Fed Up With a Barking Dog? Stop the Barking With These Techniques

23 Okt 2011

If you have or even live near a barking dog, stop living with it and start doing something about it. In this article I'm going to address three different ways to quiet a barking dog.

First, there's the classical route of taking a dog in for obedience classes. Your dog is taught by people who know how to get the responses of dogs that they want so that you can instill the kind of behavior that you want from your dog without having a do it yourself. Obviously the drawback to obedience classes is that they are both time-consuming as well as expensive.

Another method which is somewhat controversial amongst different people is using a shock collar to control dog barking. This is a different kind of form of behavioral training because every time your dog barks, something within the shock collar recognizes this and answers that barking with a quick and mostly harmless shock to the dog.

Over time, the dog learns to associate the shocking with barking so that eventually your dog is trained to stop barking altogether. Obviously this method works by inflicting physical pain to your pet, though exactly how much pain seems to differ depending on who you are talking to about it.

The most cost effective and humane way to get a barking dog to stop is to use a different kind of behavioral therapy, a device called Bark Off. This is a small device about the size of a cell phone which activates a high-pitched sound frequency in response to every time your dog barks.

Rather than shocking the dog, this high-frequency pitch which only dogs can hear commands your dog's attention and effectively and essentially interrupts your dog's barking. Over time, the dog associates barking or more specifically the sound emitted from BarkOff as a time in which he should not be barking.

I like BarkOff because you can train your dog on a case-by-case basis so that when you have friends over, you can turn on the device and be assured that your dog may bark a couple of times and after that he will keep quiet.

Conversely, in the middle of the night you likely want to keep this off unless your dog has a serious problem of barking at night for no good reason. By leaving it off at night, you are assured that your dog will remain as vigilant and more importantly loud as ever in case of actual danger or if you have someone like an intruder breaking into your home.

Tired of your barking dog? Stop the madness by trying Bark Off risk free; just take a look at videos of it working on real dogs just like yours at http://www.yourreviewsite.com/how-to-stop-a-dog-from-barking/.

Puppy House Training Secrets

22 Okt 2011

Bringing a new puppy home is a wonderful, joyful time. But amidst all the fun and games, there's important work to be done. I'm talking about house training, and unless you want to share your home with an animal that can't control her toilet habits, it's something you'll have to do.

Fortunately, with the proper training techniques, and lots of persistence, house training a puppy is not that difficult to do.

In fact, your dog's natural behavior will help you succeed. For starters, despite what some may think, dogs are clean animals, and given the choice will "make their toilet", away from where they live.

Secondly, dogs love to please us and will do whatever it takes to make us happy.

These two principles are the secret to successful house training regardless of what training method you choose.

Here are the most common puppy house training methods;

Supervision Method

Crate Training

Paper Training

Litter Box Method

Now the method you choose is up to you, but as someone who has trained many dogs, using all of these techniques, I've found crate training to be most effective. Crate training just plain works, because it draws strongly on the aspects of canine behavior I mentioned earlier.

Crate training takes full advantage of your puppy's natural behavior, and that has to be a better way than trying to force the dog to make her toilet in a specific area.

Not that the other methods don't work, they do, so choose whichever method you are comfortable with. What's more important is that you remain calm, positive and patient. Shouting and punishing the puppy will only make her afraid of you.

Remember that you are dealing with a baby. If a baby messes her diaper you wouldn't scream at her, swat her with a newspaper, or rub her nose in it, would you? The same applies here.

The puppy doesn't yet know that she has done something wrong. But persist with your training and she'll soon get the picture. Dogs are a lot smarter than we give them credit for.

Want to see even faster results?

Then give credit where it's due.

Your puppy will do just about anything to gain your approval. Praise her when she does her "business" outside, or on the paper, and she'll be encouraged to do this again, and again.

And don't be stingy with the praise either. You need to make it very obvious that you are pleased with her behavior, so be enthusiastic, be effusive, be downright over the top!

Later, when you start obedience training, your puppy will already know that obedience equals praise, so in effect house training sets the scene for all your dog training efforts to come.

Visit dogsanddogtraining.com for more dog training tips including puppy house training and dog obedience training.

Recommendations for Keeping Your Dogs Happy During Air Travel

Start preparing Your Doggie

Not less than 30 days prior to taking your dogs on planes.

Do you possess the right carrier for your dog? Make certain the carrier is sufficiently big for your dog and that it is airline-approved. Both soft-sided as well as hard-sided carriers can be purchased, but soft-sided are more suitable for carry-on which enables it to fit below seats better.

To lessen the stress on your dog, get them accustomed to the carrier simply by placing them within it for short stays in the beginning, then longer stays as your trip nears. Put anything recognizable to the dog in the carrier which has your scent on it.

Within Ten days of your journey

Plan a visit to the veterinarian inside of 10 days of your journey to make sure they are fit for the trip. Tell your vet of your travel plans so they are able tell you of any issues they've got. Ask a veterinarian to issue a wellness document for your dog. The health certificates ordinarily must be dated within Ten days of your departure. Carry the certificate on your person at all times as it may be expected at various situations.

Take your canine friend in for proper grooming. Is it a warm time of the year? If applicable, cut it's hair. Are it's toenails needing shaping?

The day of travel

Have everything packed and leave in plenty of time. Remember that it will take more time as compared to traveling on your own. Aside from small amounts of water, do not give food to your dog for a number of hours before the trip. If you're taking your dog on the plane, bring a portable water dish so that you can provide him/her small quantities of water throughout the trip.

Booking the Flight(s)

Reserve direct flights whenever you can. If you need to book a travel plan with a layover, make sure the layover is long enough for you to exit the secured area and go outside the airport and allow your dog have a brief walk (as well as relieve itself!) Some airports have places that make this a breeze, but others are more difficult. In any case, make sure to clean up after them. The longer layover is always a hassle, but your doggie will appreciate the chance to stretch its legs! Whenever booking, it's also a good idea to make an effort to reserve non-peak flights. They are almost always much less crowded - this means more space within the cabin and less stress on your pet.

If traveling during hotter or cooler months, choose flights and air carriers that will allow for the temperature extremes. Check air carrier guidelines for your airline's specifications. Note that snub-nosed dogs tend to be especially vulnerable to heat stroke and some airlines will not likely permit them on their flights during warmer months - or even at all.

Tony B Lumpkin III is an executive living in Austin, Texas. He has over 20 years of experience traveling with dogs on planes, in cars, and numerous hotels. He contributes to a popular website devoted to dog travel. For more valuable doggie travel tips, please visit the website => http://www.doggietravelinfo.com/.

Shopping for Dog Houses - Considerations

So, you've decided it's time for your pet pooch to move out of the house and is in the process of looking at the possible options of dog houses to consider. Before you do, there are several key factors that you should be closely looking at first, in order to ensure that not only will you be getting the most out of the purchase but your dog as well.

Making the right choice will involve knowing the various types of dog houses that you can come across on the market, the budget that you have set aside, the size of your dog, the climate that you have and your preference in terms of style or design.

Some of the styles that you'll encounter will include; wooden, the classic snoopy house, plastic, luxury and others. Each one will be available in a variety of designs that range from the simple to some of the most elaborate. Size and the number of entrances can also vary depending on how many dogs are going to be living in them.

Wooden dog houses are the most common and can either be created from scratch with the help of DIY plans found online or purchased ready-made from various local or internet based animal supply shops. The roofing used will also differ. Some use asphalt shingles, while others utilize wood or metal. For walls, you can choose between plain or insulated. But it comes highly recommended that you get the latter, especially if your area undergoes the four seasons. This will keep your pets cozy and warm even during wintertime.

When buying, also consider raised dog houses as this will help keep the floor dry during rainy seasons and extend the life of the house as well. To prevent rain, snow and high winds from entering the house, you can go with rain shielded doors and windows. It's going to be a bit more expensive than ordinary windows and doors but will be worth the investment. Some of the newer models even have advanced heating and cooling system to provide your dog with the ultimate comfort regardless of weather conditions. If you're on a budget though, you might want to go with plastic houses instead as they're already waterproof.

Buying a dog house for the first time can be daunting. But knowing the types that you'll find on the market as well as the various factors to consider will simplify the process and will help you in making an informed decision later on.

 

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