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4 Common Puppy Training Troubles – Which One Do You Need To Solve?

By Beth Frumkin

4 Common Puppy Training Troubles – Which One Do You Need To Solve?

Photo by Show 131/ CC

When you first see your puppy, you will probably find yourself enamored by how cuddly and adorable he is! However, puppy training requires a great deal of work and consistency to get your puppy to the status of being a mature dog. We’ll address some of the more common puppy training problems such as housebreaking, jumping, chewing, and biting.
 
How to solve the 4 common Puppy Training Problems?
 

Housebreaking

Housebreaking your puppy acts as one of the most important parts of training a new canine member of your family. Few things cause more frustration than finding a “gift” that your little pup has left on the carpet or flooring of your home! But with a strict routine—and a lot of patience—you can housetrain your puppy in a short time.
Here are some tips for housebreaking your puppy:

  • Choose a “potty spot” to be the place you take your dog when it’s time to pee or poop.
  • Beginning at just eight weeks old, take your pup to the potty spot every thirty minutes, as well as within just a few minutes of eating. Then wait long enough for the puppy to go.
  • Choose a word or command that represents this action such as “go potty” or “go out” to reinforce this part of your puppy training.
  • When your pup relieves himself in the right place and time, praise him and actively use positive reinforcement.
  • Sometimes your dog doesn’t go when he has the opportunity. When this happens, keep him on a leash or in a crate and try again in 15 minutes.
  • Don’t leave your puppy unattended while you are housetraining him. If you watch your pup at all times, you’ll be able to catch him if he starts to go inside. When this happens, tell him “no”, and take him out to his “potty spot” right away.
  • Use consistency and prevention in puppy training to encourage your dog to “hold” his urine or feces for longer periods of time and expand the time in between trips to the potty spot.

 

Jumping

Tiny, cute pups grab at your heart and jump on your lap! And as they get more and more excited, pups want attention and affection, which means that they jump even more. While you might find a jumping puppy to be adorable, a full-sized jumping dog doesn’t have the same attraction.
Some tips for breaking puppies of jumping:

  • Breaking a dog of jumping works much better if you can start when he is very young. This allows you to stop bad habits before they start.
  • Never touch your pup unless all 4 feet are touching the ground. No love or affection at all. Otherwise you offer a positive reward for negative behavior.
  • Insist that your puppy sits before being introduced to a stranger who wants to say hello. It won’t take long until your dog realizes that the best way to get attention is to keep his feet on the floor.

 
 

Chewing

If you’ve ever found you designer shoe with teeth marks on it, then you know how upsetting a puppy with a chewing pup can be! They really come by it honestly, but that doesn’t make it any less destructive. In an effort to exercise their jaws and practice using their teeth, puppies have a tendency to want to chew. They may also chew out of stress or to explore. Teach your pup from an early age the appropriate types of chewing in contrast to inappropriate chewing. Here’s how:

  • Prevention works as the best possible cure in any puppy training adventure, including chewing.
  • Work hard to avoid leaving anything lying around within the reach of your pup.
  • For furniture, take advantage of a chew-deterring spray such as “Get Off” or Bitter Apple. Apply daily.
  • Just as with potty training, never leave your puppy unattended. If you catch your pup trying to chew, use a firm “leave it” command and remove the item. Praise him immediately when he stops.
  • Provide appropriate chew toys for your dog to get out his aggression and cut his teeth on.

 
 

Biting

Without proper puppy training, your dog is likely to bite or nip. This behavior not only annoys but it can also be dangerous as your pup grows larger. Over-excited puppies particularly have a tendency to use their mouths. They can also end up eating things (like socks) that their bodies don’t digest well.
Some tips to get your pup to stop biting or nipping:

  • If your puppy bites or nips while you are playing, then get up and walk away. This will teach him quickly that play time ends when he bites.
  • When he wants to chew on your hand, have a chew toy handy to show him where he can appropriately bite.
  • Praise your dog for choosing to bite on his toy instead of you.
  • If your pup gets over-excited, try to get him out of the fray. Move him to a quiet corner or put him on a leash to help him calm down.
  • Work on some obedience training activities. Re-grouping your dog’s thought process may allow him to get away from the excitement and re-focus on a training task.

 
Training your pup can prove to be difficult, but also very exciting! Dogs thrive well and feel safe when their masters provide them with consistency. As you teach your dog to understand your expectations, build good habits, and follow rules and structure, you provide him with a great foundation to grow into a well-behaved dog. And into your very best friend.

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Announcing the New Dog Training Method To Make Training Fun And Enjoyable

By Beth Frumkin

Announcing the New Dog Training Method To Make Training Fun And Enjoyable

Photo by Show 131/ CC

Finally the day has come! You are ready to bring home your new dog home and introduce him to your family and friends. Whether you have just got your new puppy home or you have adopted an older dog, dog training can be an exciting adventure. But it can also be pretty overwhelming—especially if you have never trained a dog before.
 
At first new dogs are sweet and adorable, especially puppies. Then come the chewed-up shoes, doggie doo piles on the carpet, trash from the can strung out everywhere, or even sleepless nights. A few weeks in and you will begin to wonder exactly what you have gotten yourself into by bringing this new pet into your life. You may feel desperate. Even ready to call in the professionals to help you with your new puppy or adopted dog. But, wait!! Read this.
 

RAPT Dog Training Method

Before you begin the process of training your new dog, first you need to remember that it doesn’t have to be an upsetting chore. You can make training fun for the dog and for yourself. In order to do so, however, you need to understand a few things about how dogs learn and how to get your dog to respond the way that you want.
 
One of the best ways to train dogs effectively is a simple method called RAPT: Re-enforced Alpha Positive Training. The RAPT method of dog training puts into practice the idea that the human is the master, or the Alpha, and uses positive reinforcement of good behavior to do so. Although this may seem obvious and simple, it is sometimes a shift in thinking for some people.

Becoming the Alpha

Re-enforced Alpha Positive Training encourages you, as the dog owner, to be the dominant personality — but without yelling and intimidating. A dog owner who uses screaming and intimidation will more likely cause the dog to shut down, disobey, and even become fearful of you or other dogs.
 
Instead of using your position as the “Alpha” to your dog to wield power, consider your relationship more along the lines of that of a parent and child. You create the structure, instill rules and boundaries, and encourage your dog to live within the safety and convenience of this structure. Just as a parent sets rules so that a child does not run out of control, a dog owner does the same.
 
One of the most important parts of RAPT is showing your dog that you are in charge. Have you ever observed a situation where it looked more like the dog was taking the human for a walk? The dog leads, pulls, and goes wherever he wants. The poor human being dragged like a screaming toddler is being taken to bed. This typically happens because the dog believes that he is in charge.
 
Here are some examples of how to help your dog understand that you are in charge:

  • Always making sure you walk out the door ahead of him
  • Always require your dog to sit at the door and patiently wait until you invite him to go through it.

This reinforces positive behavior in the dog that when he sits obediently, he gets to go for a walk. And he’s happy!
 

Rewarding Positive Behavior

While teaching your dog that you are the Alpha, also focus on rewarding good behavior rather than scolding bad behavior. This positive reinforcement motivates a dog to learn much more quickly than negative reinforcement.
For instance, if your dog has chewed up the remote control, has pulled the roll of toilet paper around the house (again!), or has been having crate training mishaps, it is much better to find the good behavior to reward rather than scolding bad behavior. (And you’ll also want to get into the habit of shutting the bathroom door to save on toilet paper costs!)
 

Dog Training Principles

Dogs very much want to please their humans. They seek to earn praise from their masters, while affection working as a great motivator and reward for dogs. Positive reinforcement for good behavior should have these qualities:
 

  • Dogs have short memories. If you wait even just a minute or two to reward your dog for good behavior, he will forget what he is being rewarded for. Similarly, you can only shout and startle your dog when he is in the act of some wrong doing. There is NO point yelling at him later.
  • If you tell your dog to “fetch the ball”, he may get confused. Instead, keep your commands down to one word such as “fetch”. Then reward him immediately.
  • If you have a rule that your dog is not allowed on the furniture, then you’ll confuse him by letting him jump on the sofa with you when you want to snuggle. Keep the same rules all the time and make sure everyone in your household follows the same rules.
  • Instead of correcting negative behavior, simply ignore it and go for extra praise on the positive side. This will help your dog to seek your praise and obey you. You should also be able to wean your dog away from treats this way and only reward with praise.

 
Training your dog can be a fun and exciting adventure that will certainly keep you on your toes! But it also comes with the great responsibility to teach your dog that you are in charge. You can easily do that through consistency, positive praise, and simple commands. When you teach a dog to obey, not only you will be happier, but your dog will be happier as well. And a well-trained dog? Well, they didn’t get the reputation of being man’s (or woman’s) best friend for no reason!
 
Practice these RAPT dog training tips and you’ll find a happy, healthy life with your obedient dog.
 

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