Archive for March, 2009

How to Stop Puppies Biting…The Way I Do it..

Friday, March 27th, 2009

For dog owners, one of the worst situations imaginable is where you puppy or dog bites an unprepared victim. In most cases this problem is not dealt with well by the owner (if dealt with at all). It does need to be addressed however as it’s a problem that will only get worse as the dog gets older. All dog owners should know how to stop puppies biting (or dogs) - this is a fundamental and required skill.

Dogs are pack animals that have long since used biting and fighting amongst themselves as a form of establishing rankings and showing dominance. Your dog actually believes that you are part of his pack and will want to protect you if he senses a threat. This is the reason dogs sometimes lash out unexpectedly. This is especially noticeable in dogs that lack obedience training.

When you bring a new puppy to your house they will almost always nip and bite you and your family members. This is normal behaviour, especially for puppies that are trying to establish their standing in the house. Allowing your puppy to nip and bite (even though it can be cute) is never a good idea as it lets your puppy believe that he holds dominance over you, that he is in fact the Alpha Dog. This can lead to more serious problems.

As your dog grows he may attempt to reaffirm this dominance over you by again biting or lashing out at you or another family member. This is one of the reasons that knowing how to stop puppies biting is very important. You need to ensure that you are always seen as the leader (Alpha Dog) and that your dog respects you. You can show this to your dog by subtleties in the way you behave.

Professional dog trainers use simple tips to ensure they maintain their position as the alpha dog. One of these tricks is to always eat before you dog, never after him. By eating after your dog you are showing him that you are inferior. Instead, make your dog wait until you and your family have eaten before feeding him.

You will also be firm on a constant basis to make him understand that you are the head honcho, it is important that as a puppy that role is established. However some dogs are harder to train, usually those that have been dumped off, have been abandoned by owners or have been sent away to shelters. These dogs have had to be the master of their domain for such a long time that they are now harder to believe that you are now a better master.

When training your dog not to bite be sure to establish your role as the leader of his pack, if this does not work, you may want to enquire about the many dog trainers available to help you curb the dog’s biting issues, or to invest in a guide that details advanced training procedures (see below for a link). This types of guide make learning how to stop puppies biting very straightforward and simple.

Find out how to stop puppies biting today by visiting http://www.dog-solutions.com for more information. Also read our Secrets to Dog Training Review which sheds light on the most comprehensive dog training methods.

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How to Stop Your Dog Barking

Friday, March 27th, 2009

In many cases dogs bark because they have nothing else of interest to do, a lack of attention can sometimes cause the barking. A lot of the time we give in to our dogs in order to make them behave, this only teaches them that barking will get them what they want which encourages more bad behavior. It’s important to learn and understand the most effective dog training techniques so that you can effectively deal with this type of behavior.

Initially dogs nee to understand that barking just for the sake of attention is not acceptable. In many cases dogs will prefer “angry attention” over “no attention”. This is not the ideal way to train them however. What you should be doing is saying what you want to say, and then backing that up by an action - typically something that the dog doesn’t like.

If you tell him to be “Quiet” and reinforce it by using a spray of water, this action is known as negative reinforcement, where the dog learns to associate the words with an action. So if you do this he will come to expect that that word will be followed by an action he doesn’t like or no more barking. Later on he will learn to keep quiet on his own; when that happens you can praise him to let him know the quiet action was acceptable.

If the barking comes with a lot of growling and aggression, its not advised to use the negative reinforcement approach. Instead get your dog to his vet as soon as possible as their may be a medical problem that needs to be attended.

If your dog barks when you leave the house, make sure you do everything you can to minimize the barking. Ensure your dog has a comfortable place to rest and plenty of food and water. Make sure your dog doesn’t see other people as this may only excite him and cause more barking.

Another way to stop the barking is to stop praising the dog when he has done nothing to earn it. When you teach him something but praise him for everything, that activity means very little. He knows you are going to praise him anyway. When he does what you have instructed, simply pat him and let him know that you think he was a “good dog” but don’t go overboard in your praise. This teaches him that in order to earn that praise he has to do more of the activity you praised him for.

Also you will want to give him something fun to do when you leave, give some food, some chew toys and make sure he can’t see others while you are away. Use negative and positive reinforcement with you dog, starting with the negative. Then when he has learned the activity and does it, then you can calmly praise the action.

To get more information about how to stop a dog barking, as well as a wide range of dog training tips and tricks, visit http://www.dog-solutions.com

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