You may have just brought your adorable puppy home for the first time. This is definitely an exciting time for you and your family. As a new responsible dog owner you may have done your research to pick the perfect breed that will nicely fit into your lifestyle. Maybe you chose a friendly Bichon Frise lap dog. Or possibly you and your family decided on a beautiful Golden Retriever, or maybe a lively Papillon, or a pretty Yorkshire Terrier, or a beautiful and playful Poodle. There are so many nice breeds to choose from when deciding to buy a dog. Whatever breed of dog you chose, you more than likely bought most of your puppy supplies already and did current research to decide on a specific veterinarian for your new puppy.
You probably had fun coming up with a cute name for your new puppy, such as Ashley, Princess, or maybe even Angel, or Snowflake. You may now be in the process of reading informative books about puppy care and dog training. There are many excellent articles and even several videos about caring for your new puppy relating to nutrition, health, safety, grooming and training for your dog.
As a responsible dog owner, you probably already made the inside and outside of your home puppy proof. You may have recently tried to make everything extremely safe for your new puppy and now you have realized that even if you are home the majority of the time, you may not be able to watch over your puppy every single moment of the day. If you happen to be able to work from home, or you are a stay-at-home mom, or maybe you are retired, you will probably still need to go out of the house routinely for some errands or appointments. After reading some of your books on puppy care, you may have some ideas about using a safe dog crate or dog pen for your puppy while you temporarily need to leave the home for an hour or two while doing your errands, like grocery shopping, picking up the kids from school, or going to a doctor's appointment.
If you routinely have to be out of the house for several hours at a time, you may have to change your schedule, hire a pet sitter, or take your dog to a doggie daycare facility. The idea behind using a dog crate is to be able to use it for a few hours at a time. I recently read that puppies under six months of age shouldn't stay in a crate for more than three or four hours at a time.
Your new puppy is probably an energetic puppy that you will want to keep safe, healthy and happy. Dog crates have some effective use in dog care and training. A safe and appropriate dog crate can be used when you are not available to watch over your puppy for a short time. A dog crate can be like an indoor dog den for your dog. It can be your dog's quiet, safe place for him to go if he wants to relax and curl up and take a nice nap.
Dog crates are often used for housetraining purposes. The idea behind using the crate method is based on the theory that dogs do not like to soil the area where they sleep or eat. Poodles are very intelligent dogs, but you may need to be patient and consistent when you are housetraining them. Crate training can sometimes take days or weeks, depending on your dog's age and temperament. The crate should always be associated with something pleasant and positive. A crate should never be used for punishment. If your puppy definitely does not like the dog crate at all after you have tried your best, you may wish to try a dog pen, which is somewhat bigger than a crate.
The dog crate used for your Poodle puppy should be big enough for your puppy to be able to easily stand up and lie down and get comfortable. Dog crates and dog pens come in different sizes and can be purchased at most pet supply stores or pet supply catalogs. You may decide to place a safe, comfortable, washable dog blanket in the crate. Your Poodle may appreciate the cozy warmth of the blanket. You may wish to take your puppy's collar off while he is in the crate for safety reasons. It is helpful for your puppy if you keep the crate in the room where you are going to be in so that your puppy will still have your company and not be lonely, if at all possible. Your puppy will hopefully learn to think of his crate as his very own special place, almost like his own doghouse or den to go where he can rest and enjoy some quiet time.
A nice feature is that the crate is very portable. You can help to make the time that your Poodle puppy spends in his crate enjoyable. You can easily take it from room to room with you. Puppies need love and attention from their owner, so it may be a good idea not to leave your puppy inside the crate for longer than one hour at a time during the day, if possible. It is very important that at night you can have the crate near your bed where your puppy can definitely see you and let you know when he may need to go outside to go to the bathroom.
Puppies may need to go to the bathroom every two to three hours or more during the day when they are young. The time span will increase as your Poodle puppy gets a little older. Puppies will usually be ready to go to the bathroom when they first wake up in the morning, after eating and drinking and also after playing.
You may feed your puppy inside the crate at times, or offer your puppy his favorite treats or safe toy inside the crate, so he gets the idea that it can be enjoyable to be in his crate. When he is done eating, carry your puppy outside close to the area where you want him to go to the bathroom. Try to use the same approximate area every time, so your Poodle puppy gets into a familiar routine. After your puppy goes to the bathroom outside you may want to praise him for doing good. Then, when you go back inside you may want to offer him a treat, while having him walk back into his crate.
It is important to establish a daily time schedule for your puppy to eat his meals and also his routine schedule to go outside. After your puppy is housetrained, he may voluntarily use his crate to sleep in at night or to take some naps in during the day.
If you plan on using the crate for when you leave the house for short periods of time to do errands, a good tip is to make your departures in a calm manner. You can praise your Poodle by giving him a treat for entering the crate, and then leave the house quietly. Crates can provide a sense of comfort and security. Your Poodle may think of his comfortable crate as his special cozy den.
You can also read Crate Training : The Humane Society of the United States for more information and a video on this subject.
Here are some examples of dog crates, dog pens and a crate training book below.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: Malachy the Pekingese Takes Top Prize
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: Malachy the Pekingese Takes Top Prize: The 136th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show had a surprise winner this year when a Pekingnese took the coveted Best in Show prize in New York. Malachy, the four-year-old winner at this year’s Westminster show, made it to the final round at the 2011...
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Emotional Benefits of Owning a Poodle
Photo Credit: By bitmask
The bond that develops between a new puppy and their owner may develop quickly. However, as time goes by, all the experiences that you share with your dog help to strengthen the emotional bond.
Each family member usually develops a special emotional attachment with their Poodle, around the time when your puppy is about one year old or more. Sometimes, children even turn to their pets for comfort if a family member happens to leave the family or becomes ill. Adults that may have lost a loved one may feel comfort and less lonely if they have a pet. They may feel happy to have a special pet to share their life with. A Poodle can be a very nice companion.
People that live all alone may feel a little isolated. If they decide to select a dog or cat and they are physically able to take care of their pet, it may help make them feel they are needed.
Often times, dogs can help us focus our attention away from our worries. When we feel sad or stressed just spending a little time with our friendly dog or cat may brighten our day.
Our daily lives may include many responsibilities, whether at work or at home. Your Poodle may happen to do some cute and funny things, which may help you to relax and laugh a little.
When we come home from a frustrating work day it can be so nice to be greeted by our family dog, with their big beautiful eyes and their tail wagging because they are so happy to see us. It is wonderful that our pets can accept us just as we are and we can be ourselves when we are around them. Our pets don't care if we are disabled, old or young, rich or poor. Dogs and cats can provide great companionship.
Dogs can add some consistency and routine to our lives and give us something positive to look forward to every day. Many people may come and go in our lives, but our dogs are usually with us for their lifetime.
Your Poodle can help to keep you active by getting more exercise, like when you are taking your dog for a nice walk and getting fresh air and sunshine. It may be nice to play Frisbee outside with him. The responsibilities of caring for a dog, such as daily feedings, grooming and playtime will help to keep you both active.
Your Poodle may have great affection for all the family members. Each family member may also play an important role for your dog. The man in the house may be the one that usually takes the dog outside for his walks and plays fetch outside with him in the backyard. The woman in the house may be the one that routinely gives the dog his meals and lots of attention. If there are any children in the family they may offer the Poodle a lot of hugs and fun playtime together.
The dog appreciates the family interaction and affection. Your Poodle has probably established great trust in the family. As a proud pet owner you will be able to recognize the maturity in your dog. As time goes by, you will learn the favorite things that your dog likes, such as his strengths, weaknesses, and any fears he may have at times.
The human-animal emotional bond between an owner and their dog is one of trust, affection, and love. Poodles enjoy being part of the family and a loyal dog can be a best friend. If we love them, they usually show us unconditional love in return!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Basic Rules In Training Your Puppy
By Sandy Rutherforde
Having a new puppy is always a joy as they can brighten up any home. However, training your puppy can be difficult, especially for first time owners. When it comes to house training your puppy, the rule is the earlier the better. Just like people, puppies develop differently. It's crucial that owners not push their pets. Instead, follow their pace of learning. At the same time, owners need to get into the mind of their puppies and understand what they are thinking in order to avoid frustration.
Puppies, or any animal for that matter, have only one thing on their minds when it comes to relieving themselves - they will do it when and where the need sets in. This is exactly why an untrained pet will see nothing wrong with doing it right on your living room floor. At the same time, dogs tend to look for a spot which is away from their feeding and sleeping quarters, and which provides them with some privacy.
Owners need to pick a specific spot in the backyard where they want their pets to do their business and be very consistent about it. The main principle of training your puppy has to do with consistency and getting used to a routine. It is also necessary to know when a puppy is more likely to feel the need to relieve itself. Most of the time, pets feel the need right after they have woken up, after they have eaten, and when they are excited. Owners have to be very quick with letting their pets out during these instances because puppies are unable to control their bladder that well.
Training a pet means that one has to keep an extra eye on the pooch. A pet who has to go will exhibit a few signs which include walking around in a circle with an upright tail and sniffing the ground. After seeing that ritual, the owner has to take the puppy out to the designated spot and then wait for the pup to urinate or defecate.
There are some times when a puppy will not immediately do anything. In this case, it is not advisable to have the dog linger for a long time in the yard or garden, and the owner should take his or her pet inside. This is to keep the puppy from thinking that taking him out means play time. Instead, the owner has to keep his or her eyes peeled for more signs and then take the pup out again in ten minutes or so.
Training a puppy does not come easy and the pooch will have a few accidents in the course of the training. Owners should never punish their pets for these accidents since doing so will only lead to trauma and fear. Practice and constant positive reinforcement is the way to go in house training any pet.
Puppies, or any animal for that matter, have only one thing on their minds when it comes to relieving themselves - they will do it when and where the need sets in. This is exactly why an untrained pet will see nothing wrong with doing it right on your living room floor. At the same time, dogs tend to look for a spot which is away from their feeding and sleeping quarters, and which provides them with some privacy.
Owners need to pick a specific spot in the backyard where they want their pets to do their business and be very consistent about it. The main principle of training your puppy has to do with consistency and getting used to a routine. It is also necessary to know when a puppy is more likely to feel the need to relieve itself. Most of the time, pets feel the need right after they have woken up, after they have eaten, and when they are excited. Owners have to be very quick with letting their pets out during these instances because puppies are unable to control their bladder that well.
Training a pet means that one has to keep an extra eye on the pooch. A pet who has to go will exhibit a few signs which include walking around in a circle with an upright tail and sniffing the ground. After seeing that ritual, the owner has to take the puppy out to the designated spot and then wait for the pup to urinate or defecate.
There are some times when a puppy will not immediately do anything. In this case, it is not advisable to have the dog linger for a long time in the yard or garden, and the owner should take his or her pet inside. This is to keep the puppy from thinking that taking him out means play time. Instead, the owner has to keep his or her eyes peeled for more signs and then take the pup out again in ten minutes or so.
Training a puppy does not come easy and the pooch will have a few accidents in the course of the training. Owners should never punish their pets for these accidents since doing so will only lead to trauma and fear. Practice and constant positive reinforcement is the way to go in house training any pet.
Do you need help with puppy behavior problems? Be sure to visit my site to learn how to stop puppy begging and puppy jumping.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Rutherforde Saturday, October 8, 2011
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