Dog Training Zone

1. Why do dogs eat their poop?

One reason dogs eat their poop is because it just plain tastes good. Another reason is it could be a vitamin deficiency. One other reason for the poop eating is that it is an instinctual behavior in the wild to eat the poop to keep other predators from tracking their movements. Some solutions for stopping poop eating are: You can put meat tenderizer on their food and it is supposed to make the poop taste bad once it goes through the body. Check to make sure your dog food is nutritous enough and they are getting everything they need in their diet. The best and most effective way is to clean up after your dog immediately.

2. How do I get my dogs to stop barking?

Dogs bark as a form of communication. Dogs will also bark out of boredom. Dogs that are not with their pack [you are their pack] will bark to get the packs attention to let them know they are lonely. Dogs will bark to alert that there is a person walking by or another dog in their territory it is a natural form of communication. If you remove the stimulant then there is no need to bark at it. The best way to stop nuisance barking is to exercise/socialize your dog. If the dog is with their pack then they is no need to get the packs attention. Dogs also
bark when they are excited it is their natural way of communication.

3. How do I get my dog to stop chewing up the furniture?

If you have a puppy it is probably teething and in some pain. The chewing is satiating to them and can possibly be soothing their gums. You can give them a cold carrot to chew on, make sure you give it to them outside it can get quite messy. You can also freeze chicken broth in ice cube trays for them to have to help relieve some of the discomfort.

You can also use Bitter Apple spray to detour them from chewing. Mature dogs usually chew out of boredom and stress. Exercise is the best way to release the stress. You can turn there attention on to something else that is more exciting then your dinning room table leg.

4. How do I get my dog to stop nipping and play-biting?

One way is to yelp very loud and startle the puppy. If the puppy was playing with another puppy and it bite to hard then the puppy would yelp to let them know it hurt. If the play stops as a result of biting too hard then the puppy will learn from being shunned away that biting stops the play time. Another solution for play biting is to have a toy and redirect the attention on to something else. You can also change the dogs environment take them outside for a walk is very helpful.

5. How do I stop my dog from potting in the house?

Once a dog start using the bathroom in the house the only method that works is PREVENTION. Every time your dog uses the bathroom in the house it takes 10 consecutively times using the bathroom outside that teaches it outside is where to go potty. So if you get to 9 times outside and then they have a mistake inside you have to start all over again. You must look at your dog/puppy as a 9 month old crawling baby with out a diaper on. Surely you would not let a 9 month old baby loose in your house with out a diaper on.

Susie Aga, Atlanta Dog Trainer

Susie is a Certified Canine Behavior & Training Specialist and a member in good standing with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She has four rescue dogs and donates much of her time and services to Rescue Organizations and hosts The Animal Hour Radio Show which can be heard through her site.

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If you’re in the market for a purebred dog, you’ll need to find a breeder from which to purchase the animal. This can often be as easy as opening the classified advertising section of your local newspaper, but you’ll want to be sure that the breeder you’ve chosen is reputable. There are several ways to help ensure that the breeder you’ve found knows his stuff and is reliable, professional, and trustworthy.

Ask for References: Any good breeder will be able to provide you references of clients he has worked with in the past. These will be people who have purchased a puppy or utilized stud services and will be happy to share their experiences with you. Choosing a breeder that was used by someone you know is a good choice as well. If your friend or family member was happy with the service and treatment he or she received from the breeder, the odds are good that you will be as well.

Prepare to be Asked Questions: A good breeder will have as many questions for you as you have for him, perhaps more. Good breeders work to ensure that the dogs they breed are placed with the correct people. They may ask whether you have children, what size home or yard you have, and numerous other questions to help them let you know whether the dog you’re seeking is right for you and your family. A breeder that doesn’t ask these types of questions may be looking just for the money from the sale of the dog and is probably not the sort of breeder you want to do business with. A good breeder always has the best interest of both the dog and the clients in mind.

Guarantees: A good breeder will have had the puppies checked for potential health risks before ever selling the animal. Some problems, however, simply are not detectable until later in life. If you purchase a golden retriever pup, for example, and six months later discover that it has hip dysplasia (a genetic defect in the animals hip joints, it is often nearly undetectable until the animal is several months old), a good breeder will issue a refund to you, no questions asked. Genetic defects like this are avoided by the use of selective breeding (hip dysplasia in dogs has between a 25% and 85% chance that it is genetic in origin), but sometimes a pup will display the disorder even if there is no trace of it in either parent’s history.

Other Sources: Aside from looking in the newspaper of on the internet for a dog breeder, breeders can be found through veterinarian’s offices, pet supply stores, and at dog shows. Dog shows are a very good choice since the breeders that attend these events are often showing one of their dogs or are there to see the performance of one that they bred and sold in the past.

Steven Hawkins, author and writer from the official Dog Breeder website. Find more information about Dog Breeders on the Rare Dog Breeders website.

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