Building Respect Through House Rules
Your puppy/dog doesn’t come to you automatically trusting and respecting you just because you are “human”. To earn his trust and respect; you must set and enforce a consistent set of rules. Consistent means the same rules with the same consequences enforced by all members of the household.
Dogs need 4 things in order to be happy, obedient and mentally well balanced: essentials (food, water, shelter), exercise (structured), clearly defined and consistently reinforced rules and love
If there are no defined rules in your household, your puppy will either become confused due to the inconsistency of rules/consequences or become completely out of control, following perfectly normal behavior for the dog world that does not fit into the human world. This will lead to frustration and anger from you, creating frustration and/or aggression from your puppy.
When your puppy becomes frustrated, that frustration will manifest in one or more of the following:
Nipping Biting Chewing Barking Digging Aggression
Although all of these behaviors are natural and normal for your puppy, they can escalate very quickly into a frustrating and potentially dangerous situation for your family. Here are some tips to help him stay happy and well behaved.
- Setting the house rules: Make a list of rules for your puppy. Put this list together with every member of your family’s input. List everything he is not allowed to do (i.e. jumping on people, bolting through doors, nipping, pottying in the house and anything else your family decides on). After each rule, write down what consequence you will give him if he breaks that rule. Decide together, and then post it on the refrigerator where everyone can see it. This will help your family to be consistent and make your dog’s training progress at a faster rate. See example below.
- Walking: Dogs have an instinctual need for walking and this is one of the best ways to burn off some energy, add in some training, as well as give your puppy much needed mental stimulation and happiness. This is not a “potty” walk, it is an exercise walk. Using the proper equipment is very important; use a leather or nylon leash and either a buckle collar or no pull harness. There are many different equipment options on the market, so if a buckle collar or no pull harness doesn’t work for you and your puppy talk to a positive reinforcement trainer for additional suggestions. Walk your puppy at least once a day (preferably two times a day) for at least 20 minutes.
- Nothing in life is free: Your dog must work for everything he likes! Food, walks, attention and play all need to be controlled by you. Your dog must sit and wait or at least be calm before he gets to eat his food, before you put the leash on, before you pet him and before you begin play. If your puppy seems to be bossy, you should be the one to instigate all play. If he brings you a toy, ask him to sit first and then you can pick up the toy and engage him in play. Your puppy demanding that you play with or pet him may be cute at first, but it won’t be so cute when he is bigger and more demanding.
- Decide whether your puppy will be allowed on the furniture. If you don’t want your puppy on the furniture, NEVER allow him on it, don’t make exceptions – your puppy will not understand when it is ok and when it is not. If he is allowed on the furniture, attach the Nothing In Life Is Free program to it, he must sit before you give him the ok to jump up on the furniture. For pups that are having dominant, bossy or aggression related behaviors or if you just don’t want them on the furniture; they should not be allowed on the furniture at all – even when you are not there. If this is the case, you will need to block his access to the furniture when you are not home.
- Teach your puppy not to invade your space. He should not be allowed to jump on you. When he jumps on you, use as little physical contact as possible; ignore him completely until he calms down and then give affection.
- Stay calm and confident: Dogs read and feed off of our body language. If you show uncertainty, frustration, nervousness, confusion, anger or stress, your puppy will pick up on those feelings and become stressed, confused, aggressive and/or nervous. If you are calm and confident, he will be calmer, balanced, happy and more obedient.
I believe dog training should be fun, rewarding and exciting for both the dog and the human. I take a scientific approach to training and train through love, kindness and respect with clearly defined rules and boundaries and get fabulous results. I have been a trainer for 20 years, graduated from Animal Behavior College (ABCDT), I am certified through Association of Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA) and the International Association of Canine Professionals (CDT). I am the founder and president of HEARTland Positive Dog Training Alliance; a group of pet professionals and dog owners dedicated to positive reinforcement training.
The Easiest Method To Properly Deal With Pet Ticks
When you really think of it, flea medicine is something that can have a tremendous impact depending on the situation. Like so many other things, you have to evaluate what you are dealing with and weigh them against each other. If you incorrectly overlook something, the consequences can be unpleasant, to say the least. When you are pleased that your research is thorough, then that is the time to assess the possibilities. The important thing is you need to know the following about flea medicine so you will make an informed decision.
Fleas reproduce extraordinarily quickly. Tackling just adult biting fleas, or just juvenile fleas rarely works as a complete method of flea control. Bayer, they of Advantage Flea Medication appreciate this completely, which is the reason their product tackles fleas at various stages of their life-cycle.
Fleas can live from as little as a couple weeks up to a twelve month. Your dog that becomes infested with fleas can be cultivated allergies to the fleas’ saliva, be a catalyst for rashes and decrease of fur from excessive scratching or biting. Fleas can carry diseases such as Lyme disease.
As a result of harmful outcomes of fleas in your much loved pets, it is advisable to know very well what flea medicine as a whole along with flea medicine for dogs in particular work in getting rid of your pets from fleas and other insects.
With regards to deciding on the perfect flea medication then you’ve to utilize multiple drug to learn the genuine. Even though some from the prescribed veterinary medicines around which could serve several purposes. Alternatively, it is vital to provide a pair of three treatments for his or her pets to help them fight against the infestation of fleas. However, these care is intended for both animals. When you have another animal rather than animals it becomes really very hard to obtain the perfect flea medicine for the children because the drug more widely available is for animals.
You’ll be able to treat your dogs for fleas before your dog has fleas. This is called flea prevention. There are numerous forms of flea prevention treatments currently available such as flea foggers for dogs, flea sprays for dogs, flea dips for dogs, flea powders for dogs, flea dusts for dogs, flea collars for dogs, oral liquids, and oral tablets for dogs. Typically the most popular flea prevention products and flea medicines are the ones available from Frontline Plus, K9 Advantix and Advantage for dogs.
How To Use Your Power In Finding The Right Veterinarian (5)
Finding The Right Veterinarian – The Conclusion
There is no such thing as getting the perfect “estimate” from a veterinarian in terms of what it will cost to fix a medical problem. Although these doctors try to give estimates, the likelihood of the outcome equaling the price of the guesswork is slim-to-none.
If you want those types of estimates and warranties, toasters make a nice alternative to pets, and they don’t need walking in the winter!
Seriously though, if you have concerns about the treatment or procedure going above the estimate, talk about it with your veterinarian:
“What if my dog needs a second transfusion?”
“In your experience, Doctor, how many blood tests are required per year?”
“Is there a less expensive way to get this done?”
These questions are all part of the informed consent process. At the core of the matter, and central to the idea of a good veterinarian relationship, is the concept of informed consent.
Patient advocates on the human side of medicine like to remind us, wisely, that informed consent is not intended to protect the practitioner. It is a process wherein your veterinarian informs you of the risks, benefits and consequences of treatment; tells you about alternative treatments; lets you know when there are practitioners better qualified to treat your dog; and answers questions that you might not have enough information or presence of mind to ask.
Informed consent is for the client/patient, not the practitioner. It is not, as a veterinarian’s lawyer may have indicated, a document primarily used to cover his posterior in the event a case heads south.
When Research a Veterinarian – Do Your Homework
You can’t be a partner with your veterinarian if you don’t know anything about veterinary medicine. If a person you cared for had cancer, you would most likely research treatments, survival times and how the disease affects the body. Whether the individual has two legs or four, the response should be the same. Your dog is your family, remember that.
Information can be acquired from numerous sources. Your veterinarian is the first (remember that you did your research in choosing your current vet, and you trust this person). Then there’s your library, bookstore and medical publications, if you are so inclined.
There is also, of course, the Internet. But be warned – besides being a good forum for quality information, the Internet is also a good forum for any quack who wants to publish medical advise that they know nothing about. So keep this in mind when you are researching your veterinary medicine information online.
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Here’s Dog Trainer Chet Womach On How To Save Money By Handling
Basic Vet Issues At Home
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