Sunday, November 29, 2009

Controlling barking through corrective collars.

There are numerous collars on the market that produce an electrical stimulation, an irritating ultrasonic sound, or a smell (offensive to the dogs, but not to us) when the dog barks. These may be used as an adjunct to behavior modification. Collars alone will not cure the problem. Unfortunately, these collars to do not always produce the desired effect. For some of these hard-core barkers, the punishment for barking is not sufficient to get them to stop. They would rather bark and be punished than not bark at all. For dogs who bark when they are anxious, the collar’s correction may make them even more anxious. In some situations, these corrective collars have been found to be useful. For instance, there is a citronella collar which gives off a citrus smell when the dog barks. This can alert you to the fact the dog was barking while you were gone since the citrus smell still lingers in the air. In situations where you must change the barking behavior quickly or you may lose your dog (or apartment), a bark-control collar may be used while you are away from the dog. When using a bark-control collar, remember that you not only have to stop the bad behavior, you need to reward the good. Your dog can not learn an appropriate alternative to barking if someone is not present to teach it to him. Another type of collar that may be effective is a halter collar. This type of collar looks more like a horse halter; brand names include Gentle Leader/Promise System Canine Head Collar and Halti Head collars. When you pull on the leash portion, a portion of the collar tightens around the dog’s muzzle. By using a quick pull of the lead, saying “Enough” when the dog is quiet, and then rewarding him, you may find the training goes faster.

Source: Veterinary Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Midwest Life Stages Dog Crate, Midwest Crate, Life Stages Dog Crate

Crate training is great for puppies and small dogs, but many larger dogs find a crate too confining. Crates work by adhering to the dog’s natural instinct of not wanting to get soiled. We looked at different types of training and settled on the paper training method for us but you may find the crate training of pad training methods more suitable for your circumstances. The alternative to paper training is crate training. Since most puppies will not soil the place where they have to sleep, they learn to hold their bowels until they are let out of the crate/cage and put outside to go potty. In general, it’s accepted (by most dog trainers and vets) that crate training is the fastest method of house training your dog; but it requires a considerable investment of time and effort, which wasn’t an option for us. Paper training and crate training aren’t the same thing. The difference between crate training and house training. The quickest and easiest way to housebreak most puppies is the crate training approach. Paper training is the best option for you if you don’t have easy access to a garden or back yard- It’s not easy for you to take your dog outside for any other reason If you have a full-time job, or other time-consuming commitment which you can’t be around (meaning that you’re not able to spend the large amounts of time supervising your dog that crate training requires) So how to paper train your dog. The crate method involves the purchase of a crate / cage that is just large enough for the puppy to lie down in. here is a potted version Crate training is based on a dog’s basic dislike of soiling where she sleeps, and involves restricting the dog’s movement (by putting her in a crate, or small indoor kennel) whenever she cannot be actively supervised (Be sure you have the proper size crate). This type of house training requires that the puppy be placed in the crate anytime the owner cannot directly watch the puppy. Keep your puppy in a crate to keep him out of trouble when you can’t attentively watch him.