Training Guides For Golden Retriever: Adults and Puppies

 

What comes in your mind when asked about your opinion of golden retriever dogs? Are they calm, well behaved, and lovely? Perhaps this perception is true when you have well-trained and well-groomed golden retriever. You might also perceive that if you have two Golden Retrievers, they will likely have similar behaviors. In fact, this perception is not always true. The way the golden retrievers behave depends upon the training they have. Therefore, you definitely need training guides for golden retriever since its very early age.

Training Guides for Golden Retriever: The Timeline

Just like training other breeds of dogs, training golden retriever must be provided at the right time, depending upon its age. Canine behaviorists behave that a golden retriever needs to get all the necessary training sessions before he is 2 years old.

This is the phase of basic skills and obedience. The younger the golden retriever puppies are, the easier for you to train the necessary behaviors. They are trainable and eager to please you. During the training session, make sure to meet all their physical and social needs. This is the time to develop bond and trust and to identify their potential.

The golden retriever puppies at the age of 2-6 months have several characteristics, which may influence results of the training:

1. They have shorter attention span. It means that you have to design training sessions with short duration. Longer duration training has very small potential, if any, for success.
2. They need to burn off energy. At the age of 2-6 months, the golden retriever puppies are very active. Therefore, choosing training sessions that require physical activities, or combining the training with physical activities, is more likely to bring the desired results.
3. The golden retriever puppies are learning to carry things in their mouth. Note that at this age, it is very likely that they are learning to growl, to whine, and even to bark. Therefore, the training guides for golden retriever puppy should include how he uses his mouth properly.
4. They love to communicate. This is the nature-given characteristic. However, make sure that they learn the right way of communication at this age. For instance, make sure that they can properly differentiate friendly vocalization from aggressive one.
5. They develop the fear stage at this age. Actually, this is a normal stage, which rises along with their developmental period. Accordingly, how to train golden retriever to beat their fear is by developing their self-confidence. Make sure to introduce them with loud sounds like babies crying, fireworks, thunderstorms, bell ring, vacuums, vehicle sounds, and many more. Unexpected movements like children running may also lead to fear.
6. Accordingly, purpose of the training when the golden retriever is 2 to 6 month is to establish routines and rules, to build the boundaries between the master and the puppy, and to develop self-confidence when facing unexpected thing or separation. The following are some details of grooming and care you can give to the golden retriever puppies:
7. Always keep their body clean. For instance, trim their nails every week and brush their teeth several times a week. These are good activities to build the bond between you and the puppy;
8. Occasional bathing is also a recommended activity to establish comfort zone between the master and the golden retriever puppy.

Training Guides for Golden Retriever Puppy: The Skills

As mentioned above, the age of 2 to 6 months is the ideal timeline for the golden retriever to learn the necessary skills as follows:

Potty Training

This is the first obedience training session that the golden retriever needs at the earliest stage of their life. Therefore, it is necessary to start the training as early as possible. Why? Just like the other breeds of puppy, the golden retriever puppies cannot hold their bladder too long. They need to go to the outdoor bathroom or to the potty spot frequently. Of the puppies do not develop the right habit, you can lose your mind due to the sharp smell they leave everywhere.

The potty training commonly includes two options, namely, providing a potty or ‘indoor bathroom’ or determining an outdoor bathroom, where the puppies can go immediately anytime they need it. The following are the steps:

1. Place a potty or anything that the puppies can use for quick relief, in case that they need to eliminate when you are not at home;
2. Specify at outdoor space (whether it is a corner at the backyard of your house) to be used as an ‘outdoor bathroom.’
3. Identify the time (i.e. the interval) when the puppies need to go out.
4. Make sure to take them to the same spot anytime they need to eliminate outside.

Treat the puppies anytime they can eliminate themselves to the defined place. If they can do this properly, the potty training is just completed. However, if they fail, never use physical interference as a form of punishment. Never yell at the dogs. Instead, ignore them and do not provide the treats until they show the desired behavior. Use calm intonation when speaking to the puppies. 

Meeting and Greeting

Introduce the dogs to outside world as early as possible. Meeting others (other people or other dogs) is important to build their social instinct. The more frequent they meet others; the more capable are the puppies to manage fears and anxiety. For this, you can do the following things:

1. Take your dogs out regularly. Note that the golden retriever puppies need physical exercises to burn off their energy. Taking them for afternoon walk is a great idea to have them socialize and burn off energy.
2. Do not prevent the puppies from having contact with others. The way you react determines how the puppy responds. Let others hug and kiss them. Just show positive emotion to provide the puppies with assurance and confidence;
3. Let them to be exposed to outside sounds and smells. These help them understand that they are not alone on earth.

Overall, golden retrievers are social dog. You had better encourage this natural character instead of trying to protect them from the outside world. In the future, you will see that this social nature will be helpful.

 

Preventing the Puppies from Biting

Biting can be a problem. Note that the golden retriever is learning to use their mouth to carry things, and biting is naturally the easiest way to do this. However, when the puppies begin to bite things like shoes, toys, and even your fingers, you will need to anticipate more problems in the future, if the problem is not solved immediately. 

The following steps may be helpful as a part of training guides for golden retriever:

1. Identify the times where they try to bite. For instance, if they begin biting when they are hungry, identify the time when the puppies actually need foods.
2. Do not give anything while they are still biting.
3. Say “no” and combine the command with hand gestures.
4. While you are preparing the foods, keep the puppies busy by providing them with toys.
5. Give the foods as the treat when they calm.
6. Stick with this method anytime the puppies bite. Eventually, they will learn that biting is no fun, as they cannot get any treats.

Training the Basic Skills

Just like the other breeds of dogs, the golden retriever puppies need to learn the basic skills from early age. The following are among the basic skills to teach the golden retriever puppies:

1. Leash training. Make sure to work this training. You can start by taking the puppy for a short walk. Put the leash on loosely. If he starts to pull on the leash, stop walking, wait, and see him. Do not move, do not let the puppy go anywhere, and do not give him any treats. Then, walk again after he calms down, and give him some treats after he shows the desired behavior. 
2. Sitting. Teach him to sit by using “Sit!” command and placing the treats at lower place. Do not give the treats until he sits properly. As soon as he does the desired action, give him some treats. 
3. Coming. Imagine how frustrating it is if the puppy does not respond when you call him. If you want the dog to come to you, the first thing you should do is introducing him his name. Call his name repeatedly. Anytime he responds properly, treat. Once the puppy is familiar with his name, it is easier for you to call him to come. As he responds to your calling, ask him to come by using hand gesture. Treat him anytime he responds correctly. If the puppy does not respond the first time you call him, try using additional distractions like food or toys.
4. Teaching the puppy not to jump. Besides being important for golden retriever puppy, teaching the dog not to jump is also a part of training guides for adult golden retriever. Besides its danger, jumping habit can pose you with other problems. Imagine what may happen when the dog jumps to a stranger or a guest who is coming to your house. Turn around or ignore the puppy when jumps. Or, you can walk backward and give “down!” command. Praise him with treats when all his feet are on the ground. 

Once again, praise the puppies only when they do or show the desired response. Instead, do not punish any mistake. Punishment only leads to anxiety and even aggressiveness on the part of the puppies. On the part of the master, repeated mistakes may lead to frustration. Therefore, approach the puppies with gentle voice, instead of yelling.

 

Training Guides for Adult Golden Retriever

Basically, training adult golden retriever is similar to training the puppies. However, you may need more patience and commitment when training the adult dogs. Why? They might have developed some habits and behavior before coming to you. It is okay if the are good behaviors. You will need extra effort to change the behaviors in adult dogs.

However, the approach remains the same. Never use physical punishment to the dogs. Instead, use gentle and calm voice. Reward for the good behaviors comes in the form of treats while punishment may come in the form of ignorance. Golden retrievers are active dogs. Therefore, the best way to train them to the desired behavior is engaging them in training sessions that involve physical activities.
The following are some options of activities to consider as a part of training guides for adult golden retriever:

1. Daily walks. Set the schedule to take the dog for walk around your environment. Besides burning off their energy, the golden retriever can learn to socialize and realize the surrounding;
2. Running. Golden retrievers are excellent partners for running. Wear them down by physical activities like jogging and running. When they are worn down, they will not have much more energy to bark all the night (for instance), as they will use the nighttime for rest;
3. Playing fetch. This simple game is effective in handling down their energy. Choose an open area, where to play the game.
4. Socializing. If the dog has been familiar with the environment and other dogs, engage your golden retriever with other well-behaved dogs. Besides learning to socialize, the dog can have fun time, which wears down his energy.
5. Swimming. Most golden retrievers love water. Swimming is a great activity for the dog.  

Engaging the golden retrievers in outdoor space is a great idea to keep them busy while building the bond between the owner and the dog. Then, make sure to reinforce all the good behaviors and reward the dog properly. Treating the dogs for any good behavior naturally tells them to do the same, and they will do so to get more treats. 

When a routine has been established, make sure to stick to it every day.  The more you stick to the routine and reinforce the new habits, the easier it is for you to train the golden retrievers. These are only parts of the actual training guides for golden retriever. When doing them, you will get more experience.

Learn more complete guide how to train your dog here

Read More

German Shepherd Training: How To Train A German Shepherd

German shepherds are surely among the cutest puppies you can have. They are even lovelier when trained properly. On the other hand, untrained puppies may lead to frustration. Training your German shepherd as early as possible is of course advisable, but choosing the right timing for every new tricks in the German Shepherd training is more important.

The good news is that German Shepherds are among the cleverest dogs. As long as the training is designed properly, you will not have many problems in training them to have good behaviors. Studies show that they can understand new commands very quickly. You just need to repeat a new command 4 to 5 times, and the German Shepherds can get them. However, they obey almost 95% of the first command. Therefore, you need to repeat and reinforce the commands before they are familiar with them

More interestingly, most owners of German Shepherds are success in training the dogs on their own. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will need help from a canine behaviorist because of the problems in training the new habits. Unfortunately, their intelligence may pose a different problem for the master. Sometimes, they can be stubborn. Therefore, you need a smart approach for how to train a German shepherd.

How to Train A German Shepherd: 8 to 16 Weeks

As mentioned above, training a German shepherd can be a fun thing to do as long as you can choose the right timing. Age of the German shepherd puppy determines what kind of training you can give. You are lucky enough to have a German shepherd puppy, as you can start the training earlier. The ideal time to begin training is when the puppy is 8 weeks old. At this age range, the following are the guidelines for you:

Socialization

Most breeds of puppies can be better in socializing when they are trained to do so at earlier age. The German shepherd is no exception. Experts say that dog’s socialization window mostly closes at the age of 12 to 16 weeks. Therefore, make sure that the training for socialization begins at earlier age. Otherwise, you will have problems in training and reinforcing new behaviors for them.

When the socialization begins at older age, the masters will be facing more problems. By nature, they are protective guardians. Early socialization is crucial to allow them determine which strangers are actually friends. They are observant animals. As a result, the way they react to strangers (new people, other animals, or even new situation) may depend upon how you react.

Since the age of 8 weeks, it is good if the German Shepherd puppies are exposed to many different situations. Show them that the new people or the new situations are not threatening. This way, they can be confident that you are not in a threatening situation. The key to success of training in this stage is confidence. Exposing them to new people, new smell, new sights, and even new smells is important. Do them in a calm way, and the German Shepherd puppies will eventually react in the same way.

The training may include a number of activities, like engaging the puppies in short but fun games, taking them to new places, introducing them to new tools like nail clippers, combs, brushes, and many more. The socialization step is called successful when the puppies do not go aggressive or restless in new situation, among the family members, or even at uneven surfaces.

Crate Training

All breads of puppies need proper crate training. If you want to have this for the German shepherd, make sure to start the training at this age range. Of course, you cannot always be with the puppies. Make him acclimated to be alone at home by means of proper crate training. If not trained properly, the German shepherd puppies will develop separation anxiety and even may bark all the time when they are left home alone.

Crate training strategies for the German shepherd is mostly similar to those used for other breeds of puppies. You need to choose crate of the right size, and get the puppies familiar with crate in a step-by-step way. Make sure to set the schedule for feeding and for taking them out.

How to Train A German Shepherd: 3 to 9 Weeks

At this age range, there are a number of training sessions, which you can begin for the German shepherd. They include obedience training, recalling, and impulse control.

Obedience Training

This training session is important for all breeds of puppies. The obedience training aims at teaching the puppy to act properly at home or in other settings. This is only the way to fix bad habits, which the dog had developed before they came to you.

German Shepherds are working dogs and they excel in terms of obedience. If you begin the obedience training at the right age, you can encourage their best working traits. At this step of training, you can teach basic commands like come, sit, stay, and walking on a loose leash. The following are some basic but essential skills you must teach since the puppies are 3 months old:

1. His name. Throughout the training sessions, you will call his name, right? If the puppy does not respond when you call his name, training will be much troublesome. The first thing you have to do in the obedience training is getting him to know his name. As he hears you calling his name a lot, the dog will be able to recognize it. When he can respond properly as you call his name, treat your German shepherd properly.
2. The command “Come!” This is also a basic command for the German shepherd puppies. Teaching this command will be much easier when the puppy recognizes his name well. As soon as he looks at you when you call his name, say the command “come!” If he is successful and coming to you soon, give him some treats. However, if the puppy ignores you, you may need higher-valued treats like his favorite toys.
3. The command “sit!” Even though this is a basic command you need to teach the German shepherd, you may need extra efforts as well as extra treats for this. If the treats are interesting enough, the puppy will keep eye contact on them, rather than on you. Hold the treats lower and call the command “sit!”. Hold the treats on if the puppy jumps on it. Instead, give him the treat if he sits down like what you ask him. Keep practicing this until the behavior becomes his second nature.

 

Controlling Impulse

The ability to control their impulse is important for the German shepherd puppies. Improperly trained German shepherd frequently poses the master with behavior problems, such as digging, excessive barking, or aggressive chewing.  Inappropriate chasing is another impulse-related problem commonly found in German shepherd. They naturally love chasing thing. However, inappropriate chasing may lead to problems.

Training the puppies to control impulse may be challenging, but most masters are successful in it. The key is having the puppy focus on you. Ability to control impulse is similar to patience training in other breeds of dog. Train this from the early stage, for instance:

1. Ask the puppy to sit while you are preparing the meal. You may give him his favorite toys or let him play around. Do not let the puppy to jump to the meal. This is an important part in obedience training; otherwise, the puppy will intimidate and demand the food impatiently.
2. Never put the puppy on his bag as a way to teach the command “sit!”. This may lead to injury. Physical interference mostly leads to negative behavior. So, try your best to use physical interference when training the puppy.

How to Train a German Shepherd Puppy : The Tricks

As your German Shepherd puppy shows pleasing results in the basic training sessions, you may proceed to the trick training. This training aims at boosting the puppy’s self-confidence and encouraging the bond between the master and the puppy. The tricks work by stimulating and challenging their natural instinct and capacity. At this step, you may see how intelligent the puppy is. The following are some tricks you need to teach the German shepherd puppy.

Using His Mouth Properly

Some owners of the German Shepherds might see that the puppy chews their shoes, bites the toys, the pillows, and even bites their hand. These could make the owner lose their mind, right? Actually, all puppies bite. This is their normal behavior, since the puppies are still exploring things around them. Using their mouth is the natural way for exploring things. 

However, when the habit is let uncontrolled, they German shepherd will bite and chew things, even your precious stuff, in the future. Therefore, you need to know how to stop a German shepherd puppy from biting and for using his mouth properly. The following tips may help you:

1. Tidy out the spaces commonly visited by the puppies. Keep things like shoes, pillows, or other things that may interest the puppies in the right place. 
2. Call the puppy while he is biting or chewing something, and than take the object away. You may use gestural signs to ask him to stop, and treat him when he is done. 
3. If the puppy keeps biting, do not get upset and yell at him. Instead, refrain yourself from giving him the treats. Give the treats only after the puppy shows the desired behavior.

  

Stopping the Puppy from Jumping

Besides knowing how to stop a German shepherd puppy from biting, you need to know how to stop the puppy from jumping. Perhaps, he looks cute when jumping to you when he is a puppy, right? However, wait and see few months later. The habits will challenge your nerve. It is annoying to see the adult dogs jumping on you or on other people. Therefore, start teaching the dog not to jump since it is a puppy:

1. Ignore the puppy when jumps on you as you come home. On the other hand, greet him when he stays calmly and looks at you. Ignore him again, if he jumps again. Do this repeatedly.
2. Never push the dog when he jumps. There is no need to knee.
3. If he keeps jumping, command him to “sit down!” The puppy should have been familiar with “sit!” command, as you have trained him about this at the basic steps.

Walking on a Leash

German shepherd training also includes training the puppy to walk on a leash. This training aims at teaching the puppy to walk properly and preventing him from pulling on the leash. Introduce the puppy to the leash as early as possible. As he is familiar with the object, proceed to put it on his neck while at home. Let him familiarize with the leash on his neck and allow him to walk. See how the puppy responds. Treat him for the desired response. 

On the other hand, if he begins to growl or bark, ignore him. Treat him when he is calm. Then, ask him for a short walk at the backyard of your house. Then, you can increase the duration gradually. Show the puppy that you are the leader. Do not let him to walk in front of you. Reward him if he walks properly and calmly behind you.

General Tips on How to Train a German shepherd

Training the German Shepherds is mostly similar to training other breeds of puppies. However, the German Shepherds have some distinguishing characteristics, like their working nature, protecting instinct, and intelligence. The following tips may help in encouraging the training sessions:

1. Always prepare the treats before the training begins. The treats may be foods or the puppy’s favorite toys. Treat the puppy for any good behaviors.
2. Never do bad things, like physical interference, as a form of punishment even though the puppy does not behave, as you want it.
3. Never yell at the puppy, as it may confuse him. Yelling or shouting may reinforce the negative behavior, since the puppy does not really understand the meaning of your shouting.

By applying those ways on how to train a German Shepherd in a patient and consistently, you will likely get the desired results faster.

Learn more complete guide how to train your dog here

Read More

Chihuahua Training Guides: How To Train A Chihuahua

All puppies are naturally cute and friendly. The same thing certainly is true for your puppies. Of course, it takes training to make the puppies a great companion for you. If you have Chihuahuas at home, they can be sweet friends, right? Many families love Chihuahua as they can easily fall in love with the masters. However, Chihuahuas also have some unique characteristics, which you should new when finding ways on how to train a Chihuahua to be friendly.

Chihuahua does not really love meeting other dogs, and even other people. They can easily feel comfortable with their ‘home’ but are not interested in others. Fortunately, proper Chihuahua training guides allow you to expand his personal space and to make him a lovely and friendly puppy.

A friendly Chihuahua would not bark when your doorbell rings or someone unfamiliar comes to your house. Your guests would not yell in scare because your dog barks at them. A well-trained Chihuahua does not growl at your guests.  Instead, he sits comfortably in your lap. On the other hand, a bad-trained Chihuahua may become aggressive when someone is near to you. Therefore, they must be properly trained, so that they stay calm when you have guests at home.

How to Train a Chihuahua: Step-By-Step Guides

If you want to know how to train a Chihuahua to be a friendly dog, the following tips may help you:

Chihuahua Training Guide: The Basic

Just like training other species of puppies, the first key to success in Chihuahua obedience training is starting the socialization as early as possible. It will be better if you adopt the puppy Chihuahua, so you can handle him as soon as possible. In case that there are other dogs in your house, let them interact with the Chihuahua. Frequent interaction with other dogs will help your Chihuahua to socialize as early as possible.

However, always pay close attention to the puppy, particularly when the other dogs are older. When the dogs know each other, this will reduce his dependency on you as his master. Chihuahua that only knows the master as his sole companion sometimes can go aggressive or unfriendly when meeting other dogs. Teaching older Chihuahua to be friendly may take more time that teaching the younger one. However, even older Chihuahua can still be a friendly companion, when trained properly.

Chihuahua is known to have unique temperament. Identifying it helps you in planning the training properly. They are companion dogs, if carefully trained. However, when they do not get proper training, as a master, you will face several issues, such as:

• Even the puppies may behave larger than they look. Although the dog is actually entertaining and very adorable, the way they behave like older dogs may be dangerous.
• They can be aggressive and standoffish with strangers and other dogs;
• They can be snappy with kids.

Chihuahua Training Guide: Important Notes

The first thing you need to do when training Chihuahua is making sure that he gets and do your command. Essentially, little dogs can easily learn fun tricks, which allow him to attract attention:

1. You can begin with simple commands like “stand!”, “move!”, “sit!” “roll over!” “stay!” “heel!” or “down!” Increase the level of difficulty with time. You are recommended to put the puppy on a table; therefore, you do not need to bend while giving the lesson.
2. Combine learning process and treat. Anytime the puppy shows positive progress and behavior, treat him properly.
3. Set a regular feeding schedule and do not let him free feed.
4. Try to teach the puppy to set back or stand at a defined space when you prepare the food and put it in his meal bow. Do not allow the Chihuahua to beg or jump while you are preparing the meal. You need to teach him ‘wait’ command.
5. Define an area, which will become his territory, around your house. Take him to walk on a leash and show him only area, which he will use. This helps you set a rule that the dog can only use that area. Do this repeatedly, and only visit the same places anytime you take him to walk on a leash.
6. After showing his territory, you can proceed to show him the spaces you shared. Instances include your bed or couch. Let him lie down near to your bed (on the floor). This tells him that he should be under your command. However, when he becomes a good companion and you can trust him, you can eventually let him on your level (i.e. lie down exactly new to you).
7. If there are other people or other dogs in your house, train him to socialize and adapt with others. This way, you can train the puppy to feel comfortable around other people or other dogs.
8. Train the dog to be comfortable being alone at home. If not properly trained, the Chihuahua may bark et all when left home alone. For this, you may consider a separate crate training, in which you train the dog systematically to reduce anxieties and stress when you are not at home.
   

The basic training is regarded successful when the Chihuahua is able to socialize, understand simple command, wait while you are preparing the meal, and know his territory and shared space. At this point, you may proceed to the next training method.

Chihuahua Training Guides: Respect Training

 
This aims at training the Chihuahua to respect you and the leader of command and respect others. The following are some of the tips:

1. Set the rule of respect as early as possible. For instance, when he acts aggressively, do not coddle or baby him, as it means you teach him to enforce the behavior. Instead, just put him down and pick him when he calms down.
2. Never talk with anger or loud voice to the Chihuahua. Yelling and the puppy may confuse him. He may try to do the same, i.e. acting aggressively or whining. Instead, keep talking in a calm manner to the puppy.
3. Do lot let the dog demand or even intimidate you. Train him to wait for anything he wants. Just like when you train him to wait when you are preparing the meal, tell him also to do the same for other things. Let him see when you open the doorway, take the meal, clean the meal bowl, put the food into the bowl, and serve it to him. Let him wait!
4. To let him wait, give some commands. Practice ‘sit down!’ command and see how he responds. When he responds properly, treat him by serving the food. Or, before you let him lie down near to you, give him ‘beg!’ command and see the response. 

Teach him to socialize and behave properly around others. As the dog learns and understands your command, you can get him to know the world around him. Respect training is regarded successful when the dog is able to respect you and people around you, can wait patiently, and do your command properly.

This step of training is actually related to the previous training, i.e., setting the rules and the boundaries. The rules may involve the sleeping arrangements. For instance, you can set the rules whether the Chihuahua may sleep on your bed or not. If not, set the rule from the beginning and make him obey it. You can also determine other physical boundaries that the dog should obey. For instance, if you do not want him to get into the kitchen while you are cooking or get into your bathroom, let the Chihuahua know this from the start.

How to Train the Chihuahua To be Obedient 

Most dogs bite. Therefore, they will get into a play biting phase. Therefore, you need to train the puppies not to bite others. The puppy usually bites when someone tries to handle him or when others are close to the masters. Even when you approach him while he is eating or playing, the puppy may bite, as you are intervening something he likes. If you do not want to Chihuahua to bite, always be gentle with him. For this, the following tips may be helpful:

1. Always be gentle with the Chihuahua.
2. Never use chose collars on his neck, as he can get hurt easily.  You may choose a flat buckle collar to protect his neck and trachea. If the harness is not comfortable for the puppy, it takes you longer to train the puppy to walk on a leash.
3. Do the exercise of using the collars daily. There is no need to take him far away from your house. Instead, walking around your house is enough.
4. If want to take him for outdoor walk, particularly during the cold weather, make sure to provide him with a comfortable sweater, as the Chihuahua puppies are known for sensitivity to cold weather. Do not take him out when it is too cold outside.
5. Do not train him to jump too early. Jumping for a high place may hurt his joints. It must be noted that hurt joints and fractures are among the most common physical problems facing the Chihuahua puppies. So, try to minimize the risks by not allowing him to jump from a high place.
6. If the training to avoid the puppies from beating does not work, you may consider hiring a canine behaviorist or a professional dog trainer.

You may think that a baby dog cannot do much damage. However, if the biting and aggression are not resolved early, the habit may continue when he grows up. It is much more difficult to train the adult Chihuahua not to bite.

 

General Tips on How to Train Chihuahua

The Chihuahuas learn in different ways. Therefore, do not expect that all the training sessions will automatically bring your puppy to the desired results. Some Chihuahuas need longer time to learn a command, but others can do it in a shorter time. The following tips on how to train Chihuahua may help you to make the process more effortless:

1. Never give up. Some Chihuahuas may be stubborn, while others learn faster. The point is: never give up! Even though the puppy does not show the desired behavior or does not even show any interest in the training, do not give up.
2. Avoid training the dogs when you are tired or have emotional problems, like anger and anxiety.
3. Offer high-value treats, like toys or foods that the dog loves very much, for any success in the training steps.
4. Keep the training session short, as this animals show shorter level of construction.
5. Arrange the training schedule carefully. Start from the basics and increase the level of difficulty with time.
6. Do not let your Chihuahua lead you. Since the beginning of the training, show him that you are the leader. In case the puppy shows aggression or growling at your guests, do not give him any affection. Instead, let him calm down. Treat him only when he is done with the growling. 
7. Reward the puppy with a tasty or high-value treat when he shows good behavior or does not growl to other persons or other dogs
8. Provide the treats for any good behaviors, like showing affection and social time. Make sure that the treats are ready before beginning the training.

Finally, proper training must be a priority in the training schedule. It is better if the Chihuahua is toilet trained earlier. Do not start the training using pee pads, as it will be difficult for you to manage the dogs to have normal outdoor toilet routine later in their life. Most Chihuahuas can control the bladder for about 3-4 hours during the day and 5 to 6 hours in the night. Therefore, make sure to take him out on time.  If you are not home, make sure to have someone to take the puppies for outdoor toilet routine. However, make sure that the puppies are familiar with the person.

Learn more complete guide how to train your dog here

Read More

Bulldog Training: How To Train Your Bulldog Step-by-Step

Training a bulldog requires different effort from training any other species of dogs. They are large and looking more aggressive. Sometimes, they can be stubborn, thus making it challenging to train the bulldog. It takes patience and consistency to train the bulldog. In fact, bulldog can be an affectionate and well-behaved companion, as long as you provide appropriate bulldog training.  The training involves indoor and outdoor session. Therefore, you need to practice step-by-step training for your bulldog. Bulldog training involves some steps, from crate training, house training, to outdoor training.

Bulldog Training: Crate Training Steps

Getting Familiar with the Crate

Just like training steps for other species of dogs, bulldog training begins with crate training. This provides you and the bulldog with many benefits. For instance, you can prevent the bulldog from separation anxiety, stress, and even household hazards. Before initiating the training, make sure that you select the crate of the right size, again one that is neither too small nor too large.

The right crate provides enough space for the bulldog to lie, sit, and stand effortlessly, but not too large, thus allowing it to jump, evacuate, or even create a bathroom at one corner of the crate. If you want to have a crate that can accommodate adult bulldog, consider buying a crate with an adjustable divider. This type of crate allows you to increase the available size as the bulldog grows.

When you the right crate, the following are some important ways on how to train your bulldog in the crate:

1. Make it a ‘comfortable home’ for the bulldog. The more comfortable it feels, the more likely that the bulldog spends more time inside the crate. For instance, you can put a comfortable blanket, his favorite toys, a comfy quilt over the area where the bulldogs love to sleep, and nice-looking feeding pots.
2. Let the bulldog explore the crate. Of your bulldog is easily motivated by foods, put some puts in the bowl and place it near to the crate. With time, train to bulldog to enjoy the foods nearer to the crate. Finally, put the food bowls in the crate. Let the crate door open.
3. As you play with the bulldog near to the crate, let the door open. Encourage him to explore the crate with his pleasure.
4. Train him with simple verbal command. For instance, “get in!” as an instruction to enter the crate.
   
5. Treat him when he successfully enters the crate after the simple verbal command.

Living Him in the Crate

Getting the bulldog familiar with the crate is different from leaving him in the crate. As he enters the crate comfortably, he can go restless when you leave him alone inside. To practice living the bulldog inside the crate, the following steps may help:

1. Close the door for few seconds. Let him inside for some moments, and then open the door.
2. If the bulldog whines or cries, do not immediately open the door. Instead, let him call down few seconds. Then, open the door.
3. After he can handle the anxiety, close the door for longer. Then, open it again after few minutes. In create the duration of door closing as the bulldogs settles down.

It must be noted that baby dogs cannot hold the bladders very long. Even though they have been comfortable inside the crate, do not leave them too long. This is particularly true before the puppies reach the age of 12 months, when they can hold the bladders for an hour only.

Bulldogs are sociable animals. You can play with them while the bulldogs are in the crate. More importantly, never make a crate like a punishment place. Even though they misbehave, never send them to the crate as a way to punish them. Therefore, make sure they develop a positive association with the crate. It is a homey place for them.

Bulldog Training: House Training Steps

Choosing the Elimination Spot

The next step of bulldog training is house training. In this step, the bulldog learns how to use an outdoor bathroom. At first, you need to decide the area to be used for the dog to eliminate itself. It may be the backyard of your house. Again, make sure that the outdoor bathroom spot is protected from rainwater or things that may prevent the bulldog from accessing the area.

If your house does not have any backyard, you may choose an outdoor area, where the bulldog can eliminate safely.  Then, make sure that the puppy eliminates in the same area every time. The bulldog will be able to identify the outdoor bathroom spot by smelling his scent.

Setting A Regular Elimination Schedule

After choose the place, this is the time to set the schedule. A successful bulldog obedience training session is determined from whether the dog knows when he will be going to eliminate himself outside. Make sure to train this as an early part of training, as a defined schedule is particularly important for puppies. The schedule may vary, for example:

• After eating, drinking, or playing
• Immediately after he wakes up in the morning;
• Before going to bed; or
• Any time you take him out

At the beginning, you may pay attention to the signs first. Then, stick to the same schedule for elimination. Normally, a bulldog puppy goes out from 4 to 10 times a day, while adult bulldogs eliminate 3 to 4 times  a day. Before the bulldog reaches adulthood age, you may need to pay attention to the elimination schedule tightly. Therefore, if your schedule does not allow you to do so or nobody in your house can do the job for training the bulldog, you may need to hire a pet sitter to do it.

At last, make sure that you treat the bulldog for any good behavior and never punish any mistakes or misbehavior. Let the dog know when he does something right at any phase of the training. You may suddenly drop some foods to his bowl, give him new toys, or ask him for a walk in the afternoon. Or, give him verbal appraisal or body gestures. The positive rewards you give him, the better the bulldog knows that good behavior is favorable.

Bulldog Training: Walking on a Leash

Besides house training, you will need to train the bulldog in many other aspects, such as how to walk on a leash, when you take them for walking outdoor. At first, the bulldogs may show refusal to wear the leash by pulling in down. However, proper training will lead to the desired results:

1. Train the bulldog to walk on a leash from indoor environment.
2. Create a situation in which the bulldogs do not feel stressed when wearing the leash.
3. Introduce the leash in small slices. In other words, you may introduce the collar first, then the lead. 
4. Lead the dogs walk under indoor environment. Let the bulldogs wear the harness around the house. 
5. Introduce them to outdoor setting gradually. When they have been settled with the harness, go a short walk to the backyard, for instance. Lead the way. Again, never let the dogs lead your way.

Walking on a leash may not be the first training sessions the dogs get. However, the earlier you introduce them to the leash, the better. This training usually begins when the dog is around 8 weeks old.  

Bulldog Training Tips: How To Train Your Bulldog Effectively

The most important thing in the bulldog training is making sure that the training results in positive behavior and the dog practices everything he learns from the training. The lessons above need to be given under an appropriate condition. The following are some important tips to help you when doing step-by-step training for your bulldog:

1. The shorter, the better; Unlike human beings that can concentrate on something for hours, bulldogs have very short attention. Experts recommend that each training session not to last longer than 10 minutes. Five to ten minutes is an ideal training duration to ensure that the training brings about positive results. 
2. One Session, One Lesson. Try to focus every season of the training on one lesson/command. Multiple commands may confuse the dog. You had better focus on one command but you see the results rather than teaching many tasks without any results at all. The dog may need some time to learn a command. Therefore, make sure to focus only one lesson for one session of the training. 
3. Start from the simplest command; Examples include ‘sit’, ‘stay’ or ‘heel’ command. You can begin the training from the food. The bulldogs behave positively when it comes to foods. So, teach them how to leave or how to drop the food first. 
4. Start from indoor training; It must be noted that bulldogs have a shorter face, thus making it difficult for them to breathe. Therefore, start the training indoor – under an environment where they can breathe well. Indoor training also prevents them from being exposed to humidity or heat, which may interfere with their breathing.
5. Give them plenty of water at any phase of the training.  Water is important to build up their airway. This is essential, as you cannot definitely know which circumstance is the most comfortable one for the bulldogs.
6. Specify the training goals. Instead of specifying something that the bulldogs should not do, you had better specify positive things that the bulldogs should be able to do. You cannot just say, “My dog should not pull on the leash anytime he sees other dogs.” You cannot train something non-existent. Instead, specify defined goals of the training. For instance, you want the dogs to be able to greet people, spin to the right, open the refrigerator, or close the door.
   

Accordingly, before the training begins, you had better set the defined goals for each step. As discussed above, make them realistic. You need to be patient when training the dogs. The animal has a number of limitations. With appropriate training, the good practices will eventually become their habits.

Bulldog Training: How to Make the Good Behavior Happen

“Does the bulldog practice the good behavior after the training ends?” This is an important training. The answer to the questions determines whether the training is effective or not. An effective training logically leads to good behavior. Teaching simple activities, like “sit” or “up” may be easier than training the bulldog tow al on a loose leash. 

Sitting and walking are integral part of their activity. On the other hand, walking on a loose leash is a new behavior. The dogs need reinforcement for the new lesson. The following are some tips to make sure that the good behavior really happen naturally:

1. Set up the environment. Make sure to provide the dogs with the environment, which encourages them to do the good behavior normally and naturally. For instance, set up a place where the dogs should stand when someone opens the door. This prevents them from being kicked down accidentally. You may put a baby gate, and the dog stands behind it.
2. Guide the dog properly. Lure him and guide him to move to the defined place. At the beginning, you can do this with a food treat or a favorite toy. When the dog is able to understand some body gesture, you can simply use hand movement to tell the dogs where they have to go.
3. Wait patiently. The dogs need sometime to learn new behaviors and make them habits. Wait until the action takes place naturally. When the dogs are settled with the behavior, make sure to use the instructions consistently.
4. Again, make sure that you always reward good behavior. Do not attempt to punish the dogs even though they fail a training session. The dogs do not understand whether they are doing right or not. However, when you treat them after doing something, the will do the same to get more treats. Finally, they will become new habits.

Learn more complete guide how to train your dog here

Read More