Living with a Dog: News and Views
Tips and guidance on sharing your home - and your existence - with your best friend.

Archive for: January 2009



January 28, 2009

What Everybody Ought to Know — about How to Potty Train A Puppy

Filed under: News and Views - 28 Jan 2009 from author

You may have just brought home an adorable new puppy pal! Beside enjoying your little pal, you also want to protect your home so your furnishings and carpets aren’t ruined. What should you do now?

By teaching your puppy where to relieve himself, you’ll also be protecting your home. Do you know what to do now?

Grab your free dog training course and learn more about how to house puppy train.

Dogs act mainly from habits that have been developed over a period of time and that fact can help you as a dog owner. As the dog owner, you need to install the habits of your choice. Don’t let your pet create his own habits that you might not appreciate. Your puppy has limitations that you need to be aware of. Since your puppy’s bladder is so small, he can’t hold his urine in very long. You’ll need the character traits of patience and understanding to deal with your new pal’s limitations.

Yelling or screaming at your puppy if there is an accident won’t help. Training your new pal requires patience. If your puppy has an accident on the living room carpet, be gentle with him. Tell him “no” in a gentle way. Then pick him up and place him where you do want him to go potty. Then tell him to go potty in that place in your own words.

You would be wise to purchase a crate for your puppy to sleep in since he won’t want to soil his bed. Your dog may enjoy owning his own dog playpen as you train him.

There are times when your new puppy is more likely to go potty. Right after waking up in the morning is when your puppy will want to go potty. Right after eating is one of the main times your new puppy will want to relieve himself. Be sure to take your puppy to his designated toilet area before he goes to bed at night. Play time will probably activate your puppy’s urge to relieve himself.

Your new pet needs close supervision. If he goes potty on his own outside, be sure to praise him immediately. If he should go potty inside the house, you need to gently but sternly let him know that isn’t the right place to go. Be sure to praise your puppy when he does go in the correct place. He really needs your approval.

Become aware of the signals that show your puppy is about to go potty. Wandering off, sniffing and circling are signs that your puppy is ready to relieve himself. You might catch him waiting by the door.

Patience and kindness goes a long way in dog training. Be sure to spend time training your new pal to urinate or deficate where you have chosen for him to go. The time and effort you put into training your new pal will be worth it when he knows the right time and place to relieve himself.

Watch free dog training video plus discover effective dog training potty techniques.


January 27, 2009

Cedar Dog Houses – Find Cedar Doghouse Plans Or Buy Pre-built Doghouse

Filed under: News and Views - 27 Jan 2009 from author

I’m not sure whether dogs like cedar dog houses but most doghouses are made of wood. Small dogs usually live indoors so there is no need to buy a doghouse. However, larger sized dogs will need their own place and most families usually put their dogs outside, therefore a wooden doghouse is needed.

Finding a large doghouse that can accommodate their dogs is often a problem. You can get find cedar doghouse plans online and construct your own doghouse. That way, you can customized the dog house to whatever you want.

However, if you want to save the hassle, you can always buy a cedar doghouse online or get someone to build it for you. Where To Put The Dog House Most people usually place their doghouse at the rear of the house.

It is not a very good spot because not only is it inconvenient for you, most dogs don’t like to be located far from people. Dogs are sociable animals and prefer places where people congregate. Therefore, it is best to place your doghouse at the side of your house or the front porch.

If possible, the cedar doghouse should be lifted up off the ground with small blocks neighbouring the foundation. This provides a pocket of airspace that can help in insulation. To keep the doghouse warm in winter, you need to have a flap in front of the doghouse.

Regular maintenance is essential and it is important to keep the area around the doghouse clean. If not, you will find your dog not wanting to sleep in the doghouse. If you can build a dog runway, that would be ideal and it allows your dog to run and still be restrained at the same time.

Whether you choose to build your own doghouse or buy existing pre-built doghouses, be sure that your dog can live and move comfortably inside it.

Learn more about why cedar dog houses are the best. Check out whether to buy cheap wooden doghouse online.


January 25, 2009

Want a Great Family Pet? Choose a Labrador Retriever Dog

Filed under: News and Views - 25 Jan 2009 from author

For those of you considering keeping a pet dog, it would be a good idea for you to get a Labrador Retriever dog for a pet. The popularity of this type of dog is increasing and there are a lot good reasons for this including this breed’s very likeable nature. Besides their very likeable nature, the Labrador Retriever dog is also very well adjusted to being in the company of children, who in any case would love this particular breed, especially because they are quite gentle towards them.

Quick To Train

Another wonderful quality of the Labrador Retriever dog is their ability to be trained easily, they will readily learn the basic rules of the house, and additionally, they are able to learn a few tricks to boot. Undoubtedly the Labrador Retriever dog learns very fast, and they are also a very compliant animal that will always serve their master with great respect. With such outstanding qualities, the Labrador Retriever dog is a terrific dog – with children and adults alike.

As the owner of a Labrador Retriever dog you’ll, of course, be required to shoulder a fair amount of responsibility regarding the care and well being of your pet. In fact, having a Labrador Retriever dog at home also provides you a good opportunity to impart a sense of responsibility in your children who need to be taught how to correctly own as well as care for their pet.

You must ensure that your Labrador Retriever dog is given a lot of exercise as they are very energetic and thus will need to drain their energy in a productive way. They must also be given a lot of space to run about and also to be taken on regular walks. Additionally, the Labrador Retriever dog demands and should be given a great deal of affection and you must do your best, as their owner, to give them love and make them feel like they are your friend and not only an acquisition to the home.

For their part, the Labrador Retriever dog will yearn for companionship from humans, and so it is never wise to abandon them on their own. If you are getting ready for a vacation, make sure to leave them with someone responsible who will provide them with attention and care for them properly. Concerning a Labrador rescue dog, you must be super careful about how you keep them and you must be sure that they are given a lot of love and care, and they should be made to feel wanted at all times as well.

Overall, bringing home a Labrador Retriever dog will undoubtedly be a boon for you and your family who will soon fall in love with this lovable, intelligent and excellent pet dog.


January 24, 2009

Dog Barking Case Study

Filed under: News and Views - 24 Jan 2009 from author

Teacup, a two-year-old mixed breed dog, has anxiety problems and incessantly barks every time her owner Tom, is away at work. Tom recently transferred into a new house with a spacious fenced-in backyard. At this time, as Teacup would normally do while Tom is not around , she would not stop from barking. The dog barking progressed so badly that neighbors in his apartment building regularly complained; forcing Tom to find a new place of his own. However, Teacup continues to bark and Tom is apprehensive about the complaints of his new neighbors. Teacup does not bark while Tom is home, so he must look for a way to stop the dog barking while he is at work.

Ever since Tom transferred , he pointed out that the hindrance is from an outside source causing Teacup to become aggravated and to bark. With Teacup’s current status, frustration is not an option, Tom has spoken to his neighbors and no person or animal provokes Teacup from over her fence. Moreover, since the change of surroundings has changed the placement of things, Tom can be sure there is nothing that would cause Teacup to bark. Water bucket, and toys are all well within the dog’s reach.

Tom brought Teacup to his veterinarian’s clinic and any medical condition that may cause Teacup to bark has already been ruled out. Since Tom is always away from home every morning while he was still in his previous home, Teacup’s veterinarian suggest that Tom look at the idea of boredom barking. Since the odd seems to make sense, Tom starts looking into this idea of keeping Teacup entertained during the day.

At the beginning, Tom calls a local pet sitting business that specializes in taking care of dogs during the day while their owners are at work. The people in this business were very professional and a timetable was made that they would visit Teacup twice a day for one-half hour at a time. During Teacup’s visitation, a person would walk the dog around the park and play with her most of the time. Though Teacup did not bark as much before and this situation worked out well, the dog still barked.

Tom decided to enroll Teacup in the “doggy daycare” provided by a local kennel to stop the incessant dog barking . This class acted as a dog version of conventional daycare and let the dogs play together to prevent boredom. Tom drops Teacup off on the dog daycare center on his way to the office and picks her up on the way home. This setup makes the dog and the owner happy, it works perfectly well for both Teacup and Tom. Even though the fees for the “doggy daycare” are more than leaving Teacup at home during the day or even hiring a dog sitter, Tom feels the amount is well justified when he sees how happy Teacup is at the end of the day and the reality that his neighbor’s complaints have ceased. Moreover, since Teacup was otherwise an only dog, this “doggy daycare” lets her to socialize with other dogs, ensuring she is well developed socially and emotionally.


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