Tips for Dog Owners

You can teach dogs of all ages not to use the bathroom in your house, but puppies might take longer to learn. You'll need extra patience for puppies younger than five months old. The youngest puppies don't have much muscle control and have a hard time understanding and remembering new ideas. 

No matter what age, your teaching routine is key to house training. Feed your dog at the same times each day to give your pet more control over a bathroom schedule. While training, take your dog outside in the morning, after heavy play, 20 minutes after a meal and right before bedtime.

Take your dog where you want him or her to go to the bathroom, and use a leash to help teach why you're outside, and that it's not time to play. Choose a command word for the bathroom and repeat it, immediately praising your dog when he or she goes. That will help establish the connection between praise, place and action. Keep your dog confined when you aren't around until the dog is completely trained. 

Dogs learn best from consistent training and positive reinforcement. Consider using food, treats, praise, petting and favorite toys and games as a reward for doing something correctly.

There are a number of methods to discourage your dog from engaging in unwanted behaviors. You can help this by surrounding or covering areas you want your dog to avoid with an material it doesn't like to feel on its paws like sticky shelf paper, double-sided carpet tape, heavy plastic carpet runner with the pointy side up or irregularly shaped rocks or chicken wire outside. Use items that make things taste bad if your dog likes to eat things he or she isn't supposed to.

Protect your dog from escaping by providing adequate confinement. Be sure all gates, fences and doors are always secure. If there is activity around a gate or door, be sure your dog is safely confined so that he won’t slip out in the confusion. Keep current identification on your dog at all times. Be sure your fence is solid, has no holes, is high enough and that there's nothing nearby that could help your dog jump over it. Chronic escaping can be a difficult problem to resolve when a dog spends too much time outside alone.

Many dogs play roughly with people when they are excited. Keep playtime in control and always use a toy as the play target. When your dog becomes overexcited, freeze and firmly say no. Slowly remove yourself from the situation, stop all play and ignore your dog for at least five minutes for a cooling off period.

Dogs may jump on your in play or to greet you to get attention. Cross your arms and turn away to discourage it. If your dog jumps on you in play or to greet you, he wants your attention.  To discourage jumping, cross your arms and turn away. Only give attention, praise and petting when your dog is sitting on the floor.

Punishment is NOT effective to correct jumping up or rough play. It makes a situation worse.

It is also crucial to make sure your dog has enough appropriate outlets for his energy.

Most of the thousands of pet bites in the U.S. each year can be avoided. Learn to read animals' body language and how to control your own. Don't wait until a bite occurs to teach your children and yourself how to stay safe around animals. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Humane Society have more information about bite prevention.

All dogs bark, but most dogs can be taught to limit their barking to the right time and place. When your dog begins to bark, go to him or her and give the command to be quiet. Reward your dog with praise and a treat the instant the barking stops.

Chronic, nuisance barking can be very difficult to resolve if it happens when the owner isn’t around. It's often caused by boredom or by anxiety because of being left alone too much.

Aggressive behavior towards people or towards other animals needs to be addressed in person by a professional so that he or she can see exactly what is happening. Until you can get help, be sure to use caution with your pet. Never break up an animal fight with your hands. It's your responsibility to keep your dog confined if he or she is aggressive.

Punishment is never an effective solution to aggressive behavior, and it can make a problem worse.

All dogs chew, so you have to teach your dog the right targets by providing outlets for that energy. The first step to limit destruction is to provide outlets for that energy. Encourage active play by throwing balls for your dog to chase. Walk your dog every day, even if you have a yard. Be sure that there are always good chew toys available.

Keep  your belongings out of reach. If your dog likes to chew things you can't keep out of reach, make sure those things taste or feel unattractive. You may need to provide safe confinement to keep your dog away from temptation.

Punishment is not an effective solution to destructive behavior.

Ticks and fleas are common problems that can make your pet sick, so it's important to keep your pet free of them. Brush or comb your pet regularly to find and remove any ticks or fleas. If it's a recurring problem, you must If you find that you have a continuing problem, you must take a four-step approach to control it: Treat the inside of your house, treat your yard, treat your pet and use a prevention product.

Treat your yard and home with an appropriate flea- and tick-killing product, and bathe your pet in a flea- and tick-killing shampoo the same day. Be careful to select the right shampoo for your pet's species and age. Then consult with your veterinarian about long-acting prevention products to help your pet avoid fleas and ticks in the future.

All pets need physical and mental exercise. It can lead to destructive behavior if a pet has nothing to do and no one to do it with.

Dogs need regular, active exercise. Walk or jog with your dog on leash daily. It's always good to mix in some time to play and explore freely under your direct supervision in a confined area like a dog park. Toys that use lots of energy, especially hard-rubber chew toys, can help your dog play and exercise when they're alone. Some breeds are more active than others and may need up to twice as much exercise as other dogs.

If your dog resists obeying well-known commands, insists on being petted or played with by nudging you, defends toys or food from you, growls or bares teeth, resists handling, snaps at you or displays other behaviors, he or she may be trying to be dominant. Avoid situations that bring out the behavior, use "happy talk" to defuse tense situations, supervise or confine your dog as necessary and use a head halter or muzzle to help control your dog when outdoors.

Some dogs are afraid of startling noises. You may find it useful to create a dark, small and shielded "hidey hole" for your dog to use when he or she is scared, or use distraction techniques.

Dogs often dig for entertainment or by instinct, and you can help that by providing regular exercise, providing other things for the dog to do outside, create an acceptable digging area by using loose soil or sand and interrupt the behavior when you see it.

Some dogs experience anxiety when you're not around, and you may spot it if your dog engages in certain behaviors only when alone or has excessive excitement or anxiety when you leave or return home. Keep your arrivals and departures low key, leave an item of clothing behind that smells like you, establish a safety cue like a word or action that tells your dog you'll be back.

If your pet eats things he or she isn't supposed to, make those things taste bad. Use cayenne pepper or another product available at a pet store. You can also treat your pet's food with products you can get from a veterinarian if your pet has an issue with eating its stool.

Spay or neuter your pet as a first step to reducing the likelihood of marking behavior. Restrict access to doors or windows where the pet can see other animals outside and resolve conflicts between pets in your home. Thoroughly clean soiled areas with products made specifically for pet odor removal.

Machine wash clothes as normal, but add a one-pound box of baking soda to the regular detergent. Air dry the items if possible. Use products specifically for pet odor removal when cleaning carpeted areas and upholstery.

Many landlords and housing associations have restrictions regarding, pets but don’t be discouraged. When you are planning to move, it is important to give yourself enough time to search for a place that will allow your pets. Make sure your animal is spayed or neutered, vaccinated and has basic training to help your landlord see you're a responsible pet owner.

Whether it's a common cold or a more serious illness, caring for pets when you're sick presents challenges. It's important to keep your pet as healthy, clean and groomed as possible. Assess your challenges and ask for help from family or friends if you need it. Always wash your hands after handing your pet and its food, toys and waste.

Keep claws trimmed and work with your pet on getting used to a new member of the family and new routines. You can also plan ahead like using a doll as a stand-in before your baby arrives, and talk to your pet about the baby using the baby's name.