[simpleaffiliate source="chitika" results="0"][/simpleaffiliate] [simplecontent lang="" source="flickr"]potty training for dummies[/simplecontent] Do you think that parents want there babies to grow up too quickly?
My daughters two years 2 months and she still has a bottle of milk for bedtimes and in the mornings. She finds comfort in this little blanket she takes everywhere. shes doesn't have a dummy and she still not ready for potty training yet although she is showing an interest in her potty. She has only been moved into a bed recently and i felt she was not ready for the move from cot to bed.
Anyhow my question is do you think parents are always pushing there children to grow up to quickly. for example putting them in a bed far too early and weaning them off bottles too early? is there any great rush, people think i'm not moving her on to "older things" and still treating her like a baby~? what you think?
That bottle should have been out of her mouth a year ago. Having a bottle in bed, can cause tooth decay. Put her on a sippy cup mom. Let her keep the blanket. If she's showing interest in potty training, then by all means potty train her. No I don't think parents want their children to grow up quickly. Quit treating her like a little baby. She's perfectly capable of doing things for herself. All of my children were off of the bottle by 12 months. By the time they were two, they were in a twin sized bed with a rail on the side. It's time to let her grow up mom. You can't keep her a baby forever.
Potty Training for dummies
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Chewing is a normal stage of puppy behaviour, don't get a puppy if losing your best shoes and the legs off your furniture is going to bother you. Their teeth and gums hurt and they also like to experiment with new things. A baby has a dummy or a teething ring, what does your dog have?
If you have a young dog who is in the chewing phase (and remember for some breeds that is a long time) don't leave it in a cage with nothing to do. A sterile environment will drive your puppy mad and it could hurt itself chewing the cage. If you use a cage it is a good idea to always reward the dog for going in with a chew. Cages can be a very good way of containing a puppy. Although rare, there are cases of puppies being killed through chewing hazardous cleaning chemicals or electric cables. Safety is paramount.
There is no point in having dozens of toys out all over the house and expecting your dog to chew them when you leave. If those toys are accessible all the time then they are not very interesting when you are out. That is the moment the dog will go and find all the different things to chew up. It is better to have several toys out and every few days swap them for some other ones and keep doing that. Leave a chew or bone or a filled Kong. You can use an activity ball or other type and fill it with treats. A few small cubes of cheese make that more rewarding for the dog too. It can't work out why occasionally a lovely piece of cheese comes out.
If you use a specific treat, toy or bone to amuse your dog when left, always remove it when you return. Your dog will soon realise these special things only exist when you are out. With limited access, they tend to appreciate the toy or food more.
One of my favourite tricks is to give the dog a chew or bone in a taped up cardboard box. The dog will love chewing up the box to get at the treat and the whole thing is much more rewarding than just a chew.
Make sure your dog is occupied and preferably tired when you leave. Older dogs can chew out of boredom. A walk before you go to work or even a good play in the garden can tire them out. Some dogs like having a radio or tv left on or an old shirt of yours with your smell.
Clever and working breeds like to learn things. They need more mental exercise than physical. You can teach most dogs some simple but fun games.
Dogs can learn the names of several toys, some are better at this than others. Take a toy, let's say a rope and throw it, saying "fetch rope". Do this plenty of times. Then pick up another type of toy, let's say a ball and have one in each hand. Then letting the dog see both, throw the rope and use the command "fetch rope". At some point throw the ball instead and say nothing. If the dog gets it, just ignore it, throw the rope and command again. Then start throwing both toys and make a point of helping him or her to pick the rope. Once this is reliable, you can start again using a different toy from scratch. Dogs love working out which is the right toy and it is more stimulating than just fetching the nearest toy. In advance you can hide the one you intend to ask for to make it more challenging.
Lots of dogs are good at scenting out things. You can use this normal behaviour to make life more interesting by hiding chews and treats around the house. Under cushions or rugs or even spread a newspaper all over the floor, overlapping the pages a little. Hide a treat underneath and watch your dog trash the paper to get it and have great fun.
Another version of this is to get several plastic plant pots. Just take one to start with and let your dog see you put a treat underneath. Encourage the dog to turn over the pot to get the treat. Some dogs pick this up immediately, some use brute force and push the pot all over before realising they have to flip it. Once the dog gets the idea, introduce more pots and let the dog work out which one actually has the food. If the dog gets too good, buy heavier pots! You can also extend this for the dogs that need more work. Place the pots in different places around the garden rather than all together on the patio. Initially walk round with the dog, pointing at the pots as you find them. If you have done the original game properly the dog will realise that the pot means check for a treat. Eventually you should be able to send the dog off round the garden to find the pots and work out where the treat is. Always pick the pot up and put them away afterwards. The dog will lose interest if it keeps finding empty pots when you are not playing.
You can play a sort of fetch the human game too. This is also very useful if you are incredibly lazy! Get your partner to stand just outside the room and tell the dog, "go find X". The idea is that "X" will call the dog and praise it. You could teach the dog to bark or touch the person with a paw. Once the dog gets the idea, get the person to hide in a slightly more difficult place and not call the dog and so on. Only when the dog is reliably searching for the person can you swap people and names. The dog will enjoy scenting around and listening for clues.
I am sure that if you use your imagination you can think of lots of variations on this. Exercise, entertainment and attention make a happy dog.
About the Author
Debbie Connolly has worked with dog and cats for 25 years in all sorts of areas. Boarding, training, rescue and behaviour. She stars in the BBC TV series "Dog Borstal" and gives media interviews regarding dog issues. She is an Associate Member of the British Institute of Professional Dog Trainers and is the behaviour consultant for Bengal Cat Rescue and Zep the Dep Rottweiler Rescue. Currently writing articles for a well known glossy Dog Magazine, she also writes about being single and has a humorous slant on most things. Originally from the North East, she is a straight talking, from the hip person and doesn't suffer fools! Debbie loves horses but is a very nervous rider and frequently falls off. She has an ambition to own a smallholding one day and have pygmy goats. Her father was Irish by birth and she is soon to start some clinics in Southern Ireland although she would love to work in the USA. One day she would like to retire to France, "to live on wine, bread and cheese and sit in Paris cafes all day" http://www.debbieconnolly.co.uk
How to Control Your Puppy's Mouthing For Dummies
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Hunting Dogs: Essential Training Equipment and Information
Producing a "finished" hunting dog, one that will perform the tasks of pointing out game or retrieving game, is not a simple matter. In some cases, it can take several hunting seasons and specialized training equipment to achieve the desired results.
It would be ludicrous to begin training a dog to perform hunting skills without first teaching it basic obedience. Your dog must be able to sit, stay, remain quite and come on demand before moving into the more complex areas of the hunt. The success of the hunt, as well as the safety of the dog and its handler, is directly correlated to the dog's performance and self control. For example, an unruly dog that barks at incoming geese will not only spoil the hunt, but will not be invited back again. Further, a dog that bolts out of a blind too quickly can jeopardize a shot and even cause a shooting accident. Control is most essential.
When the hunter is ready to begin training his dog for the hunt, there is a variety of equipment that will prove valuable. Probably the first and most essential item is a piece of 3/8-inch polypropylene rope of about 30 feet in length. The rope allows the handler to maintain control of his dog during exercises and eliminates the chance of having to chase the dog and correct him for straying.
Most dogs have a natural fear of loud noises, especially gunfire. Therefore, the trainer will have to involve a training pistol or firearm in his training program. A handgun is preferable; a shotgun is too large and difficult to handle while holding the lead line and juggling other training devices. When training the retriever, training "bumpers" or dummies are utilized to teach the dog to fetch. These aides come in various colors and sizes. White bumpers are generally used for "marking" drills where the dog is being taught to retrieve by sight and colored bumpers are used for "running blinds" where the dog is sent blindly into an area to retrieve a downed bird that fell out of sight.
The retriever should be trained to respond to the sound of a whistle. The voice of the dog's handler will not always be loud enough or distinct enough to alert the dog to give up the search and return to the handler's side. Some of the more elaborate whistles come with built-in megaphones that allow the sound to be heard more easily and direct the blaring sound away from the hunter(s). They are usually well worth the extra cost.
Some trainers will use a friend or "bird boys" who position themselves some distance from the trainer and toss the bumpers high into the air to simulate a falling bird. For those who train without assistance, bird launchers are a big help. These launchers come in single or multiple bird capacity; however, they are usually bulky and can be expensive.
Electric dog training collars are effective but controversial. These collars have a small electronic device attached that administers a remote controlled mild electric shock to the dog. The control is hand held by the trainer. These pieces of equipment allow an immediate correction when the dog fails to respond to the more conventional command. The level of shock involved has been compared to the static shock one receives from a carpet or from touching a car door handle in cold weather. Actually, the electric collar could be considered a humane alternative to the aggressive tactics or brute force used by some trainers.
One of the best ways to embark on training your hunting dog is learn from the experts. Training tips and guidelines are now available on tapes that show the student step by step training procedures. These instructional tapes should be on every novice trainer's list of essential training equipment.
When you're training your dog in the wilds you should be prepared to care for him if he is injured. Therefore, the final thing on our list of essentials is a First Aid Kit. Many of the items you'll need for your dog are also appropriate for use on humans, so the kit can be mutually beneficial to both you and your dog. Fill the kit with such items as: sterile bandages, topical solutions, tape, scissors, tweezers, antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin, ibuprofen (safe for both humans and canines) and possibly a veterinarian prescribed anti-inflammatory such as Deramaxx or Rimadly. A well stocked First Aid Kit has prevented many a pleasant hunting trip from becoming a nightmare.
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[simpleaffiliate source="chitika" results="0"][/simpleaffiliate] Why is my dog not retrieving today?
I have a 13 week old chocolate lab. I've been working with him for exactly a week. I'll throw the dummy and he'll bring it back and drop it right in front of me. Today he doesn't want to listen. I throw the dummy and he will slowly go get it, slowly bring it back, then drop it about 3 feet short of me and walk up to me demanding his treat. Sometimes he won't even get it. What is wrong with him today? Is this normal while training labs? Is he just being lazy today? Any suggestions on breaking of this. Quitting is not an option, neither is putting it off for a couple days. I am training him for birdhunting and retrieving competitions. This is my first time to train a dog, so I am kinda wingin it..
Not so much being lazy, but dog's have off days, just as people do. As a trainer, I recommend you to go back a few steps in training...sounds like a step has been missed in training. Go back to the beginning, don't click or say Yes! until he gets all the way back to you and drops it...he may be thinking he is finished early, thats why he is dropping it early and expecting a treat...try being quiet until he gets all the way to you and drops it, then marking his behavior and rewarding
Dog Training For Dummies Paperback
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