Here at Dog Trainer U.S., we believe that every single question is important and deserves an answer. We have posted some of our clients questions below and the answers.
If you have a question, please reach out so that we may answer it and/or add it below to our list of FAQ’s.
Teach the dog/pup some consistent behaviors such as
Always use the same door to go out to potty
Sit or ring a bell at the door
Always reward them initially for the behavior at the door and for going potty outside
Once you have become their butler (opening the door for them even to go out and play) then you begin praising at the door behavior but only treating for going potty outside
Have a lot of appropriate chew toys with different textures for the puppy to chew on
If they begin chewing inappropriately, then tell them “off” and give them an appropriate chew item
DO not allow them unsupervised access to areas where they can chew inappropriately.
I recommend a play pen
Teach an action command initially such as “sit” (but on ground in sitting position) or “wait” (no forward motion)
Utilizing a high value treat – have your pup sit or wait, then treat.
Begin with seconds then treat.
Increase the time that you have them sit before giving the high value treat. Once they are holding it for a minute plus, then you can begin increasing the distraction – such as putting their food bowl down.
Start with an empty bowl
Once you have food in it be prepared to pull it up so the pup cannot self-reward by breaking the sit.
Once pup is holding it, then you may begin releasing at varying times of sitting or waiting.
Depending upon the size of the pup, I recommend bathing them in a sink or tub so that water temperature may be controlled.
Place the dog or pup in the sink or tub with a mat on the bottom to prevent slipping and so the pup/dog feels stable
Just like brushing your own hair, brushing should be pleasurable to the dog/pup
Begin with a quality brush that feels nice. If you begin with a brush that scratches or does not feel good on the skin – how can you expect your dog to want to tolerate it.
When brushing begin in the direction that the hair lays, stroking down with an upward swing – do not push down applying pressure to get the brush through the dog/pup’s hair
You may need to section the hair to brush through it.
Once the brush is smoothly going through the pup’s hair, then you can switch to a comb
Comb completely through each section of hair with the wide end of the comb to ensure no tangles
It may be beneficial to spray water or detangler on your pup’s coat as you brush it
*Just like brushing your own hair, brushing should be pleasurable to the dog/pup
Begin with a quality brush that feels nice. If you begin with a brush that scratches or does not feel good on the skin – how can you expect your dog to want to tolerate it.
When brushing begin in the direction that the hair lays, stroking down with an upward swing – do not push down applying pressure to get the brush through the dog/pup’s hair
You may need to section the hair to brush through it.
Once the brush is smoothly going through the pup’s hair, then you can switch to a comb
Comb completely through each section of hair with the wide end of the comb to ensure no tangles
It may be beneficial to spray water or detangler on your pup’s coat as you brush it
There are many quality foods on the market and there are just as many that are not quality. There is also a lot of discussion regarding grain or grain free, raw vs cooked or baked kibble, home-made vs purchased. I recommend that you do your research and get as informed as possible so that you may make an informed decision. Things to consider when looking at dog food:
What country are the ingredients sourced from?
How many recalls has the dog food company had?
Reviews?
What does your breeder recommend?
Does the breed club have any input on the type or brand of food for the breed?
What is the size of the dog? Many foods offer food for the size of the dog (i.e., large breed, miniature, small, etc.)
What health issues are prevalent in the breed or breeds?
How much time if any do you have to prepare food?
Risks involved with Raw food.
Your lifestyle?
What will it support in terms of food preparation
There are numerous leashes on the market (nylon, bungee, flexi, leather, and others), you should consider the following when deciding what leash to use.
How will you be using the leash?
Do you know how to properly use the leash?
How does it fit in your hand?
Length of leash?
Width of the leash?
Style of clip?
If you will be using the leash for biking, roller blading etc. your dog, you may want a bungee type leash so that there is a little more give when moving at faster speeds. If you are walking your dog, you may want a 4-6 foot leash only. If you are going to be in a busy environment, you may want to have a 4 foot or traffic lead. If you are working on distance recalls with a dog that may have some difficulty you will want to utilize a 20-30 foot long-line. I only recommend a flexi-leash if someone needs to take their dog to potty and is not physically able to move around. If you need to just move your dog safely & they do not have a collar on then a slip-lead may be appropriate,
I always recommend that you learn how to properly utilize a leash much like any other tool. A flexi-lead not used correctly can be dangerous for human and dogs. A long-line can also be dangerous. A bungee leash used for a normal walk or on a dog that pulls or lunges is also dangerous.
Leather leashes allow you to hold it without the risk of it peeling skin if a dog pulls. It allows me to hold it firmly and feel that I have a good grip with a strong reactive dog.
The Width of a leash is important as you need to be able to grip it comfortable in your hand. The size of your hand determines the width that will be best. I have a very small hand, so a ¼ to maximum ½ inch is all that I am comfortable holding/gripping.
There are some clips that are a simple pull down to release, others have something that has to be twisted, pushed in, etc. If you are going to be doing something that you may need quickly unhook your dog, find a clip that has a quick release.
Crates if properly taught offer a multitude of benefits such as:
Keeping the dog from getting into dangerous situations when you are not able to monitor
A feeling of having a den or place of safety that they like
Assists with housebreaking issues
Give the dog a place of retreat if the stimulus in the environment is more than they can handler or are comfortable with.
Caloric intake and needs will vary dog to dog based on size, growth factors, age, metabolism, activity, neutered or spayed, etc. Many dog food bags have recommended amounts to feed dogs based on age or size, however this may not be what your dog requires or needs. Just as two 5’6” people may not have the same caloric requirements neither do dogs. I would recommend consulting your veterinarian and/or doing the following:
Assess Dog body condition. Is the dog:
Overweight
Underweight
Does the dog have a waistline
Are the ribs, spine & hip bones pronounced
Once the body score is determined then you may determine if you need to increase or decrease food. If so:
Begin feeding the dog and appropriate amount. If your dog is eating very fast and/or hunting for more food when finished, slowly increase by 1/8 to 1/4 c a feeding. If no diarrhea for 5-6 days and dog/pup is still acting hungry another food increase may be in order.
If your dog is overweight begin decreasing the amount of food by ¼ cup at a time. You may add no salt or frozen green beans to the diet to add bulk and fill the dog/pup up
The dog/pups weight should be monitored weekly along with body score
Once the dog/pup has reached the ideal weight, close monitoring of weight and body score are extremely important so that adjustments may be made to halt weight loss or weight gain when appropriate.