How to Train an Older Dog or a New Puppy

If you are a dog owner, you have probably come across all sorts of information on training and containing dogs, from welcoming a new puppy to dealing with an annoying barking dog and anything else in between. This article will give you brief information on how to welcome and treat a new puppy in your home. Housebreaking a puppy There is a firm belief among many dog owners that the best way to housebreak a puppy by “rubbing their nose in”. This method never works. As a matter of fact, it humiliates the dog and can worsen the relationship between it and the family. To housebreak a dog successfully and effectively, it is best to have a designated area for this. Visit this spot frequently and reward the puppy every time there is progress. Eventually, the dog will learn what is expected of it and will never look back. To teach the dog to understand what you say, use a certain keyword every time you bring the dog to the housebreaking area. In time, the dog will associate that keyword with what is expected of it. In case of an accident indoors, you should immediately bring the dog to the selected spot and use the keyword. However, since this may take some time, you will need to be patient and persistent. Training a dog to stop barking One of the most complicated and time consuming dog training practices is training a dog to stop barking. Many owners fail in this course because they fail to address the root cause of the barking. The most important thing in this case is to never reward a dog for barking or bribe it with food to stop barking. Doing this will only encourage and even reinforce the barking. Another thing never to do is yelling at it whenever it starts barking. The dog may understand that there is no problem with barking because the owner too is barking back. The barking problem can be handled by introducing proper socialization etiquette, giving the dog the right amount of attention at the right time and instilling a bit of obedience in its behavior. This issue has a lot of information that shows you how to deal with it, depending on the cause of the barking. However, whichever way you choose to use, patience is a virtue here because this process takes time. However long it takes, never resort to using cruel and harmful methods like dog collars. Dog digging problem Digging is an activity that many dogs enjoy, especially the Labrador Retrievers. Dogs dig for a variety of reasons including boredom, shelter, need for cooling or warmth or boredom. Although you may find this unacceptable, the dog may not see anything wrong with it. You can designate a certain area for your dog to dig if you have a big yard. To stop it completely, you should spray the dog with a hose every time it starts digging and shout a certain keyword like “NO”. Another common method is burying an inflated balloon where the dog likes to dig. Whenever it starts, the balloon will explode, startling the dog. Eventually, it will learn to stop digging