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Posts Tagged ‘how to train a puppy’

Clicker training is a new way to train dogs. It’s used to train show dogs to do special tricks, but it can also be used to train your family Labrador retriever to sit or lie down. Clicker training works on the assumption that dogs want to learn to do what their humans want.

Dogs enjoy training. They like to have their “pack” around them. The only problem is that they don’t understand exactly what we want. By giving a click at just the right time, the trainer tells the dog, “What you did, right NOW, is exactly right,” and then gives a reward. The dog says, “Hey, that was fun!” and tries to get the human to respond in the same way again. It’s almost as if the dog and trainer train each other.

Clicker training works with almost entirely positive reinforcement (the negative reinforcements are more likely to startle the dog than cause physical pain). A dog who has had clicker training is happy and confident. Here are five tips for clicker training your dog.

1. Include the kids in the training. You don’t have to be strong enough to handle a leash with clicker training, because you don’t use a leash. All you have to have are clicker, treats, and time. You’ll want to supervise your small children, especially if the dog is big, but the clicker training will get the whole family on the same page with regard to expectations, words and rewards.
2. As you begin clicker training, click every time your dog moves toward what you want. The idea is that the dog learns what behavior you want and then learns the word for it. If the lesson is “sit,” you’ll click and reward any time the dog moves toward a sitting position. As time goes by, you’ll get pickier with your clicks, and the dog will keep playing the game for rewards.
3. Practice clicker training with your dog every day. Pick a behavior to concentrate on, and click and reward anything that approaches that behavior. Dogs are so social that we forget they don’t understand them. So the word “sit” doesn’t mean anything to them until we teach them to connect it to the action of putting their rear end on the floor.
4. Once the dog understands that “butt on floor” means click and treat and associates that behavior with the sound “sit,” then you can refine the behavior. You can use the clicker to say that a good sit gets a reward and a sloppy sit gets a “try again” (not punishment, just no reward). It’s a natural progression and ends with no need for the clicker at all, unless you’re trying to teach something new.
5. Make the clicker training a time for fun for you and the dog. Dogs love to spend time with you and will look at clicker training as an enjoyable game. With a cheery voice and happy bearing, you can persuade them to do astonishing tricks.

A clicker-trained dog expects good things from life. If your dog is confident and happy, he will love to learn to do what you want to teach.

Click here for more information about clicker training.

Yorkies are known to be more difficult to housebreak, so a little extra TLC may be in order. House training puppies can be tough work, but well worth the time and effort invested. Proper potty habits take time to develop, especially when it comes to small dog breeds.

First thing to determine is inside or outside. Yorkies don’t need much space, so they are perfect for those who live in apartments or condos. Some Yorkies are very resistant to going outside in stormy or snowy weather, in this case an indoor potty option is something to consider. Little dogs have little bladders, and this is a big part of the reason why it takes them longer to potty train, as you have to watch them that much more! If you are away at work all day, they might not be able to “hold it” that long. In this case, choose a discreet area of your home for the puppy training pads. All you need is a small area of grass or patch of dirt, just remember that spot and always go right to the same location.

Starting and ending the walk with an opportunity to go potty is the best approach until you begin to understand your little one’s potty schedule. The scent of urine is an indication to your dog that this is the potty spot, and by using the same area this builds a strong habit. However, it is important to be courteous to neighbors, and clean up the mess, no matter how little. It’s fine if your Yorkie happens to go while you are out on the walk, this is not considered an “accident” since it didn’t happen on the floor or other unwanted area.

It’s not uncommon to find that your pup refuses to go outside in cold weather, and then goes on the floor inside the home. A dog sweater makes the transition to the cold outdoors more bearable. If this is the case, you might want to think about an indoor alternative for these situations.

Enthusiastic praise, affection and treats will speed up your dog’s understanding of proper toilet techniques and help build good habits. When your pup has done his business, offer him lots of verbal praise and affection. Tasty treats can be very effective when house training puppies, just remember to feed them a bit less dinner!

Anywhere from a week to a month house training a dog is common, and for Yorkies it could be a little longer, so have patience with your little one! Learn how to train a puppy properly and you will be rewarded with a wonderful relationship between you and your Yorkshire Terrier.

potty training a puppy

Old newspapers are one of the staple items you need to keep in stock when potty training puppies. Newspaper is absorbent enough to take care of a little excrement, tough enough to prevent solid waste from seeping to the floor, and soft enough not to hurt the puppy or damage the floor as the puppy settles in to do its business. All this from recycling the news of yesterday.

Old newspaper then has quite a few roles to play when it comes to the potty training a puppy. It can serve these unique roles as:

Potty-training material
Because of newspaper's inherent absorbency and toughness, it does a pretty respectable job of holding and keeping excrement. You typically put the stuff under a dog's potty grill to catch the urine or feces. Once it has done that, you can discard the soiled material into the garbage can at day's end. You could even lay out the newspapers on the floor in a cinch if you have to, but try not to use this method of potty training for long. It's possible that a puppy could grow up to be a dog that will do its business on any kind of papers left on the floor, so you must be very careful if you choose to potty train a puppy using old newspaper.

Material that can be used for cleaning
The very same qualities that make it as good potty-training material also makes it excellent at cleaning up after your puppy's accidents. You simply need to place it on wet spots to absorb the pee, while you can actually pick up solid fecal matter with the paper while wrapping it up in the process. Just remember not to wipe away with newspaper, as you will end up spreading the mess all over the floor. Use it to absorb moisture and pick up fecal matter, and you won't have any problems in the soapy cleanup.

Material that can be used for bedding
Another thing you could use old newspaper for is as a sleeping surface for your puppy. Being soft and insulating, newspaper makes for a very comfortable bed for your puppy. One thing you can do is cover the newspaper with an old cloth or sheet to protect the newspaper from puppy claws to create an affordable and effective place for your puppy to sleep. You should replace the newspapers once a month at the very least for a fresher and less smelly surface.

And one more thing about using newspaper as bedding material: make sure not to use the old newspaper for potty-training, since dogs do not like to excrete on their sleeping surfaces. If you choose to use old newspapers for potty-training and bedding materials, separate one from the other and to never re-use them for a different purpose.

Old newspaper is indeed a very versatile item to use when potty training puppies because it can be used for cleaning material and bedding material,. Newspaper is plentiful and cheap, meaning that you do not need to spend a lot of money while training your puppy to do its business the right way. When you remember all of this, you may just save some money

Being consistent in all you do is one of the key rules to train a puppy efficiently with good results and an understanding of puppies training and the way puppies react will make it easier on you and your puppy. Puppies training is used to teach your puppy obedience, that is,  to act and behave in a way that makes your cohabitation a pleasant experience.

As said before, the success of training a puppy depends on how consistent you are with your instructions and the way you give them. Puppies learn by example and experience. You can train a puppy effectively by giving clear recurring instructions and exclaim the desired action commands each time and placing the focus on the reaction you want from your puppy and award the puppy for good and correct behavior.

Your behavior will influence the way your puppy reacts in a large way. As with the most things in life, in order to receive a positive response, you need to act with a positive and constructive attitude towards your puppy, in order for him to act favorable towards his training.

The way you modulate your voice need to make it clear to the puppy whether you approve or disapprove of the actions he took on your command. A firm strict or decisive tone will send the message that you are serious and does not accept his way of behavior. On the other hand, an enthusiastic or happy tone will give the impression that what ever he was doing is acceptable and you are content with you puppy obedience or behavior.

A short training session filled with fun and some kind of challenge with short and precise actions are most likely to keep the puppies interest, which will in return execute your commands in an approving way.

if you want your best friend to remain committed to his training, good behavior and obedience, make sure he makes a positive and pleasant resemblance to it and reward him for good and correct behavior with a snack or an energetic play session after the puppies training.

For as long as the training is constructive and your puppy is conscious of your approval and acceptance of his conduct, you will end up with a happy K9 that are willing to keep up the good work and react favorable towards you in all conditions.

As you can begin to see, learning how to train a puppy is simple if you know the basics and are given some sound advise to practice.

Here’s a little advice about how to train a puppy. Puppy training doesn’t have to be difficult. It may take a little patience, but dogs are smart and their goal is to make you happy. When you are near breaking point with your dog, remember that and simply walk away.

There are numerous books, videos and websites dedicated to the subject of how to train a puppy. First of all, you need to learn to reward good behavior and not to reward bad behavior. Ensure that you provide loads of attention to a dog exhibiting desired behavior and put him in a “time out” when he’s been bad. You can use a crate, or a basket for a smaller dog. Crates are very helpful when housetraining, as well.

Puppy training begins with teaching him his name and a few simple obedience commands. Dogs don’t automatically understand “sit, stay or down”. They won’t learn to respond to their names, if you don’t use it regularly.

Most owners find that a dog will respond best to a short name with one or two syllables. That’s why the names Rover and Fido are popular. To teach your puppy his name, say it when you are petting him, grooming him or feeding him. It is particularly important when you place his food dish on the floor. Say, “Here Rover” or something similar. This will ensure that your puppy has a positive association to hearing his name.

Other than his name, the most important command that you can teach during puppy training is “down”. Down becomes even more useful as the dog grows. If you allow them to jump up on you when they are young, it is more difficult to break the habit when they get older.

Puppies spend more time on two legs than they do on four. So, when you see this behavior, take their paws. Place them on the floor and say “down”. Be consistent and repetitive. That’s how to train a puppy the right way, regardless of the behavior you are trying to reinforce or extinguish.

Teaching commands is one of the fundamentals of puppy training. Basically, you show the dog what you want and then you say the command. For example, when teaching “sit”, take a treat and hold it right up to his nose, but not close enough that he can take it. Raise the treat up and above his head, this should put him in the right position to push his bottom towards the floor. Once his bottom gets close to the floor, say “sit”. He will learn to associate the word with the action of planting his butt on the ground.

All other commands are taught in a similar fashion. You see, how to train a puppy isn’t as hard as you thought it was. All it takes is a little know-how, plenty of repetition and of course, some patience.