Potty Training, Grooming, Nutrition, and Choosing a Breed

Potty training a dog can be easy with the right methods. In this tutorial I will teach you a different approach to potty training your dog as well as tips on grooming your animal with chemical free products. I have included a nutritional recipe to give your pets and some things to consider when choosing a breed. The video I found is totally awesome! A must see if you are a pet owner! It is hilarious!

Step 1: Potty Training Your Dog

Many people make the mistake of punishing their dog when potty training them.
The dog is wondering why are they getting punished for something that is natural for them to do.
When training your pet, I recommend training them with a more positive approach.

There are certain times when a dog has to go potty.
Train them around those times for a better approach.

• After they eat.
• After they drink.
• After they wake up.
• After they play.

Grab a treat and go outside after they do these things. As soon as they go reward them with a treat, pet them, and say good boy/girl!

If they happen to go potty in the house and you catch them in the act, say in a nice voice "outside." Then take them outside (remember the treat) and reward them before they come back into the house. Pretty soon they will get the hang of it.

When I first got my dog she was 6 months old and was potty trained. She had one problem though. Every time I came home she would wet at the front door. I was not happy about that and I knew I needed to correct the problem. I finally put some treats in my purse and before I opened the door I would have one ready and she soon figured out if she came outside she would get a treat. I would walk away from the door out on the grass and give it to her and then she would do her duty. Another thing I learned was: I never bent down to pet her when I first got home. She would wet as soon as I bent down to pet her. It is a dogs natural way of being submissive. My method did not hurt her feelings and it was very effective. I don't have the problem with Desi going potty at the front door anymore. I can bend down and pet her with no problem. She is a dog that will look you in the eye now because I think she is more confident.

Feeding and watering the dog at particular times of the day helps with training. Remember they go after they eat and drink. This is a good way to train a dog on command.

Positive re-enforcement is the best way to train an animal. Reward them and praise them when you see them doing something you want them to do. Too often we give them the bad attention which produces bad behavior and we don't reward the good behavior.

Train them using their natural habits. It is easier on the pet and not as frustrating for you. A dogs natural habit is to chew, dig, and bark. Give them chew toys when you catch them chewing on your shoe. Say "mine" when they are chewing on your shoe and "yours" when you give them their toy.

Crate training is a very good method.

If you work and the dog is an indoor dog put them in a room where there is no carpet.
Use a child gate to block off a kitchen area. Letting a dog roam when your trying to potty train them is not a good idea because they wet on the carpet and that odor stays there for a very long time, even if you clean the carpet. Setting a timer is often a good thing to do to remind you it is time to let them out.

I hope some of these tips might help you in training your dog.

I came across this video that was so totally awesome! I had to share it here because with good training you can teach a dog to do what you want. This is a good example of loyalty and good training!

http://animalvideos.yahoo.com/video-detail?vid=26433573&cid=24037714.

Step 2: For Fleas

• Tea Tree oil is a very good product to help reduce fleas. Fleas do not like it.
• Here is a recipe for shampoo that is on Instructables. I see no reason why you can't use it for a dog or cat. It has less chemicals in it than a flea controlling shampoo that you would buy at the store.
• Here is the link: http:// https://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Shampoo/.
• Another good product is Texas Cedar-wood oil. Sprinkle this on their bedding.
• Add Lavender oil or Texas Cedar-wood oil to the rinse water of your washer when washing their bedding.
• Cut out a triangle from a piece of cloth and sprinkle a few drops of Lavender oil or Texas Cedar-wood oil and tie it around their neck.

Step 3: Bad Breath

For bad breath it is important to maintain a good diet. When choosing a brand of dog food consider the main ingredients. If corn is listed in the first 2 it is not a good brand. Good brands cost more. They do not contain fillers like the cheap dog food so the portions are less. All in all the more expensive brand is not that much higher when you consider the visits to the vet when they have skin allergies or other health issues because of a poor diet.

Some dogs with food allergies can not have a high protein diet. Something less than 21 percent protein will be a better choice for your pet. These are difficult to find. My dog was on a Purina brand and began itching. I changed the brand to Natural Choice and she is fine. I always look for the percentage of protein if I can't find my brand.

My son has a dog that can't eat beef but he can have food with lamb and chicken. I think a lot of pure bred dogs have a tendency to have food allergies. This is just my opinion.

Brush their teeth.

Adding a few drops of Liquid chlorophyll to their water will freshen their breath and has nutritional benefits.

Chlorophyll aids the digestive system. My husband buys cheap tennis shoes and the synthetic fibers causes his feet to smell. I give him liquid chlorophyll and as long as he takes it daily his feet don't smell. It works the same way for bad breath. My dog has always been on a good diet until we began taking care of my mother-in-law. She began feeding my dog table scraps like bread and crackers and her breath began to smell. I started giving her liquid chlorophyll and it cleared up as long as I give it to her in the water dish. It can be purchased at a health food store.

Step 4: Chicken Bones

• Chicken bones can be very well cooked and you can feed them to your dog safely! Here is how to do that:
• Save all your chicken bones and freeze them until you have a large pot of bones.
• Cook them for several hours in a crock-pot until you can mush them between your fingers and they are completely soft with no hard pieces or sharp pieces.
• When they are thoroughly cooked, strain them in a strainer and let them sit until the broth has been removed. Reserving the liquid broth.
• Pour the bones out on a plate and mush them with a fork removing any hard or sharp pieces.
• You can mix the broth and bones together and freeze small portions in plastic bags and use when needed.
• I would bag 3 days worth to a package.
• Or:
• You can freeze the bone meal and broth separately.
• This can be used to appease picky dogs that do not like the healthy dog food.
• Just pour over their dog food.

• You can use the bone meal as a treat.
• This is high in vitamins and minerals and the dogs and cats love it.

Step 5: Choosing a Breed

Most people make the mistake of choosing a dog because they like their appearance. If people would consider researching dog breeds and their behavior patterns there would be happier pets and owners. Breeds seem to act alike. I have a Pomeranian. She is my dog! I have never had a dog attach to me like she has. We had recently agreed to find a home for a full size Pomeranian. I had never been around any other Pom before. I was amazed at how both of these dogs had the same type of body movements and personality. The larger Pom was attached to my husband and stuck to him like glue, just like my dog stays close to me. We also have a Schnauzer. My daughter has several Schnauzers. They all crave human attention. They are people loving dogs. If a person is away from home for hours on end I would not choose a Schnauzer. It would not be good for the owner or the dog.

I appreciate a clean house. Dog hair is not my idea of a good thing on my furniture. I would never consider an indoor dog that sheds. That is why I have a Pomeranian. A short haired dog sheds. If a dog has to have a hair cut generally it does not shed.

Another thing to consider is what health issues are common with certain breeds. Can you afford large vet bills? If not choose a dog that does not have health issues you can't afford.

Step 6: Sunshiine's Final Thoughts

I hope this tutorial has been helpful. Animals are wonderful creatures to keep us company and bring happiness into our lives. Dogs need a loving happy home. They are loyal and sincerely do want to please their owners. We just need to communicate with them on their level. Bad behavior is usually the cause of bad training. I am not saying this is true in every case. There are some instances where a dog has mental problems or has been abused or something to cause their bad behavior. But for the most part a good trainer can work miracles with dogs of this nature.

We are no longer taking care of my mother-in-law so my Desi is not getting table scraps like bread, cookies, and crackers. I have had to make her the chicken treats to put in her dog food so she will eat her dog food, but it is full of nutrition and healthy for her. She has lost weight and is much healthier.

Thank you for stopping by to view my tutorial. Please do stop in again and have a splendorous day!

Sunshiine