Dogs are a common household pet today, and being so common, they are often neglected.  In some peoples lives, free time is a rarity, but spending some quality time with your pet can make all the difference in both of your lives. For many of you, your dogs get a kick out of going on a walk every day, or even just playing around the house, and if this works for you and your pet, great! If it doesn’t than you’re probably looking for some new things to try.  Quality time with your dog is positive reinforcement for them to act well, and it lets them know they’re loved, so for some of you who want new ways to spend time with your dog, here are a few good ideas.

Doggy Dates

Doggy dates are simply when you bring your dog over to a friends house to have a play date! Doggy dates are an especially good idea for people with only one dog. This is because without a friend in the house, they could easily be ignorant in the subject of dog socialization and not know how to act around other dogs.  Letting your dogs play with your friends dogs will let them have friends away from home, creating an outside life for them!

New Terrain

There are many places that your dog has probably never been to, so why not explore a little? Bringing your dog to farms, beaches, the woods, the desert, or anywhere they haven’t had the chance to go on an adventure will give them a chance to experience new things and new places.  You can take your dog hiking, swimming, boating, walking, and easily enhance your relationship by including them in your adventures.  Additionally, always consider bringing your dog on vacation with you, when you’re traveling.  Not only do they make great companions, but they’ll be thrilled at the chance to go somewhere :)

Going Out

I have a friend who takes her dog everywhere with her, if she’s going to drop her daughter off, her dog goes on a car ride with her, if she’s going on a walk, you know she brought her dog, and this is a great relationship.  Taking your dog wherever you go with you will give you some great bonding time without you having to make much time at all for them.  They’ll enjoy your company, and they’ll enjoy yours!

In all, just make time for your dog, weather it be a dog training class, or an off road excursion, they’ll love spending time with you! For more information on Dog obedience classes, take a look at our Florida Dog Training website.

Love your dog!

Many people get worried about having a dog around the house when planning to have a child.  If it’s any consolation, most dogs are great when it comes to coping with children, but for those of you who are more skeptical about the choices you have, here are a few tips. Dog obedience is a big part of child safety, so when bringing a baby home, you should have already laid down some laws.  It is important to establish some basic rules based on what you are comfortable with.  Dogs are often very ‘in-tune’ with their owners.  Therefore, with an event such as pregnancy, they know something important is happening, just as you do.  A few things definitely need to be established before the baby shows up, and you have nine whole months to do it, so if you get on the ball and teach your dog while you have time to spare, things will be easy!

Dominance

Firstly, your dog should know who’s boss in the house.  You need to establish that you are their owner, because when you have an alpha in your house, it should be you and not your dog.  Failing to do this will lead your dog to think that everything in the house is theirs, including your baby.  The reason why we bring this up is because dogs need to be especially well-mannered around a baby, and if you proclaim your dominance through time, they will learn to mellow out and accept the change.

Claiming your baby

Many people go about this in different ways.  Most people have ‘look but don’t touch’ relationships established with their baby and their dog, and this is established by claiming your baby.  Before you introduce your baby  to your dog, bring your dog something that has the babies scent.  When you show your dog the item, they can sniff it, but don’t let them touch it.  This exercise will let your dog know that the smell belongs to you, so that when you bring the baby in, they will understand that the baby is yours.  This will keep it so that they wont get too close to the baby.

Another option is teaching your dog not to go inside the nursery.  Many people are comfortable with their dog visiting the baby regularly, but if your dog has repeatedly shown signs of aggression, you should be concerned.  Aggression can either grow, or dissolve when a new family member is introduced.  Many dogs fall in love with ‘their’ babies and watch over them like their own, but others grow frustrated and confused, leading to possible outbreaks of violence.  Remember, dog training is always the best route if you are concerned with the relationship between your dog and your baby.

Crates and Kennels have become a popular way to begin dog training for furry friends of all ages.  Crates are known as a great way for puppies get through stages of separation anxiety, as well as a good way to put positive reinforcement on dogs ‘alone time’.  However, many dogs of older ages have issues adjusting to crates, so here are a few dog owner tips on how to handle Kennel training.

When you first get your dog a crate, it may be a foreign concept to your pet. The new addition to your home will most likely take some time to ease your pet into, so here are a few ways to make the comfortable switch into using one.  Make sure to introduce your dog to the idea of the crate.  Leaving the crate in an area that is frequented by family members (such as the living room) will reassure your dog that it is safe, and soon will become a normal thing in your home.  Many dogs have an automatic curiosity as to what the crate is, and end up looking around it.  Many dogs even grow automatically accustomed to spending time in the crate and need no training, but if that is not your case, keep reading!

Familiarity and Food

One of the easiest ways to get your dog into the crate, is to start feeding them inside it on a regular basis.  If you consistently present your pets meals inside the crate, they will grow to see it as a common place and become more comfortable spending time in it.  Another way to help familiarize your dog with the crate is to put some of their favorite objects inside.  Weather it be a loved toy or a comfy bed, placing these objects inside will make the kennel or crate more homey for your pet. Once they become less anxious inside of the crate, try leaving them inside for small amounts of time while you are home, and gradually increase the time until they are comfortable with going inside of it on a regular basis.  Additionally, try leaving them inside while you are gone until the action becomes routine.

Potential problems with crates and Kennels include dog separation anxiety and whining.  Try to always let your dog outside to go to the bathroom before you put them into the crate to assure that it is not because they need to pee.  If problems persist, consider Florida dog training for your pet.

Dog training is a necessity, and it especially helps if you do it when they are young.  it is very important to teach puppy commands in their first year; it will form good habits that will come in handy with basic dog care, and keep the both of you out of trouble!  Here are a few basic things every puppy should learn.

Potty Training

It seems that all people should know to teach their dogs to go to the bathroom outside, but it is equally important for you to teach them to alert you when they have to go.  Unless you have a doggy door, you need to know when they have to go or you’ll end up with a soggy carpet, and that doesn’t smell so good.

Stop and Stay

Training your dog to stop and stay is very important when considering dangerous situations and manners around others.  If your dog runs off when you open the door or if they get off their leash, you need to have the control of making them stop and stay.  This also comes in handy when you have guests over and your puppy is pestering them.

NO jumping

Jumping may be adorable when they are puppies, but you don’t want your full grown dog jumping on children or elderly friends, so break the habit!

Puppy Socialization

Let your puppy be friendly and be around other animals, but know when to limit them.  It is fine to let your dog play with other kitties or dogs, but don’t let them start chasing, biting, or harassing the other animal. Don’t eliminate dog play, just watch over how your puppy acts around other dogs.  Basically, teach them their limits of puppy socialization in order to be polite around others.

Dominance

Many dogs mistakenly believe they are the alpha of the house and take over the space as their territory.  This is a horrible thing to let your dogs do.  Letting them think that they are in charge will make them lash out and become violent in situations that are not appropriate.  If your dog starts growling at you as a puppy, it is a good idea to take them to a dog obedience class.  One of my puppies used to growl, and a good way to show them that you are in charge is to simply flip them onto their back.  We repeatedly flipped him on his back whenever he acted out, and now he is now the nicest family dog you could ask for!  Doing this a few times will send the message that you’re the boss.

If you have any questions about puppy training, ask, message, or call our Florida dog training center.