14 Tips for Crate Training Your New Puppy

Your new puppy is arriving and you have heard of crate-training, but are not sure how to make it work for you and your newest addition. From years of experience as a pet-owner, lover and specialist, I have learned some things about crate training that I’d like to share with you.

Crate training is wonderful part of an overall family training program if handled correctly. Your puppy will feel secure in his space if you make it a pleasurable experience from the very beginning by following these 14 tips.

1.Get a crate large enough to allow your pup space to turn around, stand up and lie down for a nap.
2.Put a soft blanket in the crate, preferably with his mother’s scent on it when you bring him home.
3.Make sure to put his toys for chewing and a treat or two in the space furthest from the ‘door.’
4.Put the crate in a corner of room where he can feel out of the way, yet have access to you.
5.Let your pup wander in and out of the crate to get a feel for it, the crate makes a nice ‘den’ for your puppy and he will likely take to it for comfort and solace when he is tired, over-excited or worried.
6.Remove your pet’s collar/s before closing the crate to avoid any choking;
7.Have a bottle of water with ice hooked to the crate if you will leave your puppy for more than an hour;
8.When it’s time to be crated, tell your puppy “Crate” or “Bed” and show him to the crate. You may put a treat in there if you have been training him with treats.
9.Don’t ever: scare him into the crate, put him in there as a punishment or otherwise encourage a negative connotation to the crate.
10.Practice this several times a day during his first few weeks home. Leaving him in the crate for short intervals while you leave the house. He will soon realize that you come back and let him out.
11.If your dog needs something to chew, make sure you give him a toy that he cannot shred, break or otherwise harm himself with. If he is an aggressive chewer, I recommend the Galileo Bone by Nylabone.
12.When you let your puppy out of the crate, immediately take him outside to relieve himself. For very young puppies, this will likely be every 4 hours. (on average a puppy needs a break in as many hours as he is months old – if your puppy is 4 months, please give him a potty break every four hours)
13.When you are leaving, or putting him in the crate, give him his command, “Crate,” praise him gently when he complies (but do not get effusive – you don’t want him to get all riled up!) and then leave without a commotion.
14.Upon returning, open the crate and let your puppy come out at his own pace. Don’t make a big fuss, simply praise him gently, put on his collar and leash and take him outside.

Crate training is a valuable asset to any training program for new puppies and can help enhance your relationship with your canine pal. A happy and comfortable puppy will mature into a well-mannered and loving companion.

English Bull Dogs - History and Nature

One of the calmest canine breeds known on earth, the English bull dogs are believed to have developed from an ancient breed of Asiatic mastiff. It was first born in Great Britain and was named "bull dog" simply for its robust appearance of a little bull. Although considered as the gentlest kind, the English bull dogs were originally developed for bull baiting in the medieval Britain. They were sent to fields to attack bulls during that time, before the said sport was prohibited by law in the dawn of nineteenth century.

The English bull dogs are noted particularly for its unique, intimidating appearance. It stands very short, but has a compact and wide body. Its head is known for being so thick, massive and broad with cheeks that expand to the sides of its eyes. It also has lips that are pendent and undershot, and its eyes are dark, round, and are located far apart. To complement its face, the English bull dogs have small ears that are thin and folded back.

In terms of coat, the English bull dogs have a coat that lies close to its body. The coat of this breed is noted for its texture and appearance, with smooth, flat and straight hairs. Just like the rest of the canine breeds, the coat of the English bull dogs comes in different colors and shades. Typically, you can see shades of red, brindle, pale yellow, white, fawn, and washed out red, or a combination of these colors in an English bull dog. Black is not common and is not even acceptable. These colors look great with the dogs' short and small size with squarely set and stocky legs.

The English bull dogs' intimidating looks does not speak much for its character and temperament. In fact, this breed is often described as the calmest and most reliable kind. It is gentle and loving, with a tendency to seek for more affection and attention. Also, the English bull dogs interact well with other canine breeds and even felines. They also make a good companion for adults, as well as kids.

With such qualities, it's no wonder that the English bull dogs are often treated as a family dog. But more to that, the breed is also considered as perfect for guarding, the reason that more bull dogs are now trained for guarding and watch dogging. This is also considered knowing the fact that the breed is courageous enough to withstand from all challenges. But, as mentioned earlier, the English bull dogs will only do well in this field given the correct and proper training and enhancement.

You can maintain the great looks of your English bull dogs if you will exercise a regular care session. The breed only needs regular brushing or combing to remove any dirt and loose hair. It should also be bathed only when needed for the bull dog is a kind that sheds regularly. Its mouth and other parts of its body should also be cleaned on a regular basis to keep the English bull dog in good health. However, all of these tasks should only be performed by a dominant owner. The same is true for the trainin

Training Your Dog With a Clicker

In this article I am going to discuss clicker training and its use in training dogs. Most people have heard of clicker training but have no clue what it actually is, in this article I will discuss what clicker training is, how to start using it as well as just how powerful clicker training can be. Most dogs take to clicker training very easily and enjoy learning through the use of a clicker.

What Clicker Training Is

Clicker Training is a positive method of training a dog new behaviors. This means there is no correction for the dog getting anything wrong just reward for when it gets the new behavior right. Unlike some other dog training clicker training does not rely on baiting where the dog is simply bribed into performing a certain behavior. The problem with baiting is that its a very dependent on the owner and takes a lot time to become an independent behavior without many cues. As well as allowing you to teach your dog an independent behavior much quicker than with baiting or other conventional dog training it also allows your dog to learn at a fast rate because its being given much clearer instruction.

How Clicker Training Works

The principle behind clicker training is that the click noise given off by the clicker means correct. So the soon learns that the exact position its in or behavior its performing when the clicker goes off means that's the correct position/behavior. When a dog is use to clicker training and is clear when its doing the correct behavior new behaviors are formed very quickly.

The main things to consider when clicker training are rate of reinforcement, timing and motivation. Rate of reinforcement is all about how often your reward and how much of a reward you give. When first starting you should reward often and always remember quickly. You need to reward as soon as the dog has performed the correct behavior this way the message that's right is crystal clear. As your dogs understanding increases the rate of reinforcement can be decreased and your dog should be holding the correct behavior longer. Timing is extremely important in any dog training you must use the clicker the millisecond your dog performs the correct behavior. Clicker training is all about timing the quicker you click and reward the faster the dog will learn the new behavior. The next major thing to consider is motivation without motivation you have nothing a dog must love to work. Unmotivated dogs have no go about them and they simply do not want to work. If a dog does not want to work then you have a serious problem its one hundred percent the training responsibility to make the dog love working. There are many ways to motivate a dog these include treats, toys, fuss and just play in general. Always keep your training short and fun ten to fifteen minutes at a time is perfect any more than this and the dog will get fed up. Remember that you should always finish training when your dog is keen and enjoying the training, never finish when your dog is bored and unmotivated as this produces nothing except a dog who does not enjoy working.

How To Get Started Clicker Training

To get started clicker training all you need is a clicker, a reward and a willing dog. If you have these three things then you have everything you need to start clicker training. Experiment and have fun it's the best way to learn about clicker training and training dogs in general. There's no substitute to a good working relationship with your dog. When you have that great relationship you will find training so much easier because you already know exactly how your dog is going to react to everything you do.

Dog Airline Travel Tips

If your dog is used to car trips, then travel by plane should not create any problem for you or for your pet. If you want to fully enjoy your trip with your canine companion, then you should take into consideration the following suggestions that help you to provide a better trip for your companion and you.

· Verify the dog's health before starting an airplane travel trip with your dog. This is not only for the dog's sake, but rather because legislation actually asks for it. It is required from each dog that travels by plane, to be vaccinated and to have no transmissible diseases which will need to be approved before travel. All this must be done within ten days of travel. Make sure you bring an inspection letter from your vet before any sort of air travel.

· The owner should keep his pet away from extreme temperatures. Make sure that your dog is safe during the air travel and fly with your dog only when the temperatures are between 35 and 85 degrees at both ends of the flight.

There are airlines that will have "cold embargos" or "heat embargos" in the winter and summer months. That means that the flight, under these circumstances are banned. Call your airline agency if you are unsure if you are traveling during these times.

Foreign dog air travel may require quarantine. There are some isolated countries like England or New Zealand that requires upon arriving on land, will definately quarantine your pet after landing. You should get used to such obligations and practices. Moreover, if there are several international departure flights, you may have to handle these situations on numerous locations. Although it may not be very pleasant, you have to conform.

· It is not advisable to tranquilize your dog during the flight. It seems that tranquilizers are the primary cause of illness or even death in dog air travel, according to statistics. During air travel, the dogs simply cannot have professional and quick medical assistance. The medication at hand could be pointless and cause injuries for the dog. For preventing such cases, various airliners have prohibited tranquilized pets aboard.

· Your pet should be trained before the flight. All airliners require parting of the dog, from its owner during the flight, if the dog is a medium to large sized breed. Smaller breeds are allowed onboard. Large and medium sized dogs have the misfortune to be transported in a shipping case during the flight.

As to make your dog feel more at ease during the air travel, you should have it previously prepared by training it. You could do this by getting your pet accustomed to be confined in a travel box for a long period of time. The dog must be trained to socialize with strangers in the most unusual environments.

· Use labels during the dog air travel, as not to lose your pet. You should write your name, your dog's name, and any other helpful information on the dog's collar and on the crate. There were many cases when dogs were lost or taken by other owners, so these measures are very important.

You can also use a specialized pet air transporter for your dog. There are professional companies that will take your pet to many various locations. Due to their great experiences, these companies are aware of the legislation required during the air travel. The companies offer all that a dog needs to feel comfortable. Actually, many air companies have banned the booking of dog air flights to the public. On Iata.org or uShip.com, you can find the top preferences for pet transporters.

Maybe you found these pieces of advice interesting and helpful. We warmly suggest you follow these instructions on your following flights and will enjoy a pleasant and safe travel your canine friend without being too troublesome. It is the dog's right to be treated with care and to be offered guidance in our modern way of living.