Pet Auto Safety

Training your puppy must begin as soon as he/she arrives home. The first days are important as both owner and puppy are enthusiastic and eager to please each other. Before the puppy arrives, family members should all agree on how they will share the chores; when feeding should take place, daily walks etc; these are important subjects to discuss so a routine can be established. It is your responsibility as an owner to provide direction and boundaries.

This is the bonding period, the time when your relationship will develop, build and strengthen. It is your guidance that will help shape his character.

By doing this, you are preparing your puppy for his own well-being and how he will be accepted during his lifetime. The other advantage of proper training is that both you and your dog will be accepted socially and you, as the owner will be looked upon as a successful dog owner.

You might run into some difficulties with your new pet, some more challenging than others. Only by understanding the reason this is happening can you deal with the situation.

Separation anxiety is common in 10% of dogs; they will show anxiety very often if their routine changes or if you move house.

Aggressive behavior can be shown when the dog is untrained. If your animal is being aggressive and starts biting, it’s best to seek the help of a professional dog trainer.

Barking is another common problem you might have to deal with. Dogs bark when they are excited, but when it becomes excessive and causes disruption to you and your neighbors, you need to check whether they are perhaps bored, defending their territory, or unwell.

A common pet question that can arise is how to get your puppy to stop chewing furniture. This is often the result of boredom or not having a toy to chew on. This habit can be expensive for you if not checked early!

Techniques for Dog Training:
Keep it simple to start off with; simple commands with lots of encouragement and reward for doing it right. All animals respond to positive encouragement.

Play with him gently and keep the sessions short; this is new stuff he’s learning and by keeping the sessions short you will be more flexible and patient and your puppy will not tire too quickly. You should both be enjoying these sessions.

Create acceptable and unacceptable boundaries for your animal. Again, make them simple and above all, stick to them.

Partnership between dogs and humans has existed for centuries now. People quickly learned the advantages of taking their dogs hunting, particularly with dogs used to guard livestock. Over the years however, with the advent of dog shows, breeding and training of dogs, partnership between humans and dogs have evolved considerably, the role of guide dogs today is a prime example. Humans seeking companionship and protection and dogs looking for shelter and food are surely the basis for good partnership.

Check out the American Dog Blog for a great article on fundamental dog training tips.  The article touches on four basic elements which need to be used for every command you teach your dog.  It doesn’t matter if you are teaching your dog to sit or if you are teaching them to run through an obstacle course.  These four basic tog training tips are used by almost every effective dog trainer.  Check out the American Dog Blog for more details.

Dawn Ross, the primary owner of Pet Auto Safety.com, is now a certified dog trainer with the Animal Behavior College. So if you live near Lawrence, Kansas and if you are interested in getting help on learning how to train your dog, contact Dawn at naturebydawn@aol.com. Since Dawn is a new dog trainer, dog training classes will be less expensive than most other dog training courses. And if you like how Dawn has helped you train your dog, reference her to other dog-people you know.Also, look for dog training articles by Dawn Ross on the Pet Auto Safety Blog and the American Dog Blog.

Did you ever wonder why your dog just doesn’t listen? You hear about it a lot with some parents and their children, but with dogs it is a much simpler reason - and a simpler solution. As it sometimes is with children, dogs don’t listen to you because they don’t respect you. You give them everything they could ever want and they don’t have to do a thing to earn it, so what is their motivation for doing what you tell them to do? Not much. But before your use negative motivation like yelling (or worse, physical punishment), try some simple positive actions to earn your dog’s respect.

Pet Auto Safety.com will soon have a certified dog trainer on their staff. Dawn Ross has completed the written course and hands-on course through the Animal Behavior College. All that’s left is 10 hours of volunteer time and a final exam.

Our company has recently moved to Lawrence, Kansas, so she will hopefully be completing the 10 hours at the Lawrence Humane Society. But first, she has to go through orientation which will not be until September 10th. After the orientation, Dawn can train some of the dogs at the shelter in order to help them be more adoptable. She can’t wait to get started!

Be on the lookout for when she is a certified dog trainer. She will be posting some helpful dog training tips. And our company is planning on expanding into dog training products in 2010.

Audrey Frederick has the benefit of experience and wisdom when it comes to taking care of pets. She has written a wonderful article which can help you help your dog overcome separation anxiety. Please read this wonderful article below.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs!
By: Audrey Frederick

Also check out her cat and dog website at http://www.cats-and-dogs-on-the-web.com.

Since we just posted a blog about dog crates, we thought it would be a good idea to post some tips on crate training your dog. To crate train your dog, after all, is generally much easier than to train your dog to enjoy riding in the car (unless your dog naturally enjoys riding in the car).

The first thing you do is set up the dog crate and put your dog’s favorite bed in there. If your dog doesn’t use a dog bed, that’s fine. Depending on the dog crate you may not have to put anything inside.

Second, get your dog’s favorite toy or treat. It is important that you use whichever excites your dog the most. Some dogs go nuts over certain toys while other dogs dance in circles over certain treats. When your dog is adequately excited, coax your dog into the dog crate by slowly leading them inside with the toy or treat. When the dog goes inside, be sure to give them the toy or treat and lots of praise. Train your dog with positive reinforcement so they learn the crate is a rewarding place to be.  It is important that you do not force your dog into the dog crate. If the dog is hesitant, just lead them as close to the dog crate as you can and give them their reward and praise. If you continue practicing on and off throughout the day, and possibly throughout the week or more depending on the dog, you will find that your dog will get more comfortable being around the dog crate and will eventually go inside.

When the dog is comfortable going all the way inside the dog crate, put several treats in the dog crate to encourage your dog to go inside and close the dog crate door. If your dog is distressed when you close the door, leave them in for only a short moment. After lots of practice, you can eventually leave your dog in the dog crate for longer periods of time.

After your dog is used to being in the dog crate for a minute or two, leave the room. Do not respond if your dog cries. Let them cry. This may sound mean, but if you run to your dog and let them out of the dog crate when they cry, you may mistakenly train your dog that crying will get them out of the dog crate.

When you feel that you can leave your dog home alone in the dog crate, you may leave certain toys in the dog crate. The best toys are the ones which are non-destructible, like a Kong. Do not leave toys or treats which the dog can chew up and possible choke on.

The three most important tips to remember when crate training your dog are:
1) Don’t let your dog out of the dog crate just because they are crying or whining.
2) If your dog is a chewer, don’t leave anything in the dog crate which your dog will chew up. This means toys, blankets, and dog bones.
3) Never use the dog crate as a form of punishment. The dog crate should be a place of comfort and safety.

The best way to keep your new dog from chewing your stuff or from messing on your floor while you are away is to provide crate training for your dog. Crate training is a safe and easy way to protect both your home and your pet. Some people may think that keeping a dog in a crate is cruel. This is not true unless you keep your dog in the crate for several long hours without food or water or a restroom break. But keeping your dog in a crate for only a few hours can actually help your dog feel safe. In the wild, wolves and other wild canines often stay in a cave or den. Their cave or den protects them from predators and elements of the weather. As descendants of the wolf, dogs still carry this instinct to stay in a secure place. Ever notice your dog sleeping under the table or the bed? Or behind the furniture or in a small room, such as the bathroom during a thunderstorm? Under the porch or in a doghouse? A crate will provide your dog with the same security that the places of your home bring. In fact, most dogs who have gone through crate training often go in their crates on their own initiative.

The most important reason you should provide crate training for your dog is that keeping your dog in a crate prevents them from chewing on harmful things or getting into harmful substances when you are not home. 

Being a puppy, my dog Maya likes to investigate things by putting them in her mouth. In order to prevent her from hurting herself or doing damage, I put safety covers on all my plugs, secured all the wires from my computer and television so that she could not get to them, and the trash can is kept under the sink. If you have a pantry, you can put your trash can in the pantry or get a trash can that has a secure lid. Also, anything I do not want to get destroyed is put up out of Maya’s reach or put into a room where she is not allowed to go. Laundry is kept in a laundry basket with a lid and the bathroom door is kept closed.

Puppies need to chew so it is important that you have fun and safe toys for your dog to play with. The chewing phase generally lasts to age two, but every dog is different and some may take longer to grow out of it. Besides keeping the house secure, I also work with Maya to help her learn what she is and what she is not allowed to chew on. Maya has several toys. If I find her chewing on something she is not supposed to have, I take it away and say “no” in a very firm voice. Then I give her a toy she is allowed to play with and tell her what a good girl she is for playing with it. If your dog gets bored with their toys, switch them out every week or so. You do not necessarily have to buy new toys each time. Just give your dog two or three of their toys at one time and change to two or three of their other toys the next time it seems your dog is getting bored. They will probably play with them like they are new toys!

Another think I do is I keep Maya in a crate for when I am not home. Crate training is a great way to keep your dog safe for when you are not able to keep an eye on them. For more information on crate training your dog, visit this site: trainingtipsfordog.info.

Crate training is not cruel unless you leave the dog in for hours and hours at a time with no potty breaks. Maya actually loves her crate and she often goes in there on her own to rest. On days when I am not going to be home for long hours, I take her to a doggie day care place called Woof’s Play-n-Stay or had a dog walker from Grand-Paws Pet Sitting Services to come by and take her for a walk.

Here is an overview of the things you need to do to make your home safe:

*Put safety covers on plugs that are not being used.
*Secure plugs and wires and make sure your dog can’t get to them.
*Put trash can under the sink or in the pantry or make sure it has a secure lid.
*Make sure items that your dog might like to chew are put out of reach.
*Keep bathroom closed in order to keep the dog from getting into the toiletpaper or laundry.
*Provide fun and toys that your dog is allowed to chew on.
*Teach your dog to chew on their toys only.
*Keep your dog in a secure place, such as a crate, when you are not home.

It is recommended for any dog who rides in the car to be secured in some way. There are many great products out on the market made just for the safety of traveling pets including dog car seat belts, dog car safety seats, carriers, and auto barriers. Before taking your dog for a ride in the car, it is a good idea to get them used to the auto safety device you are going to use.

Dog car seat belts can generally also be used as a harness for walking. Use the harness for this purpose as much as possible. You can even allow the dog to wear it around the house while under your supervision.  Once they are used to wearing it, they are less likely to try to struggle out of it.

If you are going to use a dog car safety seat, allow your pet to use it as a pet bed first.  Then when they use it in the car, they will feel more comfortable because they are in a familiary place.  Pet car seats should be used with a harness so also get them used to wearing this device as described above.

For dogs who are going to ride in a travel carrier, try crate training them first. Visit Training Tips for Dogs for help on Crate Training your pet.  Once the crate becomes a second home for your pet, putting them in the crate during a car ride will be much less stressful for them.

An auto barrier would be the simplest for your dog to get used to.  Simply install the device and take your dog for a ride.  If it makes them anxious because they can’t be close to you, take them for short rides at first to places they would love to go.  Evenutally, they will be less anxious about the barrier.