Posts Tagged ‘House Training’
Dog litter box training
December 10th, 2009
Dog litter box training is actually becoming more and more popular. As owners have to commute more dogs are sometimes left longer than they can hold it. Well, dog litter box training is a definite option for puppys left home all day, or for older dogs with incontenence for example, or even for small dogs in apartments or who live in the city
Wizdog has created a house training system for dogs just like this. It contains a plastic pan and fitted grate. The liquid goes through the grate and stores on the newspaper or pee pad. That way the dog can’t shred it, step in it, or eat it!
Another benefit to wizdog dog litter box training is that the dog or puppy cannot shred the paper. It is easy to clean up as you just toss out the newspaper. This is a really great product and I am happy to recommend it.
If for some reason you have to work late, or get stuck and aren’t going to be able to let your dog out in time, and you know they are uncofortbable or might have an accident, this can save your floors! Another great benefit is for dogs who need to go but hate getting wet, or if there is a pile of snow out – your dog litter box training can really help you in a messy situation.
Check out yours today
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Dog Urine Removal
December 10th, 2009
So your puppy went peepee on your carpet. Your next question was – what is a good dog urine remover tool? Well, it used to be natures miracle. Unfortunately they changed the formula.
I like oxyclean but seems to stain my carpet a little (pulling the color out). I am thankfully out of the days of cleaning up puppy puddles, but we are in the throws of potty training my son. I stumbled upon this product – PETZORB. Let me explain more about it.
When a liquid spill occurs, you can use a neutralizer to remove it, or you can try and suck it all up. Well, my opinion is that removing it completely is the best choice. With petzorb you sprinkle on a little powder. The powder then becomes a gel by actually removing the liquid from the carpet. you can then just vacuum it up. You have to wait for it to fully dry though. I really like this and a little bottle goes a long way. Try it out as your dog urine remover and see how it works! If you like it, let us know!
Another option is using natures miracle (though if the solution has changed I just dont know how well it works!) or simple solution. Both work really well but I think its hard to really suck the liquid all out, so it basically goes in and neutralizes the smell. Lastly there is something called Urine Gone – it uses a black light to show you the stains which you can then remove. You can buy it on ebay or other places like that.
House Train a Dog
December 4th, 2009
I have read article after article on how to house train a dog. I read somewhere once that its the number one reason for getting rid of dogs. Its funny, with kids, we know it will take a long time to get them to understand going on the potty, but somehow we don’t extend the same grace to puppies.
House training a dog has a lot of variables including the size of the dog and sometimes even the breed. If you think about house training a yorkie, they have little bladders and need to go more often versus a larger dog. Retriever and other breeds who love water will drink and drink and that can cause issues with house training a dog.
My advice, keep it simple.
1) Train the dog to ring bells to let you know they have to potty outside.
2) Put them on a schedule.
3) Reward them for pottying outside, I like to use cheerios for this.
4) Keep a record of the accidents and potty schedule.
5) Don’t punish them for pottying inside, just work on watching them closer.
6) Limit their access to the house – i give access one room at a time as they gain reliability.
My last two pups had less than 3 accidents while teaching them to be house trained using the above method.
Happy house training!
Posted in House Training, New Puppy | 
Tags: dog training, House Training, potty training | 
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How to house train a dog
January 10th, 2009
The never ending question.How do you house train a dog? I have written numerous articles on this topic, and will continue to do so simple because I believe its the number asked question. I believe is just a few easy steps to follow if I might just simplify it for a moment.
1. Schedule their potty and eating times. To effectively house train a dog, you have to take them potty at a regular time. Young puppies might need to go every 20 minutes, older puppies, every 30-45.
2. Watch them. This means with a tether or baby gate. Really pay attention! If you don’t see them sniffing you will miss the chance for them to use their house training cues. They have to learn how to tell you its time!
3. Don’t punish the mistakes. When they start to go just run over and get them and take them out. Its too late…they already started.
4. If they have an accident, change 1 or 2. Make it more frequent to go potty or watch them better.When they go 3-4 days without an accident, slow down the schedule. This is a process, not an overnight behavior.
When we potty train kids, it takes MONTHS! Same for dogs. Good luck and happy learning how to house train a dog!
Rain Rain go away…
January 7th, 2009
Our yard is mud. Its rained off and on for the last few weeks. Its January and its cold. WAlking these poor dogs doesn’t feel like an option. What do you do with a young dog when its nasty out and they haven’t had exercise? You guessed it, TRAIN!
When you are training a dog with a lot of energy its a great idea to get them moving. For example taking a hyper dog and working on stays is going to be very difficult. There are two games I like to play that expend a lot of energy.
1) Target training.
I like this game because I can create a lot of distance pretty easily. Get a lid to a tupperware bowl – hold it out and ask your dog to sniff it (I say touch). When they do, say “yes” and give a treat. Repeat this a number of times and then start moving around. You can even put your dog in a sit stay while you move around the room. Now, put the object on the floor, see if you can get the same behavior. If you can you just created a fun game – run out, touch it, come back to me for the reward! Obviously it may take some learning time but most dogs pick up really fast.
2) Place.
This is training a dog to lay down on command on something. You treat the matt like a bullseye – and walk in circles around it asking for the down command. Once your dog is offering it, you can call it place or matt- whatever you like. With dog training try to move slowly. Wait for several right responses before you make it more difficult. Once your dog lays down, toss a treat to the side, they will run and get it, and then you can ask for the behavior again. Slowly create more distance between yourself and the mat and you have not only a training game, but a way to wear out your dog!
Have fun and happy training.