Get my free newsletter and guide at http://ferndogtraining.com/free-guide Dog Training Q&A – How to introduce your dog to a baby. If your dog has never been socialized with babies it can take some time for them to adjust (actually no matter what there’s going to be an adjustment period). We want your dog to have a calm association to your baby so don’t let them interact unless your dog is in a calm state of mind. Calm dogs make better decision than when they are excited or aroused. Give your dogs lots of exercise to help them get calm and make sure you don’t forget their basic canine needs while taking care of your new baby. By doing all this you will set your dog up and your baby up to have a nice calm encounter together and over time your dog will understand that the baby is just a new addition to the family and nothing to get excited about.

One of the most important areas of training a dog is house training. However, this can be a very frustrating task. One of the best ways to succeed is use the dogs own instincts. By nature, dogs are usually very clean animals. They prefer to keep the areas where they eat and sleep clean and free from soil. Dogs also like a routine and like to know where they are supposed to urinate and defecate. For instance, if they are taught to do their business on gravel or concrete, they will look for gravel or concrete to do this. If they are taught to go on grass or dirt, they will look for grass or dirt. Take advantage of these habits.

First, you must set up a training area. You will need a place that is small and confined, like a bathroom or kitchen. A crate will work for small dogs or puppies but larger animals need more room. You need to spend some time with your pet in this area playing with him. Your pet will also eat and sleep in this area as well.

You should put together a special bed for your dog or purchase one. Don’t fret if your pet soils in this area at first. He will soon learn that this is where he eats and sleeps and stop eliminating there. Once the dog figures out the bed is for sleeping, you can move it to different locations in the house. Make sure you do this only when you are home. If you are not there, move the bed back to the training area.

Next, you will need to set up a bathroom area. Find a location for this purpose, probably outside. But, it needs a to be a place the dog can go whenever he needs to go. You should go with your dog to give rewards for good behavior. Feed the dog at the same time everyday. If your dog is fed at the same time everyday and establishes a schedule for eating he will also establish a routine for eliminating. Once you get a feel for those times, it will be easier to guide your dog to the designated location. Your dog should have easy access to the bathroom area; that way accidents are less likely.

Now, you can continue the house training. When your pet is in the habit of urinating or defecating in the toilet area and not in his eating or sleeping area, you may extend the training area to include the rest of the house. Don’t start to fast. Go slowly at first. Add one room at a time. Don’t go into new rooms until you are sure your pet has good control of his bathroom habits. Do this only when you are present with the dog. If you are not home, keep your dog in the original training area. You can speed the process up, but do so with caution. It is advisable to go slowly rather than have to retrain your pet at a later time. If you do choose to speed things up, make sure you are there to reward your dog. Remember, it is important not to punish for accidents. This will only slow the process down by confusing the dog.

Good luck!

Dog training videos and DVDs are becoming a favourite, easy way of learning how to train your dog.  Dog training classes and private dog trainers are pricey, so more people are now finding it less demanding to download dog training videos which they can watch at their own tempo and in the comfort of their own home, on the move on their laptop or listen to dog training books that are on audio.

In an ideal world where cash and time are not an issue my first option for training my dog would be a series of classes with a well-known  professional dog trainer but like many people I simply cannot stretch to afford this.  We all want the best training for our dogs though and there are many other excellent solutions available.

Cesar Millan is a household name now and you can buy his dog training DVD course for just over $ 130 which is quite affordable but there are further costs, such as the Illusion collar you need to buy for your dog to follow Cesar’s dog training video course.  The collar is around $ 40.  A great option though.

Dog training DVD courses have been proven to work better than just reading a book as you can actually watch the dog trainer in action, hearing how the voice is used to give commands and secondly seeing the body language which should be used.  Your dog watches you constantly and hears you second.

It was these advantages to dog training videos that prompted me to find out more information online with a view to finding a good dog training DVD course by a professional dog trainer.  I was quite surprised that most reviews online were for mainly ebooks with maybe just a short video included and most reviews I came across were written by people who had clearly never been near a dog and neither were the dog training videos or books written by a proper dog trainer!

I finally found a dog training DVD course through going into dog forums where I was given a personal recommendation from someone who had been using a dog training DVD course by a well-known professional dog trainer for 6 months and she had rescued her dog who sadly had been abused and needed to regain trust with people, which he did with the help of the training and of course, love and care.

Some research online about the dog trainer himself was very positive so I downloaded this Dog training DVD course – written by a long standing British professional dog trainer.  There are 21 dog training videos, and over five hours of an audio book which is also supplied as an ebook to print and download.  I also receive a newsletter regularly (plus all the previous newsletters) and can contact the trainer personally should I ever need.  The videos are of the professional dog trainer with real dogs and the method of training does not involve harming your dog or require any special, pricey equipment.

I was happy with the price of $ 59 for this complete dog training DVD course which covers everything from preparing to bring your pup home, house training and ongoing training covering each stage of your dog’s life.  Common dog obedience problems are also addressed in depth.  These simple dog training videos helped me sort out my jealous little westie’s naughtiness!

Crate training a puppy or dog is topic that interests new pet owners. It is a very important method used to get dogs house trained. This allows owners to be able to trust their pets when they are not home. The concept behind crate training is that dog owners train their pets to hold going to the bathroom until they are taken outside for a walk. The crate training method on average works well as dogs have a natural inclination not to potty near themselves. While crate training is not difficult, it takes patience and persistence. Puppies when as young as two to three months old will still need to relieve themselves frequently. It is very important to know the steps involved with crate training in order to get optimal results.

To begin, a pet owner needs to choose a crate that is not too big for his or her dog. If the crate is too large, a puppy may feel that it is alright to relieve itself in the crate as a result of the extra space available. The whole concept behind the crate training is to make the dog want to follow its natural instinct and not go to the bathroom near itself. A big crate defeats the whole purpose of this idea. With this said, a person needs to make sure that the crate is at least big enough to ensure that the dog will not feel uncomfortable in it. He or she needs to take into account the dog’s breed and how much it will grow during the period that the crate training will take place.

The next step involved with crate training is to remove the doors of the crate when first starting the process. A pet owner needs to guide his or her dog in and out of the crate in order to get the animal used to it. The owner should never force the dog into the crate and lock it up without first getting the dog used to the crate on its own. It may take some dogs several days to get used to the cage. In time, the dog will become accustomed to the crate. The dog will eventually be able to stay in the crate without whimpering, and an owner should encourage the dog’s good behavior in the crate by offering the animal treats and rewards.

Next, a pet owner needs to provide his or her dog with a comfortable bed and toys when crate training the animal. The dog’s toys and a couple of treats need to be placed at the opposite end of the cage door. The toys will cure the dog’s boredom and serve as a distraction when its owner is not home. The toys must be inedible and large enough to ensure that a dog, especially a puppy, will not eat them. Another idea to try when crate training a dog is for the owner to leave the television or radio on when not home.

Dog owners should also look to crate train their pet for short periods when they are actually home. This is since only crate training the animal when the owner is away will lead the dog to associate the cage with feelings of loneliness and punishment. Training the dog while at home will, on the other hand, lead the animal to see the crate as part of its normal experience.

Another step involved with crate training dogs is that owners must be consistent throughout the entire process. This is especially relevant where puppies are concerned. Puppies will need to relieve themselves often. It is thus best to follow the same eating and drinking schedule each day. Most dogs will need to go to the bathroom shortly after eating. Therefore, the animal should be walked around the same time each day. When the dog cries from the crate, it is best for the owner to take it out for a walk as soon as possible. The dog should also be taken to the same spots for walking and should be rewarded after the walk. Developing these patterns will get the dog into a routine and schedule that will serve both the animal and its owner well.

It needs to be reinforced that crate training is not going to happen overnight, and pet owners need to follow the steps above until the dog is comfortable and properly trained. Patience and persistence will result in no accidents in the house and a happier dog and owner.

In conclusion, crate training is a topic of vast interest for new dog owners. It involves a number of steps, including making sure that a cage is not too big; removing the doors of the crate; using a comfortable bed and toys inside of the crate; training the dog for short periods of time when the owner is home; and being consistent throughout the training process. It should also be noted that crate training is a process that will benefit both the dog and owner, and it does not happen overnight. An owner needs to have patience and persistence in order for crate training to be a success.