day schedule allows for many bathroom breaks throughout the day, it’s important to listen to and watch your puppy. As going potty is a natural instinct, there may be times outside the schedule that they need to relieve themselves. If your puppy wakes up in the middle of the night and makes noise, he/she most likely needs to potty. This is temporary but don’t ignore them or you’ll have a bigger problem to deal with in the morning than simply being woken up.

If you spot your puppy starting to make an accident indoors, interrupt their action by clapping your hands or making a loud sound and immediately take them outside. If they finish once outside, remember to praise them while they are relieving themselves.

Be Strict

Now that you have the essentials down to create a house training schedule, make sure you follow the rules closely for 3 full 24 hours. Once the 3 days are up, never let your puppy run loose in the house. Keep him/her confined to a very small space where you can see them at all times and place them in the crate when you are unable to supervise them.

Just because the fundamental 3 days have been completed doesn’t mean that the rules disappear once the time is up. Make sure to stick to the schedule and you’ll be rewarded with a house trained puppy living a healthy, structured life.

Afterthoughts

Best of luck with potty training your puppy in 3 days! Sound off in the comments about your personal experiences, successes and failures following the schedule.

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