Just like babies, puppies have no control of when or where they “unleash their goods”. Having a puppy urinate inside your house is definitely not going to make you happy and it won’t do any good for your puppy when you get mad with him/her.

It’s important that you tackle this issue early on in the pup’s life and teach them some discipline. You may be surprised to hear this, but it’s true that a dog that has an authority figure and learns right from wrong will lead a more prosperous life and will make your job of caring for them much easier.

It’s not too difficult to correctly potty train your puppy, however keep in mind the process can take anything up to 1 year.

So how exactly do you potty train your puppy? Read on to find out the basic techniques and a lot of useful advice.

Restrict the Puppy’s Freedom

You should restrict the area in which the puppy can move around. What this will do is decrease the chance of the puppy urinating in a place, which they shouldn’t. Lay the potty paper in an area outside and then put a fence around so the puppy cannot roam elsewhere. It’s not supposed to be a jail so make it large enough so the puppy can run around and have fun. Of course you can take the puppy inside occasionally but you need to make it clear that the area is their home for the time being.

Wet the Potty

When setting up your potty you should place some of your pup’s urine on the paper and then walk them to it so they can smell it. This will give them the idea that the area is where they should be urinating.

One Potty,One Place

Many people who try to potty train their puppy have great difficulty, so they decide to set up multiple potty areas in hope that the puppy will use at least one of them. This is a bad idea as it will only confuse your puppy and they will not learn to use a potty effectively. You should only ever need one potty area.

It Takes Time

Younger pups need to go to the toilet every few hours, so put a leash on them and take them to the potty area and give the puppy 10 minutes to do their thing. If they don’t need to go, take the puppy back to its area and then try again in about 20 minutes. You should not play with the puppy until it uses the potty, once they do, you should reward them by playing with them, praising them or feeding them.

Reward Good Behavior

Whether you feed them or praise them, it’s essential that you reward your puppy for their good behavior. Rewarding a puppy will make them happier and teach them discipline and a happier dog in the long run is going to listen to you. A good idea is to reward them every time they use the potty.

Make a Potty Journal

By keeping a journal of the time it takes your puppy to urinate after eating, it will make it easier for you to train them and understand their habits.

Mistakes will Happen

Please remember not to get angry with your puppy if they urinate in the wrong area. At an early age they lack many skills that older dogs have much like how a toddler may urinate before they make it to the toilet. The best thing to do if your puppy urinates in a wrong place, is to simply say “no” or “bad dog”and then walk them to their potty area.

All in all, by following the above advice, your puppy will be well on there way to being potty trained and you will have a well mannered and obedient dog because of it. However make sure you give it time, it’s not something that most puppies can learn in a week or so.

Walking with your dog is a big part of dog ownership. If you want other people to enjoy your dog while walking outdoors or take him to different places without causing any problems, it is very important to train and teach your dog proper leash behavior.

Dog leash training is one of the most basic methods to control your pooch better and easier. This training method is likewise as popular as any type of dog training schemes within the pet training community because it gets positive results effectively and quickly if done the correct way. Here are a few factors to consider in dog leash training:

1. Choose a dog leash with proper length. Most dog trainers recommend a dog leash that is relatively short. A dog leash that is six feet in length is good enough and can give a good reach and distance between you and your pooch. A dog leash shouldn’t be too long so that it won’t be difficult for you to grab it if you want to stop your dog when he moves to the wrong direction.

2. Make sure the leash fits perfectly. There are many types of dog leash with different designs, colors and materials that you can buy in the market today. But whichever design of dog leash you choose, make sure that it has good flexibility and durability. Bend the leash sideways and in all directions to determine if it is resilient enough to withstand the force given by your dog. Buy a leash that perfectly fits onto your dog’s neck. Take note that it should not be in any way narrow or stiff.

3. Consider your dog’s age in dog leash training. Once you’ve chosen the proper leash for your dog, the next thing to take into account is the age of your dog. Take for instance, a puppy. Puppies tend to get distracted or irritated when you begin to walk him with a dog leash. It is highly suggested that you utilize a harness or a training collar aside from the leash. Be extremely patient in guiding your puppy because, at first, he may attempt to grasp and untie the collar on his neck.

To prevent your pooch from getting irritated with his new accessory, place the collar while he’s eating, playing or doing something else. Afterwards, leave the collar and leash onto his neck for a while until he gets comfortable with it. If you believe your dog is comfy enough with wearing the dog leash, you may take him for a walk outside.

4. Be consistent with your dog leash training commands. A dog leash training can only be successful if you are consistent with your training instructions. Whether it is a walk or heel command, always be coherent with what you are using. Your furry friend will eventually learn to follow your dog leash commands. Don’t switch up the words for it may confuse him.

One of the most important commands for dogs in their early years or as an untrained dog for safety is the ‘come’ command. If your dog breaks the leash and runs free, this command could save your dog from running in front of a car or into any other of the many dangers untrained dogs face.

In this article I will guide you through the different steps needed to control your dog using the ‘come’ command and how to do it in the easiest and least confusing way for your dog and you. This command is best learnt when the dog is a puppy or very young and has not yet picked up too many bad habits or actions.

To start you should get someone else weather it is a friend or neighbour to lightly restrain your dog from being able to run after you as you show it one of their favourite treats and show them you have something of interest that they will want.

Start this exercise by keeping yourself not too far away from your dog or puppy to start with until they get the idea of the game. Once you are the correct distance get your friend or neighbour to let go of the dog so they come running at you, as they do this you should say the command ‘come’ and move back slightly so they have to travel slightly further.

When the dog gets to you, reward him with the treat or ‘good dog’ and a hug. After the first success it should get easier as you retry the game from further and further away. After a few times of playing this game your dog will get familiar with the way things are done.

When you feel comfortable with this training method, try playing hide and seek with your dog and let them find you when you shout ‘come’, rewarding still after every success. When your dog is comfortable with this method your training is complete and ready for the next time your dog darts for the road.

Are you frustrated because your dog keeps exhibiting bad behavior that is embarrassing to you? Do you wonder why he always runs away when you go for a walk or jumps on people who come over to visit? An out of control dog is neither fun nor a good companion and the only way to tame the wild beast is with dog obedience training.

In fact with the proper training your four legged out of control friend may well turn into the best companion you’ve ever had, but you have to train him first. Training your dog should be a fun and rewarding if you go into it with the right attitude and show some patience. It may take some work to reverse the bad habits he has learned.

The most basic training will teach your dog to sit, stay, and come. These three commands make up the base of any obedience training class and are beneficial in furthering your dog’s ability to be obedient. Once the training starts to sink in you will be much more willing to take your dog out in public because you know that you will be able to control him much more easily.

You have two choices when it comes to training your dog; you can do it yourself or you can join a dog obedience class. A class is a good idea if you are having difficulty training at home or if you just don’t know where to start. Classes are taught by professional dog trainers who know all the tricks to get your dog to listen to what you want him to do. A class also gives your dog a chance to socialize with other dogs which is an important part of training. If he can follow commands with a bunch of other dogs around he will be much easier to control in public settings.

One of the most important parts of training, whether at home or in a class, is the interaction between owner and dog. All dogs live to please their owner and you can use that to reinforce the lessons. By using treats, praise, and physical attention you can have greater gains then if you are constantly reprimanding and shouting at your dog when he doesn’t follow your commands.

If you choose to train your dog at home you should try to keep any distractions to a minimum when first starting. Your back yard or an open field is a good choice. This will keep his attention focused on you as you work on the basics. As he progresses you can start taking him to areas that have a little more activity and other dogs around because most of the time you will need him to follow commands while there are distractions around.

Most bad behavior dog obedience training works by getting your dog to obey your commands in spite of the distractions going on around him. Most bad behavior is simply your dog looking for attention. When you train him you give him an outlet to please you which gives him the attention he desires.

Exercise is one of the main way in which dogs keep their muscle tone, bones, joints, and mind healthy, there are plenty of ways in which to exercise your dog. Some exercises are good for keeping you healthy as well, and others are more relaxed and effort free for those times when you get back from work and your dog is staring at you all excited and ready to play.

Some breeds of dogs are more active and need more exercise than others, and sometimes more than a lot of owners think they can give them due to other commitments like work and there not being enough hours in the day. But this doesn’t have to be the case as many professional dog trainers will tell you, and keeping your dog in shape can be fun and rewarding for both parties.

Here are some of the exercises that are popular in the dog community and reasons why –

Fetch

Starting off with the most well known of exercises, the fetch game involves you throwing a ball and your dog running after it and returning it to you. This can be little exercise for you and a lot for your dog if you use any throwing enhancing products that are on the market today.

Tug

The tug game involves both you and your dog pulling on either end of a tugging toy, requires little effort on your behalf and can be played while you sit and watch telly or between breaks of other activities.

Jogging

Jogging is a highly active sport and helps keep your health up as well as your dogs, your dog will love to pay this game with you and it will ensure a healthy and happy dog.

Cycling

Although cycling may seem like a difficult exercise for your dog to follow and keep an interest in, there are special leashes for you to use on your dog to maintain hands free control over your dog giving you a more subtle form of exercise. Care may be needed and basic dog training should be given to make sure your dog will be in no harm during the task.