Posts Tagged ‘Crate’

House Training Puppies – Crate Training Is The Most Effective Method

January 25th, 2010

When House Training Puppies, crate training is the quickest way to get the job done.? It works so well because when crate training puppies, it’s very simple to get a handle on your dog’s eating and toilet schedule, while making it very clear to your puppy where the toilet area is.

Some people have a difficult time with crate training because they feel it is cruel, and your puppy may fuss a bit about being kept in the crate, and that’s normal. However, dogs like having a den area, and this creates a safe area for your dog that he knows is his “home”. Crate training works because a puppy is very resistant to messing up his own space, and will hold off on relieving himself until he can get to another location.

The crate should be large enough so your dog can get up, walk around in a small circle and lie down. As he gets bigger, you can upgrade to a large crate if needed. Dogs don’t like to lie in their urine (who would??) so they hold off as long as they possibly can.

Keep track of the times each day your puppy drinks, eats and goes to the bathroom throughout the day. Then put together a toilet break schedule based on the times of day your puppy might need to go potty. Potty times usually happen first thing in the morning, after vigorous play, about 30 minutes after eating, and just before bedtime. For very young puppies a few nighttime time trips might be needed if they cannot hold it all night long.

When you take your puppy out of the crate in the morning, take him right to his toilet area. Simply carry him straight there and set him down in the toilet area if he tends to get distracted or run off. You should just stand there for 10-15 or so minutes, simply watching and waiting. If he actually goes to the bathroom, immediately give your puppy lots of verbal praise and affection, and you can also give a treat. If he doesn’t go, then take him back to his crate, and in about 20 minutes or so, try again. Just repeat this pattern until successful, and once your puppy does go, reward the good behavior with playtime.? You want to teach your dog that he needs to take care of business first, then he gets playtime. This sets up good habits.

In the initial stages, crate training puppies takes a lot of time and focus. If done right, you should see improvements quickly. Your puppy will need frequent breaks playing throughout the day, but for the most part he should stay in the crate during the early stages of the training process.

Whenever your dog is out of his crate, keep your eyes on him at all times. If you catch him about to have an accident on the carpet, shout No! and whisk him up and take him immediately out to the right area. This can be messy and chaotic, but it is really the only chance you have to help him understand where to go.

When you are in the middle of house training puppies, you should understand that accidents will happen, just be prepared not to call attention to it. Quietly clean it up? without letting your dog see. You’ll want to use proper dog mess cleaning products that take care of the smell of urine. It will take time and patience for your puppy to learn proper potty habits, so be patient with him.

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How and Why to Crate Train Your Puppy

January 24th, 2010

For many new dog owners, housetraining is one of the most challenging parts of introducing a new canine into the family. Until that puppy learns how to go outside, chances are that you?ll be spending quite a bit of time cleaning up messes and dreading the smell when you open your front door.

But many people struggle with understanding the best way to teach their puppy how to go not only where you want but also when you want. After all, having your puppy on a schedule for using the bathroom is almost as important.

The solution in most cases is crate training. This is a relatively easy approach to house training that also provides some other useful benefits puppy owners should appreciate.

Why Crate Train?

First, crate training is intended to take advantage of your dog?s natural impulses. Although dogs have been domesticated, they still have some of those old instincts that helped their ancestors survive and thrive for millions of years. Some of those instincts relate to the concept of having a den.

A den is a safe haven for the animal where he or she can retreat without fear of being harmed. The den was the preferred location for sleeping, rearing young, and other activities. But to keep the den protected, dogs also had to keep it from being too easy to find. Since most predators use their sense of smell pretty well to find prey, the den was not a place for dogs to go to the bathroom. Their urine and feces would attract other animals and would endanger the safety of the den.

Dogs simply don?t go to the bathroom in their den unless out of absolute necessity.

The purpose of the crate is to give your dog a den in the home. This crate becomes his or her sanctuary.

But it also provides you with peace of mind. As long as your puppy is confined to the crate, he or she can?t be out doing damage to the rest of your house or getting into trouble by chewing on electrical cords or eating things that could get lodged in the intestines, for example.

Basically, crate training provides your dog with a safe place to call his or her own. Plus, it keeps him or her safe during the day while also working as an invaluable tool for housebreaking. Now let?s see how you can get started.

Picking the Crate

The first step is to choose the crate you want to use for your pet. Two types are available: the hard plastic models used for airplane travel and the wire types. If you have a big dog, you?ll probably be stuck with the wire type. Otherwise, you can choose whichever you think will be the best choice for your dog.

Keep in mind that the crate should only be big enough for your dog to stand up comfortably, lie down, and turn around. If you give the dog too much room, he or she could use part of the crate for a den and part for a bathroom spot which would defeat the purpose.

To keep costs reasonable, purchase a crate that will be large enough for your full-size dog but use dividers which can also be purchased to restrict the space available to your puppy.

Getting the Puppy Comfortable with the Crate

Next, you have to help your puppy get comfortable inside the crate. Most dogs are not going to immediately love the crate. They won?t like being confined and away from you. But you can make the situation easier by going slowly, using treats and praise to reinforce the desired behavior, and letting the puppy explore the crate on his own.

When you bring home the crate, leave it open so the dog can go into it and sniff it at his leisure. Then you can begin luring your puppy into the crate with treats and praising him for going inside.

After he is doing that well, you can lure him into the crate and close the door. This might cause some crying and whining from your puppy. Let him stay inside the crate for a minute or two then let him out. Do not let him out while he is still crying, however. Otherwise, he will cry every time you try to put him in the crate because he?ll know this behavior will get him released.

Keep expanding the time the puppy is in the crate with the door closed until he begins to feel comfortable. Then you can practice leaving the room, leaving the house, and staying away for longer periods of time. Each time remember to praise your puppy when you release him from the crate but never release him until he has calmed down.

House Breaking & the Crate

To use the crate for house breaking, be sure to give your dog food and water at least an hour before putting her in the crate. Take the puppy to the bathroom, preferably for a walk with a potty break, before she is placed in the crate.

Do not give your puppy food or water in the crate. These things will only make a mess and will cause the puppy to need to urinate or defecate badly.

Keep in mind that young puppies may not be able to ?hold it? as long as you would like. For this reason, it?s a good idea to come home at least once during the day to take your puppy to the bathroom. If you can?t, you may want to hire someone to do this for you. Even adult dogs should not be left in crates for longer than 6 to 8 hours a day.

As soon as you let your puppy out of the crate, take him or her to the bathroom immediately. Praise him or her when they do what you want and quickly they will learn the routine.

If an accident does occur in the crate, clean it thoroughly with an enzyme-destroying cleaner so the dog won?t be able to smell the accident and assume that is an appropriate place to use the bathroom. Otherwise you?ll just keep repeating the problem.

Finally, don?t punish your dog for having an accident. You could end up causing them to fear the crate, as well as you.

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Crate Training A Puppy

January 20th, 2010

Crate training a puppy is an effective way to prevent destructive behavior,? reduce separation anxiety, as well as an effective housebreaking tool that can be used to potty train a puppy. Crate training can also serve as an indoor dog house that can be moved about whenever necessary. Also when traveling many airlines and hotels require that dogs be in a crate in order to accept them on the premises.

Crate training should be used as a place for your dog to relax and hang out in. Under no circumstance should the crate be used for punishment. Puppies under nine weeks should not be crate trained due to there very little bladder and will need to relieve themselves frequently. We do not want the puppy to associate the crate with punishment or discipline then it will be scared to go into it’s crate.

Once you buy a crate for your puppy you should prepare it for him by keeping it as friendly as possible. With the Vari-Kennel crates you should take off the top as well as remove the door, and concerning the wire mesh crates you should tie the crate door back so it will stay open without moving. Also do your best to try to prevent the crate from rattling we do not want to scare the puppy.

A puppy’s crate should include water, bedding, and toys and treats for the puppy. Puppy crate training ensures that we want the puppy to be as comfortable as possible while inside the crate. The crate should be the puppy’s own little house. Your puppy shouldn’t want to urinate inside the crate as they have problems with urinating in their ‘den’. If the puppy does urinate in the crate, simply clean it up with a pet de-odorizer to further discourage him from doing it again.

Puppy crate training should be introduced gradually to your puppy. Start by placing small dog treats in the crate periodically throughout the day. Eventually your puppy will find these treats and this will reinforce positive associations with the crate training. You can also feed him inside the crate to further reinforce the associations.

Praise your puppy when he enter crates, and do not try to force the puppy into the crate. If you introduce the puppy to the crate forcefully he will associate it with negative reinforcement and will not enjoy or want to be anywhere around the crate. The only exception is at night when the puppy needs to go to bed, even then the crate should by your bedside, or somewhere around you to prevent feelings of loneliness.

At first you should crate your puppy for only short periods of time while you are at home with them, it is often best and probably necessary to crate train while your are in the room with the dog. Getting the dog used to your absence in the room that the crate training is occuring is a good step to prevent an association made with the crate and your absence.

Puppy crate training is an effective way to house break any dog or puppy, and a good way to maintain control over your dog that also prevents behavioral problems, separation anxiety.

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Learning How To Train A Puppy – Part 2 – Puppy Crate Training

January 6th, 2010

In ‘How to train a puppy -?Part 1′ we discussed the importance of reward based training.

In this installment we will be introducing the Crate.

Why early lessons in your puppies life are so important in the crate training process.

Most puppies given the option don’t want to eliminate near where they eat or sleep, however there maybe underlying reasons why they do…?

If your puppy (before you got him) was left to eliminate in his crate at a particularly impressionable age he will undoubtedly continue this into adulthood.

This is a very important fact.

If your puppy was taken from his mother too early then he has missed out on a very early lesson – no-one taught him to be nice and clean – from an early age a puppy is licked by his mother so that they learn to keep clean. Consequently, if no-one has taught him to be clean then he may think it is acceptable to be messy and to live in a messy environment.?

Lets start from the beginning…

Introducing the crate.

The crate should be big enough for your puppy/dog to stand, stretch and turn around – don’ buy anything bigger otherwise he may eliminate in his crate knowing that he can stay dry and comfortable. As your puppy grows either get a new crate for every stage of his development or use dividers. I have to emphasis this… It’s very important that the crate is not too big – this may seem a harsh but as your puppy/dog earns more privileges (including space) the more he will know you are in charge and what YOU want. You can use either plastic or wire crates – it comes down to your own preference. However… If your puppy/dog is reactive to his environment and barks at everything he sees then a plastic crate (they normally obstruct the dog’s view) would be more appropriate.

Where do I put the crate??

Keep the crate where the family are – if you isolate your puppy/dog he may develop behavior problems due to a lack of socialization. Don’t keep chopping and changing where you put the crate. Remember that introducing the crate is all part of the training process-be consistent or you will confuse him.?

Crate training a puppy

The crate is a wonderful housetraining tool for your puppy/dog – don’t use it as a punishment – otherwise he will associate the crate with bad things and bad memories. Put the crate where your puppy/dog is near the family – this is very important as your puppy/dog needs to feel part of the family not as someone sitting on the outside of the family. Decide what you are going to use as the cue word for putting the dog in his crate and use this cue EVERY-TIME. Use something like “go to crate” or “go to kennel” or “go to bed”. It doesn’t matter what cue you and your family use but agree on a cue and everyone should use the same cue every single time. Keep the cue word short and to the point. When you can’t watch your dog he should then be in his crate… Going to work – crate your puppy/dog. Going out – Crate. Preparing dinner – Crate. Get the idea. It may seem like allot of time your puppy/dog is spending in his crate but as he gains better control the more time he can spend out of his crate. Make sure that the crate is safe. Don’t leave any choking hazards or a collar on him in a wire crate or anything that it could get caught on..

I want to keep these ‘How to train a Puppy’ articles relatively short and digestible so will continue the crate training process in more detail in Part 3.

If you would like more information on how to train a puppy, you may find these tips useful.

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How to Crate Train Your Puppy

January 5th, 2010

Crate training helps with housebreaking as well as keeping your puppy (and your home) safe when you are not able to watch over him. I’m sure we’ve all heard the horror stories of someone coming home to a house destroyed by a frantic puppy left home alone!

What is crate training you ask?

It’s teaching your puppy to go calmly into his crate and stay there without barking and whining. It is not meant to be used as a way to teach your puppy to stay for hours on end day after day in a confined space. It is a tool, not an end destination.

The process is really quite simple:

1) Introduce the crate to your puppy
2) Help him become comfortable in the crate
3) Make the crate a part of your puppy’s environment-nothing more, nothing less. Take the time to crate train your puppy.

You’ll be glad you did!

Where to start?

Start by getting a proper crate. There are a couple of styles to choose from. The standard plastic airline crate is a popular choice, as it is inexpensive and easy to clean. On the down side, they tend to be a bit too confining for some dogs, who will fret and possibly panic. They are are tend to be a bit restrictive in air flow. The mesh types are a little more expensive, but seem to be more suited to many puppy’s need to see his environment. They tend to be cooler and allow more air flow. You can also get the folding kind, which are quite convenient if you are going to travel and want to take your puppy with you.

What size crate do you need? You want your pup to be able to stand easily inside the crate, and lay down fully without being cramped. Don’t make the mistake of getting a large one, thinking your pup will grow into it! If your crate is too large, your pup could simply pick the far corner to utilize as a bathroom, making housetraining rather difficult, which is one of the primary reasons you’re crate training, right?

Ok, you have your crate, now where do you put it?

Dogs are very social animals. It’s rare you’ll find a pup that is content sitting in his crate in the back bedroom while the family is in the living room watching tv or socializing. You’ll want to place the crate somewhere that’s out of the way, yet still close enough so the pup can see the family’s activities. A corner in the kitchen, dining room or living room usually works well. Make sure that the pup will get a good view of you while he’s in his crate, as this will make him feel less isolated. Once you have decided on a location for your crate, you’re ready for the next step.

Time to introduce your pup to the crate

Start this in the morning of a day you have all day to work with him. Take one of his favorite treats and place it right at the door of the crate (the door should be left open at all times during this stage of training). Don’t force your pup to move close to the crate. Some pups are bolder than others and will step right up to the crate for the treat. Others are less bold and may take some time to become comfy around the crate. Once your pup is treating the crate like just another piece of furniture, it’s time to introduce him to being inside it. Take the collar off your pup so he doesn’t hang it up on anything in the crate.

Don’t place any food or water in there, because he won’t be in for long for this first session anyway. Quietly pick your puppy up and place him in the crate, closing the door. Don’t “baby talk” him or yell at him if he fusses. Now let him sit in there for a while. He’ll probably yelp, whimper, bark and generally have a hissy fit. DO NOT reward him by letting him out. Stay calm. Let him fuss and realize it’s getting him nowhere. As soon as he stops fussing (this could be 5 minutes, could be 30 minutes), calmly open the door, pick him up and take him outside to his bathroom spot.

Don’t make a fuss or say, “Good boy” or anything of the sort. Your goal is to make the crate just a part of life. If he relieves himself once you put him outside, THEN praise him! You’ve taken the first step! Very Good! Now, we move on to the next step.

Teaching your pup to stay in the crate

Play with your pup, take him for a walk, generally tire him out. Make sure he’s relieved himself and then put him in his crate. Again, no food or water and no collar on him. Now go watch some TV, read a book, go outside and garden, whatever it is you want to do. Let him fuss and bark and whimper, but DO NOT reward him for fussing by letting him out. Eventually he’ll calm down and go to sleep.

When he wakes up, quickly and calmly lift him out of the crate and take him outside to his bathroom spot. Notice you are to PICK HIM UP and take him out. If you simply open the door and let him run out, you are almost certain to have him stop and urinate in the house somewhere. Don’t give him that chance. And don’t praise him or make any kind of fuss over him at all when you take him out of the crate. You are trying to create a sense of comfort being IN the crate, not being let out of it.

Repeat this process throughout the day. When your pup gets tired, place in calmly in his crate, close the door and let him fuss until he falls asleep. As soon as we wakes up, take him outside to his bathroom spot and praise him for relieving himself. Remember, don’t make any kind of fuss when you take him out of the crate. Be calm, matter-of-fact and he will follow your example.

Overnight in the crate

The next big step is the overnight stay. Make sure you haven’t fed your pup for the last hour or so before you retire for the night. Play with him, take him outside and make sure he has relieved himself. Now place him in his crate, close the door and get to bed. He will fuss. He will give up and fall asleep. He will wake up and fuss again. When he does, do NOT let him out. Instead, wait for him to quiet down and them immediately go get him and take him outside to his bathroom spot. After he has relieved himself, place him back in his crate for the night.

Young pups under 3 or 4 months of age will need to go out at least once in the middle of the night. Think of it like a baby you need to get up to feed and change. In the morning, get your pup calmly and take him outside again. Praise him for relieving himself outside. Well, you both survived your first night!

Repeat the same thing during the day: when your pup gets tired, place him in his crate and close the door. During the day when he’s up and about, leave the door open so he can wander in if he wants. What you’ll find after a few days of this is that your pup will start to go into the crate when he’s ready for his nap. This is good! This is what you’re aiming for!

Utilizing the crate

If you’re going to be busy for a while and can’t keep an eye on your pup, place him outside if you have a fenced area. If not, place him in his crate. Give him a toy or two to play with and keep him busy. Don’t keep him in the crate for more than a couple of hours though. It’s not a kennel. If you start confining him to the crate for most of the day and night, he will think of it as a cage, not a den. Going to the store for a couple hours? Repeat the process with your pup-tire him out, take him to relieve himself and place him in his crate with some toys.

When you get home, calmly take him outside. Eventually, as your pup gets used to the routine, you can crate him for half a day while you attend to work or shopping or other things. If you are going to be gone for longer than 3 or 4 hours, arrange for someone to come let your pup out and play with him during the mid-day break. As your pup matures (at about 5 or 6 months) you can leave him in the crate while you’re at work all day. If you have a fenced backyard, it’s preferable to leave him there, with plenty of water. If this is not an option, you can place him in his crate with a small bowl of water (like the kind rabbit cages have that attach to the mesh gate). Give him toys to chew on and amuse himself with.

Be sure the first thing you do upon returning home is take your pup outside to relieve himself and then spend some time playing with him. In no time at all your pup will be housebroke and thinking of the crate as his den-his security blanket. You will know you’ve accomplished this the first time your pup gets himself in trouble or scared and he runs for the safety of his den as you laugh at the sight of him scurrying inside for safety!

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An Overview of Crate Training a Puppy

January 1st, 2010

Crate training a puppy is easier than crate training a dog as it is younger than the dog and follows your instructions more than dogs do. You can start to crate teaching it by developing habit of staying inside the crate for long time with your puppy. At the beginning, you will face a bit difficulties in developing habit of staying whole day inside the crate if it did not live inside the crate from the very beginning when you bought it but as puppy learns more quickly than dog, the habit of staying inside the crate will soon develop if you give it your full attention.

Open the door of the crate of your puppy seldom. Do not keep opened the door whole day. So, your puppy will assume that the crate is the only place where it can live. Give food regularly to your pet in the crate. For entertainment inside the crate, give it a ball for playing with. There are many different types of toys you can use. A rope ball is always very popular with all types of dogs and can keep them amused for hours. Another thing you can try is a chew stick or bone; these are very good for entertaining and keeping your pets gums and teeth healthy.

You also want to make sure they get a healthy night’s sleep. For enjoying sweet dreams inside the crate, you must give a neat and clean bed sheet. It is better to clean the crate daily, especially if you are feeding your dog in it. Dog food and water can make quite a mess. Your puppy remains happy and healthy in the crate when it is clean.

Crate training a puppy has many significant benefits. The most significant benefit of is that your house remains clean when your puppy lives inside the crate as it cannot make dirty your house when it does not come out of the crate. Another benefit is that it can protect itself from any torturer thing when your puppy lives inside the crate. Another benefit is that you can lock it inside the crate when someone comes at your home that is afraid of it.

During the training process, spend maximum time with your pet so that you may establish only those habits which you want to see and those habits may not establish in it which you do not want to see in it. During training, all members of a house must visit the crate so that it may recognize them and may protect itself from the unknown enemy.

In short, crate training a puppy teaches it how to live in the crate, about the benefits of living in the crate and protects it. It is better to buy a crate for a puppy instead of let it wandering here and there. When you buy the crate, make sure he enjoys living in it. Always prefer to bring favorite food and things and never give it anything from which it may feel fear or dislike the given thing.

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House training English Bulldogs / Potty and crate training Bulldog puppies

December 16th, 2009

CRATE TRAINING:

By putting your Bulldog puppy in a crate you are giving him or her a sense of security and a place they can call their own. Dogs actually like having a “den” to cuddle up in. By putting your Bulldog puppy in a crate while you are gone it will also give you peace of mind knowing that they are in a safe place, away from harm, and not doing any damage to your belongings or themselves.

Crate training will also help with potty training. Make sure you put Bulldog puppy on a regular schedule for meal times & potty breaks and use the crate when you are gone or need your pet to rest. Bulldogs will typically not “go” in their home. They like to keep it clean and will hold it until you can take them outside to eliminate. Remember to always praise your Bulldog puppy when he or she eliminates in the area you want him/her to outside.

Bulldog Puppies have very small bladders so they cannot physically hold it for very very long. I would suggest that you take your puppy out every 2 – 4 hours. As your puppy gets older, naturally they will gain the bladder control and be able to hold it longer. Eventually this time should increase to 8 hours or more.

Another thing to consider when purchasing a crate is to make sure that you buy a crate big enough to accommodate the full growth of your pet. When your pet is a puppy and you are crate training, make sure that the crate has a divider panel. You can adjust the placement of the divider panel so that the puppy does not have full use of the crate thus creating the “den” feeling that will make your dog feel comfortable and cozy. In this situation the dog will not want to go in its den and will keep the area clean. If you give the puppy the full area of the crate it may be too large and the dog will make one area of the crate his potty area and the other area as his sleeping area. Adjust the divider panel so that your Bulldog puppy has enough area to get up and stretch but not enough room to eliminate. I like the life stages crate you can view it here: http://www.champbulldogs.com/bulldogbooksupplies.htm

Crate training your Bulldog puppy or dog is just a smart thing to do for you and your new bullie baby. It will give you the sense of security and peace knowing that your pet is not getting in harms way while you are away

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HOUSE TRAINING:

So how do we house train our new Bulldog. What if he or she just doesn’t seem to get it? Believe it or not, it’s simple.

I have two key words for you:

Confine and Observe.

While there is a great deal to know about food and water scheduling, timing can vary from dog to dog. (Feeding only two times daily “first thing in the morning” & again around “4 – 6pm in the evening” is a good start. Try to limit water after 7pm.) Now w e’ll just concentrate here on the main concept which is to confine your Bulldog dog to an appropriately sized crate when you cannot observe him.

A properly sized crate is large enough for your Bulldogdog to stand up and turn around, but hardly bigger than that. If you have a puppy in a large crate, he’ll think he’s got a bedroom with a bathroom built in. He’ll wee in one corner and sleep in the other.

The correctly sized crate consists of bedroom only with no “bathroom.” So if your crate is too large, go to the pet store and purchase a crate divider so you can temporarily reduce the accessible area.

Your Bulldog should be in his/her crate unless you can observe him 100%. This means that when your Bully is loose, he/she has your undivided attention. Consider attaching a 6 foot light cord to the collar so you can more easily locate the dog, and prevent her from leaving the room without you. Simply step on the cord to stop him/her.

At the first sign your Bulldog puppy needs to go, whisk him/her outside. Those signs include circling, sniffing, anxiousness, whining among other symptoms.

When you’re not observing your bully puppy with full attention, you confine her/him to the crate. That being said, you do need to ensure your dog has liberty periodically so he’s not all day in the crate. By being diligent now, you’ll be able to give your Bulldog years of liberty with no worries. So it’s well worth the investment in time at this stage.

Be sure you spend time playing with your Bulldog puppy, and also let him or her wander outside the crate. Avoid tossing your bully in the crate as punishment. Alleviate your guilt feelings by placing toys in with him/her.

This method makes it impossible for your bulldog to have an accident. You’re either right there to take him/her out, or he’s in the crate where your bulldog normally won’t want to go. When you’ve had a month with no accidents, you can begin to let you bulldog earn a little more liberty, five or ten minutes at a time.

That means he/she can be out of your sight for a few moments at a time. But only a few. You want to build slowly on a record of success until your dog literally forgets that the house ever contained a bathroom.

For each week with no accident, you can give your bully a few more moments of liberty at a time. However, if there is an accident, go back a step, and reduce that liberty. One accident in the house erases progress made for the several previous days.

Confine and Observe your way to house breaking success. In the course of just two or three months, you’ll have a dog you can trust in the home. It’s going to be worth the effort!getting hungry?

TO or NOT to use puppy training pads. If you use pads it will be harder for your puppy to understand it must go potty outside.

Potty training a dog is one of the most frustrating things you will have to do. Take heart in the fact that once your dog gets the potty training, you won’t have to teach it again. In many ways, potty training can be rewarding too. Not only can you help your?bullie to stop making messes on your favorite carpeting, but you can develop a strong relationship of trust and bonding with them to.

Here are 5 steps to make potty training successful in your home.

1.Use a crate. Crate training is very effective. A crate is used to allow your pet to have a place to sleep and teaches them to control their bladder. They won’t soil their bedding. Then, when it is time to get up and go out, you can easily do just that. The?bulldog learns from the start that you control potty time.

2. After meals, give your?bulldog puppy?15 minutes and then take them out. Food is a trigger not only to eat but also to go. When it comes to potty training success, allow your pet to get outside when the urge is approaching. What’s more is that you shouldn’t leave food out. Put it down for them at the designated time and allow them to eat for 15 minutes to 30 minutes and remove the bowl. Soon he will learn and that again allows you to control potty time.

3. At Champbulldogs.com we always pick a potty spot. Select the area of your yard that you want your pet to go in. Take them to that spot every time to go. This will help your puppy to learn that when he needs to go, he needs to come here. What’s more is that the smell of urine is yet another trigger to your pet to go.

4. Remember that rewards need to be emotional, and therefore it is more successful to give them a reward of a patting and rub down then it is for you to hand them a treat. Also, treats are food which triggers potty time again!

5.Reward success, and limit punishing accidents. Although you will be angry and you will want to punish your Bulldog remember Bulldogs respond much better to love.

Caring for your bulldog is hard work, but very rewarding! When it comes to potty training, success will come much faster when you install these five tips into your program! Best of luck potty training! Champbulldogs.com


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Easily And Effectively Crate Train Your Puppy Or Older Dog

November 24th, 2009

Before you bring a new puppy into your home, there will be much you need to do in order to make the house safe for him to live in. By this I mean things like making sure there are no exposed electrical cables your puppy may try to chew through, clearing away things such as detergent bottles, and personal items of value, that would prove too much of a temptation for your puppy, especially around the area your puppy will be spending much of his time. There may also be times when you will have no option but to leave your puppy alone for a while, and therefore, unable to keep your eyes on him, so preparing a safe place for him is very important.

In order to keep your puppy safe and secure, you can buy him a puppy crate. If you introduce your puppy to his crate in the correct way, it will become a safe and cosy den for him, and he will look forward to retreating there, when he decides he would like some space to rest, or sleep. Furthermore, your job of house training your puppy will become much easier, and of course, when you need to leave your puppy alone from time to time, you can pop him in his crate where you know he will be safe while you’re away.

If you decide to buy a crate for your puppy, you will need to consider the following. Remember, your puppy will grow quite rapidly, so buy a crate he will be able to grow into. A good idea is to buy a crate that has a separate part that you can use to divide the crate into two. As your puppy grows, you can move the divider further back, eventually removing the divider all together, when it is no longer needed.

Buy your puppy’s crate before he comes home to live with you, and put it somewhere were your puppy can be close to you and see you. When your puppy arrives, don’t introduce him to his crate immediately, but let him check it out in his own time.

When you are ready to introduce your puppy to his new crate, get down on the floor, and armed with some tasty food treats, encourage your puppy in investigate the crate, by throwing some of the treats inside. Puppies are naturally curious and playful, so take advantage of these qualities, and make a game of it. If however, your puppy seems reluctant to investigate, throw the treats on the floor by the crate at first, then next at the opening, then just inside of the crate, and so on, in this way he will gradually become accustomed to his new den.

When your puppy is more than happy to go inside of the crate and retrieve his food treats, the next step is to close the door. Again, do this gradually. Start with closing the door for a second, then two seconds, and three, and so on, and so on. Soon you will be able to build up to minutes, and even several hours.

You can buy your puppy some tough chew toys, the kind that you can stuff with food, like cream cheese, peanut butter, sausage and the likes, and put them in his crate with him. This will not only give his teeth and jaw a good work out, but help to occupy him, when he is alone in his crate.

If your puppy cries, barks, or whines etc. to get out of his cage, wait until he has stopped, then put a treat or two in the cage. Don’t allow your puppy out of the cage while he is making a fuss, as doing so will only teach him that barking or crying is all he needs to do in order to be released. Be patient, consistent, and give him plenty of rewards, and your efforts will be rewarded. Never punish your puppy by sending him to his crate. His crate should be associated with feelings of safety and security.

If you’re still in the process of house training your puppy, putting him in his crate is an ideal solution, when your busy, or out of the house for a short while, as he will not be able to make a mess on the floor. Dogs do not like to relieve themselves where they sleep, so he is more likely to wait until you return, to put him out in the garden.

Very few dogs will show negative reactions such as fear and panic when faced with being put inside of a crate, such a dog may pant excessively, salivate, and emit a constant high pitched bark. If this is the case with your puppy, then a crate may not be the best idea for him or her. Try the formula above again, taking each step more slowly, and see if this helps. If you are still having problems, then it may be that a basket is better for him.

If you have an older dog, and you would like to crate train him, use the same principles as I have outlined above. The only thing to remember here is to buy him a crate just big enough for him to stand up and turn around in, and to comfortably lie down in.

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Puppy Crate Training the Easy Way to House Train Your Puppy

October 22nd, 2009

Puppy house training requires a great deal of attention during the first days after your puppy is brought home. If at all possible you should arrange that you are at home for a couple of days at least, so that you can give the attention to house training successfully.

What is required is consistency and persistency. Your puppy will need to be taken outside every half hour to hour. Accidents will happen but you should endeavour to have him outside before he has an accident inside the house. This means taking him out regularly and keeping a watch for the tell-tale signs:

? Sniffing

? Circling

? Backing Up.

Each puppy has his own routine but as soon as you recognize his sign for wanting to pee or poo, you should immediately pick him up and take him outside.

There are various times when you should definitely take him outside as these are times when he is likely to need it:

? First thing in the morning when he wakes up

? Last thing at night before he goes to his bed

? After eating or drinking

? After playing or obedience training

? When he wakes up from a nap

? Anytime after he gets excited.

So, how does the puppy crate come into this? A dog has a natural instinct to have a den and also to not soil its den. You can provide your puppy with a crate and if you associate it with pleasure, it will become his den.

The crate should only be large enough that he can lie down in it and turn around in it. I recommend the plastic variety of dog crate. If the crate is too large, he could make a den in one corner and still soil another part of the crate.

The advantage of the crate is that once you have your puppy used to it and happy to stay in for a while, then you can leave him in it when you can?t pay full attention to him. He will not soil the crate. As soon as you take him out of it, you can take him outside to relieve himself if he needs to.

The third and final method I am covering is crate training. This is a more specific training method but will make house training your puppy so much easier. Dogs have a natural instinct to have a den which they will not soil. You can make use of this instinct to make house training an easier process.

You will need to get yourself a dog crate which is just big enough for your puppy to lie down in and to turn around in.

To get your puppy used to the crate, you can use positive reinforcement. Firstly, give him treats while he is next to the crate. Then gradually put a treat slightly inside the crate while he watches ? to entice him part way into the crate. Gradually put the treats further and further inside until he is all the way in.

When he has been in a few times, you can shut the door and immediately open it again and give a treat. Gradually increase the time the door stays shut. You can put a favorite toy inside the crate so he has something to occupy him. Using this process, your puppy will develop strong positive associations with the crate and will be happy to stay in it.

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