Housebreaking a puppy in an apartment with no yard is more difficult, but it is not impossible. An area that your puppy can use as a toilet area will need to be found close to the apartment. Since this may be a considerable distance for your puppy to walk, it becomes even more important that you take him out every hour. You will also need to be extra watchful to your puppy’s signs of wanting to relieve himself well in advance.
Different puppies learn at different rates. Some pick up what is required almost instantly, others may take much longer. Some take as long as six months or more. A puppy that came from a dirty or cramped kennel is likely to take longer than one that had a better start.
The biggest influence on how quickly a puppy becomes housebroken is how much time and effort you put in. More input from you will speed up the time taken to become completely clean; while less input will prolong the process.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on January 27th 2007 in Puppy Potty Training
The most common cause for dogs jumping through windows is social isolation. Most cases generally involve dogs that do not accept being left alone in the house and escape to seek some social contact in the neighborhood. Some escape and remain on the front porch to await the return of their owners.
Most of these dogs have experienced some sort of highly gratifying social interaction when outside. Males or females in heat may escape to obtain sexual satisfaction. Others have been fed by neighbors or otherwise welcomed into their homes. Some have been generally allowed to run loose when their owners are at home, but are confined when the owner is away.
A less common cause is genuine fear of confinement inside the house or in the yard, causing the animal to jump out of the yard and/or into the house. In these cases, there has usually been some sort of experience involving the area in which the dog is confined. Such traumatic events may include severe physical punishment, extreme hunger, pain from BB shots or rocks thrown at the dog, and firecrackers or other explosions nearby or in the yard. Such distress has caused some dogs to jump out of windows as well.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on January 22nd 2007 in Dog Behaviour
With so many different kinds of dog shampoos on the market today, it is not easy to decide which one to use. For most breeds, a basic, all-purpose shampoo is fine. But if you want your shampoo to do more than clean, you might consider a specialty shampoo.
• Shampoos designed to deliver extra conditioning to long or curly coats can make post-bath grooming even easier.
• Accentuate your dog’s coat color by choosing a shampoo made for white, black, or red coats.
• For sensitive eyes, consider a tearless shampoo.
• For wire-coated dogs, look for a shampoo designed to preserve the crisp texture of your dog’s coat.
• Many dogs have sensitive skin or eyes. A hypoallergenic shampoo can minimize sensitivity reactions to bathing.
• If your dog already has a rash, allergies, itching, or other sensitive skin conditions, look for a medicated shampoo designed to treat your dog’s problem. Your vet should be able to recommend a good medicated shampoo for your dog.
• For flea season, consider a shampoo containing a gentle anti-flea ingredient such as pyrethrin or limonene, or any of several natural botanicals designed to repel fleas, such as neem oil.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on January 21st 2007 in Dog Grooming
Although some canine behaviors are similar to the behavior of the wolf, the domestic dog has developed many unique adaptive behaviors as a result of his cohabitation, companion relationship, and interaction with humans. Consequently, training techniques derived from wolf behavior are not necessarily effective with the domesticated dog. For instance, the female wolf is said to pick up her misbehaving pup by his scruff, shake him, drop him to the ground, and pin him there.
The wolf’s behavior is interpreted as a correction to the pup that demonstrates the mother’s dominance. While the wolf pup may understand such language, the domestic dog may not. There is little evidence to indicate that domestic female dogs shake their puppies by the scruff or use the alpha rollover as a correction.
This is only one factor that preclude correcting the dog in a manner designed for wolf puppies; therefore, trainers and pet owners would benefit greatly in understanding dog behavior as opposed to wolf behavior.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on January 19th 2007 in Dog Training
