Archive for February 26th, 2009
Potty Train A Puppy And Keep Your Sanity
Two words that strike fear into the hearts of most every new dog owner is potty training. Countless long walks, extra laundry, stains on flooring and furniture can cause many pet owners to shudder with apprehension. Even the most enthusiastic owner’s patience is taxed trying to understand how to potty train a puppy. A better way to look at it is to see it as the first stage of a bonding process that will result in a happy and healthy relationship. However, to potty train a puppy isn’t really that difficult. Here are some tips to help ease the process.
There are many potty training tips, but to begin with, feed your pet at the same time every day. Remember to remove food within four hours of bedtime and withdraw the water dish two hours before bedtime. It is recommended that you feed your puppy a dry food so that his stools will be more solid. A routine is the key to success. That also means you too have to stick to a routine by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.
Toilet training for puppies involves taking your pup outside first thing in the morning. Put him on a leash and guide him to the place that you want him to use. Repeat this activity around 10 to 15 minutes after every meal or drink and right before bedtime. If, after 10 minutes, there is no potty action, then take the puppy back to its crate. Wait another 10 to 15 minutes then take him out again. Do not engage in play until the business at hand is complete. Sometimes puppies don’t finish on the first try, so give him time to be sure he won’t have to go again in a few minutes.
While you potty train a puppy, crate or confine him when you can’t watch him. It is essential to confine your puppy to rooms with washable floors until he is house trained. If you see your puppy start to relieve himself in the house, then say “no” firmly, pick him up, and take him out. When he’s finished, put him in a safe area and clean up the mess. Don’t yell at your puppy or punish him for accidents and please don’t rub his nose in it. If you discover an accident later, just clean it up and move on.
While you potty train a puppy, keep in mind that his access to furniture and carpeting should be limited to avoid damage. Be patient and you will be rewarded. Young puppies don’t have total control of their bowels or bladders, so they may realize they need to go when it’s too late to get outside in time. Just remember to be as patient as possible while you potty train your dog and teach him where he needs to go. Your tenacity will pay off.
About The Different House Training A Puppy Methods
It certainly pays to know which the best house training a puppy method is. The traditional method of house training a puppy is probably the first one that will come to your notice and it is one that is ideally suited for those that have a backyard where the puppy can go out to relieve him. This is probably the most popular of all methods and it essentially involves setting schedules when you can take your puppy out to relieve him.
Traditional Method
The traditional method of house training a puppy requires that you must frequently take your puppy out to a designated spot where you encourage your puppy to eliminate. In case your puppy does what is expected off him it is then recommended that you praise him and also suitably reward him with a treat. Besides frequently taking your puppy out to relieve him you need to also keep a close watch on him when he is inside the home and to act immediately in case you suspect that he is doing things that indicate that he wishes to relieve him. By repeating this routine frequently your puppy will learn where he should go in order to relieve him.
Another method that is used for house training a puppy is the paper training method and this method is ideally suited for those that don’t have a backyard available or for those puppy owners that wish to teach their puppies to eliminate indoors. In any case, this method is basically more or less the same as the traditional method with the only difference being that you have to encourage your pet to go to a designated part inside the home rather than outdoors.
It also requires that you pile up some newspapers or use dog potty trays or pads or even litter boxes and then encourage your pet to eliminate in these places. Crate training method is another effective way to go about house training a puppy and it in fact involves giving the puppy a crate that he can call his den. However, dogs and puppies, by their very nature, are loathed to use their den for eliminating and so it requires combining crate training with the paper method or traditional method. When combined with the other training methods crate training will prove to be an effective way of house training a puppy.
Besides house training a puppy you must also do whatever is required in regard to imparting proper puppy obedience training. Here again your backyard can prove to be an excellent place where it becomes possible to combine house training with obedience training. Together, these two aspects of training a puppy, when successfully implemented, will help ensure that your puppy turns out to be well behaved and obedient and a joy for everyone.
The Basics of Puppies Care
If you think all you have to do is play with your puppy and feed him in order to take care of him, think again. Puppy care is a huge responsibility and it is much like taking care of a small child.If you have a full breed puppy, you have to find out how to take care of the specific breed because the protocol can be different.For example, Chihuahua puppy care requires certain types of food for optimum health and different vaccinations than other breeds.
Choose a dry food and avoid cheap, generic brands in puppy care.Buy only brand name dog foods to make sure you are getting a quality product.If you have a large breed dog, choose food made for large breed dogs. Don’t judge dog foods by their vitamin and mineral content because often times over-supplementation of vitamins and minerals can lead to hip dysplasia.
Try not to give your puppy too many special treats like milk bone biscuits in puppy care because they are not that nutritional. Canned dog food is okay on occasion but it is best to stick with dry food because it is inexpensive, easy, and better for your puppy’s teeth.In puppy care it is important to avoid giving human food to your puppy because it can cause digestive problems.
In young puppy care, it is best to offer food three times a day. If your puppy doesn’t feel hungry that often, you can reduce the frequency and when he reaches around 10-12 weeks of age you can start feeding your puppy twice a day. It’s not good to feed your puppy only once a day because he will get so hungry in between meals that he will overeat at the next meal.
In puppy care, it is best to let your puppy eat as much as he wants during a 15 minute period and then take the dish away. It’s not good to provide freely available food.This can lead to your puppy becoming overweight and getting hip dysplasia and other health problems later in life.When overfed, your puppy will also stop enjoying food altogether.
The Importance of Shots in Puppy Care
Your puppy loses his natural immunity to disease somewhere between six and sixteen weeks of age. Fortunately there are new vaccines that can protect your puppy from most diseases.It is very important to take your puppy to the vet and get vaccines but until then, make sure your puppy stays away from areas frequented by other dogs.Also avoid letting your puppy come into contact with stray dogs and sick dogs.
So there you have it. Puppy care may not be as easy as you thought it was but by following the right protocol your puppy will be healthy. The most important aspects of puppy care are proper feeding and shots. If you follow these basic steps, your puppy will be healthy and vibrant and will rarely have to see a vet.
For more about puppies please visit www.puppycareblog.com