There is a lot of dog training information available. You will find everything from training a new puppy, to dealing with a barking dog, and just about everything in between. This information will indeed be helpful and necessary if you have a new puppy in your home.
Many people believe that they can housebreak a puppy by "rubbing their nose in it" when they have had an accident. This does not work. All it really does is scare and humiliate your best friend and can actually make the problem worse.
The key to housebreaking your dog is to designate an area especially for this purpose. You should bring your dog to this area frequently at first, eventually they will have success, and you should praise him for it. Whenever you dog is successful in using the designated area, you should offer him a treat.
Each and every time you bring your dog to the correct area, you should use a keyword. Eventually your dog will associate this keyword with what your expectation is. If your dog has an accident, you should bring him immediately to this spot, and use the chosen keyword. Remember to be patient because this will take some time.
Training a dog to stop barking can at times be complicated, and quite time-consuming. One of the most important things to be remembered is to not reward your dog for barking. This will only reinforce and encourage the barking. Continuing to yell at your dog to be quiet may seem to your dog to be the answer because you yourself are barking back.
Proper socialization, a bit of obedience training, and the right amount of attention at the right time can help curb a barking problem. There is plenty of information available about this problematic issue. The most important thing to remember once again is to be patient because this will take some time to correct
Many dogs enjoy digging and this is especially true for Labrador Retrievers. There many reasons that a dog may dig. Some of these include boredom, need for warmth or cooling, shelter, and even natural instinct. Although your dog does not see anything wrong with this, you certainly will.
If you have a large enough area in your yard, you may choose to designate a specific spot where your dog is allowed to dig. If this is not the case, there are quite a few techniques which will work to keep your dog from digging. When you spend time with your dog, and you see him begin digging, try spraying him with the hose, and firmly telling him NO! Another method that seems to work for many dog owners is to bury several inflated balloons in the area where your dog generally digs. When your dog begins digging, the balloons will pop, and startle your dog. This will generally be enough to make this behavior undesirable.
Resolve the Barking Problem
Barking. It’s one of the things that dogs do. In fact, there are occasions when it’s a benefit to have a dog who barks. If there were a stranger entering your property or if something were genuinely amiss, a barking dog could be downright helpful.
What is not helpful however, is a dog who barks constantly. A twig snapped in the backyard, “Bark, bark, bark!” Neighbors are grilling in their yard, “Ruff, ruff, ruff!” Neighborhood kids are riding their bikes, “Yap, yap, yap!”
This is a problem that is not only extremely annoying to neighbors, but can also be rather chafing on the pet’s owners who are either inside the house or out in their yard. Many dog or puppy owners find themselves constantly yelling “Cut it out! Hush!”… which for most dogs doesn’t stop the barking but instead just adds to the commotion.
Another down side to a constantly barking dog is that he can become rather like the boy who cried wolf. Since the dog barks so much, there is a tendency to not even go see what it is he’s barking about. In the event of an actual intruder, your dog might be trying to tell you, but will instead either be ignored or told to hush because the barking is so common.
The first step in alleviating this problem is to work on some obedience training with your pet. If he doesn’t clearly understand what “no” and “good dog” mean, he will not comprehend what you’re asking when you holler out the window. Likewise, if your dog doesn’t respect you, even if he does know what you mean, he will not listen anyway.
Some basic obedience commands such as “heel,” “sit,” “down,” “stay” and “come” will help establish a learning curve for your pet, and being consistent during practice will help you to earn his respect at the same time. Another benefit of obedience training is that it helps to stave off boredom. You may be surprised how many dogs bark all the time simply because it’s an activity.
The next step is to get outside with your dog or puppy! If he’s out there by himself, barking and running back and forth, all the hollering in the world is not going to stop him. You need to personally catch your dog barking inappropriately, tell him “no” and redirect him to a more appropriate behavior such as chasing a ball, doing a “down/stay” or another acceptable activity.
Also extremely important is to take your dog out on a leash and socialize him thoroughly with normal neighborhood occurrences. Introduce him to the neighbors. Bring him to meet the kids who ride their bikes. Hang around out front when your neighbors are doing yard work so he learns that it’s normal and acceptable for them to be there.
Between the obedience training, respecting you more, your personal supervision and being properly socialized with normal neighborhood happenings, your dog’s barking will be dramatically reduced. Soon, even your neighbors may start to like him!
