To stop puppy biting there are numerous do’s and don’t you want to be aware of. Puppy’s bite for various reasons and despite these reasons there are common things that should never be done, as well as things that should be done to assist in the process of inhibiting your puppy’s biting.
First and foremost NEVER under any circumstance use physical force as a form of corrective action. This type of negative reinforcement is not only unnecessary but will in most cases encourage the very behaviour you are trying to stop. As your dog wants to please you, the most effective method of showing your displeasure is the cold shoulder treatment. If the nipping continues after this you may need to move on to the time out method, this involves the use of the puppy’s crate as a way to isolate them for 5 minutes or so. When you bring puppy back out to play, remember to tone it down a bit and not get her all revved up again, remember, nipping is natural and if you get them over excited they are only doing what comes natural. Don’t encourage contact play with dogs that are quick to nip, encourage games that involve their toys instead, catch with a ball or a Frisbee would be ideal.
There are many do’s and don’ts to stop puppy biting. Those listed here are by no means an extensive list. The biggest things to remember are to never hit your puppy and avoid getting a nippy dog over excited. You can always find alternative ways to play with puppy.
If you have dog barking problems how should you train your dog or puppy? There are a number of things to think about before you decide to get a puppy or adult dog but once you have one how do you train it correctly? Barking dogs are a common problem for owners and some neighbors!
Firstly you have to understand what sort of breed of dog you have and what it is bred for? For example a German shepherd is bred to be a guard dog so will bark as a warning of danger. If you understand why the dog is barking you have a start to solving any dog barking problems.
If you want to stop dogs from barking all together you will be unsuccessful! You should not be trying to stop dogs from barking all together. Dogs are naturally designed to bark, that is obviously how they communicate. The main problems occur when there is nuisance dog barking behavior.
You are the boss and have to make sure your dog is aware of this. This does not mean you have to use force or punishment as a form of training but you do have to be consistent. Your dog will naturally bark to warn you of any danger. This is not bad behavior. If your dog continues to bark however, this is when you have to be firm with your dog. Do not be bullied by him. A happy and well behaved dog is one which knows its place in the pack and that is naturally below you. You are the one who has to assert themselves or you will be bullied by your dog.
The secret to dog training and to alleviating dog barking problems is to be consistent as I said previously. If you have a new puppy you will be able to commence this training as soon as the puppy arrives in your home. To stop puppies barking it is important to reinforce your position as head of the pack. Praise your dog or puppy for warning you of some perceived danger but if the dog or puppy continues to bark after you have praised it then you must stop reacting to the puppy or dog and even turn your back. This may seem harsh but using your body language is part of the training you have to adopt to train your dog or puppy effectively.
Most dog barking problems are due to the owner not understanding their dog and not understanding why the dog is barking. All dogs want to please the head of their pack, that is you and you must understand your dog. Only consistent training will achieve this.
If you have a new puppy you will want to make sure you use a housetraining technique that will work for both you and your puppy. There are a number of different ways to house train a puppy but once you have chosen one particular technique do not stray and mix it with alternative techniques as this will be confusing for your puppy and for you.
Paper Training Puppies
This is one of the most effective methods for housebreaking a puppy. Paper training your puppy is a very simple concept. This way of training your puppy is perhaps not as quick for your puppy to master as other techniques but it is effective if you are consistent. As with all dog training consistency and firmness is much more effective and you and your puppy will be much happier. He will be better behaved as an adult dog if he is sure of his place in the pack. You are the pack leader and must ensure your puppy understands this. That is not to say that you use any form of chastisement on your puppy. Positive reinforcement is always more effective for a puppy than smacking or shouting at him. He will only see that he is getting your attention not that you are displeased with his behavior. So start as you mean to go on and provide firm boundaries for him.
The effective puppy paper training technique basically involves putting down newspaper for your puppy to pee/poop on and you clean it up. Choose an area, perhaps in your kitchen where you can place a few large sheets of newspaper on the floor. Try to keep the same place for the next few days so that your puppy associates this area as his place to pee/poop. This may take a few days if not a few weeks for your puppy to master. Once your puppy has the idea to use only the paper you can reduce the amount of paper you put down until eventually you move the piece of paper outside to where you want your puppy to pee and poop. You may find some regression however! You may think your puppy has the idea and is now housetrained; however, he may again soil somewhere you do not want him to. If this happens do not chastise him or he will just get the idea that peeing and pooping is wrong all together which will cause both you and him much distress later on in life. If he does soil somewhere just revert to placing the paper again in the area you first chose.
Positive re-enforcement
When your puppy uses the paper to soil on praise him and show him you are pleased. Try not to give treats at this point or you may find he gets the idea if he just squats down he will get a tasty treat! Make sure you always reinforce his good behavior but avoid shouting or smacking if he soils somewhere you are not happy for him to. Remember, it is your fault if your puppy or dog soils somewhere you do not want him to. It is you that has to train your dog. Go back to training him and both you and he will be much happier.
