Ultimate Dog Training - a Better Solution

On any animal bloopers or funniest home video show, you are likely to find some sort of slapstick scene of a dog pulling on a lead. Often this will involve a very large dog and a very small owner. In the last one I saw, there was a family on a camping holiday that tied their dog to their tent. It saw something it wanted to chase. Enough said.


SitStayFetch - Dog Training To Stop Your Dog Behavioral Problems!

Dogs pull on leads as a matter of instinct. As hunting animals, they live for the chase. So often they pull because they are in pursuit of something (a cat, squirrel, or another dog). But there are other reasons that are just as common. It's possible that they are uncontrollably over-excited about their daily session of quasi-freedom. And it is possible that they see themselves as the dominant animal in your family. In this case, they see you as the one who is being disobediently slow.

Whatever the reason, the traditional method of addressing the issue of pulling on the lead is more or less the same. It involves a series of repeated interventions whereby:

1) The dog pulls on the lead
2) you stop,
3) issue a sharp verbal command ("uh uh"),
4) and a quick tug back on the lead.
5) You start walking again.
6) Repeat.

This training technique works eventually, provided there is enough repetition. But in the short term, your walks are not likely to be very long at all!

Another "traditional" solution to this problem is the use of choke chains and collars, a method that, thankfully, is now deemed to be unnecessary and outdated in the professional dog training community.

There are some innovative training techniques around to address the leash pulling problem. One that comes to mind in particular is the "random walking" method demonstrated by professional trainer Susan Morton in our Kingdom of Pets Dog Training DVD Series. The concept is brilliantly simple: a dominant or over-anxious dog can't pull on the lead if he doesn't know which direction he's heading, and if that direction changes often. You'll have to check out the DVD to find out exactly how to make it work for you.

There is more good news for dog owners who are tired of their dogs yanking their chain, so to speak. Leash and collar technology has advanced enough to offer dog owners a few alternatives to solutions to the pulling problem: head and harness collars.

Head and Harness Collars

When I started training dogs, head or "harness" collars were new on the market and all the rage. Premier Pet Gentle Leader Training Dog Collar® and the Halti Training Head Collar® are the two best known types of dog head collars, and are often discussed interchangeably even though there are slight differences in the design and they are made by different companies. Because I have used the Gentle Leader® extensively, though not exclusively, in my own experience, I will focus on it.

What is it? As opposed to traditional dog collars that go around the neck, the Gentle Leader® is a head harness that consists of a nylon nose strap and neck strap. The lead is atta to a ring at the end of a short strap that extends under the chin.ched

How does it work? Both straps are designed to have a specific function. The nose loop is intended to mimic the practice of demonstrating pack dominance between two animals by firmly taking a dog's muzzle in their own. The neck strap is intended to relax and calm the dog by mimicking the practice of a mother grasping her pups by the back of the neck. In addition, the strap applies pressure to the back of the neck instead of the front of the throat.

Dogs tend to respond to an applied force by exerting an opposing force, which is why they often respond to a backwards pull of lead with more pulling! The Gentle Leader® is designed to reverse this behavior, and arrest forward movement when force is exerted on the neck.

Most importantly, the lead allows the owner to control the head of the dog, and - not unlike a horse's bridle - if you control the head you control the beast.

How effective is it? In my experience the Gentle Leader® is extremely effective in correcting pulling, lunging, and jumping. I found it particularly effective with owners who like to run with their dogs, but need to keep them in line on populated paths and trails. It can be used to facilitate the basic obedience commands such as "sit" and "down."

Although the product information notes that the collar will stop unwanted barking (through a quick tug of the lead that closes the dog's mouth), I found the lead less effective in this regard.

Perhaps the best thing about this form of lead is that you are constantly training the dog without the need for constant commands. In addition, you are reinforcing your role as the leader. You stop, they stop, simple as that.

In the majority cases, owners who start with the Gentle Leader® from an early age wind up going back to a straight lead after several months - or even have their dog comfortably off lead when they are able to. That's important, as it demonstrates how effective it can be as a training tool.

Dealing with Barking (or, Why Your Dog Doesn't Really Want To Bark All The Time)

In terms of evolution, you can say that dogs bark because we want them to. When we began domesticating dogs somewhere between 15,000 and 150,000 years ago, we saw the potential advantage of a very loyal and very vocal companion, so we selectively bred barking into domestic dogs from wild wolves, which don't bark. We also selected for all the sorts of traits we thought were cute, such as big eyes and flat faces. I'm not sure who was on the job when they decided "loud" should be in this category, but that's what happened. Vocal dogs were prized and thus their genes were privileged.

Consequently, certain breeds of dogs, such as those traditionally selected as watch dogs, are known to be heavy barkers. You should always consider the breed proactively when getting a new dog to possibly avoid barking related problems.

In any case, even when your dog seems to be barking at nothing, you can bet they're barking for something, even if they're only barking for your return. (Continual barking that kicks in after you are gone for 20 minutes or so and continues incessantly could be an indication of separation anxiety, a psychological condition that will require some extra attention and training).

Rule out the obvious first: if they start to bark toward the end of the day, they could be hungry. If they bark after being left contained for a few hours, they could need exercise (or perhaps a bathroom break). As many dog behaviorists stress, dogs are social, pack-oriented animals, and since you (and family) now comprise the dog's pack, you can expect your dog to make some noise if they are left alone for long periods of time.

Once you have ruled out the obvious, and given your friend enough exercise and attention, you can start to zero in on training a dog that is still barking. You should try to identify causes. Barking will be caused by either an external or internal stimulus. An "attention-getting" bark arises from an internal distress. A bark meant to sound an alert arises from a passing person, or dog, or insect as the case may be.

You can address internal stimulus through training, such as either ignoring an attention-getting bark until your dog settles, then rewarding his ability to quiet down, or holding your dog's snout firmly and asking it, gently, to "Shhh." Again, reward the right response.

In addition, you can often eliminate external stimulus through common sense. For example, I dealt with a dog that moved with its owner from a house with a door knocker to one with a doorbell. The dog was well-behaved and generally quiet. But the doorbell drove it into a barking frenzy. I suggested he remove the doorbell and ask visitors to "Please knock" by way of a small sign where the doorbell used to be. Problem solved.

If your dog barks "at you" immediately after you've given them a command, then you have some dominance training to do. They are talking back.

Nuisance Barking When You are There

When you need to curb your dog's barking, it can be a real challenge if the only time they do it is when you're not there. Often, these dogs need a training program that will not only address the barking, but possibly a general case of separation anxiety. However, you're in luck if they bark in your presence, as you can correct the barking with the right timing, correction, and praise. Dealing with a barking problem when you're there may also help prevent it from happening when you're away. There are several methods discussed, which each have varying degrees of merit:

Ignore, wait, and reward method. This is good for attention seekers, but you'll need some patience, and perhaps a good set of earplugs. The important thing is to reward them immediately after they stop.

The squirt gun method. I personally don't enjoy carrying around a gun (how un-American of me!) even if that gun is filled with water. It can be a hassle, and if you're not a quick enough draw, it diminishes the effect. Note: a mixture of Citronella or water and vinegar solution (one part vinegar to eight parts water) can be more effective than straight water when using this approach. Aim for the chest, not the face.

The collar and leash method. Effective for dogs on lead that have been trained to respond to a tug and a corrective, "Uh uh" or simple "No." You may find it easy to suppress barking through the same means. This is a good method.
But here's the absolute best and quickest:
Physical correction method. No, it is NOT the least bit violent, painful, or inhumane. When your dog barks, meet them at their level, firmly wrap one or both of your hands around the snout (don't shake it), and repeat your corrective command. I use a continual "Shhh" or a repeated "Uh uh uh uh." The idea is to hold on not only until they stop making noise (they obviously can't bark with their mouth closed) but also until they stop resisting the placement of your hand by jerking back or wriggling away. This method is effective also because it asserts your dominant role in the process.

Because it involves a physical correction, it may not be a favorite option for owners uncomfortable with this sort of interaction. But I can only emphasize that dogs are not children and they feel more secure with a clear idea of a pack leader they can trust.

Whatever method you choose, only repetition will do the trick. Never yell. It's like barking back at them. It just makes more noise. Though it's easy to tell your dog to shut it through an open window, it's lazy, and if your dog is barking because it needs to tell you something, even if it's just that they want a bit more attention, then yelling will upset and confuse them more. Expect more barking. As always, give praise when the barking stops.

All in all, you still need to allow your dog times to fully express themselves and their beautiful voice. It is not realistic that you always ask your dog to stop barking every time they start. In fact, this can have dangerous consequences if the dog needs to alert you to something but they have been discouraged from speaking up. Remember, if they are barking to indicate the arrival of someone trying to sell their Tupperware or their religion, let them go for an extra minute, and thank them after your visitor has made a hasty exit.

Nuisance Barking When You're Away

Ok, now it's time to talk about that difficult situation of a dog that only barks when you're away. Obviously, most problems with barking dogs result from dogs that don't have their owner around to quiet them down. In fact, the owner's absence in many cases is what's rousing the dog's vocal chords.

A lonely dog barking or whining can be a nuisance and difficult to address, but there are still some things you should be doing. Try to come home more often, or try to arrange for a friend to visit, ideally with their friendly and energetic dog. It may nip the problem right in the bud. Enough said.

If you know you've got a barking dog problem that has the potential to anger neighbors, a little public relations work can go a long way. If possible, ask your neighbors if there is a barking nuisance coming from your place and, if there is, tell them you're working on it. Then work on it.

You might also try staging a false exit. Walk once around the house or whatever it takes for your dog to think you're gone. When your dog barks, correct the behavior with a "Quiet" command (though your sudden reappearance will likely be enough to stop them anyway).

You can use special bark collars, that either use sonic or electric power to correct your dog. Other collars squirt a substance such as citronella when they bark, a scent they despise. I don't use them, and the ones I have seen in use were awkward and not 100 percent effective. But I stay away from them less because they train through discomfort (they do not harm your pet), and more because they displace the source of authority from you to some device that they don't really understand. Furthermore, they don't differentiate between acceptable - even necessary - barking on one hand, and noise pollution on the other. And that's not good. There's also a medieval-like procedure whereby the dog's voice-box is removed to render them barkless, or at least takes the bite out of their bark. This is abhorrent.

A better option for desperate dog owners is arranging some form of doggy day care, whether it's a professional service or a personal arrangement. Some dogs simply do not get enough stimulation during the day, and they will let the world know about it until they do.

Why is my Dog Ignoring Me?

So your dog is ignoring you and you don't like that. Nobody likes being ignored. It even makes some people very angry. They are the ones that tend to get ignored even more as a result.

It's quite common for dogs to ignore commands. Often owners give dogs very few reasons to listen and a lot of reasons not to. A typical scenario might go something like this:

An owner is calling to their dog to "come," the dog ignores them; they call louder and with more venom; the dog continues ignoring them; they start marching angrily toward the dog, clenching their teeth with all the determination of someone not willing to tolerate this degree of disrespect (especially in public); the dog begins to crawl reluctantly toward the owner, knowing their number is up; finally, the owner takes the dog forcefully by the collar, maybe even throws in a smack or two for good measure, and issues another reminder of who the boss is around here.

Words cannot convey how backwards this is!

This "technique" may eventually get a result, but it obviously goes about doing it in all the wrong way. In the short term, it stresses out your dog (which is to say nothing about the potential harm from physical punishment, which I assume does not need to be said to anyone subscribing to a dog training newsletter series). In the long term, this form of discipline establishes a relationship based on fear and threats, rather than a healthy serving of respect.

Your dog needs a leader, and needs to be able to recognize and respond to what we call "commands." But that doesn't mean that you should be "ordering" your dog around. We create short, simple, and direct "commands" for dogs because dogs don't speak English, not because they love to be ordered around in this way. Even though you need to be the top dog, you don't have to make everything sound like a threat to establish your position in the hierarchy. If everything sounds like a threat, you'll get nowhere fast.

We like to say that a dog disobeys commands mostly for one of two reasons:

1) They don't understand you.

Because dogs are responding more to your tone than the actual words you are using, if your tone contradicts your command, you may not be giving your dog a clear idea of what you want him to do.

For example, let's say you have a dog named Bob that jumps up on you all the time. If you say "Get Down Bob, get down" while at the same giggling and pushing him gently, almost playfully away, you have just communicated to Bob the following: "Get down" equals "this game is fun, let's keep playing."

I see this mistake ALL of the time with dog owners.

Another related mistake is the practice of asking a dog to do something rather than telling. So, if you say, "Bob, come here" in way that sounds more like "Could you please maybe come here please??? Then you are effectively giving Bob a choice. So tell Bob to come. You don't have to yell or demand, just make it clear that you mean business.

Also, make sure your commands are simple enough. If you are blessed with a dog who understands "Bob, bring me a beer from the fridge," then you don't have to worry too much about this one. Most of us, however, do. Keep your commands short and simple. Make sure they don't sound too alike.

Lastly, it is always much better to pair hand signals with your verbal commands. In the first part of this course on problem jumping, I talked about using a simple extended hand gesture to tell your dog to "stop" before jumping up on you. My adult dogs are all to the point where I mostly use my voice when I want to "talk" to them. But when I want them to DO something, I can make eye contact and use a hand signal to get them to come, sit, lie down, get in the car, go inside or outside, wait at the curb, etc. Ideally, you'll get to this point as well, but you need to establish those hand signals, and use them.

If you've worked through all of these possibilities and your dog still does not seem to understand you, then you likely need more training. For older dogs, there is the added possibility that the hearing is going, so do consider that if it applies. It's another case where hand signals can go a long way.

2) They are ignoring you.

When your dog ignores commands, it means they understand what you want them to do but are deciding not to do it.

But, you ask, how can you tell? How can you tell if your dog is in fact understanding the exchange but has no intention of obeying?

The answer depends a lot on the body language of your dog. If they are showing signs of fear when you are giving training commands (submissive posturing, avoiding eye contact, ears back, tail tucked), then it is more likely that they don't understand. In these cases, owners can make the situation worse by being more forceful. By contrast, if your dog is posturing confidently, and they do not appear stressed, then it is more likely that they have opted not to listen. They may even be defiant - making direct eye contact, even barking at you, and running away when you approach.

This suggests a dominance issue. You will have to take active steps to establish yourself as the top dog, in addition to being a fun person to play with. But there are also a few immediate steps you can take to have more success with a stubborn mutt. Let's return to that all too common scenario of a wayward dog and the heard but unheeded command to "come."

Always:

• use a positive, happy, even excited tone of voice.
• try squatting down when calling. Open your arms as if to suggest an embrace or praise when they arrive.
• if you can, try walking the opposite way. This forces your dog to make a decision: Stay and get left, or go home with you and get dinner.
• Praise your dog whenever they come, no matter how long it takes.
• Praise your dog when they come to you without being asked. Create an environment in which they absolutely love coming over to you.

Never:

• chase after a dog that won't come, unless safety is an issue.
• call your dog to you to reprimand them.
• call your dog over for something they clearly do not enjoy (getting their nails clipped, taking a bath, etc.).

One final word of advice: if you are still struggling with your position as leader of the pack, I highly recommend naming your next dog "Boss"… "Come here Boss!" "Sit down, Boss!" "Go fetch Boss!" It's a most empowering remedy I assure you!
SitStayFetch - Dog Training To Stop Your Dog Behavioral Problems!

Common Dog House Training Problems

- Common dog house training problems -

House training is one of the areas of dog ownership that’s most subject to misunderstanding, confusion, and just plain dread!

Today’s newsletter is going to deal with two of the most common problems surrounding the issue of house training:

- Submissive/excited urination

- Scent marking

Common house training problem #1: Submissive / excited urination

What is it?

A ‘submissive urinator’ is a dog that urinates on the floor and himself (and sometimes on you and any guests you may have!) in situations of extreme excitement or stress - like when you return home at the end of the day, or when he’s being told off.

Why does it happen?

Puppies are the usual candidates for submissive/excited urination, but it’s not uncommon to see adult dogs with the problem as well: usually, these are highly sensitive and timid dogs, and/or ones from a shelter/with a history of abuse (often these last two go hand-in-hand.)

When does it happen?
Situations when an excited/fearful dog is likely to urinate:
- Greeting time after a prolonged absence
- Play time
- The arrival of guests
- Stressful situations at home, eg arguments
- During a correction (you’re telling him off)
- Sudden loud noises (thunder, fireworks)

What can I do about it?

Fortunately, it’s not difficult to “cure” your dog of his submissive/excited urination.

First of all, you should take him to the vet to make sure there’s no medical reason for the issue (like diabetes or a bladder infection.)

Next, it’s time to take control of the problem:

- Limit his intake of water to help him control his bladder more effectively. Don’t restrict his water intake over a prolonged period of time, but if you know there’s a situation coming which would normally result in urination – for example, you have guests coming over, or are planning on a play session soon – take his water bowl away for a period of time (maybe half an hour to an hour) before the event.

- When greeting your dog, keep it calm and mellow. The more excited he is, the harder it is for him to control his bladder, so don’t encourage him to get worked up: ignore him for the first few moments, or give him a neutral “hello”, a quick pat, and then go about making yourself at home.

- It’s important that you DO NOT punish or harshly correct your dog for this behavior. It’s not something that he can easily control, and he’s certainly not doing it on purpose. When you catch him in the act, you can interrupt him (a firm “No!” followed by praise when he stops should suffice) but don’t punish him. Keep your cool, and try to be sympathetic: he doesn’t mean to do it, after all!

- If he urinates out of fear (submissiveness) when scolding him for another offense, try to take the stress levels down a notch by keeping a firm, authoritative, but not angry tone. Remember, you’re dealing with a sensitive, highly-strung dog: if you get angry or worry him further, the problem will worsen.

Common house training problem #2: Scent marking

Scent marking - where a dog “marks” his or her territory with urine – is technically not actually a house training problem, since it’s based on issues of dominance and territoriality rather than insufficient house training (a dog can be perfectly house trained but still mark inside the house.)

However, because – since the problem centers around the unwanted presence of urine in the house – it seems logical, in a way, to link this problem with house training: and since this is one of the most widespread problems among dog owners, we thought it worthwhile to include some practical advice.

Scent marking and lack of house training: how to differentiate between the two.

Your dog’s probably scent marking, rather than genuinely relieving himself, if:

- The amount of urine produced is relatively small, and tends to be directed against vertical surfaces (walls, doors, etc)

- He’s male, unneutered, and at least five or six months old. Unneutered dogs are much more territorial than neutered ones –if you have an unneutered dog in the house, you can pretty much expect a certain amount of scent marking. (Unspayed females also mark, but it’s less common; spayed and neutered dogs can also exhibit marking behavior, but it’s relatively infrequent)

- It makes little difference how often he’s taken outside for a toilet break

- He frequently targets items that are new to the house: new possessions, guest clothing/footwear, etc

- You live in a multi-dog household and there is conflict between two or more of the dogs

- There are other, unneutered or unspayed pets in the house

What to do about the problem?

First things first: spay or neuter your dog(s) as soon as you possibly can. If you can do this early enough – ideally, at six months of age - this often halts marking altogether; but if your dog’s been marking for a prolonged period of time, he or she may continue to do so after being spayed or neutered, since a pattern of behavior will have been established.

Clean soiled areas thoroughly. Use a non-ammonia based cleaner (because it smells just like pee) and stay away from vinegar too (it smells similar to pee.) Oxi-Clean mixed with warm water is particularly effective; there are also plenty of commercial cleaners designed specifically to lift pet stains and odors, which you can buy from pet stores and some supermarkets.

Because dogs tend to re-mark the same places, you’ll need to redefine the places that you know he’s marked to prevent repeat offending.

You can do this in a number of ways:

- Feed him next to or on top of the spot
- Play with him there
- Groom him there
- Put his bed over or next to it
- Spend time there yourself: hang out with a book or sit down and work

If there is rivalry between dogs in the household, you’ll need to take steps to resolve it. Any conflict is likely to be hierarchical in nature (a “power struggle”), which means that all you have to do to stop the tension is pay attention to which dog seems to be more dominant than the other one (which one eats first, gets the toys he/she wants, “stares down” another dog), and reinforce this position.

How to do this: feed the dominant dog first. Pet him/her first. Give him/her a toy before anyone else gets one. This makes it clear to all dogs in the house which one really is the dominant dog – and when this hierarchy’s been recognizably established, territorial/dominant behaviors like scent marking often vanish overnight.

For more information on how to successfully house train your dog (as well as a whole bunch of in-depth information on house training troubleshooting and related issues) you’ll probably want to check out The Ultimate House Training Guide. It’s the complete dog-house-training guide.

The Ultimate House Training Guide comes highly recommended.

You can visit the The Ultimate House Training Guide site by clicking this link.

House Training Your Dog Tips

- House training your dog / House training tips for a new puppy -

When a new puppy arrives in the house, it’s an exciting time for everyone. In order for the homecoming to proceed as smoothly as possible, it’s a good idea to spend a little bit of time in preparation.

One of the major challenges of dog ownership (particularly for first-time owners) is the issue of house training. If you equip yourself with some rudimentary knowledge and a positive attitude, though, it’s a lot easier than most people make it out to be.

The New Arrival

As soon as you bring the puppy home, take her outside. The excitement of the car journey coupled with the unfamiliar faces, sights, and sounds will have her needing to go anyway – and if you can orchestrate her first toilet break so that it occurs outside, instead of inside, then so much the better. And not just from the perspective of short-term hygiene, either – the more your puppy relieves herself inside, the more likely she is to do it again.

The homecoming is a great opportunity for you to set a precedent for toilet behavior!

- Take her to your designated toilet area, and put her down on the grass.

- Wait while she sniffs around – refrain from petting her or playing with her just yet, because you don’t want her to forge an association between this area and games. She has to learn that this part of the yard is for toilet breaks only.

- When she begins to relieve herself, say the phrase you want her to associate with toilet breaks: “Go pee” or “potty time” or whatever works for you. It’s best if that phrase is short and easily recognizable – and use the same voice inflection each time, too (so that your dog can easily memorize the meaning of the phrase.)

- When she’s done, make a big fuss over her: shower her in praise and affection, and give her a little treat.

When you take her inside the house, the house training regime you’ve decided upon should start immediately.

As far as house training goes, crate training is generally accepted to be the most effective and efficient means of house training a puppy in a short space of time.

What is crate training?

Crate-training is essentially the use of a small indoor kennel (the crate) to confine your young puppy when you’re not actively supervising her.

How does it work?

Crate training is based on all dogs’ inherent dislike of soiling the area where they sleep. Because you’re restricting your puppy’s movement to her sleeping space, she’ll instinctively “hold it in” until she’s let out of the crate (provided you don’t leave her in there too long, of course!)

This is why it’s important that the crate is sized properly: if it’s too big, she’ll be able to use one end as a bed and one end as a toilet, which defeats the whole purpose!

How do I choose a crate?

As a general guideline, it’s more cost-effective for you to choose a crate that’s big enough for her to grow into. It should be big enough for the adult dog to stand up comfortably without crouching, turn around in, and stretch out – but no bigger (so that she doesn’t choose one part as her bed, and one part as her toilet!)

Because the adult dog is likely to be considerably larger than the puppy, it’ll most likely be necessary for you to use a barrier to reduce the internal size of the crate. A wire grille or board will do just fine.

Alternatively, you can use a cheap crate (or even make one yourself) and replace it with a larger model as your puppy grows.

Using the crate for house training

Crate training works like this: your puppy is in that crate at all times unless she’s sleeping, eating, outside with you going to the toilet, or being played with (active supervision.)

You’ll need to be consistent, or else it won’t work: you can’t let your puppy wander off through the house unless you’re focusing your complete attention on her.

If you allow her access to the house before she’s thoroughly house trained, you’re basically encouraging her to relieve herself inside – and remember, each time she does this, it’ll be easier for her to do it again (and again … and again …)

Sample schedule of a morning's crate training

7am: Wake up. Puppy comes outside with you for a toilet break.
7.25: Breakfast time.
7.45: Back outside for another toilet break (accompanied by you, of course.)
7.50 – 8.45: Play-time! Puppy is out of the crate being actively played with, cuddled, etc.
8.45: Outside for another toilet break.
8.50 – 11: Puppy goes back in the crate for a nap
11 am: Puppy comes outside with you for a toilet break.
11.05 – 12.30: Playtime! Puppy is out of the crate being played with and petted.
12:30: Lunch time.
12.45: Puppy comes outside with you for a toilet break.
1 – 3.30: Puppy goes back in the crate for a nap.

… and so on throughout the day.

Crate training generally takes one to two months (depending on the breed of your dog and how much time you spend on the training process.) As the puppy grows older, you can begin to reduce the amount of time spent in the crate – but beware of doing this too soon!

Other crate training rules

- Your puppy probably won’t be too happy to go in the crate the first couple of times she uses it. She wants to be outside, being showered with affection and attention, and hanging out with you (of course!) But it really is for her own good – in a surprisingly short time, she’ll come to accept the crate as her own personal haven where she can go to relax and get a couple hours’ uninterrupted sleep. It’s important to persevere: do not respond to any whining or crying.

- The best place for the crate to be is the hub of the household: usually the den or the kitchen, anywhere where people tend to congregate. Just because she’s in the crate doesn’t mean she can’t still feel like part of the household; it’s important for her not to feel isolated or excluded.

- The crate should be a welcoming, inviting place for her to go. Lay a couple of thick blankets or towels on the floor, and place a few toys and a chew or two inside it as well. The door should be invitingly open at all times (unless she’s in there, of course, in which case it should be securely shut.)

Some toilet facts about puppies that will come in handy

- Puppies’ bladders and bowels are so small and weak that they have only a very small window of opportunity between knowing that they need to go, and having that need become an immediate reality. Because of this, it’s imperative that you take her outside as soon as she wakes up (she’ll let you know she needs to go out by pawing the door and whining), and within ten minutes of eating or playing.

- Behaviors that indicate she needs to go outside include sniffing the ground and circling. Again, because she’s only little, she won’t exhibit these warning signs for very long – so as soon as she starts, take her out straight away. Better an unnecessary trip to the yard than an unnecessary wet patch (or pile) on the carpet!

- The maximum amount of time that a puppy can be crated at one time is figured out using the following equation: her age in months, plus one. So, a three-month old puppy can be crated for a maximum of four hours. However, this is likely to be physically pretty uncomfortable for her (not to mention hard on her emotionally and psychologically: it’s tough being cramped up with nothing to do), so you should really take her out at least once every two hours during the day. If she’s sleeping, of course, just let her sleep until she wakes up naturally.

For a more indepth look at house training, as well as a great deal of useful information on canine behavioral problems and the most effective training techniques, check out The Ultimate House Training Guide. It’s the complete dog-house-training guide..

You can visit the The Ultimate House Training Guide