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Is Your Dog Afraid of Car Rides? Here’s What You Need To Do

Sometimes, the world’s most mundane things can be terrifying to dogs.  Garbage cans, plastic bags blowing in the wind, and stairs are just a few common – yet bizarre – things that have caused dogs to run away in fear.  For most dogs, going for a car ride is a source of extreme happiness.  However, a small subset of canines also find this activity to be terrifying.  Is your dog afraid of car rides?  Here, we will discuss the causes of fear, as well as how you can overcome the problem. Reasons Dogs are Afraid of Car Rides Have you ever wondered why your dog is afraid of simple things?  There are many reasons why a dog develops fear of a person, animal, object, or experience.  Listed here are three of the most common reasons a dog might be afraid of car rides. Unfamiliar with the Experience Dogs – like...
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6 Common Mistakes New Dog Owners Make When House Training Their Puppies

how to potty train a puppy
It takes a considerable amount of time and energy to mold your pup into a balanced canine companion; no wonder some pet parents end up frustrated and confused when their dog becomes uncooperative. House training your puppy doesn’t have to be a grueling process though; it’s just a question of establishing a good routine built around your dog’s needs. Here are 6 mistakes you should avoid when house training your dog: Wrong feeding habits The first thing you should be aware of is that your pup’s digestive system gets stimulated whenever she eats, leading her to urinate within 15 minutes of eating, and defecate within half an hour of having their meal. Consequently, practices like over-feeding, observing unsuitable diets (like salty food) and not feeding your pup at regular times only make potty training harder. Punishing the puppy for its indoor accidents Puppies generally lack good bladder control; they need...
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10 Ways to Stop Your Dog from Barking

Dogs are man’s best friend; their loyalty and dedication are unmatched. Picture this, it’s 6 am on a cool Sunday morning, and your best friend is constantly barking for absolutely no reason. Not so cute anymore right? There are solutions to your problem, which will leave everyone happy. Mentally and physically occupy your dog Many times, excessive barking is a sign that your dog isn’t getting enough physical activity. The barking is a way for it to release this energy. The dog could also lack mental stimulation and is showing their distress through excessive barking. This can be remedied by taking your dog on a daily walk and giving him tasks that will use his mental and physical strength to complete. This exercise should help to release some of the pent-up energy and help to reduce the constant barking or encourage barking for the right reasons. We suggest interactive dog...
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Teaching Your Dog the Clean Up Command

All dogs require mental stimulation, some more than others.  If your pet is constantly zooming around the house looking for a job to do, these two commands are perfect for teaching to your pet.  Here, teaching your dog the clean up command and name recognition will be discussed. Benefits of these Commands The benefits of teaching your dog these complex – yet surprisingly simple – commands are vast.  First, you will provide your dog a job to perform, which is necessary for many breeds, particularly those with a working background.  If you have a German Shepherd, Siberian Husky, Border Collie, or any other breed that was originally bred for work you should consider training the name recognition and clean up command. Next, these games are fun.  You can impress your friends and family by telling your dog to retrieve the purple dinosaur, and watch as they are amazed that he...
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Teaching your Dog Impulse Control

Even though dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, they still occasionally behave in a way that is counter to what their humans would like.  A major contributing factor is that dogs tend to act on impulse, not stopping to “think” about the consequences of their actions.  Fortunately, dogs can be conditioned to control their impulses, which will be discussed here. What Types of Impulses do Dogs Have? Dogs and toddlers are often compared to one another because they behave impulsively, such as running through open doors, jumping on favorite humans when they walk through the door, and immediately gobbling up any food that falls on the floor.  Dogs that are deemed to have “behavioral problems” are typically ones that act impulsively. What is Impulse Control? Impulse control involves teaching your dog counter behaviors that force him or her to divert attention away from an object, human, or animal. ...
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Dog Training 101: Teaching Your Dog Recall

Teaching your dog recall (i.e. to come when called) is one of the most important lessons your pet can learn.  A rock solid recall can literally mean the difference between life and death, particularly if your dog escapes the house or breaks free of his collar.  Tips for teaching recall are described here. Low Distraction The first step is to start training your dog in a low-distraction area, such as a spare bedroom.  Do not attempt recall in the yard or at the park until your dog has mastered coming when called in the house.  Place a leash on your pet, ask your dog to sit, and then walk backwards (still holding the leash), while saying “come” and holding a treat.  When your dog reaches you, give your pet profuse praise. Make Recall Fun Once your dog has learned the meaning of “come,” take to the outdoors and turn recall...
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7 Commands Every Dog Must Know

 Training your dog is not just a matter of him or her having good house manners – it can also mean the difference between life and death.  The seven most important commands to teach your dog, as well as tips for training, are discussed below. Sit Why is “sit” such an important command?  When your dog is getting ready to jump on a new person that walks into your home, asking for “sit” can keep all four of your dog’s feet on the ground.  In addition, by utilizing “sit” as a pre-requisite for other daily rewards, such as going outside or having the food bowl set down at dinner time, this simple command can create a well-behaved dog. Stay Not only can “stay” be useful during an unexpected situation (such as a broken dish in the kitchen), teaching your dog how to stay also reinforces independence.  Dogs with a strong...
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Common Training Mistakes Dog Owners Make

Dog training can be the most rewarding – and frustrating – undertaking for a new pet owner, especially when a young dog is involved.  Watching your dog master a command for the first time is an incredible moment; while other instances may make you feel like you are spinning your wheels.  Before you blame your dog for being stubborn consider whether you are making any of the following common training mistakes. Poor Timing Timing is crucial when training a dog, both for reward and punishment.  When your dog does the correct behavior, such as sitting when you ask for the “sit” command, your dog should be rewarded immediately.  Any delay in giving your dog positive praise will teach your pet that there is no incentive to follow directions.  Similarly, punishing your dog long after a bad behavior has occurred, such as yelling at your pup when you find an accident...
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How To Potty Train A Puppy: The Complete Guide

how to potty train a puppy
One of the most dreaded tasks of puppy ownership is training.  Teaching a weeks-old puppy not to chew, how to play appropriately, how to sit nicely in a crate, and where the proper place to potty is enough to frustrate any new dog owner.  However, potty training does not have to result in unending frustration if approached properly.  Presented in the paragraphs below is an easy, straightforward, and effective guide on how to potty train a puppy. The length of the process, and the experiences gained or lacked by your puppy are both dependent on your consistency in following the potty training steps. If you follow a strict routine, provide plenty of positive praise, and are consistent, house training will not take more than two weeks in most instances.  However, if you become lackadaisical, potty training may take a month or more. Before beginning any training process, new owners should...
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Dog Training: The Single Most Important Element

Most people like dogs and they are the most common non-human life companions. Kids fall in love with them watching Lassie and we all have that idea of what a perfect dog would be. We all know what we want, but only a small percentage of dog owners know how to achieve that. Dogs are rather progressive animals and their brain is quite complex, so it’s not really safe or clever to determine one single element in dog training as the single most important one, but there’s one element that is, in my opinion, so important we can select it as a foundation for everything else. That is CONSISTENCY. Dogs just as humans like things to be in order and to make training as effective as possible we have to make sure that the dog knows exactly when it’s time for training, when it’s time for playing and that “sit”...
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