Month: August 2015

Teaching your dog to sit is the easiest command there is.

Take a treat and let the dog see it and smell it, hold the treat above their head and say “SIT”.

Here is an example on how to do this.

 

This puppy “Erin” is only 6 weeks old and got the hang of sit after doing this 5 times in a row.

Then did it again 10 minutes later and she already knew what to do.

It’s really as easy as that!

Make sure you say the word “sit”  when you do this.

After only 1 week sometimes sooner you will be able to give the command “sit” without a treat and they will just sit.

Does your dog go potty in the house?

Puppies/dogs do not like to go potty where they sleep.

Use a crate/kennel while training them.

(5 week old Erin which I am training now)

You can purchase a kennel at your local pet store. Some larger general retailers like Wal-Mart also carry them, though they may call them crates.

The average cost of a crate ranges between $20.00-$60.00 depending on the size.The crate shown above is a 30″ by 36″ and costs $40.00.

You should determine the size crate you want by the size your dog is going to be once fully grown. Leave at least enough room for your dog to be able to turn around.

I know my puppy is going to be a medium size dog so I bought it to the size I know she will end up being once fully grown.

Shown above in the kennel I have a doggy bed in it only because I wanted my puppy to have a soft bed but it is not required to have. I do suggest at least a towel so they don’t have to sleep on hard plastic.

You can purchase a doggy bed at Wal-Mart or your local pet store. They range from $6.00 up to around $55.00 depending on size and how much cushion you want. This doggy bed shown above will fit a large dog which I purchased  for $38.00.

Your dog will whine when they have to go potty because they DO NOT like to potty where they sleep.

You should always name what your puppy is doing with a positive attitude…“Good girl/boy go potty.”

They will put the two together by the age of 3 to 3 1/2 months old.

Now during the day it is your responsibility to take your puppy/dog out on a regular basis.

They will always need to go potty every time they wake up from either a nap or their bed time.

Being positive will always lead to good results.

During the potty training period there will more than likely be accidents.  Be sure to clean it up right away.

If they do start to potty in the house do your best to catch them in the act and say “NO”. Take her/him right outside even if they are in the act. Cut it off by picking them up and taking her/him directly outside to their potty area.

Once your dog understands they have to go potty outside they will let you know in their own way.  Some dogs will come to you and whine,  some will go to the door and whine,some will bark.  My dog started telling me by coming to me and nudges my legs or feet with her nose or will lick my legs and or feet then sits there until I take her out.  You will have to watch and understand what they are trying to tell you.